“The most pious reading that we can have is the holy Gospel… We must meditate upon it and conform our conduct with the moral rule which is given to us in it by Jesus Christ: there is found truth free from all error.” (Carta Ascética… al presidente de uno de los coros de la Academia de San Miguel. Barcelona 1862, p. 45s).

WORD OF TRUTH AND LIFE

Compared with the image, which has become almost omnipresent in modern life, even to the point of producing audiovisual culture, the word has lost a lot of ground: from ‘blowing into the wind’ to being ‘boring’ and ‘heavy’. However, the word is essential to man. It is the point of contact – dialogue – between people. Therefore the word acquires particular relevance in the dialogue between God and humanity.

The Word nourishes a personal relationship with the living God, who wants to save and sanctify all people. We must adopt four attitudes before this Word. It is, firstly, necessary to listen to the Word in his revelation to the world. The first attitude of the apostle is that of ‘hearer of the Word’, that of listening to God himself who communicates with him at every moment. Then it is necessary to contemplate Christ, the face of this Word, incarnate and manifested. Contemplate the face of Christ in order to have him imprinted on your own life as a member of the Church. In this Church, the community of those gathered in Jesus’ name, the Word becomes present: in each person, in each situation and in each occurrence. It is essential that the apostle’s life is allowed to be configured by the Word. Finally, the apostle must always have the attitude of travelling the paths of the Word as the living expression of his specific vocation in the Church. He must take steps in the Word, in the different directions and tasks, which are directed to all peoples, without knowing geographical boundaries or affective limits. The Word of God, which is effective, must be proclaimed to all corners and by all means, as ‘societies have become weak and are starving because they have ceased to receive the daily bread of God’s Word.’ (Aut 450)

What could we do in my apostolic group in order to more effectively diffuse books and pamphlets which are ordered to the integral formation of believers?