Every third Sunday after Christmas, the Church emphasizes the importance of the Word of God. This year it will take place on Jan. 24.
POPE FRANCIS
“The Word that saves does not go looking for well-preserved, clean, safe places. It comes into our complexities, into our darkness. Today, as then, God desires to visit those places where we think He doesn’t go.”
The date is not coincidental; it is celebrated between the day when the Church remembers its relations with the Jewish people and the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian unity.
During its first edition last year, the Mass was celebrated with very significant gestures. For instance, the same lectern used during the Second Vatican Council was used. Following the readings, the Gospel book was enthroned before the altar.
The pope wants the veneration of the Bible to be presented in a special way this Sunday. For example, he wants the bishops to celebrate the rite of the Lectorate as a special ministry or for bibles to be given or blessed.
Last year, the pope gave 60 Bibles to people from different walks of life. Among them, the Italian scientist Antonino Zichichi and the AS Roma Italian midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo, a promising young Italian soccer player.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: Christian Campos
