Pope Francis announced this morning that we pray to receive the Holy Spirit, and if we receive Him, we can truly pray as children of God and not as slaves. He asked those present during the weekly general audience held in St. Peter's Square, Vatican, to pray freely and not impose on themselves things that must be recited.

The Holy Father continued his series of teachings on "the Spirit and the Bride." The Holy Spirit leads the people of God to meet our hope, Jesus. And he focused on the topic: "The Spirit intercedes for us." The Holy Spirit and Christian Prayer" (Romans 8: 26–27) in front of pilgrims from all over Italy and the world.
The giver and the given
The Supreme Pontiff explained that the work of the Holy Spirit is through prayer and not just through the Word of God and the sacraments. The Spirit is the agent of Christian prayer and the object of it; He is the giver and the gift. And he explained that one must pray first to receive the Holy Spirit.

The Pope added that the New Testament speaks of the descent of the Spirit during prayer, as it descended upon Jesus at the Jordan River while he was praying (Luke 3:21) and at Pentecost while the disciples were praying. The Pope added that this is the only "authority" we have over the Holy Spirit. And this is what the Church does in the Mass, especially for the descent of the Spirit to consecrate the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

The one who comes to the rescue of our weakness

Based on Saint Paul's letter to the Romans, the Holy Father continued that the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God's plan. He paused at Jesus' saying in the Gospel of Matthew: "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

He pointed out that the Holy Spirit comes to aid our weakness, and bears witness that we are children of God, placing on our lips the cry, "Abba! Father!" Father! The Pope saw that Christian prayer is not a conversation between us and God over the two ends of a telephone line, but rather it is God praying within us.

The defender, not the accused

The Holy Father added that the Holy Spirit appears as the Paraclete at the time of prayer, that is, as an advocate and defender. Because he does not accuse us before the Father but defends us, and if he convinces us that we are sinners, he does so to enable us to taste the joy of the Father's mercy, not to destroy us through the feeling of guilt, according to the Pope's expression. Francis added, quoting the First Epistle of John: "If our heart condemns us, it is to remind us that God is greater than our heart." (3: 20).

In conclusion, the Pope reflected on what the Spirit teaches us about intercession for others, considering it a prayer beloved by God because it is selfless and not driven by personal gain. And he quoted Saint Ambrose: "If each person prays for everyone, then everyone will pray for each person.