Word of God Sunday

The Church annually celebrates Sunday of the Word of God in late January to reflect on the extraordinary gift of God’s word. The Bible or the Scriptures make up a central part of Christian worship because they uniquely reveal God to us through God’s own inspiration. While these writings are indeed sacred, it’s helpful for us also to bear in mind what makes them sacred.

The word Bible comes from the Greek βιβλίον (biblion), a word that means book. The word Scripture is from the Latin word meaning “to write.” The Scriptures are the written tradition of God’s revelation to his people. From that point of view, the Bible is a book like any other book.

What makes the Bible different is not the written form but the substance of what it conveys. The prologue of the Gospel According to John (NABRE) tells us that the Word of God, Jesus Christ, was in the beginning with God. In Jesus we find the expression of God made manifest and living for us. It is God himself who makes the words of the Scriptures powerful in our lives today and allows the Bible to transcend being a mere book like every other book.

How often do you read and reflect on the Scriptures? Do you read them to encounter God, or do you read them the same way that you read any other book?

related topics: word of God

you also may like our study of the Letter to the Hebrews (digital only)
Many Christians struggle to understand one of the central mysteries of our faith: how Jesus can be both human and divine at the same time. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, an 18-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, offers an in-depth look at the way in which Jesus’ dual nature allows for the salvation of humanity. The Letter to the Hebrews is designed to provide information that will encourage Christians to remain faithful. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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