Letter from the Pastor
-
January 21, 2024There is a criticism against Catholics, that we don’t know the Bible. It is, of course, a half-truth. We may not quote chapter and verse compared to some of our reformed Protestant brothers and sisters, but their worship services only consist of the Bible.
However, in the Mass, most of the prayers that are prayed by the priest and people come from the Scriptures. Every three years, if one attends Sunday Mass, one would hear the entire Bible, (few verses are excluded).
It is very important for us to know and study the Bible; it contains the “words of everlasting life.” The importance of the word of God in our life made Pope Francis on September 30, 2019, to issue an Apostolic Letter Aperuit illis. Thereby instituting the celebration of Sunday of the Word of God, which is to be held every year on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, which is today.
In the letter the Pope "proposed setting aside 'a Sunday given over entirely to the word of God, so as to appreciate the inexhaustible riches contained in that constant dialogue between the Lord and his people'… ‘Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.’" (Ai, 2)
This Sunday of the Word of God reminds us of the importance and the value of Sacred Scripture in our daily life. We need to develop a deeper relationship with the Bible, God’s word written in the words of human beings. St. Jerome, whose feast day is September 30th wrote, “Ignorance of Scripture, is ignorance of Christ.” Saint Jerome had a great love for the Scriptures. He was a tireless scholar, and translator from the original languages to the common language of his time, Latin. St. Jerome not only had a profound knowledge of the Scriptures, he was zealous in making the truth known.
We remember that when we read the Scriptures or hear them proclaimed at Mass, we are entering into a true conversation with God. The words become alive and effective. God speaks to us through the voice of the reader or the priest. We should listen attentively to the readings, and prepare them beforehand. Every time the Scripture is proclaimed God speaks to you individually.
There are so many good apps and websites on the Internet for the Catholic study of the Bible and of the Sunday readings. Check them out. One in particular, Fr. Mike Schmitz, The Bible in One Year. You can find it on YouTube or through Ascension Press. It is well-done, informative, and not heavy! Check it out.
Holy Hour for Life
Last Friday, January 19th was the 51st Annual March for Life in Washington DC. Monday, January 22nd is the anniversary of the infamous Roe V Wade decision, which by God’s grace was overturned in June 2022. God only knows how many lives have been saved since then. We still have so much work to be done to help our brothers and sisters in their need, to teach them about the sanctity and preciousness of life, and to recover the sense of the sacredness of human sexuality.
The Bishops of our country have asked us to make Monday a day of prayer and penance. I invite you to attend Mass tomorrow, and after the 9:00AM Mass and again at 7PM, (the usual Monday evening Holy Hour), we will offer a Holy Hour of Prayer with the Rosary and other litanies and prayers for life.
