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Writer's pictureBalbriggan Parish Office

Bulletin January 26th 2020



SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD


In his Apostolic Letter of 30 September 2019, Aperuitillis Pope Francis established that the Third Sunday inOrdinary Time is to be the Sunday of the Word of God.

It is a day to be devoted to the celebration, study, and spreading of the Word of God. Pope Francis is clear from

the very first paragraph of this letter that the relationship

between the Risen Lord, a community of believers, and

sacred Scripture is essential to who we are as Christians.

The Sunday assembly gathering to celebrate the

Eucharist is the unique moment in the week where a

community gathers in a particular place and when their

communal identity is nourished by Word and Sacrament.

An important advance in 20th century theological

reflection is that every sacramental celebration is founded

and constructed upon the Word of God, and that every

proclamation of the Word of God is sacramental.

While one might quibble with yet another Sunday being

devoted to a particular theme that is superimposed on the

liturgical celebration, this Sunday of the Word of God is

certainly understood in a different way. It is not a new

feast! After all, the Word of God is proclaimed at every Sunday Eucharist, and one of the great blessings of the liturgical reform and

renewal flowing from the Second Vatican Council is a greater appreciation of the foundational role of the Word of God in every

liturgical celebration. The reform of the lectionary has led to much more scripture being proclaimed during our liturgical gatherings and a greater awareness of the role of the Word of God in the life of faith.


What is the Word of God?


We often identify the Bible as the Word of God. This is not wrong, but God speaks to our hearts in many different ways. For

instance, he speaks to us in prayer and through our conscience, and often through other people. Hence, the Word of God covers

much more than a printed book. Nevertheless, the Bible is the privileged collection of communications between God and his people.

These stories and poems have nourished the lives of the people of Israel and the Christian Church right through the centuries, and

they continue to nourish us today. They tell the story of God’s love and our salvation from ancient times onwards. The scriptural

texts offer us both challenge and encouragement for our lives, and are especially valuable to us through the hope they offer us at


dark moments.


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