Before the Angelus prayer, Francis noted how Jesus "did not postpone, once in Capernaum, the proclamation of the Good News. His main concern was to communicate the Word of God. [. . .] Read every day a passage from the Gospel, bring it with you always. It can change the heart." On 6 June, the pope will be in Sarajevo: "I ask you to pray even now for those dear people." May the Day for Life "help a new humanism: the humanism of solidarity."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The main concern for Christians, following in the footsteps of our Master Jesus, "should be the proclamation of the Gospel. The Gospel changes lives and hearts, when we let ourselves be transformed by it. That is why I call upon you to take it always with you: read a passage a day. The Gospel is the word of life: it does not oppress people; on the contrary, it frees those who are slaves to the many evil spirits of this world: vanity, love of money, pride, sensuality . . . The Gospel changes the heart, changes life, transforms inclinations to evil into good intentions," said Pope Francis today before the usual Angelus prayer.

Commenting on this Sunday's Gospel passage about Jesus and his small community of disciples entering Capernaum, the pontiff pointed out that "once he entered the city, Christ did not worry about logistical issues but, that day being a Saturday, he went immediately to synagogue ". This is because "Jesus did not postpone the proclamation of the Gospel, did not think first about finding accommodations, something certainly necessary, for his small community, he did not linger on the [issue of] organisation. His main concern was to communicate the Word of God with the power of the Holy Spirit. People in the synagogue were astonished, for Jesus 'taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes' (v. 22)."

What does "having authority" mean, the pope asked. "It means that in Jesus' human words one felt the full force of the Word of God, the authority of God himself, who inspired the Sacred Scriptures. One of the characteristics of the Word of God is that it accomplishes what it says. Because the Word of God corresponds to His will. Instead, we often utter empty words, superfluous words that do not correspond to the truth. By contrast, the Word of God corresponds to His will, and does what he says."

In fact, Jesus, after preaching, "immediately showed his authority by freeing a man, present in the synagogue, who was possessed by the devil . . . Once again those present were astonished: 'He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him' (v. 27). The Word of God makes us wonder: it has that strength. It amazes well. The Gospel is the word of life: it does not oppress people; on the contrary, it frees those who are slaves to the many evil spirits of this world: the spirit of vanity, the love of money, pride, sensuality . . ."

"The Gospel," the Pope said without using his prepared remarks, "changes the heart, the Gospel changes the heart, changes life, transforms inclinations to evil into good intentions. The Gospel is capable of changing people! Therefore, it is the duty of Christians to spread its redeeming power everywhere, becoming missionaries and preachers of the Word of God. This is what today's passage suggests when it ends with a missionary opening: "His fame - Jesus' fame - spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee" (v. 28). The new doctrine taught with authority by Jesus is the one that brings the Church to the world, along with the effective signs of its presence: the authoritative teaching and liberating action of the Son of God become the words of salvation and the gestures of love of the missionary Church."

"Always remember," Francis stressed again, "that the Gospel has the power that changes lives. Do not forget that. It is the Good News that transforms us, only when we let ourselves be transformed by it. That is why I call upon you to have always a daily contact with the Gospel, to take it with you everywhere; that is, to feed every day on this inexhaustible source of salvation. Do not forget: read a passage from the Gospel every day. It is the force that changes us, that transforms us. It changes life and heart. Let us call upon the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, the One who welcomed the Word, and generated it for the world, for all men and women. May she teach us to be assiduous listeners and authoritative heralds of the Gospel of Jesus."

After the Angelus prayer, the pope's next trip was announced. "Dear brothers and sisters, I wish to announce that Saturday, 6 June, God willing, I shall go to Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I ask you right now to pray that my visit to those dear people be an encouragement for the Catholic faithful, arouse elements of goodness and contribute to the consolidation of fraternity, peace, interreligious dialogue, and friendship. "

Finally, the pope noted that "today is Day for Life in Italy, whose theme is 'Solidarity for life'. I extend my appreciation to the associations, movements and all those who defend human life. I join Italian Bishops in urging 'a renewed recognition of the human person and more adequate care of life, from conception to its natural end' (Message for the 37^th National Day for Life). When we open ourselves to life and serve life, we experience the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness (cf. Exhort. Ap. Evangelii gaudium, 288), inaugurating a new humanism: the humanism of solidarity. The humanism of life."

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