Pope Francis Recommends Daily Bible Reading and says "Let us pray for peace, today we need peace. War is always, from day one, a defeat. We pray for peace."

POPE FRANCIS - GENERAL AUDIENCE
Saint Peter's Square - Wednesday, 12 June 2024
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The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.
Cycle of Catechesis. The Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides the people of God towards Jesus our hope. 3. “All Scripture is inspired by God”. Knowing God's love through God's words.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning, welcome!

Let us continue the catechesis on the Holy Spirit who guides the Church towards Christ our hope. He is the guide. Last time we contemplated the work of the Spirit in creation; today we will see it in revelation, in which the Sacred Scripture is witness inspired by God and authoritative.

The Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy contains this statement: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (3:16). And another passage in the New Testament says: “Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Pt 1:21). This is the doctrine of the divine inspiration of the Scripture, that which we proclaim as an article of faith in the Creed, when we say that the Holy Spirit “has spoken through the prophets”. The divine inspiration of the Bible.

The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, is also He who explains and makes them perennially living and active. From inspired, He makes them inspiring. The Sacred Scriptures “as inspired by God”, says Vatican Council II, “and committed once and for all to writing … impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles” (21). In this way the Holy Spirit continues, in the Church, the action of the Risen Jesus who, after Easter, “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45).

Indeed, it can happen that in a certain passage of the Scripture, that we have read many times without particular emotion, one day we read it in an atmosphere of faith and prayer, and then that text is unexpectedly illuminated, it speaks to us, it sheds light on a problem we are living, it makes God's will for us clear in a certain situation. To what is this change due, if not to an enlightenment of the Holy Spirit? The words of the Scripture, under the action of the Spirit, become luminous; and in those cases, we touch with our own hands how true is the statement in the Letter to the Hebrews: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12).

Brothers and sisters, the Church is nourished by the spiritual reading of the Sacred Scripture, that is, by reading under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that inspired it. At its centre, like a beacon that illuminates everything, there is the event of the death and resurrection of Christ, which fulfils the plan of salvation, realizes all the figures and the prophecies, unveils all the hidden mysteries and offers the true key to reading the entire Bible. The death and resurrection of Christ is the beacon that illuminates all the Bible, and it also illuminates out life. Revelation describes all of this with the image of the Lamb that breaks the seals of the book “written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals” (cf. 5:1-9), that is, the Scripture of the Old Testament. The Church, Bride of Christ, is the authorized interpreter of the inspired text of the Scripture; the Church is the mediator of its authentic proclamation. Since the Church is gifted with the Holy Spirit – this is why she is the interpreter – she is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tm 3:15). Why? Because she is inspired, held steady by the Holy Spirit. And the task of the Church is to help the faithful and those who seek the truth to interpret the biblical texts correctly.

One way of conducting spiritual reading of the word of God is that which is called the lectio divina, a word whose meaning we perhaps do not understand. It consists of dedicating a time of the day to the personal and meditative reading of a passage of the Scripture. And this is very important: every day, take the time to listen to, to contemplate, reading a passage from the Scripture. And therefore, I recommend you always to have a pocket edition of the Gospel and keep it in your bag, in your pocket… So, when you are travelling, or have a little free time, take it and read it. This is very important for life. Get a pocket Gospel and during the day read once, twice, when you have the chance. But the quintessential spiritual reading of the Scripture is the community reading in the Liturgy in the Mass. There, we see how an event or a teaching, given by the Old Testament, finds its full expression in the Gospel of Christ. And the homily, that comment by the celebrant, must help to transfer the Word of God from the book to life. But for this, the homily must be brief: an image, a thought and a sentiment. The homily must not go on for more than eight minutes, because after that, with time attention is lost and the people fall asleep, and they are right. A homily must be like that. And I want to say this to priests, who talk a lot, very often, and one does not understand what they are talking about. A brief homily: a thought, a sentiment and a cue for action, for what to do. No more than eight minutes. Because the homily must help transfer the Word of God from the book to life. And among the many words of God that we listen to every day in Mass or in the Liturgy of the Hours, there is always one that is meant specially for us. Something that touches the heart. Welcomed into the heart, it can illuminate our day and inspire our prayer. It is a question of not letting it fall on deaf ears!

Let us conclude with a thought that can help us to fall in love with the Word of God. Like certain pieces of music, the Sacred Scripture too has a base note that accompanies it from the beginning to the end, and this note is the love of God. ‘The whole Bible”, observes Saint Augustine, “does nothing but tell of God’s love”. [1] And Saint Gregory the Great defines the Scripture as “a letter from God Almighty to His creature”, like a letter from a bridegroom to his bride, and exhorts us to “learn and know the heart of God in the words of God”. [2] “Through this revelation”, says Vatican Council II again, “the invisible God, out of the abundance of His love, speaks to men as friends and lives among them, so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself” ( Dei Verbum, 2).

Dear brothers and sisters, keep reading the Bible! But do not forget the pocket Gospel: carry it in your bag, in your pocket, and at some moment during the day, read a passage. And this will make you very close to the Holy Spirit, who is in the Word of God. May the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures and now breathes from them, help us to grasp this love of God in the concrete situations of life. Thank you.

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[1] De catechizandis rudibus, I, 8, 4: PL 40, 319.

[2] Registrum Epistolarum, V, 46 (ed. Ewald-Hartmann, pp. 345-346).

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APPEAL

I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims. In particular, I greet H.E. Monsignor Ambrogio Spreafico with the faithful of the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino, who are celebrating the 1500th anniversary of the death of the Holy Pontiff Ormisda, patron saint of the city of Frosinone.

I also greet the "Volley Academy Piacenza" which is committed to promoting a safe sporting environment, in collaboration with the diocesan service for the protection of minors; and the participants in the Academic, Social and Labor Forum of the Energy Industry, promoted by Scholas Occurrentes.

Finally, my thoughts go to the young people, the sick, the elderly and the newlyweds. Tomorrow we will celebrate the liturgical memory of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church. May the example of this illustrious preacher, protector of the poor and the suffering, arouse in everyone the desire to continue the path of faith and imitate his life, thus becoming credible witnesses of the Gospel.

And let's not forget the tormented Ukraine, let's not forget Palestine, Israel. Let's not forget Myanmar and many countries that are at war. Let us pray for peace, today we need peace. War is always, from day one, a defeat. We pray for peace. May the Lord give us strength to always fight for peace.

And my blessing to all of you!

Special Greetings

I extend a cordial welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from the United Kingdom, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States of America. I invoke upon you and your families the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

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Je salue cordialement les pèlerins de langue française, venus de Paris et de Luçon, en particuliers les jeunes venus d’institutions scolaires de France. Implorons l’Esprit-Saint d’ouvrir notre esprit à l’intelligence des Ecritures pour que nous puissions y contempler le visage de Jésus ressuscité et qu’elles éclairent notre agir dans le monde. Que Dieu vous bénisse.

[Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini di lingua francese, venuti da Parigi e da Luçon, in particolare i giovani giunti dalle istituzioni scolastiche di Francia. Imploriamo lo Spirito Santo di aprire la nostra mente all'intelligenza delle Scritture affinché possiamo contemplare il volto di Gesù risorto e illuminare il nostro agire nel mondo. Dio vi benedica.]

I extend a cordial welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from the United Kingdom, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States of America. I invoke upon you and your families the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

[Do un cordiale benvenuto a tutti i pellegrini di lingua inglese presenti all’odierna Udienza, specialmente ai gruppi provenienti dal Regno Unito, Cina, India, Indonesia, le Filippine, e gli Stati Uniti d’America. Invoco su tutti voi la gioia e la pace di nostro Signore Gesù Cristo. Dio vi benedica!]

Einen herzlichen Gruß richte ich an die Pilger deutscher Sprache. Lesen und betrachten wir die Heilige Schrift, indem wir um das Licht des Heiligen Geistes bitten, um Christus immer besser kennenzulernen und ihn mit dem Zeugnis unseres Lebens zu verkünden.

[Rivolgo un cordiale saluto ai pellegrini di lingua tedesca. Leggiamo e meditiamo la Sacra Scrittura, chiedendo la luce dello Spirito Santo, per poter conoscere sempre meglio Cristo e annunciarlo con la testimonianza della nostra vita.]

Saludo cordialmente a los peregrinos de lengua española. Pidámosle al Espíritu Santo que ilumine toda nuestra vida con su Palabra, para que podamos dar testimonio de Cristo. Que Jesús los bendiga y la Virgen Santa los cuide. Gracias.

Saúdo cordialmente os peregrinos de língua portuguesa, especialmente os que vieram de Portugal e do Brasil. Amanhã celebraremos Santo António, que nasceu em Lisboa e nos diz: «se lês Jesus, Ele sacia-te a mente». Por isso encorajo cada um de vós a meditar a Sagrada Escritura. Nela, Jesus revigora-nos e ilumina as nossas vidas. Deus vos abençoe!

[Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini di lingua portoghese, in particolare quelli provenienti dal Portogallo e dal Brasile. Domani celebreremo Sant’Antonio, nato a Lisbona, che ci dice: «se leggi Gesù, egli ti sazia la mente». Incoraggio, dunque, ognuno di voi a meditare la Sacra Scrittura. In essa, Gesù ci rinvigorisce e illumina la nostra vita. Dio vi benedica!]

أُحَيِّي المُؤمِنينَ النَّاطِقينَ باللغَةِ العربِيَّة. الرُّوحُ القُدُس، الَّذي ألهَمَ الكتابَ المُقَدَّس، يُساعِدُنا لِنَفهَمَ محبَّةَ اللهِ في المواقِفِ العَمَلِيَّةِ في حياتِنا. باركَكُم الرّبُّ جَميعًا وحَماكُم دائِمًا مِن كُلِّ شَرّ!

[Saluto i fedeli di lingua araba. Lo Spirito Santo, che ha ispirato le Scritture, ci aiuti a cogliere l’amore di Dio nelle situazioni concrete della nostra vita. Il Signore vi benedica tutti e vi protegga ‎sempre da ogni male‎‎‎‏!]

Serdecznie pozdrawiam pielgrzymów polskich. Wasza Ojczyzna, od wieków chrześcijańska, nosi miano: Polonia semper fidelis. Jednak wytrwanie w wierności Chrystusowi i Jego Kościołowi nie jest możliwe dzięki tylko ludzkiej sile, ale dzięki mocy Ducha Świętego. Wsłuchujcie się w Słowo Boże, niech będzie ono dla was natchnieniem, aby umieć odróżnić prawdę od fałszu, wolność od zniewolenia. Bądźcie wierni Bogu! Polonia semper fidelis! Z serca wam błogosławię.

[Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini polacchi. La vostra Patria, da secoli cristiana, è chiamata: Polonia semper fidelis. Tuttavia, perseverare nella fedeltà a Cristo e alla sua Chiesa non è possibile grazie alle sole forze umane, ma alla forza dello Spirito Santo. Ascoltate la Parola di Dio, lasciatevi ispirare da essa per sapere come distinguere la verità dalla falsità, la libertà dalla schiavitù. Siate fedeli a Dio! Polonia semper fidelis! Vi benedico di cuore.]

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