By means of the Motu Proprio Aperuit Illis, promulgated on 30 September 2019 (the liturgical memorial of St. Jerome), Pope Francis has established that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God.
The Pope opens the document by reminding everyone that at the end of the Jubilee of Mercy he had indicated that it would be well to establish a Sunday entirely dedicated to the Word of God, and that Aperuit Illis is the answer to the many requests he has received in this regard from the people of God, asking that the whole Church unite to celebrate a Sunday set apart for this purpose.
Francis invites all Catholic communities to live this Sunday “with a certain solemnity,” including the enthronement of the sacred text. “The Bible cannot be just the heritage of some,” he says, “much less a collection of books for the benefit of a privileged few. It belongs above all to those called to hear its message and to recognize themselves in its words.”
As Daughters of St. Paul, this day is a powerful prod to us to proclaim and love the Word. In fact, “the Daughters of Saint Paul dedicate their lives to the proclamation of the Gospel with the passion of the Apostle Paul, from whom they take their name and their style of mission.”