Jim Russell recommends a simple prayer to readers as they approach the ambo to proclaim the word of God at Mass: “Please don’t let me screw up.”

Pope Francis recently declared that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time — January 26 this year — should be celebrated as the Sunday of the Word of God. The pope highlighted the importance of lectio divina, or “divine reading,” an ancient practice of slowly and prayerfully reading the Bible. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

VATICAN CITY – To help the church grow in love and faithful witness to God, Pope Francis has declared the third Sunday in Ordinary Time to be dedicated to the word of God.

Q: I’ve never read the Bible very much, but I’d like to. What’s the best way to get started?

Q: I remember hearing a few years ago about the Gospel of Judas and how it was a “gnostic gospel.” What does that mean exactly, and why isn’t it in the Bible?

Knowing the many expressions of God’s mercy helps us to appreciate its never-ending richness

Many of my Protestant friends don’t like Lent. “It’s all about mortification and self-discipline when we know that the risen Jesus is joyful and alive!” they say. “We don’t need to mortify ourselves to please God. And what’s with a ‘holy season’ when Paul says in Colossians 2:16–17 that we shouldn’t observe any day as special?”

Not only do we pray for the living and the dead, they pray for us