Pope Benedict has written this recent exhortation following the twelfth Synod of Bishops. The letter comes out as we begin reading the Gospel for Matthew for 2011. Matthew is the scribe and evangeliser who focuses on Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture and the handing on of his mission to the Church.
‘The document of the Pope has a joy and freshness about it, even when it is not breaking new ground. It will remind us of what we have known about, but not consciously adopted and encourage us to persevere in or being afresh our efforts to make our parishes true schools of the words and Word of God’ (Fr. John Deehan, P.P. Eastcote, U.K.).
‘The document of the Pope has a joy and freshness about it, even when it is not breaking new ground. It will remind us of what we have known about, but not consciously adopted and encourage us to persevere in or being afresh our efforts to make our parishes true schools of the words and Word of God’ (Fr. John Deehan, P.P. Eastcote, U.K.).
As St Jerome says:
‘ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ’.
In the celebration of the Eucharist, the Pope writes
‘the proclamation of God’s Word entails an acknowledgement that Christ is present, that he speaks to us and that he wishes to be heard.
Hence, as readers of the Word we need to be well prepared; as listeners were to be present on time for the whole of Mass and be active listeners like singers in a choir ready to join in song. The Pope also stresses the importance of periods of silence after the Scripture readings—we need to practice this in our parish and not be self-conscious of silence.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 