His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa stresses the importance of the Sunday of the Word of God 2025: Source of Hope in Challenging Times
This news is shared from the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Below you can find the spiritual recommendation of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, for the Sunday of the Word of God 2025: Source of Hope in Challenging Times, Sunday 19 January 2025.
Prot. N. (1) 33/2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ our Hope,
May the Lord give you peace!
This year, the Church dedicates Sunday, January 26 to the Word of God and thus introduces us to the Jubilee that Pope Francis has called for in 2025. The prayer of the whole Church shall be centered on the gift of “hope”, which we ask the Lord Jesus for with all our strength.
The Word of God helps us to find the reasons for our hope and to revive it, particularly in this land of ours and in this time of darkness and suffering that humanity is forced to experience because of wars and injustices that cast fear, discouragement and doubt in our hearts.
For this, I suggest reading the First Letter of St. Peter the Apostle. It is a short letter (only five chapters), but it overflows with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which alone can animate our Christian life in faith, hope and charity.
It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us and irradiates the light of Hope in the hearts of those who believe. It is He who keeps alive in our hearts the flame of a lantern that never goes out. It is He who gives support and vigor to our lives even in the most difficult situations.
Christian hope is not an illusion, rather it gives us the ability to see reality as it is.
Christian hope does not disappoint. On the contrary, it is a gift from God that gives us joy and creates a bond of communion among all men and women who seek peace. Christian hope is founded on the certainty that nothing and no one can ever separate us from the love of Christ, our peace.
The text of Peter’s letter speaks of the word of the Gospel, an incorruptible seed, which has regenerated us for a living hope, even though we are now afflicted by trials greater than ourselves, and which seem to have no end (cf. 1 Pt. 1:23).
I repeat: the letter is short, but very beautiful and full of strength.
I exhort you therefore to read and reread it, together or alone, and to pray with the words it puts on our lips. I suggest that we emphasize in the reading the words that strike us most and that can accompany us throughout the Jubilee year.
If we all do this together, with faith and trust, we will find new joy and new strength for our consciences to live as true Christians in this time. In this way we will also receive, as a gift, the light we need to contribute to the solutions of the problems before us.
I greet you and bless you with the very words of the apostle Peter: “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.” (1 Pt. 5:10-11).
In Christ,
†Pierbattista Card. Pizzaballa
Latin Patriarch of Jersualem
SOME ORGANIZATIONAL SUGGESTIONS FOR WORD OF GOD SUNDAY 2025
In the community’s principal Mass make the solemn entrance with the Gospel and place it in a solemnly decorated place.
Celebrate the liturgy of the hours (Lauds or Vespers) and choose ‘short reading’ from Peter’s letter (eg: for Lauds 1 Pt. 1:22-23; 2:4-5; for Vespers 1 Pt. 3:8-9; 3:13-16)
Put the LINK to the letter on the parish website and/or spread it on the parish mail-list, to make it easier for everyone to find the text of the letter immediately Or: print the text (which is short) on a sheet of paper to be distributed at the end of Mass
In order to help the faithful in their reading and personal or communal prayer on the letter of Peter; priests, deacons or trained persons can offer some simple method suggestions at the end of the Sunday liturgy:
read and reread the text several times.
take a verse and repeat it until it is memorized.
read a passage and pause a few minutes in silence to reflect.
alternate the reading with responsories or with invocations to the Holy Spirit - see some examples below)
5. Priests or deacons can offer some short catechesis during the week on certain passages that help for a thoughtful reading and understanding of the text of the letter (e.g. 1:3-9; 1:13-21; 2:1-10; 3:8-17; 4:12-19; 5:1-11).
MODE OF READING
The time required for calmly reading the whole letter is a maximum of 30/35 minutes. For each chapter, a maximum of 5/6 minutes.
Modes of reading can be varied:
personal
small groups
in the family
in church during a liturgy of the word or during an hour of worship
online
in religious communities, it is recommended that a time be set aside for communal reading
during meetings of various parish groups, on Sundays or even during the following week
during the recitation of the rosary (one chapter as an introduction to each mystery)
reading of the whole letter in continuous reading or reading of a part of it
one chapter each day of the following week
RESPONSORIES TO ALTERNATE WITH THE READING AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER
Chapter 1
Res.: Blessed be the God * and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (1,3)
who has regenerated us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead * for a living hope (1,3)
for an inheritance that does not decay * kept in heaven for you (1,4)
Glory to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit
Therefore exult with unspeakable and glorious joy * as you reach the goal of your faith: the salvation of souls (1:4-5)
Chapter 2
Res.: Like new-born babes * eagerly desire genuine spiritual milk (2:2)
by which you may grow to salvation * if you have truly tasted how good the Lord is (2,2-3)
you are built for a holy priesthood * to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (2:5)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit
For the will of God * is to do good (2:15)
Chapter 3
Res.: Bless, for to this you were called * to inherit his blessing (3:9)
if then you should suffer for righteousness' sake * blessed are you (3,14)
Do not be dismayed by fear and do not be troubled * but worship the Lord, Christ, in your hearts (3:14-15)
Glory to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit
Always be ready * to answer anyone who asks you about the hope that is in you. (3,15)
Chapter 4
Res.: Inasmuch as you share in the sufferings of Christ * rejoice (4:13)
keep fervent charity among yourselves * for charity covers a multitude of sins (4,8)
Whoever speaks * do so with words of God (4:11)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit
Blessed are you if you are reviled for the name of Christ * because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests upon you. (4,14)
Chapter 5
Res.: Pour out all your cares upon him, for he cares for you. (5,7)
Your enemy, the devil, like a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour * resist him steadfast in faith (5:8-9)
knowing that the same sufferings * are imposed on your brothers scattered throughout the world (5,9)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit
the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus * will restore you, strengthen you, give you a firm foundation (5,10)
INVOCATIONS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
(examples)
Come Holy Spirit, come True Light, come Eternal Life
Come Hidden Mystery, come Nameless Treasure, come Ineffable Reality
Come Perennial Exultation, come Light without Setting, come True Expectation for all who will be saved.
Come Resurrection of the Dead, come O Mighty One who always renews everything, come O Invisible One
Come Eternal Joy, come You who have become my desire.
Attachements
This statement was originally published on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.