EVANGELII GAUDIUM - page 137

137
celebrated and witnessed to. The sacred Scrip-
tures are the very source of evangelization. Con-
sequently, we need to be constantly trained in
hearing the word. The Church does not evange-
lize unless she constantly lets herself be evange-
lized. It is indispensable that the word of God
“be ever more fully at the heart of every ecclesial
activity”.135 God’s word, listened to and celebrat-
ed, above all in the Eucharist, nourishes and in-
wardly strengthens Christians, enabling them to
offer an authentic witness to the Gospel in dai-
ly life. We have long since moved beyond that
old contraposition between word and sacrament.
The preaching of the word, living and effective,
prepares for the reception of the sacrament, and
in the sacrament that word attains its maximum
efficacy.
175. The study of the sacred Scriptures must
be a door opened to every believer.136 It is es-
sential that the revealed word radically enrich
our catechesis and all our efforts to pass on the
faith.137 Evangelization demands familiarity with
God’s word, which calls for dioceses, parishes
and Catholic associations to provide for a seri-
ous, ongoing study of the Bible, while encour-
aging its prayerful individual and communal
135 B enedict XVI , Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Verbum Domini (30 September 2010), 1: AAS 102 (2010), 682.
136 Cf. Propositio 11.
137 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic
Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, 21-22.