But at 217 pages it’s not exactly a quick read. It has also been observed that many of the exhortation’s passages are self-contained and can be studied and reflected upon on their own.
Considering these factors the Diocesan Office of Media has created a podcast of the “Joy of the Gospel” that offers spoken-word audio recordings of the exhortation in bite-sized chunks that can be downloaded from the diocesan web site. The exhortation passages, offered in both English and Spanish, were read by Bishop Gerald Barnes, Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego and several other diocesan clergy and lay ministers.
“He has challenged all of us as Roman Catholics to be a Mission Church, to go out from our comfort zone in order to bring God’s light and mercy to those in need,” Bishop Barnes says of Pope Francis in his introduction to the podcast. “The Joy of the Gospel contains many of these ideas and it captures Pope Francis’s vision for our Church. We are pleased to offer it here in this podcast for your listening and reflection.”
Diocesan Communications Director John Andrews said he hopes the podcast will bring the Pope’s words to a wider audience, particularly those who are often “on the go” and less likely to devote long periods of time to read the exhortation. The audio recordings average 15-20 minutes and can be downloaded onto a smart phone or tablet for mobile use. A reflection question is offered at the end of each passage.
“It’s an effort to tailor the Holy Father’s very important message into a format that reflects the way many people consume information today, which is in smaller chunks,” Andrews said. “You can listen to it as part of morning or evening prayer, at the gym, at lunch, in the car, wherever.”
A new recording will be posted each week, meaning the entire exhortation will be available by February of 2015. The Ministry Formation Institute (MFI) and Office of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation will be incorporating the exhortation podcast into their programming.
To listen to the podcast please visit http://www.sbdiocese.org/NewsMedia/Multimedia/evangelii_gaudium.cfm