By Eric Martin
Aperuit Illis, Instituting the Sunday of the Word of God, the latest Apostolic Letter issued by Pope Francis, is a celebration of the relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and Scripture, and a call to devote one particular Sunday to the heartfelt study of the Bible.
“I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God,” Pope Francis declared.
The document was published on the feast of St Jerome (30 September), patron saint of biblical scholars and doctor of the church, with the title “Aperuit Illis”, based on a verse from the Gospel of St Luke: “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures”.
Jesus, in one of his final acts before his Ascension, appeared to the disciples, broke bread with them and opened their minds to the understanding of the sacred Scriptures (Lk 24:45), unveiling the Paschal Mystery: that in accordance with the Father’s eternal plan he had to suffer and rise from the dead, in order to bring repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
“Without the Lord who opens our minds to them, it is impossible to understand the Scriptures in depth,” Pope Francis writes.
“Yet the contrary is equally true: without the Scriptures, the events of the mission of Jesus and of his Church in this world would remain incomprehensible.
“Hence St Jerome could rightly claim: ‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ’.”
The Second Vatican Council gave great impulse to the rediscovery of the Word of God, thanks to its dogmatic constitution, Dei Verbum, a document that clearly expounds the nature of Sacred Scripture and the Church’s duty to ensure its transmission from generation to generation.
“It is fitting then, that the life of our people be constantly marked by this decisive relationship with the Living Word, that the Lord never tires of speaking to his bride, that she may grow in love and faith,” Pope Francis said.
“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 enable us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.”
He goes on to explain that a profound bond links Sacred Scripture and the faith of believers, and that since faith comes from hearing, and what is heard is based on the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17) believers are bound to listen attentively to the Word, both in the celebration of the liturgy and in their own personal prayer and reflection.
“The sweetness of God’s Word leads us to share it with all those whom we encounter in this life and to proclaim the sure hope that it contains,” the Vicar of Christ added.
“We should never take God’s Word for granted, but instead let ourselves be nourished by it, in order to acknowledge and live fully our relationship with him and with our brothers and sisters.”