Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 15 January 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today we conclude our catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles with Paul’s arrival in Rome, in chains, to appeal his case to Caesar. As we have seen, Saint Luke’s account of the spread of the Gospel largely coincides with Paul’s missionary journeys. In Rome, Paul is welcomed by the Christian community and permitted to remain under house arrest. Luke ends the Book of Acts not with Paul’s martyrdom but by describing his tireless proclamation of the Gospel, showing the power of God’s word which can never be chained (cf. 2 Tim 2:9). Paul’s missionary journeys, culminating in this City, reveal the power of God’s grace to open hearts to the Gospel and its saving message. Having in these past months followed the spread of the Good News throughout the world, let us ask the Holy Spirit to renew in each one of us the call to be courageous and joyful missionary disciples of Christ. In this way, we – in the footsteps of Paul – will fill our world with the Gospel and make our communities places of fraternity where all can encounter the risen Lord.