COME, HOLY SPIRIT, THAT I MAY BRING YOUR LOVE TO ALL

“If I do not go, the Advocate will never come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you.
— When he comes he will teach you all truth.
He will not speak on his own, but he will tell you all that he hears from me
and will proclaim to you the things to come.
— When he comes he will teach you all truth. John 16:7,13-14

“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Acts 2:1-4

‘When he comes, he (the Spirit, the Advocate) will teach you all truth.”(John 16:7)

Three questions to ponder while letting the Spirit within guide you as you ponder these Scripture passages and what follows:

• Do I believe that God could do this?
• Do I believe that God did do this?
• Can I think of some reasons why God would want to do this?

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, (born c. 375—died 444), Christian theologian and a bishop, gave the following insightful answer. Let’s reflect on it.

Commentary on the Gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria

“When the time came for Jesus to ascend to his heavenly Father, it was necessary for him to be united through his Spirit to those who worshipped him, and to dwell in our hearts through faith. Only by his own presence within us in this way could he give us confidence to cry out, ‘Abba’, ‘Father’. Only by his own presence within us in this way could he make it easy for us to grow in holiness and, through our possession of the all-powerful Spirit, fortify us invincibly against the wiles of the devil and the assaults of men.”

So, the Spirit, as John’s Gospel proclaims, is within each one of us. And so, Jesus has made it easy for us to grow in holiness.”  and this all-powerful Spirit is “fortifying us invincibly against the wiles of the devil and the assaults of men.”

So, it is important to Jesus and to the Father and the Spirit that we “grow in holiness.” 

Do I believe that God’s hope is that we will choose to participate in our own and others’ joy-filled experiences in learning how to know, love and radiate gratitude for God and all of creation, that God, first, sends us Jesus and then sends us the Spirit – that we may “grow in holiness”?  

Do I believe this? Does my way of thinking about things show that I believe this?

I once asked a confirmation candidate if making his confirmation and letting the Spirit of God help him grow in holiness, was among the top ten or top 100 things that he wanted to do in that year. His honest answer was, “No.”  

How would you (and I) have answered that question in the year of our confirmation? 

Concerning your (and my) attentiveness to and gratefulness for the presence of God’s Spirit in us now, during this year:  How would we rank our attentiveness and gratefulness now, in this year – top 10, top 100, not on our radar screen? 

“It can easily be shown from examples both in the Old Testament and the New that the Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell; he so transforms them that they begin to live a completely new kind of life. Saul was told by the prophet Samuel: The Spirit of the Lord will take possession of you, and you shall be changed into another man. Saint Paul writes: As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, that glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit, transforms us all into his own likeness, from one degree of glory to another.

“Does this not show that the Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell and alters the whole pattern of their lives? With the Spirit within them it is quite natural for people who had been absorbed by the things of this world to become entirely other-worldly in outlook, and for cowards to become men of great courage. There can be no doubt that this is what happened to the disciples. The strength they received from the Spirit enabled them to hold firmly to the love of Christ, facing the violence of their persecutors unafraid. Very true, then, was our Savior’s saying that it was to their advantage for him to return to heaven: his return was the time appointed for the descent of the Holy Spirit.”

What more can we do – what more do we wish to do – to let the Spirit of God work within us to heal our wounds, to heal the wounds of the suffering, to bring God’s joy and the fullness of life to all?

Sister Loretta

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Some Reflections:
A modern rendition of the hymn Come, Holy Ghost.  Click here to view the 4 minute reflection.
Bishop Robert Barron:  How do I know I am listening to the Holy Spirit? Click here. (12 minute reflection)

Bishop Robert Barron:  The Holy Spirit is not a warm fuzzy.  Click here.  (8 minute reflection)