Pope Francis invited the faithful to carry a pocket Gospel with them and stop to read it for at least 5 minutes a day since the word of God ” touches your heart and it changes life ”. The Pope was speaking to the general audience on 21 December, Wednesday.
In the catechesis this Wednesday, Pope Francis reflected on some essential elements that help in discernment: the word of God, which is not imposed; living an affective relationship with Jesus and seeing him as a friend; and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us.
Before the faithful who were listening to him in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican, the Holy Father recalled the importance of discernment and explained that if decisions are not made consciously, “in the end it is the life that chooses for us, taking us where we do not want to go.”
“ But we do not do discernment alone. Today we are going more concretely into some aids that can facilitate this indispensable exercise of the spiritual life”, he said next.
First of all, Pope Francis said that “an indispensable help is a confrontation with the Word of God and the doctrine of the Church.”
“These help us to read – continued the Holy Father – what moves in the heart, learning to recognize the voice of God and to distinguish it among other voices, which seem to impose themselves on our attention, but which in the end leave us confused”.
For Pope Francis, “the Bible warns us that the voice of God resounds in calm, in attention, in silence.”
Likewise, he said that “for the believer, the Word of God is not simply a text to be read, it is a living presence, the work of the Holy Spirit that comforts, instructs, gives light, strength, rest and zest for living.”
Along these lines, he pointed out that “the Bible is like little telegrams from God” and also assured that it is “a true foretaste of paradise.”
Later, he said that “ the word of God touches your heart and changes your life. God wants us to be stronger and better every day.
Next, the Pope encouraged the faithful not to be afraid of having an “affective relationship with the Lord Jesus”, where “the heart speaks to the heart and this is another essential help and not discounted”.
“Many times we can have a distorted idea of God, considering him as a harsh, severe judge, prepared to see us fail. With the rope to give us. Jesus, on the contrary, reveals to us a God full of compassion and tenderness”, he assured.
“Whoever remains in front of the Crucifix – explained the Pope – notices a new peace, learns not to be afraid of God, because Jesus on the cross does not scare anyone, he is the image of total impotence and at the same time of the fullest love, capable of facing every trial for us.”