Vatican City, 23 May 2016 – In his reflection before the Sunday Angelus prayer today, feast of the Most Holy Trinity, the Pope explained to the thousands of faithful gathered at midday in St. Peter's Square the meaning of Jesus' long farewell speech, pronounced shortly before His passion, as narrated in the Gospel of St. John. With these words, He reveals to the disciples the deepest truths that define the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus knows that the fulfilment of the Father’s plan is near, which will be completed with His death and resurrection. Because of this He wants to assure his followers that He will not abandon them, because His mission will be continued by the Holy Spirit.

"The Spirit guides us in understanding the many things that Jesus Himself still has to say. These are not new or special doctrines, but rather a full comprehension of all that the Son has heard from the Father and has made known to the disciples. The Spirit guides us in new existential situations with a gaze fixed on Jesus and at the same time, open to events and to the future. He helps us to walk in history, firmly rooted in the Gospel and with a dynamic fidelity to our traditions and customs."

But the mystery of the Trinity "also speaks to us of ourselves, of our relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, through baptism, the Holy Spirit has placed us in the heart and in the very life of God, Who is a communion of love. God is a 'family' of three Persons who love each other so much They form a single entity. This 'divine family' is not closed in on itself, but instead is open. It communicates itself in creation and in history, and entered the world of men in order to call everyone to form part of it. The Trinitarian horizon of communion surrounds all of us and inspires us to live in love and fraternal sharing, certain that where there is love, there is God."

"Our being created in the image and likeness of God-Communion calls us to understand ourselves as beings in relation to one another, and to live interpersonal relations in solidarity and mutual love", added the Pope, emphasising that these relationships are played out primarily in the context of our ecclesial communities, so that the image of the Church as icon of the Trinity may be increasingly evident. But they also consist of "every social relationship, from the family to friendships, to the workplace, all of them: they are all concrete occasions offered to us in order to build relationships that are increasingly humanly rich, capable of reciprocal respect and disinterested love."

"The feast of the Holy Trinity invites us to commit ourselves in daily events to being leaven of communion, consolation and mercy. In this mission, we are sustained by the strength that the Holy Spirit gives us: He cares for of the flesh of humanity, wounded by injustice, oppression, hatred and avarice", Pope Francis concluded.