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Dearests, from the year 2019, the third Sunday of Ordinary Time has been baptised in
the Church as the Sunday of the Word of God. The institution of the Sunday of the Word of
God was made official by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Motu Proprio Aperuit Illis,
published on 30 September 2019, Feast of St Jerome. The institution of the Sunday of the
Word of God is a way to remind us of the important role that the word of God plays in our
lives as Christians. This word, which was with God right from the beginning and came to
dwell among us, first in the person of Jesus Christ, the incarnate word and secondly in Sacred
Scripture. The Church encourages us on this Sunday to carry out the teaching of the word of
God at all times and in all places. It is through our knowledge of the Word of God that we can
come to knowledge of Christ, for as St Jerome says: “ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of
Christ”. The Gospel periscope presents to the scene of the calling of the first disciples. Why
did Jesus call them? He called them first to stay with him, which signifies to be formed by him
and after haven been formed by him, to be sent on mission. Hence, the title Apostle signifies
one who is being sent. A necessary condition to be sent is first to be trained, that is, to be
taught. In this regard, when Jesus asked the his first disciples, what do you want, their answer
was rabbi (teacher). They needed a teacher one who will bring them to knowledge of the word
of God. They were aware of the saying of the prophet Hosea, “my people perish because of
ignorance”. Yes, the Word of God is intended to train, to correct and to convince. It is like a
double aged sword that cuts across; at times it does not sound pleasing to our ears, yet it is that
same word that we need for our conversion.
In the first reading, Noah was sent to bring this same word to the people of Niniveh and
to them he said: “Forty days more and Niniveh shall be destroyed”. Noah did not compromise
the Word of God, he preached it to the people undiluted. In the Gospel we are told that Jesus
began his ministry by preaching the same Word in an uncompromising manner, “This is the
time of fulfilment, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.” And just
as the prophet Isaiah tells us, the Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord cannot go back
without doing what it was sent to do, without bringing the change it intended to bring;. So in
both the situation of Noah in the first reading and Jesus in the gospel, there was a significant
change brought about through the preaching of the word of God, the people of Niniveh
proclaimed a fast and all of them great and small put on sackcloth – a sign of conversion,
metanoia, a change of heart. And in the gospel it is recorded that the first set of disciples
abandoned their nets and followed Jesus, while the second set of disciples left their father
Zebedee and their boats and followed Jesus. A sign of detachment. This same call to
detachment is preached to us by St Paul in the second reading in the following words, From
now on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those
rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning… For the world in its present form is
passing away.
Dear friends, the word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, cannot go back without
bringing a significant change. Which is the change I am open to or disposed that this word
should bring in my life today. May Christ, through the enlightenment of his word, and through
the intercession of St Jerome, open our hearts and minds, to see what transformation we need
and give us to grace to be open to accommodate that transformation, for as the prophet Isaiah
says, how happy are the feet of those who brings the good news, for faith comes from hearing
and what is heard comes from what is preached about Christ.