Today we celebrate a very special feast in the Church—one that Pope Francis established in 2019 to be observed every year on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: the Sunday of the Word of God.
Every Mass is centered on God’s Word, and every day should be a chance for us to thank God for revealing himself to us in the Bible. But Pope Francis wanted this particular Sunday to place special focus on the importance of Scripture in Catholic life. He hoped that we would come to know the Bible more deeply and personally; that we would recognize the great riches found in the ongoing conversation between the Lord and his people; that we would experience again how the risen Lord opens up the treasures of his Word for us; and that, through this close relationship with the living Word, we would grow in love for the Lord and be faithful in witnessing to him.
With those hopes in mind, let’s turn to today’s readings.
In the Gospel, we see the power of the Word of God at work. St. Matthew tells us that Jesus leaves his hometown of Nazareth and makes his home in Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. This wasn’t accidental. Matthew tells us it happened to fulfill a prophecy spoken by Isaiah more than 700 years earlier—words we hear in today’s first reading:
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.”
When the Israelites settled in the Promised Land, each tribe received a territory. The northern areas of Galilee were given to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, so those lands came to be known by their names. As you may know that 12 tribes of Israel came from 12 children of Jacob and Zebulun and Naphtali regions are named after two of Jacob’s sons.
In the 8th century BC (around 732 BC), the Assyrian Empire invaded the northern kingdom of Israel. Zebulun and Naphtali were among the first regions to be conquered. Many inhabitants were killed or taken away into exile.
Others were forced to move to different parts of the Assyrian Empire. Foreign peoples were brought in to settle the land. This mixed population weakened Israel’s religious and cultural identity.
The people lived not only with the trauma of destruction but under continued subjugation. Isaiah’s words were words of hope—hope that God himself would come to illumine their darkness and redeem them. God’s Word became their lifeline, a lamp for their feet and a light for their path.
And in today’s Gospel, that promise is fulfilled. Jesus himself— the Light of the World, the Word made flesh—comes to them. Through his teaching, his miracles, his presence, and ultimately through his passion, death, and resurrection, he leads them out of darkness into light. God himself comes to help them see the light, live in the light, and walk as children of the light.
That’s why Jesus’ first words in Matthew’s Gospel are so striking:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In other words: Leave the darkness behind. Come into the light.
This is important for us to remember every time we hear the Word of God at Mass. The Gospel is not meant to be merely informative—it is meant to be transformative. The Lord wants to change us, to fill us with the light of his truth and the fire of his love, so that he can then send us out to help change the world.
Each time we hear God’s Word, Christ personally calls us to leave behind whatever darkness still clings to us and to follow him more fully into the light. Jesus calls us to walk with him always, to live fully in his light, and to grow into mature disciples who leave the darkness behind.
Jesus came to bring light to those dwelling in darkness and in the shadow of death. And he has sent his Church—he has sent us—to continue that mission. There is no greater darkness than a culture that seeks to extinguish life at its very beginning.
There is no greater blindness than refusing to see the humanity of the child in the womb. And there is no clearer Word of God than Jesus’ own: “Whoever receives one child in my name receives me,” and “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” Living the Word of God means choosing life.
Human life, from conception to natural death, is to be respected and cherished. Pregnant women are to be supported in every circumstance. Every human person must be respected, regardless of culture, race, or ethnicity, because, as the Bible teaches us, every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, our Creator.
On this Word of God Sunday, the Church reminds us of the important place that the Word of God should have in our lives. We are invited to find a renewed interest and desire to read and study God’s Word.
The Word of God should shape our worldview, our actions, and our lives. We should allow ourselves to be formed and guided by God’s Word. It has the power to transform our lives, to heal our wounds, and to renew our hearts. May we truly experience the transforming and healing power of the Word of God in our daily lives.