You can take a thousand courses in catechism, spirituality, yoga or Zen - but only the Holy Spirit has the power to open our hearts to the love of God, Pope Francis said this morning during Mass at Casa Santa Marta.

The Popes reflections came from the day's Gospel reading that recounted how the apostles were terrified when they saw Jesus walking on water. And the reason for their terror, he explained, was that their hearts were hardened.

Pope Francis said a persons heart can be made of stone for many reasons, such as, for example, a painful experience in ones life. But as he went on to point out, another reason for hardened hearts is because people are closed in on themselves.

Creating a world within oneself, all closed in. Closed within oneself, in ones community or parish, but always closed in. And this closure can revolve around so many things. But lets think about pride, self-sufficiency, thinking I am better than others, and vanity too, right? There are mirror-men and women (who are wedded to their own image in the mirror), who are closed in on themselves and are constantly looking at themselves, right? These religious narcissists, right? But they have a hardened heart because they are closed in on themselves, they are not open. And they seek to defend themselves with these walls that they have created around themselves.

The Pope said these hardened hearts in people can also arise from a problem of insecurity, such as those who barricade themselves behind the laws and rules, as though inside a prison, to feel safer and follow these rules to the letter,

When a heart becomes hardened, its not free and if its not free its because that person isn't capable of love, that was the fate of the Apostle John in the first Reading. A love thats perfect banishes fear: in love theres no fear, because fear is expecting a punishment and a person who's afraid doesnt have a perfect love. He or she is not free. They are constantly afraid that something painful or sad will occur, that will cause their life to go badly or will endanger their eternal salvation What an (over-active) imagination, because he or she cant love. A person who isn't capable of loving is not free. And their heart was hardened because they hadnt learnt how to love.

Pope Francis concluded his homily by stressing that only the Holy Spirit can teach us how to love and free us from our hardened hearts.

You can follow a thousand catechism courses, a thousand spirituality courses, a thousand yoga or zen courses and all these things. But none of this will be able to give you the freedom as a child (of God). Only the Holy Spirit can prompt your heart to say Father. Only the Holy Spirit is capable of banishing, of breaking that hardness of heart and making it soft? No, I dont like that word, docile. Docile towards the Lord. Docile when it comes to the freedom to love.

Source: Vatican Radio

Read more:

Pope: Only the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to love of God - not courses in catechism, yoga or Zen