杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

Speaking to the pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience, 杏MAP导航 Francis said his catechesis concludes a series dedicated to the ten Commandments, that he explained, provide us with the key to open ourselves up 鈥渢o receive His heart, His desires, the Holy Spirit鈥�.

Reflecting on St Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Galatians which tells us that 鈥渢he fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control, 鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said the Spirit plants in our hearts holy desires, which are the seed of new life.

And new life, he explained, is the very Spirit of God who leads us to its fruits, 鈥渋n a happy synergy between our joy of being loved and His joy of loving us鈥�.

The deception of idolatries

God, the 杏MAP导航 continued, invites us "to be obedient so that He can redeem us from the deception of idolaters who have so much power over us".

He pointed out that when we seek self-realization in the idols of this world, we are emptied and enslaved, while our relationship with God gives us freedom, stature and consistency.

The freedom granted us by the Father

That relationship with the Father liberates us, he said, explaining that it is strengthened through the Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.

This liberated life, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, reconciles us with our personal history and makes us adults who are capable 鈥渙f giving the right value to the realities and to the people in our lives鈥�.

It puts us on a path, he continued, that is grounded and rooted in love and is a call to 鈥渢he beauty of fidelity, generosity and authenticity鈥� by showing us how to enter into a faithful and loving relationship with God our Father, rejecting false idols, finding our authentic rest in the freedom of Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

A new heart

To be able to live in this way, Francis said, we need 鈥渁 new heart that is inhabited by the Holy Spirit鈥�.

And reflecting on the need to transition from 鈥渁n old heart鈥� to a 鈥渘ew heart鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said this happens through the 鈥済ift of new desires鈥�, which are sown in our hearts by the grace of God, especially through the Ten Commandments in their fullest sense, as taught by Jesus in the 鈥淪ermon on the Mount鈥�.

Open the door to salvation

The 杏MAP导航 explained that in Christ we see 鈥渢he true, the good and the beautiful鈥� and that the Spirit "sparks in us faith, hope and love"; Jesus, he continued, 鈥渄id not come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it鈥�, 鈥渢o make it grow鈥�.

The Law was perceived, he said, as 鈥渁 series of prescriptions and prohibitions鈥�, but  according to the Spirit it 鈥渂ecame life鈥�  - no longer norms but 鈥渢he very flesh of Christ who loves us, seeks us, forgives us, consoles us and in His body recomposes communion with the Father, communion that was lost through the disobedience of sin鈥�.

So, the 杏MAP导航 continued, the negative expression of the Commandments: 鈥渢hou shalt not steal鈥�, 鈥渢hou shalt not bear false witness鈥�, 鈥渢hou shalt not kill鈥� 鈥� is transformed into a positive attitude: 鈥渢o love, to make room for others in my heart鈥�; this, he said, is 鈥渢he fullness of the law that Jesus came to bring us鈥�.

In Christ, he explained, the Decalogue ceases to be condemnation and becomes 鈥渢he authentic truth of human life鈥� where the desire for goodness, for joy, for peace, for magnanimity, for benevolence, for goodness, for fidelity, for meekness, for self-restraint, is born.

The work of God

So, the 杏MAP导航 said, seeking the Lord in the Decalogue means 鈥渢o make our hearts fruitful so that they may be filled with love and open to the work of God鈥�.

When we nurture the desire to live according to Christ, 杏MAP导航 Francis added,we open the door to salvation, which is possible because the Lord is generous and 鈥渢hirsty that we thirst for him鈥�.

This is what the Decalogue is, he concluded: 鈥渢he contemplation of Christ in order to open ourselves up to receive his heart, to receive his desires, to receive his Holy Spirit.