During his weekly catechesis in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis reflected on the Holy Spirit's ability to nourish the spiritual life of Christians through the reading of the Holy Scriptures.
POPE FRANCIS
Among the words of God that we hear every day at Mass or in the Liturgy of the Hours, there is always one that is destined especially for us. Something that touches the heart. If we take it to heart, it can enlighten our day and enliven our prayer. Let us not let it fall on deaf ears.
The pope said that the reading of the Scriptures during Mass is where the Holy Spirit can speak to hearts. He then emphasized the importance of an effective and short homily to supplement the teachings from the Bible.
POPE FRANCIS
But the homily, therefore, must be brief. An image, a thought and a feeling. The homily should not be longer than 8 minutes, because after that people lose interest and fall asleep. And they are right. A homily has to be that. I want to say this to the priests who talk a lot and many times, what they say is not understood.
Pope Francis also said that the homily should convey something that leads to a purpose or a concrete action.
There were about 15,000 people in the square. And as he usually does at the end of each catechesis, Pope Francis greeted the bishops present and some groups of pilgrims, as well as the sick and the newlyweds.