Meeting with Delegates of the Word in Honduras (8 March 1983)

On Tuesday, 8 March 1983, the Holy Father spoke at a Meeting with “Delegates of the Word” in La Ceiba-San Pedro Sula, Honduras, putting into practice “the ministry that the Lord entrusted to Peter (cf. Lk. 22, 32) of confirming his brothers in a particular way through the preaching of the Word of God.”

Beloved Brothers in the Episcopate
Dear brothers and sisters

1. First of all, my cordial greeting goes to the Bishop and Pastor of the diocese, as well as to all the members of this diocesan ecclesiastical family, especially to the workers of San Pedro Sula and throughout the country.

It is a true joy for me to pray together and break the bread of the Word of God with you, who have been entrusted with the mission of preaching that Word and coordinating the celebrations in which it is proclaimed.

In doing so, I am convinced of putting into practice in this beloved nation of Honduras, the ministry that the Lord entrusted to Peter (cf. Lk . 22, 32) of confirming his brothers in a particular way through the preaching of the Word of God. Precisely for this reason the Pope undertakes his apostolic journeys: to bring to the children of the Church everywhere, and to all men of good will, the seed of this Word.

See, therefore, how, when exercising your ministry within your respective Christian communities, you cooperate, with the Pope and the Bishops who delegated you, and also with the priests, in evangelization; and do so due to Your character and condition as lay people.

2. I would like us to meditate together, for a moment, on the role of the preacher of the Word and the catechist, as the Lord outlined it in the parable we have just heard and in the explanation that accompanies it in the same Gospel.

There is a "seeder" who "sows the Word" ( Mc 4, 14). The first "sower" is undoubtedly Jesus himself, who exercised this ministry throughout his public life; a ministry that He himself presented before Pilate (cf. Jn . 18, 37) as "bearing witness to the truth"; the truth that is first and foremost Jesus Christ himself (cf. Jn . 14, 7) and his heavenly Father ( ibid ., 17, 13) .

This Word thus proclaimed by Him, if we receive it well, has power to save us; as taught by the passage from the prophet Isaiah, which was also read ( Is . 55, 10-11), and which is echoed in the New Testament (cf. vgr. James 1, 21).

Well, this Word and this testimony continue to resonate on earth, after the Lord's ascension to heaven, through the work of the Apostles whom He instituted and ordered to preach to "all creatures" (cf. Mk 16, 15); by the work of the successors of the Apostles and also of the entire Church.

In fact, the glory and responsibility of the Church is this: to proclaim the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to all men to whom it is "debted", as the Apostle Paul said of himself (cf. Rom .1 , 14). That is why Pope Paul VI, collecting the rich content left by the 1974 Synod of Bishops, published this beautiful description of the Church's evangelizing mission in the document that begins with the words Evangelii nuntiandi . I am sure that you know it and study it in your training meetings.

3. However, what happens when the shortage of priests and deacons does not allow this ministry of evangelizing the Word to reach everywhere? Will the people find themselves deprived of the bread of the Word, as they are deprived of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist?

It is a great thing, very much in keeping with the tradition of the Church, that your Bishops have decided — collecting and encouraging laudable initiatives — to delegate especially those who, like you, well disposed, well prepared and deeply aware of the task they undertake, offer themselves to respond to this call to serve your brothers.

Therefore, be consistent with yourselves and with the commitment you have made. And prepare yourselves ever better to fulfill your important and delicate ecclesiastical commitment. It is necessary to allow oneself to be penetrated by the teaching of the Gospel and the Church, by the authentic truth about Christ, the Church and man.

My Exhortation Catechesi tradendae can also serve as a guide in this task. Because you will need constant updating to improve your preparation, correct any errors and always remain faithful to the genuine doctrine of the Church; and, at the same time, avoid any occasion of falling into political instrumentalization or radicalization, which could compromise the fruit of your noble mission.

Do not fail to prudently and wisely indicate the implications and social applications of the word you preach. And, to avoid dangers that may arise, always remain in close communion with your Bishops.

"The sower sows the word", tells us the Gospel of Mark. He does not do so in his own name, nor to create a community that is not fully integrated into the local Church of which he is a part. He does so in the name of the Church, as a collaborator of the Bishop and in the place of priests and deacons even without being able to assume all of their functions. It also does so to help create and increase the Church in each local community, so that there is "one flock" under "one shepherd", Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 10:16).

Every preacher must always remember that the word we preach is not ours. We do not preach to "ourselves" but "to Jesus Christ" the "crucified" (cf. 1 Cor . 1, 23). Christ himself, the first sower, and the Church entrust us with the Word that we must proclaim. We find it in Sacred Scripture read in the light of the constant tradition of the Church.

Be it the Bible, the Word of God, your continuous reading, your study and your prayer; in the Liturgy and outside it, as the last Council taught. Read it, however, always according to the correct interpretation made by the legitimate Authorities of the Church.

By virtue of the mission received, you must help the members of your communities to accept and deepen their knowledge of the faith, their love and adherence to the Church; and at the same time you must teach them to practice their traditional devotions with a true sense of what they mean in the context of Christian life. Therefore, be aware of your responsibility and high mission.

4. The dangers that assail the listeners of the Word, which are described in the explanation of the parable commented by us, also affect you: the devil who comes and takes away, unconsciousness and weakness in the face of the demands of the Word, or persecution "because of of it", "the cares of the world, the seduction of riches and other ambitions" (cf. Mc . 4, 15-20). In order for you to help your listeners to overcome them, you must overcome them first yourself. This constitutes a demanding task, made up of prayer, recourse to the sacraments, deep and persevering reflection, love for the cross and the Church.

Your preaching is worth a lot, without a doubt. It is testimony that you give to the truth with your lips. But in order for you to be credible witnesses, your life must be consistent with your words. Therefore, your conduct must faithfully reflect what you preach. Otherwise, you would destroy with one hand what you build with the other. This means that your life as a family, as parents, as spouses, as children, as citizens; your fidelity to the duty of solidarity with the poor and oppressed; your exemplary charity, your honor, are like inevitable requirements of your vocation as Delegates of the Word.

We hear in the reading of the prophet Isaiah that the Word of God, "like the rain and snow from heaven" will not return to him without anything, "without carrying out" his will and fulfilling "that for which it was sent" by God himself (cf. . 55 , 10).

It is the effectiveness of the Word of God which, as we said at the beginning, with a reference to the Epistle of Saint James (1, 21), "can save your souls".

Let us firmly believe in this efficacy of the divine Word, which created the world in the beginning (cf. Gen. 1, 3 ss.; Jn . l, l-3) and which, when the fullness of time came (Cf. Gal . 4, 4 ), was "made flesh" in the virginal womb of Mary (cf. Jn . 1, 14), so that we would all receive the fullness "of grace and truth" ( ibid . 1, 17), that is, we would be saved for her.

5. Let us remember that this effectiveness is realized above all in the Eucharist, of which the celebration of the Word is an integral part, because it prepares for it and finds its consummation in it.

You, Delegates of the Word, responsible for the celebrations that have it at its center, and Catechists, let yourselves be possessed and transformed by it, frequently receiving, when possible, the Body and Blood of the Lord. Do not forget that your ministry can never lose sight of this purpose: the guidance and celebration of the Eucharist by duly ordained ministers.

Who knows if one day there will arise from among you those who, possessing the requirements established by the Church, will prepare themselves for the priestly ministry, thus culminating the work that you began "in Christ Jesus" (cf. Phil . 1, 6). Because the work of evangelization is only fully realized when the Christian people, summoned and presided over by their Bishops and priests, celebrate together the death and resurrection of the Lord in the Eucharist (cf. Presbyterorum ordinis , 4). Then and only then are these people truly and fully Church. 

6. Dear brothers: The Blessed Virgin kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (cf. Lc . 2, 19-21). Like no one else, she "listens to the Word of God and puts it into practice" (cf. ibid . 8, 21; 11, 27-28), as the Lord himself responded to who praised her physical motherhood (cf. ibid .).

Imitate his example and place yourselves under his protection, in order to be true Delegates of the Word and Catechists, that is, faithful listeners and doers of it, so that you can preach it fruitfully to others.

May She encourage you on this path, as I also encourage you, at the same time that I bless you from my heart. So be it.

[Before granting the concluding Blessing of this Liturgy of the Word, the Holy Father handed the Message addressed to all workers in Central America, Belize and Haiti to three workers, pronouncing these words]

Due to the short duration of my stay in these countries, I was unable to have a special meeting with the workers, although I found them dispersed among the People of God throughout my apostolic visit. Therefore, in this significant place of São Pedro de Sula, I will now deliver a written message to workers' representatives, which I address to all workers in Central America, Belize and Haiti, accompanied by a very cordial and repeated greeting to them and their families, at the same time that I bless you from the bottom of my heart.

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