In 2019 Pope Francis designated the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, which is this Sunday, as “Word of God Sunday”.
Many people’s familiarity with Scripture is better than they might realize because we work through much of the Bible on a three-year cycle on Sundays and then on a two-year cycle on weekdays. Still there are interruptions, and studying Scripture in a more systematic way can help tie it all together. Scripture is a cohesive story. It is a story and it is also my story. The more we know of Scripture, the more we know how God draws us into it. The more familiar we become with Scripture, the more familiar we can become with the language of God. When we are immersed in the Bible, it allows Him to speak to us in a whole different way, and we will learn to recognize His voice more clearly.
I know this might be daunting, but we have never had more resources that are both readily available and also very easy to dive into. There are two in particular that I want to mention.
The first is the Bible in a Year Podcast that Fr. Mike Schmitz created a couple of years ago.
He walks you through the entire Bible in 365 episodes, providing commentary, reflection, and prayer along the way. Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year podcast follows a reading plan inspired by The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, a ground-breaking approach to understanding salvation history developed by renowned Catholic Bible scholar Jeff Cavins. For each period in the timeline, Jeff will join Fr. Mike for a special episode that will help you understand the context of each reading. With this podcast, you won’t just read the Bible in a year … you’ll finally understand how all the pieces of the Bible fit together to tell an amazing story that continues in your life today!
Listen and…
· Read the ENTIRE Bible
· Feel more confident about your understanding of Scripture
· Experience the transformative power of God’s Word in your daily life
· Start seeing the world through the lens of Scripture
Each 20-25 minute episode includes:
· Two to three Scripture readings
· A reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz
· A guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word
The second resource is the Bible in a Year available through the Augustine Institute: https://www.augustineinstitute.org/program-categories/bible-in-a-year. I went through Fr. Mike’s podcast last year (which was excellent), and have been working through this one by the Augustine Institute. I particularly enjoy the little meditations/reflections after each day’s selection of readings.
The more we know Scripture, the more we will know Christ. On this Word of God Sunday dive in!
God Bless
Fr. Todd