In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis invited Christians to both welcome the Word, and open their hearts to the Holy Spirit.
POPE FRANCIS
'I have to receive the Spirit which brings me the Word with docility. And this docility, by not resisting the Spirit, brings me this way of living. Then to give space for this seed to sprout and grow into this attitude of goodness, meekness, gentleness, peace, charity and self-control. All this shows a Christian attitudeâ?
Pope Francis used the words of the Apostle James to explain that the only way to receive the Holy Spirit is to not resist it.
EXTRACTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
SOURCE: VATICAN RADIO
'In these past days we have talked about resistance to the Holy Spirit, for which Saint Stephen scolded the doctors of the law. Today the readings speak of an attitude which the opposite namely for Christians to have docility towards the Holy Spiritâ?
'The first path in the journey of docility is therefore to receive the Word, which opens the heart. The second path is to know the Word, to know Jesus, who says â??my sheep listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me.''
'Then there is a third path, familiarity with the Word. To always bring the Word with us. To read it, to open our hearts to the Lord, open our hearts to the Spirit who makes us understand the Word. And the fruit of this, to receive the Word, to understand the Word, to take it with us, to have this familiarity with the Word, is a great fruit! A person who does this displays goodness, kindness, joy, peace, self -control and meekness.â?
'But I have to receive the Spirit which brings me the Word with docility. And this docility, by not resisting the Spirit, brings me this way of living, this way of acting. To receive the Word with docility, to know the Word and call to the Spirit to grant us the grace to understand and then to give space for this seed to sprout and grow into this attitude of goodness, meekness, gentleness , peace, charity and self-control. All this shows a Christian attitudeâ?
'There is the Spirit that guides us to do no wrong, but to receive with the spirit with docility, to know the Spirit in the Word and to live according to the Spirit. And this is the opposite of the resistance for which Stephen scolded the doctors of the law: â??You always have resisted the Spirit!â?? Do we resist the spirit? Do we create resistance? Or do we receive him? With docility: these are the words of James. â??To receive with docility.â?? Resistance is the opposite of docility. Let us call for this grace.â?
