The Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua will join in celebrating Sunday of the Word of God on 26 January. This initiative was spearheaded by Pope Francis in his effort to place the Holy Scriptures at the centre of life along with the Eucharist.
The celebration in the Basilica at 11.00am will include a special ritual: the enthronement and the incensing of the Gospel. Moreover, during the whole celebration in the presbytery, the Gospel will remain exposed.
To live out the Sixth Sunday of the Word of God, Pope Francis has chosen as the theme the words of the Psalmist, “I hope in your Word” (Ps. 119:74). It is a cry of hope: man, in a moment of anguish, tribulation, and confusion, cries out to God and puts all his hope in him.
It is a deeply human experience, as is usually found in the Psalter. Everyone hopes, we all have hopes, but what is ommunicated to us in this Jubilee is a “Hope,” in the singular. It is not an abstract idea or naive optimism, but a person, alive and present in everyone's life: Christ crucified and risen, the only one who never abandons us.
Liturgical and Pastoral Handbook: http://www.evangelizatio.va/content/dam/pcpne/image/DomenicadellaParola/2025/ENG%20Sussidio%20DPD%2025%20v1.pdf