Pope Francis emphasizes: the Gospel can change hearts
February 02, 2015
Pope Francis devoted his February 1 Angelus address to the day’s Gospel reading at Mass (Mk. 1:21-28) and emphasized that the Gospel can change people’s lives.
Reflecting upon the authority with which Christ preached, Pope Francis said that “with only the strength of His word, Jesus frees the person [possessed by a demon] from evil … The word of God astonishes us with that strength.”
“The Gospel is the word of life: it does not oppress people, on the contrary, it frees those who are enslaved by so many evil spirits in this world: vanity, the attachment to money, pride, sensuality,” he continued. “The Gospel changes the heart, the Gospel changes the heart! … Therefore it is the duty of Christians to spread everywhere the redeeming power, becoming missionaries and heralds of the Word of God.”
The Pope renewed his call, made with increasing frequency in recent months, to “have daily contact with the Gospel. To read it every day; a passage. To meditate upon it and also, to carry it with you everywhere, in your pocket, in your purse … It is the power that changes us, that transforms us, it changes life and it changes the heart.”
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