Scottish Catholic Observer

The Pope called upon the Faithful to embrace signs that the Holy Spirit can work through everyone. He referred to the readings in the multilingual Mass—from the Book of Numbers and the Gospel of Mark—in which members of the faith community questioned the work of those not part of their group and for prophesying in the name of God.

“To raise doubts about the working of the Spirit, to give the impression that it cannot take place in those who are not ‘part of our group,’ who are not ‘like us,’ is a dangerous temptation,” the Holy Father said. “Not only does it block conversion to the faith; it is a perversion of faith. Faith opens a window to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures.”

Illustrating his point before the Mass, Pope Francis engaged in ‘little gestures’ himself along the Papal parade route to the Mass, kissing and blessing many babies brought to him from the sidewalk throngs by Secret Service agents, who themselves managed to crack smiles after days of maintaining a stern demeanour as they guarded the Pope.

The Holy Father (above ) held up the family as vital to building the church for the future. He said love must be freely shared for Faith to grow.

“That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to become faith,” he said.

‘Little gestures’ of love exist daily in the lives of family and serve to carry on God’s love as well, he explained. “These little gestures are those we learn at home, in the family,” he added. “They get lost amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each day different. They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion.

The night before a visibly moved Pope Francis ditched his prepared remarks in speaking to thousands of families gathered in Philadelphia on Saturday night—giving an impromptu reflection on the beauty and dire importance of family life.

“The most beautiful thing that God did, the Bible says, was the family,” he said at the celebration for families on the streets of Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Pope Francis spoke after intense and often heartrending testimonies of several families from around the globe.

Families from as far as Nigeria, Australia, Jordan, Argentina and Ukraine shared their respective stories with the Pope, touching on themes that involved war, disability, economic uncertainty, discrimination and the death of children.

—This story ran in full in the October 2 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.