Spiritus Sanctus

Friday of the 7th Week of Eastertide
Acts 25:13-21 | Psalm 102(103):1-2,11-12,19-20 | John 21:15-19

‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ (John 21:17)

The Lord knows everything. What do we know, and how confident are we about it?

What do we really mean, when we say that God is the most important aspect of our lives?

Do we even know what we’re talking about, or are we just babbling platitudes, like St. Peter at the Transfiguration of the Lord?

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In the early days of my blog, I tended towards the cerebral, researching scripture passages to discover the history behind the scenes they depict, unearthing juicy tidbits that made me look at these passages in a new light.

That wasn’t wisdom.

Nowadays, I tend to focus more on my relationship with others, the things that happen in my life, and how I can spend more time with God.

That’s probably closer to the ideal that is Wisdom, but I still have a long way to go. I still worry about mundane issues like what it would take to grow my business, still working on my work/life/God balance. The recent heightening of ministerial tensions at my parish coincide with a growing realization that I may have to spend an extended period overseas growing my new business, but it still feels like I’m running away from my call to serve.

I can’t help the feeling that I’m trying to be too smart for my own good, that despite my best efforts, I’m still prioritizing the mundane matters of this world over the virtuous living that God commands.

On this seventh day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, it seems appropriate to set aside what I “know”, and pray like a fool for a double helping of the Wisdom that I’ll need, to serve God as He calls me, while still supporting my family and friends to the extent they need.

Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom it is written “all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.” It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: “Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.”

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.

Thursday of the 7th week of Eastertide
Acts 22:30,23:6-11 | Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11 | John 17:20-26
Saint Justin, Martyr
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 | Psalm 33(34):2-9 | Matthew 5:13-19

Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ (Acts 23:6)

Such is the power of the Spirit’s good counsel that, while surrounded by the ravenous lions of the Sanhedrin, St. Paul was able to utter a few simple words that turned them against each other.

Did he lie? No.

Did he take advantage of inherent divisions? Certainly, but without the Spirit’s guidance, I doubt he would’ve been able to find the right words at the right time.

Similarly, we’ve all had occasion to call on the Spirit for guidance in difficult situations. I’m sure that, for the most part, we’ve been guided safely through those situations, though perhaps not without a few singed eyebrows to remind us not to enter such situations in the future.

Consider what would be possible, if we called on the Spirit in good times as well as in bad. Imagine how we could be directed towards God at all times, making choices that might not be the most advantageous, but would always be the most holy.

Imagine what would be possible, when on this seventh day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, we “outsource” our judgement to the Spirit, for the rest of our lives.

The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. “Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth.”

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Zephaniah 3:14-18 | Isaiah 12 | Luke 1:39-56

She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ (Luke 1:42-45)

That’s a huge amount of understanding on the part of Elizabeth, no doubt gifted her by the Holy Spirit. To behold her cousin as an ordinary woman, yet penetrate her dowdy exterior and fathom the wondrous gift of God that she was bearing in her womb, is remarkable indeed.

Why not work towards a deeper understanding of our faith, instead of sticking to the hour-a-week of Sunday Catholicism?

Why not take the time to really look at the people around us each day, to perceive their inner pain in their arguments with each other, the worldly concerns that line their faces, and the love that they exude despite all that, when they turn to their children?

Why not, on this sixth day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, pause to ask the Holy Spirit to make wide and deep our perception of God’s eternal love, that we may see our fellow humans in a new light and treat them as our brothers and sisters?

Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to “walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Tuesday of the 7th Week of Eastertide
Acts 20:17-27 | Psalm 67(68):10-11,20-21 | John 17:1-11

And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned (Acts 20:26)

My conscience is clear.

He would have reported me to the police, and my kids would have to grow up without a father…so I ran him over with my car. He’s single, so no one will miss him.

My conscience is clear.

I can’t break my gambling habit, and my company’s doing well…so I’ll take some money from them to pay my debts.

My conscience is clear.

She’s been smearing my reputation with her endless gossip…so I’ll tell you about her extramarital affairs.

My conscience is clear.

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It’s unnerving how often we see people do wrong, while claiming to be untroubled. Blessed are the “gong-gong”, they tell themselves, secure in the belief that they can sleep soundly, because they deliberately avoid giving thought to the appropriateness of their actions.

How often do we do the same?

How often do we claim to be upright Christians, yet avoid examining our lives in preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation? How often do we convince ourselves that this Sacrament is of no relevance to our daily living?

How often do we scurry like cockroaches, unable to bear the blinding Light of Truth that is Jesus Christ Himself?

We are sinners; of that, there can be no doubt. Instead of trying to drown out or ignore the quiet voice within us, why not acknowledge that which seeks to guide us, embracing the Spirit of Truth and Love, the Spirit of God’s will?

As we enter the fifth day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, why not blissfully embrace the gift of the Spirit that is Knowledge, and thus bring our conscience to full bloom in our hearts?

The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth–in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. “Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it.”

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.

Monday of the 7th Week of Eastertide
Acts 19:1-8 | Psalm 67(68):2-7 | John 16:29-33

I have told you all this
so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but be brave: I have conquered the world. (John 16:33)

Jesus has conquered death. He has returned to the Father, so that the Holy Spirit may be sent to us to inspire and to inflame.

Are we still afraid of being called out as Christians?

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Fr. Cornelius delivered an odd homily yesterday, in which he painted the image of terrorists running rampant through our church during mass. There was some good stuff in it, but that image is all I can remember of it right now.

I’m sure we’d all be terrified to be singled out in such a situation, as violent death would likely visit us shortly thereafter.

But what about in daily life, where the threat of summary execution for our beliefs is pretty low?

When we’re taken to task for something we did in public,

when someone cries out, “Hey! You’re a Christian, right? How can you do something like that?!?!”,

how would we react?

Would we deny our own faith, just like Peter denied Jesus three times?

Would we tell them to mind their own business, as everyone else whose misdeeds are publicly exposed tends to do?

Or would we own up to our faults, and try to make amends?

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Being called out for our faults is right and proper. There should be no hiding, no minimizing, no deflecting; all those “easy outs” would simply encourage us to “push our luck” yet again in future.

But admitting that we sinned is difficult, even when we’re disposed to be honest about it. It would require us to admit to weakness, to acknowledge that we are imperfect, despite all the support we receive from the twin towers of holy scripture and Mother Church.

This is precisely why we should avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as often as we need it. There is nothing quite like admitting our failings to the One who already knows them all, but loves us anyway. The confessional is a safe space, in which we can examine our conscience, and thereby strengthen it in the process.

We enter bent low under the weight of our transgressions, but after we’ve unburdened ourselves, we can reemerge standing tall and Christian once more.

It’s therefore so appropriate that on this fourth day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, we would ask for the gift of fortitude:

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.