Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 / 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 / Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

We have reached the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, called the Sunday of the Word. This is an initiative proposed by Pope Francis in 2019, which began the following year.

Unfortunately, many Catholics do not give the importance that the Word of God deserves. We know this because many Catholics do not read It, do not meditate on It and, consequently, do not practice It or proclaim It. Many Catholics only have contact with the Word of God at Sunday Mass; during the week, they have no interest in the Word of God, which is widely disseminated through audio and video on TV, radio, the Internet, and social networks.

It is not possible to know God without knowing His Word. Our God is biblical, not a figment of our imagination, invented by us. It is essential to read the Word to know God, His love for us, His Will, and His promises.

Catholics should learn from Protestants, who value the Word, who memorize important biblical passages with their book, chapter and verse, and who transmit the Word to others.

Today the evangelist Luke tells us about Jesus' commitment to the Word of God. He read an important passage from the prophecy of Isaiah and stated before everyone that the prophecy he had read was being fulfilled in His life at that very moment. In other words, Jesus was saying that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, that He had been anointed to announce the Good News and a year of the Lord's favor, to free the oppressed and to restore sight to the blind.

Christians must act like Christ. In other words, we must also commit ourselves to the Word of God; we must also read the Word and allow It to be fulfilled in our lives.

Today the book of Nehemiah tells us about the reading of the book of the Law of God and the explanation of its meaning before the assembly of men and women. The people listened attentively to the reading of the book of the Law and wept.

The assembly of Christians must have this same attitude during the Liturgy of the Word at Holy Mass, reading and listening to the Word of God with enthusiasm, emotion and faith, and then putting it into practice in their daily lives.

Today, in his first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells us about comparing the Church to a human body with interconnected members and different functions, all of which are equally important. For Paul - whose conversion from Judaism to Christianity we celebrate on January 25th - the Church is a Mystical Body, whose head is Jesus Christ.

How beautiful is the vocation of the Church! We must all strive for unity in the Church, respecting and valuing its immense diversity as a treasure provided by God. Let us resist the devil who wants to divide the Church. Let us open ourselves to the Spirit who brings about unity in diversity in the Church.

Local: Springfield, MA, EUA

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