The Word of God: Written, Unwritten, and Eternal -3rd Sunday In Ordinary Time – Sermon by Father Levine

Fr. Joseph Levine; Holy Family Catholic Church and Missions, Burns, Oregon; January 26, 2025

Today, the 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, has been designated as “Word of God” Sunday. So, in the first place I want to insist that Catholics should read the Bible and become familiar with the contents, especially the Gospel narratives and the Old Testament histories. This is the first step to understanding. We cannot really gain much understanding of isolated snippets until we have some sense of the whole.

Nevertheless, as we begin to read the Bible, we should pay heed to the words of St. Ephrem, who speaks of it as a field in which God has “buried manifold treasures, so that each of us might grow rich seeking them out … so whenever someone discovers some part of the treasure, he should not believe that he has exhausted God’s word. Instead he should think that this was all he was able to find of the wealth contained in it. … Be thankful for what you have received, and do not be saddened at all by the abundance that remains. What you have received and attained is your present share, while what is left is your heritage.” (cited in Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. III, 6^th Sunday of Ordinary Time)

Further, we need to grasp that the Bible itself shows us that the “Word of God” is a much greater reality than the words written on the pages of a book.

In the first place (and above all) the Word of God is the Word spoken of by St. John in his Gospel, the Word that was in the beginning with God, the Word that is God, the Word through whom all things were made, the 2^nd person of the Holy Trinity, the eternal Son of God. (cf. Jn 1:1-3) This is the Word that became flesh (Jn 1:14), having been born of the Virgin Mary, and dwelt among us, was crucified, died, rose again from the dead, and in that same glorified flesh took his seat at the right hand of the Father. Through the Word made flesh, God spoke his eternal Word to us in time, and through him, who is everything, he has said everything. (cf. CCC 65)

Next, we can say that the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, spoke a “word” to us, gave us a “message”, the “Gospel,” a message that fulfills and confirms the word of God spoken in the Old Testament and is the foundation for the word of God that was later written down in the New Testament. Yet, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not first of all written down, but was entrusted by him to the twelve Apostles, who received the fullness of understanding from the Holy Spirit given to them on Pentecost.

So, since the time of Pentecost, the Gospel, which brought to fulfillment the whole of the Old Testament, has been handed on in the Church by the Apostles and their successors, the Pope and the Bishops. Just as Jesus Christ, is the Word made flesh, just as he taught both by words and deeds, so the Gospel he entrusted to his Apostles consisted of both teaching and sacraments. The written Gospels are very clear regarding Jesus’ institution of the chief sacraments: baptism, the holy Eucharist, which implies also the institution of the priesthood, and also confession. (cf. baptism – Mt 28:19, Mk 16:15-16, holy eucharist – Mt 26:26-28, Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:19-20, Confession – Jn 20:22-23)

So in the Church, the word of God, the Gospel, God’s message to us, is handed on in Scripture and Tradition. The whole of the word of God, in Scripture and Tradition refers, ultimately, to Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who makes God known to us: the Holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (cf. Jn 1:18)

There are some things that are part and parcel of our Catholic life, which, while found in some way in Scripture, have their origin before the New Testament was written, and are rooted rather in Tradition. Such would be the transference of the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, in honor of the resurrection, the sign of the Cross, the ritual of the Mass, infant baptism, devotion to Mary, and prayer for the dead. So also the great creeds, which summarize the chief content of Scripture, have their origin in the ritual of baptism.

As for Scripture itself “the books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, with all their parts, … written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit … have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself.” (CCC 105, DV11) Nevertheless, the authorship of God is mediated through the work of human authors such that “to compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more.” (CCC 106, DV11)

Consequently, through the written word of Scripture, the word of God is given to us in human language, in definite words, fixed for all time, and thus removed from the vicissitudes of history.

 At least this is true, despite minor problems in the transmission of the text, of the Bible in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, and also the great ancient versions, the Greek Old Testament and Latin Vulgate. In our own time, alas, the sheer multiplicity of ever-changing English translations threatens the stable transmission of the word of God.

Nevertheless, the word of God shall prevail. Jesus said, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mt 24:35) Since God himself, living and eternal, is the chief author of Scripture, he always has the ability to speak directly to us through his word.

With these basics in mind let us now turn our attention to today’s readings.

In our first reading we learn that the word of God is addressed to the whole people, men, women, and children old enough to understand. It was proclaimed from an elevated place, giving visibility to the speaker and manifesting the dignity of the word. The people listened attentively and responded with joyful worship of God. The word nourishes faith, which leads to worship. So the liturgy of the word prepares for the liturgy of the Eucharist.

For his part, Ezra not only read the Scriptures but interpreted them for the people. That means while it is important for everyone to become familiar with the contents of Scripture, we should not presume upon our own understanding but recognize our need for guidance. The meaning of Scripture is not always immediately evident; indeed, what St. Peter says about the letters of St. Paul he also applies to the whole of Scripture: There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Pe 3:16) Nevertheless, familiarity with contents is needed to follow the explanations given and enables the hearer of the word to recognize the quality of preaching and judge when something said is way off.

St. Augustine, writing about how to read Scripture says first of all, read the whole, become familiar with the contents. Then he explains the creed and the two-fold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. Finally, he says, if you understand Scripture contrary to the creed or the commandment, you have misread it. (cf. On Christian Doctrine, Bk I)

The word is heard in the assembly of the people of God. So the word must be read and understood within the Church, the Body of Christ, in which the Apostles and their successors are the authoritative teachers established by Christ himself.

The Magisterium of the Church, at the Second Vatican Council, gave us three criteria for understanding the word of God, in accordance with the Holy Spirit, the chief author of Scripture:

1. We must be attentive to the to “the content and unity of the whole Scripture” because “Different as the books which compose it may be, Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God’s plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart.” (CCC 112)
2. The Scriptures must be read “within the living Tradition of the whole Church” because “Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records, for the Church carries in her Tradition the living memorial of God’s Word, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives her the spiritual interpretation of the Scripture.” (CCC 113)
3. Attention to the “analogy of faith”, which is “the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation.”

In today’s Gospel, after reading the Scriptures in the synagogue, Jesus said, Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.

Jesus Christ is himself the meaning and fulfillment of all that is written in Scripture. To this day, his words “This is my Body” and “This is the chalice of my Blood” are fulfilled in our hearing. The same Jesus who spoke in the synagogue 2,000 years ago makes himself present today on our altars and abides in our tabernacles.

The word of God must also be fulfilled in our lives.

The word of God must nourish our faith and guide our lives. We must receive the word of God not as the word of men but as at it really is, the word of God, which is at work in those who believe. (1 Th 1;13)

We must not deceive ourselves, merely listening to the word without being doers. (cf. Jn 1:22) Jesus said, Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. (Mt 7:24) And St. Paul wrote: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

The word of God, though, is not just something that is heard and practiced, it is living and active. (cf. He 4:12) St. James urges us to receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (Jm 1:21) Through his word Christ dwells in us through faith. (Eph 3:14) Through his word God works his purpose in those who love him, which is that they may be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn of many brethren. (Rm 8:29)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God declared, For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which I intend, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Is 55:10-11)

Such is the Word that became flesh, sent into the world by the Father, that has returned to his right hand, accomplishing the work of our redemption. Such is the word of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, not in those who receive it as on the hard-packed wayside, or the rocky soil, or thorny soil, but in all who receive it with living faith; in them it shall bring forth fruit in the good soil of their souls, transform their lives, make them truly to be children of God, and lead them finally to the Father’s house in heaven. (cf. Mt 13:1-23)