During his Monday homily at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope explained how the Holy Spirit protects Christians from gossip, criticism and persecution.
Pope Francis explained that Jesus asked the disciples not to be frightened to bear witness in the face of persecutions.
POPE FRANCIS
'This, Jesus says, is the cost of Christian witness. In the dayâ??s Gospel we read: â??They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.â?? The Christian, with the strength of the Holy Spirit, gives witness to the living Lord, to the Risen Lord, to the Lordâ??s presence in our midst, that the Lord celebrates with us His death, His Resurrection, each time we come to the altar.â?
A witness, the Pope said, is not given only with words but with how one acts in everyday life.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'This woman felt something inside her which made her say â??this is true! And I agree with what this man says, this man who gives witness to Jesus Christ.' But who touched the heart of this woman? Who told her: â??Listen because it is the truth?â?? It was the Holy Spirit who made this woman feel that Jesus was the Lord; it made her know that salvation was in Paulâ??s words; it made this woman hear witness. The Spirit gives witness to Jesus. each time we feel something in our heart that draws us closer to Jesus, itâ??s the Spirit which is working inside us.â?
'This, Jesus says, is the cost of Christian witness. In the dayâ??s Gospel we read: â??They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.â?? The Christian, with the strength of the Holy Spirit, gives witness to the living Lord, to the Risen Lord, to the Lordâ??s presence in our midst, that the Lord celebrates with us His death, His Resurrection, each time we come to the altar. The Christian too gives witness, aided by the Spirit, in his daily life, through the way in which he acts. It is the continuous witness of the Christian. But many times this witness provokes attacks, provokes persecution.â?
'The Holy Spirit which introduced us to Jesus, is the same one who urges us to make Him known to others, not so much through words, but through living witness.â?
'It is good to ask the Holy Spirit to come into our heart, to give witness to Jesus; tell Him: Lord, may I not stray from Jesus. Teach me what Jesus taught. Help me remember what Jesus said and did and also, help me to give witness to these things. So that worldliness, the easy things, the things that really come from the father of lies, from the prince of this world, sin, do not lead me away from giving witness.â?
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