Pope to preside over Mass on Sunday of the Word of God

The Dicastery for Evangelization announces that Pope Francis will preside over Mass on the “Sunday of the Word of God” in St. Peter’s Basilica, which he instituted in 2019 as a way to promote the study of Sacred Scripture.

By Vatican News staff reporter

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization has issued details on the annual celebration of Sunday of the Word of God, which this year falls on 22 January and has as its theme a verse from John’s Gospel, “We proclaim to you what we have seen” (1 Jn 1:3).

The aim of this special celebration is to give new life to the responsibility of all believers to deepen their knowledge of Sacred Scripture. As part of the promotional effort, those present will be given a booklet of the Gospel of Matthew. 

The Dicastery’s Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World released the information on Monday and is organizing the celebration.

Conferral of Ministries

The Eucharistic Concelebration with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica includes the conferral of the Ministries of Reader and Catechist on lay men and women, three persons as Readers and seven as Catechists, coming from Italy, Congo, the Philippines, Mexico and Wales in the UK.

The Mass will be broadcast live by Vatican Media in conjunction with televsion networks around the world.

The Dicastery has also made available a Liturgical-Pastoral Resource to assist in experiencing the Word of God in community, the family and individually.

The Resource is available in hard copy in Italian, published by Edizioni Shalom, and downloadable versions for English, Spanish, Portuguese and French languages.

The Resource offers content and ideas to encourage a deeper encounter with the Word of God in community, the family, in daily life, and also includes articles, meditations, texts for Adoration, activities for children and pastoral suggestions. 

Preparing for 2025 Jubilee

As part of preparations for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis has encouraged the faithful to reread the four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council.

The Dicastery for Evangelization plans to produce a series of small booklets in a single series entitled “Notebooks of the Council,” to be released in bookstores and online. 

Pope Francis established Sunday of the Word of God in 2019 with his Apostolic Letter, Motu proprio “Aperuit illis”, published on 30 September that year and establishing that “the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God”.

Priests may participate in Sunday’s concelebration by contacting the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, also online via https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va/ 

Tickets to attend the Mass can be picked up at the at the San Pio X building, Via della Conciliazione n. 7, on Thursday 19 January, Friday 20 January, and Saturday 21 January from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

–VaticanNews