Pope Francis asks to spread the fragrance of Christ and not the bad smell of sin

Pope Francis has encouraged Christians to spread the fragrance of Christ throughout the world during the general audience held this Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican, which was attended by numerous newlywed couples, a detail that Pope Francis himself highlighted. Pontiff in his initial greeting.

In the sixth catechism of the cycle entitled The Holy Spirit and the Bridewhich began on May 29, Pope Francis focused on the passage of Christ’s spiritual anointing that occurred during his baptism in the Jordan River.

In it, he pointed out that “We know that, unfortunately, sometimes Christians spread not the fragrance of Christ, but the bad smell of their own sin”, however, he emphasized, “this should not distract us from our commitment to carry out , to the extent of our possibilities and each one in his environment, this sublime vocation of being the good odor of Christ in the world.”

This fragrance, he added, comes from the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which he cited following Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians: love, joy, peace, magnanimity, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control.

In this sense, the Pontiff has reflected on the impact produced by people who, by the grace of the Spirit, transmit these gifts: “A person with love, joyful, who creates peace; a magnanimous person; a benevolent person, a good person… It is beautiful to find a good person, a faithful person, a meek person who is not envious. Some will feel a little of this fragrance when we find ourselves among these people.”

The Trinity on the banks of the Jordan River

The Pope detailed throughout the catechesis that in the baptism passage it is observed how “the entire Trinity gathered at that moment on the banks of the Jordan”, in a “very important moment of Revelation and the history of salvation.” which is confirmed shortly afterwards in the preaching of Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”

In the Jordan, Jesus was anointed, Pope Francis explained, as kings, prophets and priests were with perfumed oil: “In the case of Christ, instead of the physical oil, there is the spiritual oil which is the Holy Spirit.”

This is why Jesus is designated by the terms Messiah (in Hebrew) and Christ (in Greek) which mean “anointed one.” “Christ is the head, our High Priest, the Holy Spirit is the perfumed oil and the Church is the body of Christ in which it is spread,” the Pope detailed.