In his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles. This week he focused on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on to the Christian community.
The pope stressed how a strong relationship with Christ through the Eucharist “establishes bonds of love among the members of his Body, the Church.” He said this is what enabled the earliest Christian community to fraternally care for one another including the poorest.
He concluded by inviting pilgrims to also live this fraternal charity sincerely and prayed for the Holy Spirit to strengthen them all in solidarity.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our continuing catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, we now consider how the Christian community is born of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and grows through the mutual sharing of life among the Lord’s disciples.
Solidarity between Christians is essential in building up God’s family, and this fraternity is nourished by receiving the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood.
Here we see that a strong relationship with Jesus also establishes bonds of love among the members of his Body, the Church. Participating in the Eucharist led the earliest Christians to hold their goods in common, which enabled them to take care of the poorest of their brothers and sisters.
By living fraternal charity sincerely, we too can maintain the flame of communion, and express our identity as Christian disciples.
As we strive to be faithful to this vocation, may the Lord pour out his Spirit of tenderness upon us and so strengthen our solidarity, especially with those most in need.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially
those from England, Malta, Japan and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I
invoke the joy and peace of the Lord. May God bless you!
