Tag: <span>Holy Spirit</span>

June 1, 2021May 27, 2021

Better Than Good

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In today’s readings, we see two just men beset by trials and tribulations.

We see a very human and relatable scene in the first reading; one we could imagine playing out in our own time, perhaps in our own homes. Poor Tobit, plagued by blindness for two years after having experienced the misfortune of taking some bird droppings in the eyes, is in an understandably bad mood–which perhaps leads him to see things in a dark light, so to speak. As such, when he hears the bleating of a goat brought in by his wife, one given to her as a bonus above her wages, he immediately suspects her of theft.

This suspicion, as one might well imagine, does not sit well with his hard-working (and no doubt exhausted) wife, who herself emits an exaggeratedly negative judgement and accuses poor Tobit of having a poor character all along, despite the charitable works he had performed when he could see.

Tobit was a good, just man. But like many just men, he was not immune to exhibiting weakness when the going got disconcertingly tough.

Then, we have Jesus in the gospel of today. Over and over again the Pharisees came after Him, and they wanted nothing short of killing Him, as Jesus Himself knew and openly pointed out (cf. Jn. 7:19). His life was continually in danger. They were continually trying to trap Him with His own words. It was enough to drive anyone mad–a little like having bird droppings in your eye.

But Jesus, the supreme Lord and Master, was more than a good, just man. He was God Himself, our indomitable Savior, and with supreme calm He fielded their questions and answered in such a way as both to lay bare their intentions, and express an important moral lesson to the listeners.

This sort of fortitude is not normal, even for good, just people. It does not come from human shrewdness or willpower. It is superhuman. This sort of spiritual stamina comes only from the Holy Spirit.

So it is that we see example after example among the saints of unbelievable virtue and fortitude–such as that of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who after unspeakable stresses and sufferings in a Nazi concentration camp, offered his own life without hesitation to save a fellow inmate.

Two of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom and Fortitude. What the Holy Spirit can bring about in souls through these two gifts, along with the other five, is literally boundless. Observe it in the life of Christ; observe it in the lives of the saints.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you know you cannot be what He wants you to be through your own effort to be good. Ask Him to fill you bountifully with the Holy Spirit, until it is no longer you, but Christ who lives in you.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 29, 2021May 29, 2021

Wisdom

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus’ wisdom contains an element of sagacity when He’s dealing with those who have set themselves up as His enemies.

Throughout His public life, Jesus makes very clear in whose name He is acting and preaching, and who has sent Him: The Father.

Yet, when His enemies try to trap Him with a question about the source of His authority, He answers their question with a very similar question, which they are unable to answer, revealing the insincerity of their motives in questioning Him.

He does not attack them, insult them, or humiliate them; He merely allows their own insincerity to confuse them, and they fall by their own weight.

The Wisdom that is the gift of the Holy Spirit is not just about penetrating into the heart of things. It also enables us to handle very, very tricky situations, where evil seems to have the upper hand, in such a way that goodness comes out on top.

It is this Wisdom that the author of the first reading cherishes. Whereas the life goals of many are wealth, security, power, and pleasure, this author seeks above all else, exclusively it would seem, Wisdom. The reasoning? Undoubtedly, that if there is true wealth of heart and mind, happiness will follow.

The author reminds one of Solomon who, upon an offer from God for whatever he should wish, asks for Wisdom (cf. 1 Kings 3:1-15). God is pleased by this request, and in response He gives him Wisdom, along with many other gifts besides.

If we would like the same gift, the way to obtain it is not through years of study or analysis of reality–but rather through closeness to Him who is omniscience itself, to God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit–through constancy in prayer life.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask God boldly for the gift of Wisdom, and to lead you through this gift to make of your life what He wants.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 23, 2021May 10, 2021

Gale and Zephyr

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus tells us that the Spirit blows where He wills, like the wind (cf. Jn. 3:8).

Sometimes the wind is a storm gale; sometimes it is a warm, gentle summer zephyr.

The Holy Spirit is ungovernable; He suffers not to be constrained or bottled up.

Jesus promises us that anyone who asks will receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk. 11:13).

Yet, the Holy Spirit has demands, as a condition for His indwelling. He demands to transform us, not the other way around. He is the Spirit of truth; He is no mere force to add power behind our own opinions and preferences. In the end, He is a Spirit of humility, and He only abides with those who learn humility, patience, and obedience from Him.

For those who ask insistently for the Holy Spirit and submit to His way, He brings joy, peace, security, certainty, courage, wisdom, strength.

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to the Church at Pentecost, accessible to each one of us. If we want to possess this gift in its fullness, all we need do is ask.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus for a gift of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Tell Him that you are indifferent as to whether that gift be perceptible or imperceptible, ardent or quiet–that you long for the Spirit who will give you the ability to persevere in obedience to God’s will and facilitate the salvation and sanctification of others.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 17, 2021May 6, 2021

Fruits of the Spirit

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of peace, and the Spirit of courage. It is not that there is no such thing as mere human peace, or mere human courage. But the Holy Spirit’s peace and courage are as far above mere human peace and courage as God is above the creature.

In today’s gospel, one would think Jesus would take heart and draw encouragement from a group of disciples who seem to finally get it–they finally understand His message, and they want Him to know it.

But Jesus sees far beyond the momentary satisfaction such a confession can bring, and speaks out of concern, not for Himself, but for them. He lets them know that in spite of their current certainty, they will scatter when He is captured; but when that time comes, instead of wilting in shame, He wants them to take heart. He wants them to be at peace, because although they suffer turmoil while here below, He in the end has the victory: “I have conquered the world.”

The Holy Spirit dwelling in us keeps our spirits steady and at peace, even when our emotions are overwrought in turmoil, with this knowledge of Jesus’ final victory.

And He is also the Spirit of courage. When the disciples Paul encounters in the first reading finally have the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit, the change is immediate and noticeable. They immediately begin speaking in tongues and prophesying. But perhaps the greatest manifestation of the Spirit in this reading is that of Paul himself, who preaches and debates in the synagogue with zero fear, proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

If we have the Holy Spirit, we have everything. Even if poor, we are rich.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to pour out His Spirit upon you, not to protect you from the profoundly trying ups and downs of the world–like those experienced by the first disciples–but to fill you with His peace and courage to remain faithful in the midst of them. For Christ has conquered the world.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 12, 2021April 30, 2021

Not a Cure-All

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus’ promise in today’s gospel sounds so consoling: He will give us His Spirit, who in turn will fill us with the truth. Which of us would not wish to be filled with supernatural knowledge? The Church has beautifully laid out the names of the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings to us: Wisdom, Counsel, Fear of the Lord, Piety, Understanding, Knowledge, Fortitude.

We can very easily mistakenly think, however, that these gifts, these transformative and elevating gifts, provide us with a superiority that allows us to skate through life, successful at everything we attempt.

Firstly, it must be noted that (unfortunately?), these gifts do not really aid us in professional success, except indirectly, in that they make us the kind of reliable and discerning person with whom people may entrust valuable charges. So, if you are looking for the gifts of the Spirit in order to make money, you are out of luck!

But secondly, they do not necessarily make us “happier” in this life. The gifts of the Spirit invariably come accompanied by the great gift of Charity, the third of the theological virtues, and this virtue can cause a world of hurt. With the gift of Charity, we do not only feel our own pain and our own sorrows–we feel those of others as well. What the world calls “empathy” is lived at an entirely different level with Charity.

Nor do these gifts necessarily make us tangibly successful. Look at St. Paul in the first reading. The lives of the apostles were not only filled with persecutions, but also at times with mediocre results. Paul crafted a beautiful discourse tying the imperfect worship of the Greeks to the Good News of the Gospel. The crowd basically said “whatever” and walked away. The Holy Spirit does not override the human freedom to reject God.

But in the end, the Holy Spirit unequivocally brings fulfillment; He brings a deeper and more powerful happiness. That happiness is compatible with all sorts of woes that we may suffer: Failure, depression, exhaustion. It stems from a deep-seated knowledge that we are loved, and that our decision to love in return carries with it fruits for eternity.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you value the gift of His Spirit above all other gifts, and that you will happily take all the difficulties of life, even amplified, and ask only for this most sublime gift.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 11, 2021May 11, 2021

Clash

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks pointedly about the clash between, not just Christians, but the Holy Spirit Himself and the world. Jesus says elsewhere that He came not to condemn the world, but that it might be saved through Him (cf. Jn. 3:16); but here, He articulates in no uncertain terms that the Holy Spirit convicts those who obstinately refuse to believe in Christ. And the powers of this world, which sometimes shake us Christians to the core in fear or frustration, are nothing at all to the Holy Spirit–indeed, the Holy Spirit will show that “the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

As if in resounding echo to Jesus’ words in the Gospel, the first reading shows us the scene of an earthquake effectively brought about by that same Holy Spirit, as He frees the apostles from prison and brings about the conversion of the jailer and his family. The Holy Spirit enters into conflict with the powers of the world, who have been abusing His apostles–and the Holy Spirit wins the conflict.

He thus fulfills the prophetic psalm of today’s liturgy: “Your right hand saves me, O Lord.”

Those of us who seek to be faithful Christians stand at the epicenter of this cosmic conflict between the Holy Spirit and the sin-soaked world, striving to be His arms and legs in the monumental task of salvation and sanctification.

We may easily feel overwhelmed at our role–probably, because we often forget that we are not the Messiah, we are not a “power” that God needs to come to His aid. Rather, we are the blessed beneficiaries of HIS saving action, of His battle for His loved ones. Our humble yes is sufficient; with that, we need not fear being overwhelmed. He will come to our aid, in no less effective a way than when he freed the apostles with the earthquake.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to help you overcome the natural tendency to think of self as protagonist. Ask Him to help you dismiss, by His powerful grace, the overwhelming self-imposed burden of thinking of self as accountable for the triumph of good. Give Him your “yes” with the trusting love and admiration of a child.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 5, 2021May 4, 2021

A Spirit of Listening

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

The first apostles ran into the same human struggles that we believers run into today.

In the first reading, we see that Jewish believers held that Gentile converts to Christianity needed to be circumcised. Paul and Barnabas debated against this.

How could this discussion come to pass? If all the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, how was there debate? Was the Spirit debating against Himself?

When we sense the Spirit acting in us, especially if we are new to this phenomenon, we can be so impressed and impacted, that we think of ourselves as infallible, guided perfectly by His light.

Upon filling us with Himself, however, the Holy Spirit does not transform us completely with His omnipotence and omniscience, though He does enhance our understanding and will with His gifts. A true sign of a maturity in our relationship with the Holy Spirit is the clear awareness that we are not He; that we are subject to Him, with our continued human frailty and imperfection; and also, that He works in others, to whom we must humbly listen in order to gain in the truth.

We do not hear that the believers in the first reading were scandalized at the differences of opinion that they underwent. Rather, as Paul and Barnabas headed up to Jerusalem to debate the matter further, they were filled with joy at the conversion of the Gentiles, and they spread that joy in all the communities that they visit.

Ultimately, the matter is resolved, in that Gentile converts are not forced to undergo circumcision.

Paul and Barnabas provide a model of humility for us: The presence of the Holy Spirit in us should lead us to listen more attentively, not less so, to the good counsel coming from the hearts of our fellow Christians. And maturity in our relationship with the Holy Spirit is the result of remaining united to Christ, the vine, as described in today’s gospel.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to fill you with His Holy Spirit, and in doing so, with the humble understanding of your ongoing imperfection of judgement and will; and the limitations of your place in the economy of salvation.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 4, 2021April 20, 2021

Peace

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”

And the incredible power of that peace is what comes through in the first reading. Because of the explosion of the faith and the numbers of new converts around the time of Pentecost, we can falsely perceive that the faith spread easily in apostolic times, like fire across dry grass. Conversely, St. Paul compares the experience of birthing the faith in His audience to labor pains (cf. Gal. 4:19). Resistance to the Gospel, among Jewish and pagan leaders alike, is impossibly intense, and even where the Apostles are successful, the communities that form are not huge.

And yet, after being stoned and left for dead, St. Paul and his companions rejoice. The travel a wide circuit, and then return to the very location where the stoning occurred. They gather the Christian community together there and recount all the wonders that God has done.

It is not about a lack of hardship, or sheer numbers, that they are rejoicing. Their joy harkens back to Christ’s promise: “My peace I give you. Not as the world gives to I give it to you.” With their hearts united to their Master’s through the Holy Spirit, they see that through their fulfillment of His will, He is reaching those whom He has chosen, those who are prepared to receive His saving message. His will, the will of the sovereign Creator, is being accomplished, and this is enough to bring them great peace.

Is it enough for us to have peace as well? If not, the answer no doubt lies in drawing still closer to His Heart in our daily encounter with Him.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to reveal to you the peace He wants to bring to your heart. Ask Him to remove the obstacles of attachment to your own will and any priorities that do not align to His, through a powerful indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 2, 2021April 19, 2021

The Vine

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus gives us the key to bearing fruit for eternity in today’s gospel. Fruit for eternity is nothing more or less than the eternal life of our brothers and sisters; fruit that would not bud and ripen without our contribution.

And what is our contribution? Jesus does not tell us to rush out and conquer the heathen. What is the activity, then, that is key to bearing fruit for eternity?

It is to remain in Him. Far from a passive activity, this is the act of reserving real time to be in conversation with Him every day, and frequent reception of His life in the sacraments. If we receive His life in us in this way on a constant basis, we are joined to Him as our vine; we become His branches that bear fruit.

Branches don’t conjure fruit out of nothing. Nor do they craft it like clay on a potter’s wheel. They simply let the fertile sap of divine life course through them, and the fruit appears from that life in them. Even so, even though it is merely the life of the vine than brings about the fruit, each branch is co-responsible for the fruit, which would not appear in its absence.

“Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Mt. 10:19-20) The Holy Spirit is that divine life coursing through us.

Observe Barnabas in today’s first reading. Saul the persecutor claimed to have converted to Christianity. Everyone suspected a trick. Barnabas simply went to Saul, took charge of him, and brought him into the fold. How did he know to do that? Through some savvy calculation? No, he knew from the Holy Spirit–from the divine life in Him.

It is that same divine life that provides the confidence in our heart of which John speaks in the second reading, confidence to know that we are pleasing to God in spite of our bewildering and discouraging weaknesses, when we are not in sin.

We don’t need to conjure up a Christian mission for ourselves. If we stay firmly united to the vine, that vine itself will provide it for us. The divine life in us is everything.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you want to remain united to Him, the vine, but are very conscious that you are able to fall away in your weakness. Ask Him to take charge of keeping you forever one with Him.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

April 22, 2021April 22, 2021

Chariot Chat

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In the first reading, the Holy Spirit prompted Philip to talk to the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot; he explained Scripture to him, and the eunuch was baptized. Then, the same Holy Spirit removed Philip mysteriously from the presence of the eunuch.

Sometimes, we may think that we are devoid of the Holy Spirit, if He doesn’t prompt such semi-miraculous marvels in us.

But we must remember, the Spirit will prompt us according to the vocation to which God has called us, often with nudges rather than pushes. Often, when faced with a situation and seeking guidance, all we need to is incline an ear in His direction, and He will provide us with a path. The path may not appear miraculous, but in a sense, it may be said the the Spirit’s promptings within the human soul are always by definition miraculous.

But how do we increase the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in our hearts?

Jesus gives us the sure means in today’s gospel: “The bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” To increase the life of the Holy Spirit within us, we need not seek extraordinary means–persevering participation in the sacraments and in contemplative prayer will build that life slowly, almost imperceptibly, over time.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to help you in your perseverance, particularly in frequent reception of the sacraments and daily contemplative prayer. Ask Him for the gift of His Holy Spirit, and tell Him that you trust Him always to provide you the guidance you need through the Spirit.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams