Vatican City, 1 May 2016 – "Teaching and remembering. And this is what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts", said Pope Francis this morning to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Regina Coeli. The Holy Father, before the Marian prayer, commented on the day's Gospel reading which brings us again to the Cenacle when Christ, before the Passion and the Cross, promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, who will have the task of teaching and reminding the community of disciples of His words.

"As He is preparing to entrust to the apostles – which means, 'envoys' – with the mission of bringing the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world, Jesus promises that they will not remain alone: the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, will be with them, at their side. Moreover, He will be within them, to defend them and sustain them".

The second aspect of the mission of the Holy Spirit consists of helping the apostles to remember Jesus’ words. "The Spirit has the task of awakening the memory, reminding of the words of Jesus", repeated the Pope. "The divine Teacher has already communicated all that he sought to entrust to the Apostles: with Him, the incarnate Word, the revelation is complete. The Holy Spirit will recall the teachings of Jesus in the various concrete circumstances of life, so that they can be put into practice. This is what still happens in the Church, guided by the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, so that she can bring to all the gift of salvation: that is, God's love and mercy."

"We are not alone: Jesus is close to us, among us, within us", exclaimed Francis. "His new presence in history comes about through the gift of the Holy Spirit, through Whom it is possible to establish a living relationship with Him, the Crucified and Risen One. The Spirit, sown in us by the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, acts in our lives. … We are not alone, and the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit is also the peace that Jesus gives to His disciples: 'My peace I give you', which is different from what men desire and try to achieve. The peace of Jesus springs from victory over sin, over the selfishness that prevents us from loving each other as brothers. It is a gift of God and a sign of His presence."