None of us, he stressed, can say “I am a holy and pure person.”

Pope Francis reflected on the need for Christians to consistently follow Jesus and not get waylaid or blocked on their journey of faith.

The Holy Spirit strengthens us so that we may bear witness to the Lord even through persecution.

“If you say you are in communion with the Lord, then walk in the light. But no to double lives! Not that!"

That resistance continues today in one way or another, he said, yet the Spirit moves ahead.

Love is beautiful, it is the path to happiness. But it is not an easy path.

“It’s good for the Christian heart to memorize my journey, my personal journey: just like the Lord who accompanied me up to here and held me by the hand."

He is the door of our life—and not only of eternal life, but also of our daily lives.

"In days past, the church has shown us how there can be a drama of resisting the Spirit."

The story of the martyrdom of Stephen led the pope to remark on how persecution has been part of Christian history for 2000 years.