Vatican City, 11 June 2014 (VIS) –
“With the gift of the fear of God, which we will talk about today”,
said the Pope in this Wednesday's general audience, “we will
conclude our series on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. This does
not mean being afraid of God; we are well aware that He is our
Father, that He loves us and wishes our Salvation, so there is no
need to be afraid of Him! Fear of God, however, is the gift of the
Spirit that reminds us of how small we are before God and His love,
and that our well-being rests in surrendering ourselves to His hands
with humility, respect and trust”.
“When the Holy Spirit dwells in our
hearts, it infuses us with consolation and peace. … In this moment,
we understand well how our awe before God assumes within us the form
of docility, recognition and praise, filling our hearts with hope”.
Pope Francis commented that when we are unable to grasp God's plan,
we realise that we are not able to ensure happiness and eternal life
for ourselves. “However, it is precisely in the experience of ours
limits and our poverty that the Spirit comforts us and allows us to
perceive that the only important thing is to let ourselves be guided
by Jesus into the arms of the Father”.
The Pope explained that we need this
gift of the Holy Spirit because “it enables us to be aware that
everything comes from His grace and that our true strength lies
solely in following the Lord Jesus and letting the Father bestow upon
us His goodness and His mercy. … The fear of God, therefore, does
not make us into timid, submissive Christians, but instead generates
courage and strength in us. It is a gift that makes us into convinced
and enthusiastic Christians, who do not submit to the Lord out of
fear but rather because they are moved and conquered by his love”.
Similarly, he noted that this gift is also a warning against sin.
“When we set out on the wrong path, when we blaspheme against God,
when we take advantage of others, when we act tyrannically, when we
live only for money, vanity, power and pride, then the holy fear of
God alerts us to this and warns us that in this way we will not be
happy and will come to no good. Do you think that a corrupt person
will be happy in the other life?”, he asked. “No, all the fruit
of his corruption has corrupted his heart and it will be difficult
for him to present himself before the Lord”. He referred to those
who make a living from human trafficking, slavery, or the production
of weapons. With regard to the latter, he said that they are not
interested in the Word of God since they “fabricate death, they are
merchants of death and make death into a trade”, and expressed his
hope that “the fear of God may make them understand that one day
everything will come to an end and they will have to account for
themselves before God”.
Before concluding, the Pope read part
of Psalm 34: “'This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and
was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around
those who fear him, and delivers them'. Let us ask the Lord the grace
to unite our voice with that of the poor, to welcome the gift of the
fear of God and to be able to recognise that we are clothed in mercy
and God's love, that He is our Father. May it be so”.
Finally, he invited all those present
to pray a Hail Mary to the Virgin for the children exploited for
their labour and for victims of abuse.