Pope Francis has declared the third Sunday in Ordinary Time ‘Sunday of the Word of God’. This special celebration encourages Catholics to deepen their appreciation of, and witness to, the scriptures.
His Holiness hopes it will help the Christian community ‘concentrate on the great value that the Word of God occupies in its daily existence’.
‘God’s constant dialogue with His people’
Missio internationally works on projects which share the Bible in different formats and languages. We aim to bring Catholics into a deeper relationship with the Word, and renew our commitment to God’s ‘constant dialogue with His people’.
2020 is the Year of the Word. Mission Together offers resources for teachers and pupils which focus on a deeper engagement with Scripture. Find resources and more information here>>
Mass at St Peter’s Basilica
Pope Francis will celebrate a special Mass on Sunday 26 January. During the service he will present 40 Bibles to people who represent different ‘expressions’ of our daily life:
‘from the bishop to the foreigner, from the priest to the catechist, from the consecrated person to the policeman, from the Ambassadors of various continents to teachers of all grades, from the poor to journalists, from the ‘Gendarme’ to the prisoner serving a life sentence’. He will also present Bibles to members of Orthodox and Evangelical churches’
Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, said Pope Francis ‘wants to stimulate all Christians not just to place the Bible on the shelf as one of many books, perhaps filled with dust, but as an instrument that awakens our faith.’
Year of the Word
Meanwhile, Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have designated 2020 The Year of the Word – The God Who Speaks. It’s a time to ‘celebrate, live and share God’s word’ through various events and programmes. So Missio’s children’s branch, Mission Together, has created resources for Lent, Easter and beyond to encourage children to ‘draw closer to Jesus – the Word made Flesh – through greater reflection on His words and actions.’
You can download Mission Together assemblies, liturgies and our popular Lent calendar for free, here.
During 2020 you’ll also see updates from the inspiring missionaries and communities we support and our amazing Church family in England and Wales, talking about the Scripture passages that inspire them. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to join in and get inspired!