Advertisement ICNICN Would you like to advertise on ICN? Click to learn more.

Pope Francis: There cannot be Christian life without the Holy Spirit


During morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta yesterday, Pope Francis focussed on the importance of making room for the Holy Spirit in our lives. He said, we can only be reborn from "our sinful existence" with "the help of the same power that raised the Lord: the power of God". That's why, he continued, "the Lord sent us the Holy Spirit," because alone, we cannot do it.

The Holy Father was reflecting on the day's Gospel in which Jesus tells Nicodemus "You must be born from above".

Linking this message to Easter and the Lord's Resurrection, the Pope recalled the fact that in the first apparition of Jesus to the apostles, on the Sunday of the Resurrection, the Lord breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit".

"This is our strength! We cannot do anything without the Spirit," he said.

Reminding those present that a Christian life is not only about behaving well and doing the right things, the Pope said we can write our lives in "flourishing penmanship" but we are reborn only from the Spirit, therefore we must make room for it.

"It is the Spirit that allows us to rise from our limitations, from our deaths, because there are so many necroses in our life and in our soul," he said.

The Pope explained that "a life, that may call itself Christian, but that leaves no room for the Spirit and does not allow itself to be carried forward by the Spirit, is a pagan life, disguised as Christian."

"The Spirit" he said, "is the protagonist of Christian life".

It is the Holy Spirit, he said, who accompanies us, transforms us, and overcomes sin with us.

"No one has ever ascended to heaven except He who descended from heaven: Jesus. He came down from heaven, and at the moment of the resurrection, he said to us 'Receive the Holy Spirit', the companion of Christian life."

"One cannot walk the path of Christian life without the Holy Spirit," he said.

There cannot be Christian life without the Holy Spirit, who is "our daily companion", the Pope continued: "a gift from the Father, a gift from Jesus."

"Let us ask the Lord to give us this awareness that we cannot be Christians without walking with the Holy Spirit, without acting with the Holy Spirit, without letting the Holy Spirit be the protagonist of our lives."

He concluded: We must ask ourselves, therefore, what place does the Spirit have in our lives, and we must ask the Lord for the grace to understand this message: "Our companion on our way is the Holy Spirit."


Adverts

The Passionists

We offer publicity space for Catholic groups/organisations. See our advertising page if you would like more information.

We Need Your Support

ICN aims to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. As our audience increases - so do our costs. We need your help to continue this work.

You can support our journalism by advertising with us or donating to ICN.

Mobile Menu Toggle Icon