… Archbishop Martins urges Priests to enthrone the Bible in parishes
Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, has charged Parish Priests to enthrone the Bible in their respective parishes on Sunday, January 21, 2024 in commemoration of the Sunday of the Word of God. The prelate made this assertion recently in his January 2024 Archdiocesan circular. He said, “The celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God for this year comes up on Sunday, January 21, 2024. “
On this day, all parishes in the Archdiocese shall have the Enthronement of the Word of God. Hence, we direct that all priests should begin to sensitise the faithful about this special Sunday and the prominence of the Word of God in the Life of the Christian.” According to Archbishop Martins, the Rite of Enthronement of the Bible shall be used. He stated further, “You will notice that the rite is embedded in the Mass of the day and it gives prominence to the Word of God.
The Bible remains enthroned until Tuesday, February13, 2024.” His Grace recalled that on September 30, 2019, the Holy Father Pope Francis established the 3rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time each year as the Sunday of the Word of God. “With the letter, Aperuit Illis, the Holy Father invites all Catholics across the world to deepen their appreciation, love and faithful witness to God and His Word. That day is to be observed as a special day devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God,” he added.
About Sunday of the Word of God
The Sunday of the Word of God is an annual commemoration in the Catholic Church taking place on the third Sunday in Ordinary Time, during January. Pope Francis’ associated motu proprio, Aperuit illis, was published on 30 September 2019 and establishes that “the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God”. The first edition took place on 26 January in 2020. The title of the papal document, “Aperuit illis”, is taken from Luke’s Gospel, where the Evangelist describes how the Risen Jesus appeared to his disciples, and how “he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures”.
The Holy Pontiff issued this directive in consequence of his intention to set aside “a Sunday given over entirely to the word of God, so as to appreciate the inexhaustible riches contained in that constant dialogue between the Lord and his people” which he announced at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy, 2015–2016. Pope Francis pays testimony in his letter to Dei verbum, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.
The phrase “Dei verbum” is Latin for “Word of God” and is taken from the first line of the document.[3] An official logo for the Sunday of the Word of God was unveiled at the Vatican on 17 January 2020, depicting “The Road to Emmaus”. It is based on an icon produced by Benedictine nun Marie-Paul Farran.
