Pope Francis, discussing the fruits of the Holy Spirit in his general audience on Wednesday, said that the witness of the Gospel is an experience of eternal peace and joy.
vatican city
On the occasion of his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis addressed all the faithful and pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of St. Peter’s Basilica, saying: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
After describing sanctification and miracles, today I would like to discuss a third truth of the Holy Spirit that is related to His work: the “fruits of the Spirit.” What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Saint Paul provides a list of them in his letter to the Galatians. He writes: Notice this: “The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, friendship, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We have “nine fruits” of the Holy Spirit, but what are those fruits?
Freedom and cooperation in the Holy Spirit
The Pope said that unlike miracles, which the Spirit grants to whom and when he wants for the good of the Church, the Pope reiterated the fruits of the Holy Spirit, saying that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the cooperation between grace and our freedom. They are caused by. These fruits always express the activity of the individual where we find faith working with love, sometimes with surprise and joy. Not everyone in the church can be apostles, not all prophets, not all evangelists, but each of us can be a kind, patient and peace architect without any discrimination. We all need to do these things with our lives, let’s become founders of peace and not war.
Effect of the encounter with Jesus
Pope Francis said that among the fruits of the Holy Spirit that Saint Paul speaks about, he would like to mention one that appears at the beginning of the encyclical Evangelili Gaudium: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all those who fill those who They meet Jesus. Whoever accepts the salvation they receive is freed from their sins, pain, inner emptiness and loneliness. “Our joy is constantly renewed in Jesus Christ.” Many times sadness prevails in our lives but we feel peace within ourselves. In Jesus we find happiness and peace.
secret of happiness
Pope Francis said that joy, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, is a simple feeling that brings us an experience of fulfillment that we wish would always remain with us. However, we know from experience that this does not happen, because all things on this earth come to an end soon: youth, health, strength, well-being, friendship, love… may last a hundred years, but then not much. They finish soon. Furthermore, although these things do not disappear quickly, after a while they stop being enough for us or we get bored of them, as Saint Augustine says of God: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts long for you. until I find rest in you.” We find our restless hearts in search of beauty, peace, love and happiness.
happiness the best fruit of the holy spirit
The joy of the Gospel, unlike any other joy, can be renewed in everyday life and spread within itself. We express gratitude for this encounter with God, for his love, which blossoms into a rich friendship for us, through which we are freed from our narrowness and self-absorption. Here we find an inspiration and a source in our efforts to preach the gospel. Because if we have experienced the love that gives meaning to our lives, how can we not share it with others? This special double happiness that for us is the fruit of the Holy Spirit does not disappear over time, it does not increase. , rather it increases by sharing it with others.
Testimony of Saint Philip Neri
The Pope said that Saint Philip Neri lived in Rome five centuries ago. He is seen in history as a saint of happiness. In his sermons he used to tell poor and abandoned children: “My children, be happy, I do not want any pain or sadness, it is enough for me that you do not sin.” Again he said: “If you can, you must be good.” However, we know little about the source of happiness in them. Saint Philip Neri’s love for God was so great that sometimes he felt as if his heart was exploding inside his chest. His happiness was in every way the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The saint participated in the Jubilee of 1575, which he enriched with the practice of visiting seven cathedrals, which continues today. He was, in his time, a preacher of the true gospel through happiness. The Pope said he adopted the attitude that Jesus forgives everything. Many of us think we have committed a sin that is unforgivable in itself. The Pope stressed that God forgives all things, always. It makes us happy that we are forgiven. He urged priests and confessors not to ask too many questions, but to always forgive all things.
message of joy gospel
The gospel means a message of joy. Therefore it cannot be transmitted by a sad face but by the treasure and pearl of great joy that we possess within ourselves. Drawing attention to Saint Paul’s statement, the Holy Father said: “Let us always rejoice in Jesus Christ, I repeat: let us rejoice. May your goodness be known to all. May we always be happy carrying the joy of Jesus in our hearts.
