Below is the Homily of Pope Francis at the Mass celebrated today in St. Peter’s Basilica on the occasion of the Sunday of the Word of God:
The Gospel that we have heard announces to us the fulfillment of a prophecy filled with the Holy Spirit. And the one who fulfills it is the One who comes “in the power of the Spirit” (Lc 4,14): Jesus, the Savior.
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The Word of God is alive; walk with us through the centuries and act in history by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord, in fact, always remains faithful to his promise, which he keeps out of love for men. This is precisely what Jesus says in the synagogue of Nazareth: “Today this passage of Scripture that you have just heard has been fulfilled” (Lc 4,21).
Sisters and brothers, what a happy coincidence! On the Sunday of the Word of God, still at the beginning of the Jubilee, this page of the Gospel of Luke is proclaimed, in which Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah “consecrated by the anointing” (v. 18) and sent to “proclaim a year of favor from the Lord’ (v. 19). Jesus is the living Word, in which all Scriptures find full fulfillment. And we, in the hoy of the holy Liturgy, we are its contemporaries.
We too, filled with amazement, let us open our hearts and minds to listen to Him, because “when the Sacred Scripture is read in the Church, it is He who speaks” (VAT CONC. II, Const. The Holy Council7). I said one word: stupor. When we feel the Gospel, the Word of God, it is not just listening to it and understanding it, no. It must reach the heart and produce what I said, stupor. The word of God always amazes us, it always renews us. It enters the heart and always renews us.
And with this attitude of joyful faith we are invited to welcome the ancient prophecy as coming from the Heart of Christ, dwelling on the five actions that characterize the mission of the Messiah: a unique and universal mission; unique, because only He can do it; universal, because it wants to include everyone.
First of all, He is sent “to bring the good news to the poor.” (v. 18). This is the “gospel”, the good news that Jesus proclaims: the Kingdom of God is near! When God reigns, man is saved. The Lord comes to visit his people, taking care of the humble and the poor. This Gospel is word of compassionwhich calls us to charity, to forgive our neighbor’s debts and to a generous social commitment. Let us not forget that the Lord is close, merciful and compassionate. Closeness, mercy and compassion are God’s style. He is like that, merciful, close and compassionate.
The second action of Christ is “announce the release to the captives” (v. 18). Evil’s days are numbered, because the future belongs to God. With the power of the Spirit, Jesus redeems us from all guilt and frees our hearts from every inner chain, bringing the Father’s forgiveness to the world. This Gospel is word of mercywhich calls us to be passionate witnesses of peace, solidarity and reconciliation.
The third action, with which Jesus fulfills the prophecy, is to give “sight to the blind” (v. 18). The Messiah opens the eyes of our hearts, often dazzled by the fascination of power and vanity; diseases of the soul that prevent us from recognizing the presence of God and that make the weak and the suffering invisible. This Gospel is word of lightwhich calls us to the truth, to the testimony of faith and to the coherence of life.
The fourth action of Jesus is “give freedom to the oppressed” (v. 18). No slavery resists the action of the Messiah, who makes us brothers in his name. The prisons of persecution and death are thrown wide open by the compassionate power of God. This Gospel is word of freedomwhich calls us to conversion of heart, honesty of thought and perseverance in trials.
Finally, the fifth action: Jesus is sent to “proclaim a year of favor from the Lord” (v. 19). It is a new time, which does not waste life, but rather regenerates it. It is a Jubilee, like the one we have begun, preparing with hope for the definitive encounter with the Redeemer. This Gospel is word of joywhich calls us to welcome, to communion and to walk, as pilgrims, towards the Kingdom of God.
Through these five actions, Jesus has already fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Realizing our liberation, he announces to us that God draws near to our poverty, redeems us from evil, illuminates our eyes, breaks the yoke of oppression and makes us enter into the joy of a time and a history in which He is present. , to walk with us and lead us to eternal life.
The salvation that He gives us is not yet fully realized; and yet wars, injustices, pain and death will not have the last word on the people of the earth and on our history. The Gospel, in fact, is a living and sure word, which never disappoints. The Gospel never disappoints.
Brothers and sisters, on Sunday dedicated in a special way to the Word of God, we thank the Father for having given us his Word, made man for the salvation of the world. This is the event of which all the Scriptures speak, which have men and the Holy Spirit as true authors (cf. CONC. VAT. II, Const. dogm. God’s Word11). The entire Bible makes memory of Christ and his work and the Spirit updates it in our lives and in history. When we read the Scriptures, when we pray with them and study them, we not only receive information about God, but we welcome the Spirit who reminds us of everything that Jesus has said and done (cf. Jn 14,26). In this way, our hearts, inflamed by faith, await in hope the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
Sisters, brothers, we must be more accustomed to reading Scripture. I like to advise that everyone have a small Gospel, a small New Testament, and carry it in their pocket, and always carry it with them, to pick it up during the day and read it. And so during the day, there is this contact with the Lord. A small Gospel is enough.
Let us respond with enthusiasm to the joyful announcement of Christ. The Lord, in fact, has not spoken to us as mute listeners, but as witnesses, calling us to evangelize at all times and in all places. Today forty brothers and sisters from different parts of the world have come here to receive the ministry of the lectorate; We thank them and pray for them. Let us all commit to bringing the good news to the poor, to announce liberation to the captives, to give sight to the blind and to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord. So yes, we will transform the world according to the will of God, who created it and redeemed it out of love.
Papa Francisco
Pope Francis, born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires (Argentina), is the first Latin American Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, assuming the papacy on March 13, 2013. His approachable style and his emphasis on mercy They have left a distinctive mark on his pontificate.