Verbum Domini has already been acclaimed as the most important document on the word of God since the Second Vatican Council. In it, Pope Benedict XVI, whose writings on Sacred Scripture are widely admired, summarises the reflections of the Synod Fathers who met in 2008 to discuss the 'word of God in the life and mission of the Church'.

Among many practical suggestions the Holy Father calls on parishes to devote time and effort to celebrations of the word especially during the great liturgical seasons, that all Catholic families should own a Bible and keep it in a worthy place in the house, and that priests ensure their homilies 'bring the scriptural message to life in a way that helps the faithful to realise that God's word is present and at work in their everyday lives.' (n. 59)

'With this Apostolic Exhortation I would like the work of the Synod to have a real effect on the life of the Church: on our personal relationship with the sacred Scriptures, on their interpretation in the liturgy and catechesis, and in scientific research, so that the Bible may not be simply a word from the past, but a living and timely word.' (n. 5)