Pope says Word of God is to be welcomed with humility

19 April, 2013 - The Word of God is to be welcomed with humility because it is the word of love: thus – and only thus – can it penetrate hearts and change lives. This was the heart of the brief homily of Pope Francis at the Mass he celebrated Friday morning at his residence of Santa Martha in the Vatican, which was attended by the staff and employees of the Vatican press and the L'Osservatore Romano newspaper. Commenting on the Mass readings on the conversion of St. Paul and the discourse of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum, the Pope said the voice of Jesus “passes through our mind and goes to the heart, for Jesus seeks our conversion.” While Paul and Ananias respond with puzzlement, but with an open heart, the teachers of the law argue among themselves and find it hard to digest the words of Jesus. Like Paul and Ananias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Moses and Mary respond to the Lord with humility, welcoming the Word of God with their heart. The Pope said the Word of Jesus goes to the heart because it is the Word of love, it is a beautiful word and brings love and makes us love. Instead, moralists and ideologues, pretend to understand the Gospel with their heads but falsify it. They are not on the road to conversion to which Jesus calls us, the Pope added