Pope at Mass prays for those who
have lost their jobs
Pope Francis turns his thoughts during morning Mass to those
who are suffering because they have lost their jobs due to the pandemic and
reflects on how God has sent the Holy Spirit to accompany and sustain us
throughout our lives.
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis presided over Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on
the Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter. During his introduction he said that at
this time his thoughts go to the unemployed.
“In these days many people have lost their jobs”, the Pope
said, many have not been re-employed, or are working "under the
table."
“We pray for these brothers and sisters of ours who are
suffering because of lack of work,” he said.
During the homily, the Pope commented on today's Gospel (Jn
14:21-26). He said it is the ‘Farewell Discourse’ after the Last Supper in
which Jesus reassures His disciples and tells them they will never be left
alone.
“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love
him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not
love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of
the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate,
the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you
everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
Pope Francis explained this is the promise of the Holy
Spirit who dwells with us, and whom the Father and the Son have sent to
accompany us in life.
The Holy Spirit never leaves us alone
He said the Holy Spirit “is called the Paraclete – or the
Advocate – because He sustains us, He accompanies us so we do not fall,” and
explained that “the Lord has promised us this support, who is God.”
“What does the Holy Spirit do in us?” he asked.
The Spirit, he said, teaches us to enter into the mystery of
faith, he helps us to understand the mystery, the doctrine of Jesus and to
develop our faith without making mistakes.
He went on to explain that doctrine, in fact, “grows in
understanding but always in the same direction,” and that the Spirit helps us
to understand the mystery more and more.
The Spirit teaches us to grow, to discern, to remember
Our understanding of the mystery “grows as the trees grow:
they are always the same but larger, and taller and with more fruit, but at the
same time, they are always the same,” he said.
And doctrine, the Pope continued, is not static but grows,
noting that it is the Spirit who prevents doctrine from remaining static, and
develops in us the understanding of what Jesus taught us.
The Spirit, he continued, also makes us remember what Jesus
told us, “He is like memory, He awakens us, He awakens us in the things of the
Lord, He helps us remember our own lives,” when we met or left the Lord.
And developing this theme further, Pope Francis said “He
brings us to the memory of salvation, the memory of the journey of life. He
guides us to discern what we must do now, what is the right way and what is the
wrong way.”
The Holy Spirit is the Gift of God
“The Holy Spirit guides us along this path in which there is
memory,” he said.
“He helps us to make everyday decisions, big and small. He
teaches us everything, He introduces us into mystery, He makes us remember,
discern and grow,” he said.
The Pope concluded reassuring the faithful that the Spirit
is the “Gift of God” as is proclaimed in the reading from John: "I will
not leave you alone, I will send you a Paraclete who will never leave you alone
and who will help you discern and grow.”
“May the Lord,” he prayed, “help us to keep this gift that
we received in baptism.”
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