Rome, 12 April, 1947. In a grotto on the Via Laurentina, the Virgin Mary appeared to a man, Bruno Cornacchiola. She presents herself as the “Virgin of Revelation” and delivers a powerful call: “Be missionaries of the Word of Truth.”
It’s a compelling call, meant for courageous hearts. But what is Truth? Today, it’s an uncomfortable word. It’s often put in quotation marks, treated as just one opinion among many. It almost seems pointless to seek it because “you have your truth, and I have mine.” Yet, deep down, it touches something within us. We all long for something authentic, something more lasting than an Instagram feed, something that doesn’t change depending on our emotions, likes, or the opinions of others. We desire Truth with a capital “T,” the kind that can guide us, give meaning, and show us the way to a full life.
This Truth has a name and a face: Jesus Christ. He is the answer, even when we don’t realize it. When we cry out for justice, when we yearn for authenticity and for a love that does not betray, what we’re truly seeking is Him. He alone can bear the weight of our thirst.
This is the Truth we are called to know. This is the love that truly transforms us. Not only in prayer, but especially through the Sacraments, the power of encountering Christ shines. It is there, in the Eucharist, that He fulfills His promise to remain with us always (cf. Mt 28:20). In Confession, the Lord lifts us up again. So even when we lose our aim, His love helps us aim the arrow of our hearts upward toward Eternal Life.
From this encounter, a mission is born. Wherever you are, you can carry His Word: in school, among friends, at university, online, at work, on the metro, or to those who no longer believe. As the saints used to say, whoever seeks the Truth, whether they know it or not, is seeking God.
Mary, at the Grotto of the Three Fountains, invites us to walk alongside these seekers. We don’t have all the answers, but we have met the One who is the answer. With her always close by, we can allow Christ’s love to grow in us and reach others.
To be missionaries of the Word of Truth means exactly this: to let the hope of Heaven overflow from us with a faith that is able to bear witness to the great love we carry in our hearts.