The Sunday of the Word of God is not just another date on the Church calendar. For us at catholicmassreadingstoday.com, it is deeply personal. Our very existence was born out of the desire to share, proclaim, and spread the Word of God every single day. This special Sunday reminds us why we exist and what we are called to do as a Catholic family: to listen to God, to love His Word, and to live it out.
How The Sunday of the Word of God Began
The Sunday of the Word of God was instituted by Pope Francis in 2019 through his Apostolic Letter Aperuit Illis. He designated the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as a day dedicated entirely to the celebration, reflection, and dissemination of Sacred Scripture.
Pope Francis established this day to:
- Renew the Church’s love for Sacred Scripture
- Encourage all Catholics to read, study, and pray with the Bible
- Emphasize that the Word of God is living and active, not just a book from the past
This celebration is not meant to be symbolic only, but practical and transformative calling every Catholic parish, family, and individual to place the Bible back at the center of our daily life.
Why The Sunday of the Word of God Is Important to the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church is built on Christ, and Christ is revealed to us through the Word.
From the very beginning, God has revealed Himself by speaking.
“God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
God did not struggle, negotiate, or experiment He spoke, and creation obeyed. The universe itself stands as proof of the power of God’s Word. Every mountain, ocean, star, and living soul came into being because God said it should be so.
This is why the Word of God is not ordinary speech. It is creative, authoritative, and life-giving.
The Word Became Flesh: John 1:14
The Gospel of John takes us even deeper into this mystery:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
This verse changes everything.
The Word of God is not just written ink on paper.
The Word is a Person, Jesus Christ.
When we read Scripture, we are not merely learning history or moral lessons. We are encountering Christ Himself. Jesus is God’s final and complete Word spoken to humanity. To love Jesus is to love the Word. To ignore Scripture is, in a way, to ignore Christ speaking to us today.
The Word as the Only True Foundation – 1 Corinthians 3:10–11
Saint Paul reminds us of something essential:
“No one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)
The Church does not stand on opinions, trends, or human wisdom.
It stands firmly on Jesus Christ, the living Word of God.
Every teaching, sacrament, and tradition of the Church flows from this foundation. When Catholics return to Scripture, we return to what holds us together as one Body in Christ.
God Still Speaks to Us Through the Bible Today
Sometimes we forget this powerful truth:
God still speaks.
When you open the Bible, you are not reading old stories alone. You are allowing God to speak into:
- your fears
- your decisions
- your struggles
- your hopes
The same Word that created the world by speaking still carries that same power today. If God says in Scripture that He loves you, forgives you, strengthens you, and walks with you it is just as true and powerful as when He said, “Let there be light.”
Carry the Bible. Read It. Live It.
The Sunday of the Word of God challenges us to ask ourselves honest questions:
- Do I own a Bible?
- Do I carry it with me?
- Do I read it regularly?
- Do I allow it to shape my life?
The Bible should not gather dust on a shelf. It should be:
- opened daily
- read prayerfully
- listened to attentively
Because through it, God speaks personally to each of us.
A Lesson We Learned as Children
Many of us remember the simple childhood song:
🎵 “Read your Bible, pray every day,
Pray every day, pray every day,
Read your Bible, pray every day,
If you want to grow.” 🎵
That song carries profound truth.
Spiritual growth does not happen by accident. It happens when:
- we read the Word
- we pray with it
- we live it out daily
The Sunday of the Word of God calls us back to this simple but powerful habit.
A Final Reflection for The Sunday of the Word of God
Today, we celebrate more than a book.
We celebrate God speaking to His people.
For us at catholicmassreadingstoday.com, this Sunday is a reminder of our mission:
to proclaim the Word, to share daily Catholic readings, and to help God’s people hear His voice every day.
May this Sunday renew in all of us:
- a hunger for Scripture
- a deeper love for Jesus, the Living Word
- a commitment to read the Bible daily
Because when God speaks, lives change, faith grows, and the world is renewed just as it was in the beginning.
📖 Read your Bible. Pray every day. And grow in the Word that gives life.
Let us Pray reflecting on The Sunday of the Word of God
Heavenly Father,
we thank You for the gift of Your Word,
spoken at the beginning of creation
and fulfilled in Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Living Word.
Open our hearts to receive Your Word with faith,
our minds to understand it with humility,
and our lives to live it with courage and love.
Help us never to forget that when You speak,
Your Word has the power to create, to heal, and to transform.
May the Scriptures we read each day shape our thoughts,
guide our decisions, and strengthen our faith.
Give us the grace to carry our Bibles with reverence,
to read them daily with devotion,
and to listen attentively as You speak to us through them.
May Your Word be the firm foundation of our lives,
built upon Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.