This weekend, you will be hard pressed to tune into a national news outlet without spotting the smiling face of Pope Francis, who arrived in the United States for the first time on Tuesday. While his historic journey to America is certainly newsworthy, Pope Francis has decided to share the media spotlight with a familiar friend: the Bible.

Pope Francis made headlines on Thursday when he presented an extremely rare Bible—valued at 8 million dollars—to the United States Library of Congress. The beautifully illustrated Bible is a version of the Saint John’s Bible—the first handwritten Bible commissioned by a monastery since the printing press was invented.

This isn’t the first time Pope Francis has pointed people to the invaluable gift of God’s Word. As our country celebrates the visit of this internationally beloved religious leader, take the time to consider these six exhortations from Pope Francis about the importance of regular Bible engagement in the life of Christian believers.

1. “Dear Families, listen to the word of God, meditate on it together, pray with it, let the Lord fill your lives with mercy.”
2. “Everyone should carry a small Bible or pocket edition of the Gospels and should find at least a few minutes every day to read the word of God.”
3. “A Bible for every family! …Not to place it on a shelf, but to keep it at hand, to read it often, every day, both individually and together, husband and wife, parents and children, maybe in the evening, especially on Sundays. This way the family grows, walks, with the light and power of the Word of God!”
4. “Be constantly nourished by the Word of God.”
5. “I would like so much for all Christians to be able to comprehend ‘the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ’ through the diligent reading of the Word of God, for the sacred text is the nourishment of the soul and the pure and perennial source of the spiritual life of all of us.”
6. “In order that the family walk well, with trust and hope, it must be nourished with the Word of God.”