READING OF THE DAY First reading from the Book of the Prophet Nehemiah Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it — for he was standing higher up than any of the people —; and, as he opened it, all the people rose. Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!” Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read. Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep”— for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”
PSALM 19 YOUR WORDS , LORD, ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Cor 12:12-30
Brothers and sisters: As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body, “ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “ nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Luke Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing".
ANGELUS , 23 January 2022 Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
In the Gospel of today’s liturgy, we see Jesus beginning his preaching (cf. Lk 4:14-21): it is Jesus’ first sermon. He goes to Nazareth, where he grew up, and participates in prayer in the synagogue. He gets up to read and, in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, he finds the passage regarding the Messiah who proclaims a message of consolation and liberation for the poor and oppressed (cf. Is 61:1-2). At the end of the reading, “the eyes of all… were fixed on him” (v. 20). And Jesus begins by saying: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled” (v. 21). Let us dwell on this today. It is the first word of Jesus’ preaching recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Pronounced by the Lord, it indicates a “today” that runs through all ages and always remains valid. The Word of God is always “today”. It begins with a “today”: when you read the Word of God, a “today” begins in your soul, if you understand it well. Today. Isaiah’s prophecy dates back to earlier centuries, but Jesus, “in the power of the Spirit” (v. 14), makes it relevant and, above all, brings it to fulfilment, and shows how to receive the Word of God: today. It is not like ancient history, no: today. It speaks to your heart today.
Jesus’ fellow countrymen are struck by his word. Even though, clouded by prejudice, they do not believe him, they realize that his teaching is different from that of the other teachers (cf. v. 22): they sense that there is more to Jesus. What is there? There is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it happens that our sermons and our teachings remain generic, abstract; they do not touch the soul and the life of the people. And why? Because they lack the power of this today; what Jesus “fills with meaning” in the power of the Spirit, is today. He is speaking to you today. Yes, at times one hears impeccable conferences, well-constructed speeches, which however, do not move the heart and so everything remains as before. Even many homilies — I say this with respect but with pain — are abstract, and instead of awakening the soul, they put it to sleep. When the faithful start looking at their watches — “when will this end?” — they put the soul to sleep. Preaching runs this risk: without the anointing of the Spirit, it impoverishes the Word of God, and deteriorates to moralism or abstract concepts; it presents the Gospel with detachment, as if it were outside time, far from reality. And this is not the way. But a word in which the power of today does not pulsate, is not worthy of Jesus and does not help people’s lives. This is why those who preach, please, should be the first to experience the today of Jesus, in order to be able to communicate it in the today of others. And if they want to give lectures, conferences, let them do so, but elsewhere, not at the time of the homily where they must give the Word in a way that rouses hearts.
---->Dear brothers and sisters, on this Sunday of the Word of God, I would like to thank the preachers and proclaimers of the Gospel who remain faithful to the Word that rouses the heart, who remain faithful to “today”. Let us pray for them, that they may live the today of Jesus, the sweet power of his Spirit that makes the Scriptures come alive. The Word of God, is indeed living and active (cf. Heb 4:12); it changes us, it enters into our affairs, it illuminates our daily lives, it comforts and brings order. Let us remember: the Word of God transforms an ordinary day into the today in which God speaks to us . So, let us pick up the Gospel and choose a small passage to read and re-read each day. Keep the Gospel in your pocket or in your bag, to read it on your travels, at any time, and to read it calmly. In time, we will discover that these words are made especially for us, for our life. They will help us welcome each day with a better, more serene outlook because when the Gospel enters into today’s world, it fills it with God. I would like to make a suggestion. On the Sundays of this liturgical year, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of mercy, is proclaimed. Why not also read it personally, all of it, one small passage each day? A short passage. Let us familiarize ourselves with the Gospel. It will bring us the newness and joy of God! The Word of God is also the beacon that guides the synodal journey that has begun throughout the Church. As we strive to listen to each other with attention and discernment — because it is not about conducting an inquiry on opinions, no, but about discerning the Word, there — let us listen together to the Word of God and to the Holy Spirit. And may Our Lady obtain for us the perseverance to nourish ourselves with the Gospel every day.
---->After the Angelus, the Holy Father made an appeal for Ukraine and proposed a day of prayer for peace.
Dear brothers and sisters, yesterday, the Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande García and two lay companions, and the Franciscan priest Cosme Spessotto, martyrs to the faith, were beatified in San Salvador. They stood by the poor, bearing witness to the Gospel, truth and justice to the point of shedding their blood. May their heroic example inspire in everyone the desire to be courageous workers of fraternity and peace. A round of applause to the new blessed!
I am following with concern the increase of tensions that threaten to inflict a new blow to peace in Ukraine, and call into question the security of the European continent, with even wider repercussions. I make a heartfelt appeal to all people of good will, that they may raise prayers to God Almighty, that every political action and initiative may serve human brotherhood, rather than partisan interests. Those who pursue their own interests to the detriment of others, scorn their human vocation, because we were all created as brothers and sisters. For this reason, and with concern given the current tensions, I propose that next Wednesday, 26 January, be a day of prayer for peace.
In the context of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, I have accepted the proposal which has come from many quarters, and proclaimed Saint Irenaeus of Lyon a Doctor of the universal Church. The teaching of this saintly shepherd and teacher is like a bridge between East and West: this is why we call him a Doctor of Unity, Doctor Unitatis. May the Lord, through his intercession, grant us to work together for the full unity of Christians...
FAUSTI - By the history of Israel has tilled a piece of our land, sowed His Word there and cultivated It. It has slowly grown and has become a large tree, with ripe fruits: a tree of life, which bears twelve harvests and produces fruits every month; the leaves of which serve to heal the nations" (Rev 22:2). God's hard work has now come to fulfilment: at a precise point and time, He Himself has opened a breach in the wall of our history. When the last stone that served as a veil had fallen down, a way out of perdition was opened up, but no one noticed. At the time, not even the very nearest ones! The work of God, small and punctual, has been smothered by the noise of the whole great history. Luke wishes to take every man by the hand and lead him to that door: it is the story of Jesus, place where the wall was demolished. Through this door the man, with all his wounds and disappointments, with all his hopelessness and anguish, comes out of the prison of death and enters into the light of life. Luke's Gospel is a "historical" Gospel, it takes charge of the history of the concrete man and opens it to salvation, firstly promised and now realized in Jesus. Jesus is the center of time, the eternal today of God for the world. Through Him " today salvation has entered into this house". In the prologue Luke gives his credentials of " historian of salvation ". He He describes those things that were done among us, transmitted by eyewitnesses, who became "servants of the Word". Jesus in the power of the Spirit begins His ministry and inaugurates the jubilee year in which the fatherhood of God is lived in fraternity among men: it is the entrance into the promised land. He presents himself as the "fulfilment" of the Word of grace, which brings God's blessing and accomplishes the promise. The evangelist wants to make his reader discover this Word of grace announced "today". The Scripture find fulfillment in the ear of those who listen to Jesus proclaiming it: what it promises is proclaimed as realized in Him and listening to His Word,it is its full fulfillment in faith, which makes happen "here too" today what He did at Capernaum then. From the beginning Jesus appears to us more than a scribe and a prophet; He not only explains the Word of God, but He actualizes it. This actualization does not consist in adapting it to one's own time, but in "making it present", it makes His life present, contemporaneous to it. He, the obedient Son, is the fulfilment of every Word. Thus, also for us, to actualize the Word means to listen to the Gospel. The obedience to it makes us present to the today of God, present to Jesus, the Son, in whom the history of every Adam finds fulfilment. To God it is pleasing to save the world through the proclamation of the Gospel. The Word, weak instrument and free way of communion, is God's power for the salvation of everyone who has faith (Rom 1:16). In this inaugural speech we have the authentic explanation of Jesus' Ministry: what is the aim (being children of the Father in being brothers among us), what is the instrument (listening to the Word of the Father), how to act (in the power of Love, which is the Spirit of God), when to act (today) and for whom (for those who listen).
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFirst reading from the Book of the Prophet Nehemiah
Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
“Amen, amen!”
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”
PSALM 19
YOUR WORDS , LORD, ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
EliminaCor 12:12-30
Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
If a foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker
are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable
we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.
But God has so constructed the body
as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body,
but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it;
if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing".
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS , 23 January 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
In the Gospel of today’s liturgy, we see Jesus beginning his preaching (cf. Lk 4:14-21): it is Jesus’ first sermon. He goes to Nazareth, where he grew up, and participates in prayer in the synagogue. He gets up to read and, in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, he finds the passage regarding the Messiah who proclaims a message of consolation and liberation for the poor and oppressed (cf. Is 61:1-2). At the end of the reading, “the eyes of all… were fixed on him” (v. 20). And Jesus begins by saying: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled” (v. 21). Let us dwell on this today. It is the first word of Jesus’ preaching recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Pronounced by the Lord, it indicates a “today” that runs through all ages and always remains valid. The Word of God is always “today”. It begins with a “today”: when you read the Word of God, a “today” begins in your soul, if you understand it well. Today. Isaiah’s prophecy dates back to earlier centuries, but Jesus, “in the power of the Spirit” (v. 14), makes it relevant and, above all, brings it to fulfilment, and shows how to receive the Word of God: today. It is not like ancient history, no: today. It speaks to your heart today.
Jesus’ fellow countrymen are struck by his word. Even though, clouded by prejudice, they do not believe him, they realize that his teaching is different from that of the other teachers (cf. v. 22): they sense that there is more to Jesus. What is there? There is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it happens that our sermons and our teachings remain generic, abstract; they do not touch the soul and the life of the people. And why? Because they lack the power of this today; what Jesus “fills with meaning” in the power of the Spirit, is today. He is speaking to you today. Yes, at times one hears impeccable conferences, well-constructed speeches, which however, do not move the heart and so everything remains as before. Even many homilies — I say this with respect but with pain — are abstract, and instead of awakening the soul, they put it to sleep. When the faithful start looking at their watches — “when will this end?” — they put the soul to sleep. Preaching runs this risk: without the anointing of the Spirit, it impoverishes the Word of God, and deteriorates to moralism or abstract concepts; it presents the Gospel with detachment, as if it were outside time, far from reality. And this is not the way. But a word in which the power of today does not pulsate, is not worthy of Jesus and does not help people’s lives. This is why those who preach, please, should be the first to experience the today of Jesus, in order to be able to communicate it in the today of others. And if they want to give lectures, conferences, let them do so, but elsewhere, not at the time of the homily where they must give the Word in a way that rouses hearts.
---->Dear brothers and sisters, on this Sunday of the Word of God, I would like to thank the preachers and proclaimers of the Gospel who remain faithful to the Word that rouses the heart, who remain faithful to “today”. Let us pray for them, that they may live the today of Jesus, the sweet power of his Spirit that makes the Scriptures come alive. The Word of God, is indeed living and active (cf. Heb 4:12); it changes us, it enters into our affairs, it illuminates our daily lives, it comforts and brings order. Let us remember: the Word of God transforms an ordinary day into the today in which God speaks to us . So, let us pick up the Gospel and choose a small passage to read and re-read each day. Keep the Gospel in your pocket or in your bag, to read it on your travels, at any time, and to read it calmly. In time, we will discover that these words are made especially for us, for our life. They will help us welcome each day with a better, more serene outlook because when the Gospel enters into today’s world, it fills it with God. I would like to make a suggestion. On the Sundays of this liturgical year, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of mercy, is proclaimed. Why not also read it personally, all of it, one small passage each day? A short passage. Let us familiarize ourselves with the Gospel. It will bring us the newness and joy of God!
EliminaThe Word of God is also the beacon that guides the synodal journey that has begun throughout the Church. As we strive to listen to each other with attention and discernment — because it is not about conducting an inquiry on opinions, no, but about discerning the Word, there — let us listen together to the Word of God and to the Holy Spirit. And may Our Lady obtain for us the perseverance to nourish ourselves with the Gospel every day.
---->After the Angelus, the Holy Father made an appeal for Ukraine and proposed a day of prayer for peace.
EliminaDear brothers and sisters, yesterday, the Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande García and two lay companions, and the Franciscan priest Cosme Spessotto, martyrs to the faith, were beatified in San Salvador. They stood by the poor, bearing witness to the Gospel, truth and justice to the point of shedding their blood. May their heroic example inspire in everyone the desire to be courageous workers of fraternity and peace. A round of applause to the new blessed!
I am following with concern the increase of tensions that threaten to inflict a new blow to peace in Ukraine, and call into question the security of the European continent, with even wider repercussions. I make a heartfelt appeal to all people of good will, that they may raise prayers to God Almighty, that every political action and initiative may serve human brotherhood, rather than partisan interests. Those who pursue their own interests to the detriment of others, scorn their human vocation, because we were all created as brothers and sisters. For this reason, and with concern given the current tensions, I propose that next Wednesday, 26 January, be a day of prayer for peace.
In the context of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, I have accepted the proposal which has come from many quarters, and proclaimed Saint Irenaeus of Lyon a Doctor of the universal Church. The teaching of this saintly shepherd and teacher is like a bridge between East and West: this is why we call him a Doctor of Unity, Doctor Unitatis. May the Lord, through his intercession, grant us to work together for the full unity of Christians...
FAUSTI - By the history of Israel has tilled a piece of our land, sowed His Word there and cultivated It. It has slowly grown and has become a large tree, with ripe fruits: a tree of life, which bears twelve harvests and produces fruits every month; the leaves of which serve to heal the nations" (Rev 22:2). God's hard work has now come to fulfilment: at a precise point and time, He Himself has opened a breach in the wall of our history.
RispondiEliminaWhen the last stone that served as a veil had fallen down, a way out of perdition was opened up, but no one noticed. At the time, not even the very nearest ones! The work of God, small and punctual, has been smothered by the noise of the whole great history.
Luke wishes to take every man by the hand and lead him to that door: it is the story of Jesus, place where the wall was demolished. Through this door the man, with all his wounds and disappointments, with all his hopelessness and anguish, comes out of the prison of death and enters into the light of life. Luke's Gospel is a "historical" Gospel, it takes charge of the history of the concrete man and opens it to salvation, firstly promised and now realized in Jesus.
Jesus is the center of time, the eternal today of God for the world.
Through Him " today salvation has entered into this house".
In the prologue Luke gives his credentials of " historian of salvation ".
He He describes those things that were done among us, transmitted by eyewitnesses, who became "servants of the Word".
Jesus in the power of the Spirit begins His ministry and inaugurates the jubilee year in which the fatherhood of God is lived in fraternity among men: it is the entrance into the promised land.
He presents himself as the "fulfilment" of the Word of grace, which brings God's blessing and accomplishes the promise. The evangelist wants to make his reader discover this Word of grace announced "today".
The Scripture find fulfillment in the ear of those who listen to Jesus proclaiming it: what it promises is proclaimed as realized in Him and listening to His Word,it is its full fulfillment in faith, which makes happen "here too" today what He did at Capernaum then.
From the beginning Jesus appears to us more than a scribe and a prophet; He not only explains the Word of God, but He actualizes it. This actualization does not consist in adapting it to one's own time, but in "making it present", it makes His life present, contemporaneous to it. He, the obedient Son, is the fulfilment of every Word. Thus, also for us, to actualize the Word means to listen to the Gospel. The obedience to it makes us present to the today of God, present to Jesus, the Son, in whom the history of every Adam finds fulfilment. To God it is pleasing to save the world through the proclamation of the Gospel. The Word, weak instrument and free way of communion, is God's power for the salvation of everyone who has faith (Rom 1:16).
In this inaugural speech we have the authentic explanation of Jesus' Ministry: what is the aim (being children of the Father in being brothers among us), what is the instrument (listening to the Word of the Father), how to act (in the power of Love, which is the Spirit of God), when to act (today) and for whom (for those who listen).