Pope says Holy Spirit opens hearts to God

Vatican May 06, 2013 - The Holy Spirit is our friend and companion who helps us find Jesus. This was the core of the homily of Pope Francis at Monday morning’s Mass at his residence of Santa Martha, in the Vatican. Among those attending the Mass were some employees of St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis said that the Holy Spirit whom Jesus called the “Paraclete” was the Person of God who is always there to protect us and support us. The Holy Father underlined the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives saying that without this presence, our Christian lives cannot be understood. He described the sort of life one would have without the Holy Spirit. It would be a religious life, he said, a compassionate life of someone who believes in God but without the vitality that Jesus wants of his disciples. The Spirit “bears witness” to Jesus , so that we can give it to others. The Pope explained that it is the Holy Spirit that opens our hearts to know Jesus. The Spirit prepares us for our encounter with Jesus, he leads us down the path of Jesus and works in us throughout the day and throughout our lives. The Pope thus invited the faithful to examine their conscience at the end of each day about how the Holy Spirit worked in us and give his witness, because it is in this way, he said that we can see how Jesus has worked in our hearts.