Share the joy of the Gospel with others, Pope says at general audience

November 15, 2023

Continuing his series of Wednesday catecheses on the theme of “the passion for evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer,” Pope Francis devoted his November 15 general audience to the theme of “proclamation is joy.”

“In our continuing catechesis on apostolic zeal, we now turn to the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium and its summons to a renewed proclamation of the ‘joy of the Gospel,’“ Pope Francis said, in the words of the Vatican summary of his remarks. “The reason for that joy, which was first announced by the angels in Bethlehem, is our personal encounter with Jesus, who, now risen from the dead, offers us the promise of new and eternal life.”

The summary continued:

We see this in the Gospel story of the disciples who met the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus. With their hearts set afire by the Word of God that he proclaimed to them, they then recognized him in the breaking of the bread and joyfully returned to Jerusalem to announce his resurrection to the others.

Like those disciples, we too need to encounter the Lord ever anew in his Word and his sacramental presence, in order to share the liberating message of the Gospel with others. In our troubled world, so many people await a word of hope. May all Christians take up the challenge of sharing the joy of their own encounter with the risen Lord, the new life bestowed by his Spirit, and the freedom born of trust in his promises.

 

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Further information:

• General Audience (November 15, 2023)