by Fr. Tommy Lane
We heard in the Gospel about Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John as his disciples (Year A Matt 4:12-23; Year B Mark 1:14-20). Jesus called many disciples, and out of those he chose twelve whom he named his apostles (Luke 6:13). These apostles heard Jesus preaching for three years. After Pentecost, they preached and taught what they had heard Jesus preaching. Then the evangelists put the preaching of the apostles into writing, which we call the Gospels. So, the Gospels are the preaching of Jesus that was handed down by the apostles, and put into writing by the evangelists. The Gospels are the word of God. The entire Bible is the word of God. It is because the Bible is the word of God that last year (2019) Pope Francis asked us to devote this third Sunday every year to the place of the Word of God in our lives (Aperuit illis).
Jesus continues to be present with us in the Eucharist and in his words in the Gospels. It is a privilege for us to have Jesus present with us always in the tabernacle. Perhaps sometimes we don’t think about the other privilege we have: Jesus also present with us in his words in Sacred Scripture. A famous preacher in the third century, Origen, expressed it like this:
You receive the body of the Lord with special care and reverence lest the smallest crumb of the consecrated gift fall to the floor. You should receive the word of God with equal care and reverence lest the smallest word of it fall to the floor and be lost.
We honor all the Bible as the inspired word of God, but we give more honor to the Gospels. A lector can read the first and second reading, but only a deacon or priest may proclaim the Gospel. We sit when Sacred Scripture is read during Mass, but we stand when the Gospel is proclaimed to show our greater respect for the Gospel. In your life also, some parts of the Bible will have more meaning for you than other parts. Find those parts of the Bible that are most helpful for you.
When you are sick, you go to the doctor and get a prescription to get some drug to heal you. In any kind of problem turn to Jesus for help. One way to find his help is by reading Sacred Scripture. It would be good if the Bible in your home is in a place where you can easily see it so that it reminds you to read a little of it every day. It would be great to read a little bit of one of the Gospels at home every day. Read a paragraph or two during a quiet moment and reflect and think about what Jesus is saying to you. Jesus’ words in the Gospels refresh and restore us. Jesus’ words in the Gospels bring healing. There are attitudes in the world that are not healthy. Reading Sacred Scripture fills our mind with good thoughts to heal the negativity of the world. There are lots of images of violence in the media but in the Bible we read the words of Jesus, “love your enemies” (Matt 5:44). The TV, newspaper and internet do not reflect who we really are as sons and daughters of God—deeply loved by God and destined to spend eternity with God. Reading Sacred Scripture reminds us of who we really are—sons and daughters of God. There is a beautiful passage in Matthew 6 that reminds us not to worry because of who we are before God:
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? . . But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides (Matt 6:25-26, 33)
When you hear an account of a miracle in the Gospel, imagine yourself in the scene and Jesus also coming to you and healing you of whatever bothers you. Just as the sick in the Gospels told Jesus what ailed them, after you read a Gospel passage start a conversation with Jesus and share about your life with Jesus and how you want Jesus in your life. Jesus wants to be more and more in your life. Invite Jesus into your life and one way to do that is by reading the Gospels and then inviting Jesus to do in your life what he did for the people in Palestine in his time.
Jesus called his disciples and out of them he chose twelve to be his apostles. The apostles preached and taught what they had heard Jesus preaching. The evangelists put the preaching of the apostles into writing in the Gospels. Jesus continues to be present with us in the Eucharist and in his words in the Gospels. Reading Sacred Scripture fills our mind with good thoughts to heal the negativity of the world. When you hear an account of a miracle in the Gospel, imagine yourself in the scene and Jesus also coming to you and healing you of whatever bothers you. Invite Jesus into your life and one way to do that is by reading the Gospels.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2020
This homily was delivered near Regensburg while on a research sabbatical.
More Homilies for the Third Sunday Year A
From darkness to the light of Jesus 2017
Come after me: call of the disciples 2014
Leave the boat and build up God’s kingdom
Related: If Jesus could use the Twelve apostles with their weaknesses he can use us
Answering God’s Call - Vocations in the Bible
Second Reading related: The Church of Jesus Christ is never my Church but always his Church 2012
stories about vocation
Sunday of the Word of God