A recent addition to the universal liturgical calendar is the dedication of the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time to the Word of God.
Pope Francis instituted this special Sunday in his motu proprio, Aperuit illis.
I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God. This Sunday of the Word of God will thus be a fitting part of that time of the year when we are encouraged to strengthen our bonds with the Jewish people and to pray for Christian unity. This is more than a temporal coincidence: the celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God has ecumenical value, since the Scriptures point out, for those who listen, the path to authentic and firm unity.
This Sunday frequently falls during the Week of Christian Unity that also occurs in January.
The Sunday of the Word of God is technically not a separate liturgical feast, but it does place a special emphasis on this particular Sunday and promotes a more intense study of the Sacred Scripture.
See this brief video for a concrete, easy way to live this special Sunday.
