Pope Francis: the Holy Spirit allows our life to be united to Jesus’ life

May 16, 2016

Reflecting on Christ’s saying that “if you love me, you will keep my commandments,” Pope Francis told the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his May 15 address that love is proved “not with words, but with deeds.”

“‘Keep the commandments’ must be understood in an existential sense, so that all one’s life is involved,” the Pope continued. “In fact, to be a Christian does not primarily mean to belong to a certain culture or adhere to a certain doctrine, but rather to join one’s own life, in all its aspects, to the person of Jesus and, through Him, to the Father.”

“To this end, Jesus promises the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to His disciples,” the Pope added. “Thanks to the Holy Spirit, the Love that unites the Father and the Son and proceeds from them, we can all live the same life of Jesus.”

Turning to Christ’s description of the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete, Pope Francis said that the word

means Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, that is, one who assists us, protects us, is on our side on the journey of life and in the struggle for good and against evil. Jesus says “another Paraclete” because the first is He, He Himself, who was made flesh precisely to take upon Himself our human condition and free it from the slavery of sin …

The Holy Spirit implants [Jesus’] teaching in our heart, helps us to internalize it, making it part of us, flesh of our flesh. At the same time, the Spirit prepares our hearts so it is really able to receive the words and examples of the Lord. Every time that the word of Jesus is greeted with joy in our hearts, this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

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Further information:

• Regina Coeli - 2016.05.15 (YouTube Vatican)
• Le parole del Papa alla recita del Regina Caeli (Holy See Press Office)
• Pope Francis’ Regina Caeli Address on Pentecost Sunday (Zenit)