During Mass at St. Peter’s, the pontiff spoke of the Holy Spirit’s characteristics of “strength” and “kindness.” He invited “to announce the Gospel to everyone.” “Let’s continue talking about peace to those who want war, about forgiveness to those who sow revenge,” he added. After reciting the Regina Caeli: may the Holy Spirit “give rulers the courage to make gestures of dialogue.”
Vatican City () – “From the upper room of this Basilica, like the Apostles, we are sent, especially today, to announce the Gospel to everyone.” In the homily of today’s Holy Mass, Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis addressed this invitation to the numerous faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s. An announcement that is sustained by the “strength” and “kindness” of the Holy Spirit. Strength, not arrogance and impositions – “the Christian is not arrogant”, affirmed the Pontiff -, but “energy that comes from fidelity to the truth.” “We surrender to the Spirit, we do not surrender to the force of the world,” added the Holy Father.
“Let us continue speaking of peace to those who want war, of forgiveness to those who sow revenge, of welcome and solidarity to those who close doors and raise barriers,” the Pope insisted. “Speak of life to those who choose death, of respect to those who like to humiliate, insult and discard, speak of loyalty to those who reject all ties, confusing freedom with a superficial, opaque and empty individualism.” Words shared after having explored the two characteristics of the Holy Spirit – strength and kindness – that emerge from the account of Pentecost, taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Strength is demonstrated through the signs “of wind and fire, which in the Bible are often associated with the power of God.” The Spirit, with its strength, has the ability to enter the “arid, rigid and frozen” heart of each person and heal “everything.”
At the same time, the wind and fire “do not destroy or incinerate what they touch: the first fills the house where the disciples are and the fire rests delicately, in the form of small flames, on the head of each one.” This gentleness, even gentleness, is “a characteristic of God’s ways,” also found often in Scripture. “After the fatigue of the fight against evil, we can taste the sweetness of mercy and communion with God – said Pope Francis -. That’s how the Spirit is: strong. It gives us the strength to win. But it is also delicate.” The Holy Spirit is the one who makes Peter and John say before the Sanhedrin: “We cannot remain silent about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4, 20).
The kindness instilled by the Holy Spirit prompts us to welcome all people. “Everyone, everyone, everyone,” the Pontiff repeated. “Good’s and bad’s”. This action must be accompanied by hope, “which is not optimism,” he explained. “It is represented as the anchor, which is there, on the shore, and we with the rope.” The great need for hope is the need to “raise our gaze toward horizons of peace, fraternity, justice and solidarity.” This is the only way of life, there is no other.” An uphill and tortuous path, not easy, but one that cannot be traveled alone because “we are not alone, we have this certainty: that with the help of the Holy Spirit, with his gifts, together we can travel through it and make it increasingly viable for others as well.” And he concluded the homily by saying: “Come, Creator Spirit, illuminate our minds, fill our hearts with your grace, guide our steps, donate to our world your peace”.
After the celebration of mass, he looked out at the window of the Apostolic Palace at noon to pray the Regina Caeli, and then commented: “The Holy Spirit is the One who creates harmony: harmony. And he creates it from different realities.” , sometimes conflicting”. A harmony for “the whole world”, also “between Christians of different confessions”. May the Holy Spirit “give rulers the courage to carry out gestures of dialogue that lead to an end to wars,” he added. He once again reminded all the countries that are at war, such as Ukraine: “my thoughts go especially to the city of Kharkiv, which suffered an attack two days ago,” he said. And also the Holy Land. “Let us think of so many places where there is war: may the Spirit lead those responsible for the nations and all of us to open doors of peace.”
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