A Word from the Pastor

January 20, 2023

In the Catholic Church we observe the Sunday between January 21-27 as Word of God Sunday. While we have many ways to draw closer to God, The Bible and the Sacraments hold a special place. This Sunday (January 22) is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves that God’s Word in the Bible is a treasured source of holiness for us all.

As we observe this Sunday of the Word of God, I’d like to say a word about the two places that we are most likely to encounter God’s Word: at Mass and at home.

In speaking about the proclamation of God’s Word during the Liturgy of the Word at Mass, Pope Francis tells that “The pages of the Bible cease to be writings and become living words, spoken by God. It is God, who through the reader, speaks to us and questions us, we who listen with faith.” He reminds us that “we must listen to the Gospel with an open heart, because it is the living Word. Saint Augustine writes: ‘The Gospel is the mouth of Christ. He is seated in heaven, but he has not stopped speaking on earth.’”

Pope Francis vividly describes the power of the Word of God: it “makes a pathway within us. We listen to it with our ears and it passes to our hearts; it does not remain in our ears; it must go to the heart. And from the heart, it passes to the hands, to good deeds. This is the path which the Word of God follows: from our ears to our heart and hands… The Lord comforts, calls, brings forth sprouts of a new and reconciled life. And this is through his Word. His Word knocks at the heart and changes hearts!” We need to allow God’s Word to touch us.

Although it was not the case when I was a child, I bet that almost every home in our parish has a Bible. (That’s an important development for us as Catholics.) Do we consider the Bible a treasure, a special table around which the family gathers? Is the family Bible among your home’s most valuable possessions? As we consider practical ways to share the Word of God at home, perhaps we will be surprised to discover that the family Bible, regardless of whether it is prominently displayed or is gathering dust on a shelf, is one of the most valuable spiritual treasures in a Christian home. We need to make use of it in our homes. Whether it is individuals who read the Bible alone or the family which uses it as part of its prayer together, the treasures of the Bible open up before us. It is another opportunity for the power of God’s Word to transform us. Check out the five videos that the US Bishops have produced on the Bible (the links follow below).

On this Word of God Sunday, I encourage you to make a New Year’s resolution to be more attentive to God’s Word this year as it is proclaimed in church and to allow it to have a special place in your home.

In one Heart,

Fr. Ron 

rbagley@stpatrickcarlsbad.com



Online Video Seminars on the Bible

The United States Conference of Bishops has prepared 5 video seminars by top Bible scholars. This is part of the observance of Word of God Sunday on January 22, 2023. Here are the five presentations. 

• Who actually wrote the Bible? by Father Felix Just, SJ, Ongoing Formation of Priests and Theological and Liturgical Formation of Deacons, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
• What are the Synoptic Gospels? by Sister Barbara Reid, OP, President, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago
• What parts of the Bible are also read by our Jewish and Protestant friends?, by Sister Mary Kate Birge, SSJ, Associate Professor of Theology, Mount Saint Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, MD
• How is the Catholic approach to reading the bible different than other approaches?, by Father Ronald Witherup, SS, Former Superior General, Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice
• How can I practice the Lectio Divina method of Scriptural meditation?, by Dr. Jaime Waters, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

Beginning on Sunday, January 22, 2023, these videos will be available at https://catholic.bible/sunday-of-the-word-of-god/

Seminario para el domingo de la Palabra de Dios

En observancia del Domingo de la Palabra de Dios, la oficina de los obispos de EE. UU. ha preparado 5 videos de los mejores eruditos de la biblia

·        ¿Quién realmente escribió la Biblia? par Padre Randy Soto, Profesor de Escritura Sagrada, Saint Joseph’s Seminary and College

·        ¿Qué son los evangelios sinópticos? par Hermana Barbara Reid, OP, Presidente, Catholic Theologcal Union, Chicago

·        ¿Qué partes de la Biblia también leen nuestros hermanos judíos y protestantes? par Padre Dempsey Rosales Acosta, Profesor asociado, University of Saint Thomas, Houston

·        ¿En qué se diferencia el enfoque católico de la lectura de la Biblia de otros enfoques? par Doctora Ximena DeBroeck, Directora de formación pastoral, Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD

·        ¿Como puedo practicar el metodo de meditacion Lectio Divina ? par Doctora Renata Furst, Decano Asociado de Responsibiliidad Hispano, Cátedra Montalbano en Escritura, Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio



Empieza el domingo 22 de enero 2023 en sitio web https://catholic.bible/sunday-of-the-word-of-god/

Revelation Song

This simple but beautiful musical piece is based on a scriptural description of the heavenly choirs. It is performed here by Virtual Choir #12 which is a joint effort of 120 singers and ASL signers from 29 countries. Among them, you'll find kindergartners, great-grandparents, and everything in between! Joining them on cello is 16-year-old Elijah de la Motte. Elijah is a pre-college student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and appeared on America's Got Talent. He's #3 in a musical family of 10 kids.

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Catholic Trivia



"Catholic Trivia”... not because they are trivial but because these might be things that not everyone knows. Test your knowledge by reading the five questions, remember your answers (or jot them down), then click the link below to find the answers.

This weekend we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God. Our trivia questions this week all come from the Bible. Some are easy; others are hard.

1. Which gospel is the shortest?
2. In which gospels do we find Jesus offering his disciples the bread and wine which he has consecrated at the Last Supper?
3. In which gospel(s) does Jesus wash the feet of his disciples?
4. Who was chosen by the disciples to replace Judas Iscariot?
5. Who was the teacher and member of the Sanhedrin who taught Paul (the Apostle) in the ways of the Jewish faith? Paul says, “I learned at the feet of _______.