During Mass for the Sunday of the Word of God � the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time � Pope Francis conferred the new ministry of Catechist on five men and three women from various parts of the world. The Holy Father highlighted two aspects of the day's readings: The word of God reveals God; and His word leads us to man. The Pope noted that in the Gospel, Jesus reveals that He came "to liberate the poor and the oppressed," showing that God is not detached or indifferent to humanity, but is close to human beings and wants to care for them. He does so, the Pope said, precisely through His word, "rekindling hope amid the ashes of your fears, helping you rediscover joy in the labyrinths of your sorrows, filling your feelings of solitude with hope."