This week’s readings focus our attention on the Word of God.

We hear from the Gospel of John: “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.”

We hear from the prophet Isaiah: “Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful … So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void.”

We hear from the Gospel of Matthew: “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Jesus gives us the Our Father so that we can pray with the very words He gave us.

We hear from the prophet Jonah: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.”

Finally, twice at the end of the week, we hear Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount speak as the living Word of God: “You have heard that it was said … But I say to you …” Reflecting on this the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “In Jesus, the same Word of God, that had resounded on Mount Sinai to give the written law to Moses, made itself heard anew on the Mount of the Beatitudes” (CCC 581).

The readings for the week are very clear in focusing our attention on the Word of God, and I’d like to draw out two aspects of that focus in conjunction with our “Disciples Make Disciples” vision for evangelization.

First, it’s important for us to receive the Word of God with new ardor. When someone talks over our favorite song or a movie we’re watching, we tell them to keep quiet! Do we have that same ardor for listening to the Word of God, or do we let other things in our lives “talk over” our attentiveness to the Word? Discovering a new ardor for receiving the Word of God is important because He’s the key to our eternal life! We can start to receive that life, even now, more deeply — but we have to want it.

Second, It’s important for us to share the Word of God with others with new ardor. The Word of God, dwelling in heaven from all eternity, didn’t stay there! He longed to communicate Himself to the world and therefore came into the world as the Word incarnate. That same Word of God now dwells in us and doesn’t want to stay there! He longs to go forth again — but now to go forth from us as the Word spoken and shared in our words.

When we have good news about the Chiefs or the Cardinals or the Blues we can’t wait to share it with someone. That’s good! But it’s time for us to discover a new ardor — no less than our ardor for sports — for sharing the Word of God.