BRILL: Opening Our Hearts for the Sunday of the Word of God

(OSV News photo/Chaz Muth)In a few days, the Church will celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God, the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, which this year falls on Jan. 25. Instituted by Pope Francis in his 2019 apostolic letter Aperuit Illis, this day invites us to celebrate, study and share Sacred Scripture, recognizing it as the living voice of the Risen Christ opening our minds (Lk 24:45). 

Coming soon after the Christmas season and the close of the Jubilee Year, it’s a perfect moment to let “the word of Christ dwell richly among you” (Col 3:16), enriching our liturgical lives.

In the Liturgy, Scripture isn’t just read — it’s proclaimed with dignity. We highlight the words of Christ by processing with the Book of the Gospels amid candles and incense, enthroning it on the altar, and greeting it with sung acclamations. The Responsorial Psalm becomes a prayerful, melodic response to God’s love. Through these gestures, symbols and acclamations, we’re drawn into God’s saving story.

This elevates the Liturgy of the Word, fostering deeper participation and spiritual enrichment. Yet our encounter with Sacred Scripture shouldn’t end at Mass. Pope Francis wanted the engagement with Sacred Scripture to permeate our lives.

One practice suggested is to start at home by enthroning the Bible. Place the Bible prominently on a decorated shelf with flowers and a candle, maybe even more visible than the TV, showing God at the center of your family. Simple rituals, like the one from the USCCB website, can be used to help make the ritual meaningful. 

Try lectio divina. Read slowly (lectio), reflect on what resonates (meditatio), respond in prayer (oratio) and rest in God’s presence (contemplatio). If families can dedicate 15 to 20 minutes weekly, this goes a long way. You can easily open up to the Sunday Gospel, read aloud, share “What word stands out?” and pray together. Even with children, their imaginations spark beautiful insights. 

Join or start parish Bible studies. It would be interesting to know how many of our parish readers don’t read Scripture beyond what they read at Mass. Readers could easily get together to have a Bible study, and help them reflect on the words they will be proclaiming in the Mass. We could organize Holy Hours with proclaimed Scripture. As Pope Francis suggested, we could distribute Bibles at Mass.
  
This day isn’t a one-off celebration, but an annual invitation to let God’s word transform us. By engaging actively, we deepen liturgical understanding, encounter Christ anew, and build hopeful communities. Let’s make Jan. 25 a springboard for Scripture-rich lives in our Archdiocese! ​
 
Adam Brill is the director of the Office of Worship.​