In all of these activities, Ezra was building up the community. Ezra responded to the call to be an instrument of God's word and a channel of meaning for his people. Every time we gather for Mass the Word of God is proclaimed. As recipients of the good news, our challenge is to listen intently, to take the message to heart, and then to live it as fully as possible in our daily life. Discipleship is demonstrated by the way we live.
Illiteracy remains a horrendous problem on our planet.
Many people do not have the opportunity to acquire basic skills and are severely limited in reaching their full human potential. Illiteracy excludes individuals from experiencing new worlds, including, too often, the world of faith. But even for those who read well and write with competence, more is demanded. We must use these developed faculties in freeing those enslaved, healing the broken hearted, proclaiming the workings of God's grace. Responding to this call to action verifies our authentic discipleship.