Gospel

As we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God, we reflect on the importance of God’s word in changing lives and the world. In the reading from the Gospel According to Mark 1:14–20 (NABRE), Jesus has begun his public ministry by proclaiming the “Gospel of God.”

The idea of the Gospel has a number of different uses in our Church, and some background can help us to understand them. The English word “gospel” comes from Old English and essentially means “good news.” The Greek word used in this week’s reading, εὐαγγέλιον (evangelion), and its Latin equivalent, evangelium, also literally mean “good news.”

At its core, the word Gospel in a Christian context means the good news of Jesus Christ that salvation is at hand. We also see in this Sundays’ reading from the Book of Jonah 3:1–10 (NABRE) that even in the Old Testament, God’s word could serve not only as a warning but as a means of deliverance.

As we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God, let us reflect on the important idea that whatever the message, God’s word always comes to us as good news because of God’s goodness. If we allow it, that word can transform our lives and our world for the better.

related topics: synoptic

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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