In today’s first reading, we are reminded of something very important about the Christian faith. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians: “Of this, you have already heard through the word of truth, the Gospel, that has come to you.” That’s very important because Jesus didn’t write a single word that we know of or have in our possession. Nor did He ever direct His disciples to write anything down. Instead, He left a community, a church.
In Latin, two words can be used to say “word.” Scriptum and Verbum. The written Word is just scriptum, a script on the page. Still. Set in stone. But verbum is different. If we were saying it in Latin in the Mass, after the Gospel, we would say “Verbum Domini.” “The Gospel of the Lord.” Verbum has the connotation of movement. Right, in English, we have “verbs.” They express action. The proclaimed Word, the spoken Word, is verbum. A word that’s alive, moving, it leaves the mouth and flies forth to on the wings of the Spirit to the ears of those who hear.
The Gospel isn’t just something that we memorize or hear and forget. Instead, it moves us, lifts us, propels us into a life of action. Jesus is the Word of God, and He spoke the Gospel. He spoke it to a church, who then spoke it to one another, spreading it by Word of mouth. After a time, those words were written down by the Church. Then, finally, the Church gave us the Bible, which we then proclaim at Mass. That’s why we go to the Catholic Church to receive the Word because it’s their book. They wrote it. But it never became just a book; it’s still alive and being spoken. That’s what we call Tradition.
That Tradition proclaims to us that we have that same mission today. Jesus said in the Gospel this morning: “I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God because for this purpose I have been sent.” That’s why we gather at Mass. To receive the living Word, spoken, broken open. To receive Jesus Christ Himself in the Eucharist. Because we too have been sent. We should be compelled to go forth into the world to share that good news. Today, this message is needed more than ever in a world filled with addictions, distractions, and so many disordered attachments. It is up to us to not just hear that Word but to act on it. To go out into the world, to bring glad tidings to the poor, and to proclaim liberty to all those captive by sin.
A reflection on the readings for Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time: September 1st, 2021