Pope Francis reminded the faithful that the Holy Spirit makes “Christ present and active in our lives” through prayer, and that “through prayer and works of charity we open our lives to the Spirit’s gifts.”
The pope invited the faithful to ask the Holy Spirit to “bestow upon the Church the richness of his gifts for the growth of our human family in unity and peace.”
SUMMARY OF POPE’S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
in our catechesis on Christian prayer, we have seen that through prayer we share in the life of the blessed Trinity, thanks to Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit in fact teaches us to pray, making Christ present and active in our lives and in our world. In the Spirit we are enabled to call God our Father, to live our vocation to holiness, and to carry out our baptismal mission as witnesses of Christ’s redemptive and merciful love.
Through prayer and works of charity we open our lives to the Spirit’s gifts, following in the footsteps of countless saints who have gone before us.
The Catechism tells us that there are as many paths of prayer as there are persons who pray, but it is the same Spirit acting in all and with all. In the communion of the Holy Spirit Christian prayer is prayer in the Church (cf. No. 2672).
In our prayer, let us ask the Spirit to guide us in our daily lives, to draw us ever more fully into the life of the Blessed Trinity, and bestow upon the Church the richness of his gifts for the growth of our human family in unity and peace.
I cordially greet the English-speaking faithful. May our Lenten journey bring us to the joy of Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Upon you and your families I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God bless you!
