Santuario de San Antonio Parish

Pope Francis dedicated his weekly general audience to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, saying that rather than making us better than others, they commission us to serve our brothers and sisters.

“A charism is more than a talent or personal quality. It is a grace, a gift that God gives through the Holy Spirit. Not because someone is better than the others, but rather so that he puts it at the service of others with the same gratitude and love with which he has received it.”

Pope Francis began his address by drawing the attention of the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square to “the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit,” saying that they “enliven and enrich the Body of Christ.”

First received at one’s baptism, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are traditionally referred to as wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. They are brought to fruition through the sacrament of confirmation, during which the already-baptized individual receives a particular outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Among each of these gifts are also charisms, the pontiff noted, which he described as “the graces which the Spirit freely bestows upon the faithful for the benefit of the whole community,” and which can also be defined in a more general sense as any good gift that God gives to man.

“A charism is more than a talent or personal quality. It is a grace, a gift that God gives through the Holy Spirit,” he said, adding that “These gifts, while granted to individuals, are discovered and acknowledged within the wider ecclesial community.”

“As a sign of God’s superabundant love for his children, they are rich and varied, yet each is meant to serve the building up of the Church as a communion of faith and love.”

Going on, the Bishop of Rome explained that the diversity of these gifts “invites us to share them generously for the good of all, and never to let them become a source of division.”

“Diverse charisms and gifts with which the Father fills the Church are to grow in harmony, in faith and in his love, as one body only, the Body of Christ, where we each need the other, and where every received gift is fully verified when it is shared with (our) brothers.”

It is in this way that the “Supernatural beauty and strength of faith shines” forth, so that “together we may enter the heart of the Gospel and follow Jesus,” he observed.

Questioning those present, the Roman Pontiff encouraged each to ask themselves “What charism has the Lord given me? How do I live this charism? Do I assume it with generosity, placing it at the service of all, or have I perhaps neglected or forgotten it?”

“Let us ask the Lord to help us recognize with gratitude this great outpouring of spiritual gifts which enables the Church to persevere in faith, to grow in grace and to be an ever more credible sign and witness of God’s infinite love,” he said.

Pope Francis concluded his address by encouraging all to “consider the special gifts he or she has received, and how we choose to use those gifts to advance the Church’s unity, life and mission in the world.”

Pope Francis rides through St. Peter’s Square.

“In order for the family to proceed well, with faith and hope,” said Pope Francis to crowds in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly Angelus address, “it needs to be nourished by the Word of God.”

Helping to illustrate the Holy Father’s words, all the pilgrims gathered in the Square had the opportunity to take home a copy of the Bible, courtesy of the Pauline Brothers who this year are celebrating the centenary of their foundation.

The Bible, he said, is not meant to be kept on a shelf, but rather carried, “read often, every day, be it alone or together, husband and wife, parents and children, perhaps in the evening, especially on Sunday.”

In this way, he said, “the family grows, walks, with the light and strength of the Word of God!”

Delivering his Angelus address following the inaugural Mass for the Extraordinary Synod on the Pastoral Challenges on the Family in the Context of Evangelization, the Pope emphasized the importance of there being “a Bible for every family!”

Recalling the images conveyed in the readings for the day, Pope Francis said that, “like a vineyard,” people need to be cared for, and require a love that is “patient and faithful.” Just as God takes care of his people, the Pope said, “we pastors are also called to do.”

Care for the family is also a “way of working in the vineyard of the Lord, because it produces fruits for the Kingdom of God,” the Pope said.

Just before leading the faithful in praying the Angelus in Latin, the Holy Father invited everyone to support those involved in the Synod on the Family, particularly by invoking the “maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary.”

After reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis recalled that on Saturday, Oct. 4, Sr. Maria Teresa Demjanovich of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth was beatified. He offered his thanks to God for “this faithful disciple of Christ,” who led an “intense spiritual life.”

Pope Francis went on to welcome the various pilgrims in the Square including a group of cyclists from Milan, who had come in honor of the wife and mother, Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. As witnesses for the Gospel of Life, he said, he encouraged them to “continue in their initiatives for solidarity” on behalf of the “most defenseless”.

Finally, the Pope reminded the faithful once again to pray to Our Lady for the intentions of the Synod on the Family.