Pope Leo: the Word of God responds to our thirst for meaning

Pope blesses one of the youngest pilgrims yesterday. Image: Vatican Media

Source: Vatican Media

The Word of God speaks to the life of every faithful person, as it puts us in dialogue with the Lord, and fuels the Church in its mission, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall yesterday.

"The Word of God responds to our thirst for meaning, for the truth about our life," Pope Leo said.

"We live surrounded by so many words, but how many of these are empty! At times, we even listen to wise words, which do not however affect our ultimate destiny."

The Pope continued his catechesis series on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, focusing again on the 1965 Dogmatic Consitution Dei Verbum on Divine Revelation. In this week's catechesis, he reflected on the "profound and vital link" between the Word of God and the Church.

He explained that the Second Vatican Council reminds all that the Church "has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord" and it "never ceases to reflect on the value" of the Word of God.

The Pope highlighted that the "deep reason" for the value and power of Sacred Scripture is its intimate connection with Jesus and by "living in the Church" one can experience this link.

"Christ is the living Word of the Father, the Word of God made man," he said. All the Scriptures "proclaim his Person and his saving presence, for each one of us and for all humanity."

Sacred Scripture's "rightful home" is therefore the Church, because "under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Bible arose from the people of God, and is destined for the people of God."

"In the Christian community" the Sacred Scripture "has, so to speak, its habitat," the Pope insisted, emphasizing that "indeed, in the life and the faith of the Church it finds the space where it can reveal its meaning and manifest its power."

Pope Francis said "the Church ardently desires that the Word of God may reach every one of her members and nurture their journey of faith."

At the same time, it "also propels the Church beyond herself; it opens her continually to the mission towards everyone."

Pope Leo underlined that in the ecclesial community, Scripture "finds the sphere in which to carry out its particular task and achieve its purpose," which is "to make Christ known" and to enter into a dialogue with the Lord.

Quoting St Jerome who said that "ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ," Pope Leo explained that "the ultimate purpose of reading and meditating" on the Word of God is "to get to know Christ and, through Him, to enter into a relationship with God, a relationship that can be understood as a conversation, a dialogue."

Pope Leo noted how the Constitution Dei Verbum presents the Revelation "as a dialogue, in which God speaks to humans as though to friends," adding that this is what happens when one reads the Bible "with an inner attitude of prayer."

The Pope reiterated how Sacred Scripture, "entrusted to the Church and preserved and explained by her, performs an active role," as it "sustains and invigorates the Christian community," for example through the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments.

He highlighted how love for and familiarity with Sacred Scripture is especially important for "those who carry out the ministry of the Word," such as bishops, priests, deacons and catechists... The work of exegetes and those who practise biblical sciences is invaluable, and Scriptures have a central place in theology, which finds its foundation and soul in the Word of God," he said.

Watch yesterday's General Audience: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnpM6CVbdWA