Pope Francis has asked us to set aside this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time to celebrate the gift of God's Word in our lives. The primary purpose of this special attention is to encourage all of us to be more at home with the Bible. The Bible is living witness to the presence of the Word in our lives, the person of Jesus Christ who is our life. By spending time in the words of the Bible we come to know the Word of God, Christ, dwelling in our hearts.
I encourage all of us to cultivate a habit of praying with the Word. This could mean listening to the Podcast, Bible in a Year, with Fr. Michael Schmitz. It could mean thumbing through your family Bible and reading the daily readings which are posted in the Bulletin every week. It could mean sitting quietly with just one phrase from scripture every day. It could mean joining our weekly Bible Study offered on Monday morning and Thursday evening. It could mean participating with the Lectio Divina prayer group on Tuesday evenings. I tis important we find something that works for us and can become a habit.
God's Word is living and true; the very Word of God dwells in you. Praying with a scripture is a beautiful way to connect with your own spirit and the Spirit of Christ in you.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.