Pope Francis presided over the Sunday Mass on the Word of God on January 22, emphasizing that evangelism is the most urgent mission in today’s era: let people board Peter’s ship and encounter the Word of God. During the Mass, the Pope conferred on three lay readers the post of Bible reader and seven lay catechesis.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis presided over the Sunday Mass of the Word of God in the Vatican on January 22. In his speech, he reminded all the believers present that evangelism is the most urgent mission of the church in today’s era. The Holy Word, the Pope stressed, “is not an abstract and static formula, but is intertwined with an ever-evolving history”. The Word of God belongs to all because God offers salvation to all.
The Pope said: “May we not become a narrow-minded ecclesiastical community at the same time proclaiming how large the heart of God is. . Neglecting the Word of God, distracting the mind with too many unimportant activities, or discussing minutiae endlessly.”
The Pope said that the mission of the Church is to proclaim the Incarnate Word of God, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus was not a “stationary teacher, a polymath in the teacher’s seat.” Instead, Jesus embarked on a journey, going everywhere “to proclaim the good news that God is love”. “Jesus thus ‘broadened the boundaries’, the healing and restoration of the word of God, not just for the righteous of Israel, but for all, everyone; he goes far, he heals the sick, the Pope said. He wants to save sinners, he wants to find the lost sheep, to rescue those who are weary and oppressed. All in all, Jesus ‘crossed the line’ to show us that God’s mercy is for everyone.”
Then the Pope said: “This is an invitation from Jesus: God Himself draws close to you, wants you to be aware of His presence, to make room for His Word, and you will change the way you look at life. I would like to say the same : Put your life under the Word of God. This is the way the Church shows us: All people, including the shepherds of the Church, are under the authority of the Word of God. We are not independent of our own tastes, inclinations or Preferences, but under the word of the one God who molds us, changes us and calls us to be united in the one Church of Christ.”
“The dynamic of the Word draws us into the ‘web’ of the Father’s love, makes us apostles, and makes us feel an irrepressible desire to lead everyone we meet to the top of the pedestal,” the Pope explained. That ship sailing to heaven. It’s different from proselytizing, because the voice calls out to the Word of God, not our own.”
Before concluding his homily, the Pope thanked the 10 lay people who will receive the ministry of Bible reading and catechism during the Mass, and encouraged them to be rooted in prayer in their mission of evangelization and to bear witness to the Gospel with their lives.
After the sermon, the Pope personally presided over the conferring ceremony of the position of Bible reader and catechism teacher, and awarded the Bible to three lay readers and the crucifix to seven lay catechists respectively.
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