At the General Audience on Wednesday, December 21, Pope Francis invited the faithful to carry a pocket Gospel with them and to stop and read it for at least 5 minutes a day, since the word of God “touches your heart and changes your life”.

In Wednesday’s catechesis, Pope Francis reflected on some indispensable 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 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 life that chooses for us, leading us where we would not want to go.”

“But discernment is not something we do alone. Today we enter more concretely into some aids that can facilitate this indispensable exercise of the spiritual life,” he then said.

The Word of God

First of all, Pope Francis said that “an indispensable help is the confrontation with the Word of God and the doctrine of the Church”.

“These help us to read,” the Holy Father continued, “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”.  

He also said that “for the believer, the Word of God is not simply a text to read, it is a living presence, the work of the Holy Spirit that comforts, instructs, gives light, strength, rest and joy in living”.

In this line, he pointed out that “the Bible is like little telegrams from God” and also assured that it is “an authentic 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.

A relationship of friendship with God

The Pope then encouraged the faithful not to be afraid to have an “affective relationship with the Lord Jesus,” where “the heart speaks to the heart and this is another indispensable and not discounted help.”

“Many times we can have a distorted idea of God, considering him as a sullen, severe judge, ready 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,” the Pope explained, “notices a new peace, learns not to be afraid of God, because Jesus on the cross is not afraid of anyone, he is the image of total powerlessness and at the same time of the fullest love, capable of facing every trial for us.

“The saints have always had a predilection for the Crucifix. The story of the Passion of Jesus is the master way to confront us with evil without allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by it”, he added.

For the Holy Father, “it is very beautiful to think of life with the Lord as a relationship of friendship that grows day by day. Friendship with God has the capacity to change the heart”.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Finally, the Pope explained that “one of the great gifts of the Holy Spirit is piety, which makes us capable of recognizing the fatherhood of God.”

“The Holy Spirit is discernment in action, God’s presence in us, it is the greatest gift that the Father assures to those who ask for it,” he then said.

For this reason, the Pope asked the faithful if they pray to the Holy Spirit and invited them to always maintain dialogue with him, since this “changes you and makes you grow.”

This article was originally published by ACI Prensa.