God’s Word must be announced in Saint Paul’s style, and those who announce must be not only informative but, as recently recalled by Benedict XVI, performative. In addition, a homiletic directory might help. These are some of the cues that have come to the fore today, on the second morning of the Episcopal Synod on God’s Word, which is taking place in the Vatican until October 26th, as illustrated in the early afternoon at a briefing in the newsroom of the Holy See. The 23 short speeches each one lasting five minutes highlighted the importance that, as well as converting, the Word should promote unity within the Church and with the other Churches. Then, the Holy Scriptures need a critical construction that does not reduce the primacy of the Word but places emphasis on its wealth. The so-called "visual theology" is important too, that "biblia pauperum" which in the past was made up of hymnography and iconography, and is now made up of images, shapes and colours that, if appropriate, can be very helpful for the lectio divina. (continued)
