A great light

All around the world, the Church is celebrating today the very first observance of the Word of God Sunday.  This is an initiative that Pope Francis has entrusted to the whole Church so that together, the Christian community will focus on the great value that the Word of God has in our daily lives (Aperuit illis, 2).  For many years, in various parts of the world, efforts have been put forward to help people to grow in their appreciation for the Word of God as an inspiration for our prayer and as a means of motivating us to carry out good works.  Therefore, this new emphasis, which will be highlighted each year on the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, is meant to help revive the responsibility of all believers to be knowledgeable in Sacred Scripture and to keep it alive through committed efforts to pass on the Word to future generations and to foster their understanding this Word which is capable of giving meaning to the life of the Church in the different conditions in which she finds herself.

Because the Word of God Sunday will always be observed on the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, it will also have great value for ecumenism: the ongoing dialogue between the Catholic Church and other Christian faith traditions.  As you know, we are concluding the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity today.  Obviously, it is not a mere coincidence that the Word of God Sunday is observed in such proximity to this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  Rather, it is the fruit of a choice that is intended to mark a further step in ecumenical dialogue, placing the Word of God at the very heart of the commitment that Christians are call to make every day.

Last weekend, we mandated new Lectors for this parish.  I thought about postponing that moment until this weekend in order to further emphasize the importance of the Word of God in the midst of our weekly assembly, but perhaps it is enough that we should recall that beautiful moment when our brothers and sisters said yes to the invitation to proclaim the Word of God in the midst of this assembly.

The significance of today's celebration is also echoed in the words that we have heard proclaimed today.  The prophet Isaiah says: the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light (Is 9:2), the psalmist reminds us that the Lord is my light and my salvation (Ps 27:1), and the gospel account demonstrates that even for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, a light has dawned (Mt 12:16).  This light that helps and guides us as we make our way through life is the Word of God, a word that is living and active, a word that is just as alive today as it was when it was first proclaimed.

Day after day, at every gathering of God's people, we listen to this Word and we pray that this Word will take root in our hearts so that our lives may be perfumed with its odour and so that we may live by its guidance.  Not everyone is able to be present for every moment at which the Word of God is proclaimed in this place, but we are all capable of reading the Word of God on our own.  It only takes a few moments; we only need to read a few words, or a few lines each day.  If we do, we will discover more and more the truth that Saint Paul speaks today: the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18).