Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Month of January Dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Sunday of the Word of God

In other years: Saint Vincent of Saragossa, Spanish Deacon and Martyr (-304); Saint Vincent Pallotti, Priest, Founder of the Union of the Catholic Apostolate (1795-1850); Saint Publius, First Bishop of Malta, Welcomed Saint Paul and his Companions to Malta; Blessed Anthony Della Chiesa OP (1394-1459)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 5:1-13 Obedience

Mass: Is 8:23-9:3; Resp Ps 27; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23   

That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, WORD OF GOD,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.

(1 Cor 1:10)

Welcome to Sunday of the Word of God, instituted September 30, 2019, by Pope Francis in the Apostolic Letter Aperit illis He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. The day, "devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God (3)" is set for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. On this day, then, when in our Gospel, Jesus calls Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, all fishermen, to follow Him, let us turn to the Word in sacred Scripture and listen to Jesus calling us. What is it we need to do so that, at once, we leave behind our nets and boats that keep us from responding to the will of God in our lives? Pope Francis, in today's Angelus Address, put it this way: "And today, is there something Jesus is calling me to give up? What are the material things, ways of thinking, attitudes I need to leave behind to say 'yes' to Him?" I was inspired too by an obituary I read of a monk in our Order who died a couple of days ago at the age of nearly 100 years old, Brother Mary Joseph Szwedo, ocso. After entering the Abbey of Gethsemane in 1944 at the age of 17, Brother Mary Joseph went to Mepkin Abbey in 1952. As it turned out Brother was in the monastery for almost 80 years! Among those facts and other things, for example, "Daily he could be seen feeding the squirrels as he spoke with them in Polish which they obviously understood," ☺ I was inspired by this: "Having listened in formation as a lay brother at Gethsemane that when you are not working you are reading - scripture, theology and spiritual authors - he was an example to all the men entering Mepkin that we are as Saint Benedict tells us lifelong learners" (see ocso.org). 

For the word of the Lord is living and active.

(Heb. 4:12)

Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.

(Saint Jerome)

Listen readily to holy reading.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 4:55)

The Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep.

(RB Prologue 8)

May every day of our lives be shaped by a renewed encounter with Christ, the Word of the Father made flesh: He stands at the beginning and the end, and "in Him all things hold together "(Col. 1:17). Let us be silent in order to hear the Lord's word and to meditate upon it, so that by the working of the Holy Spirit it may remain in our hearts and speak to us all the days of our lives. In this way the Church will always be renewed and rejuvenated, thanks to the word of the Lord which remains for ever. Thus we too will enter into the great nuptial dialogue which concludes sacred Scripture: "The Spirit and the bride say: 'Come'. And let everyone who hears say: 'Come!'" The one who testifies to these things, says: 'Surely I am coming soon!'. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!".

(Pope Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum domini The word of the Lord, 124)

Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see Him who has called us to His kingdom.

(RB Prologue 21)

SAINT VINCENT OF SARAGOSSA,

SAINT VINCENT PALLOTTI,

SAINT PUBLIUS,

SAINT PAUL AND COMPANIONS,

BLESSED ANTHOHY DELLA CHIESA,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: A little peek into the Second Field. Contemplate His temple.

© Gertrude Feick 2023