Journey

Circulating the Spirit

Posted on by MSFriend
circulating the Spirit
Spirit

It’s amazing how the Spirit works!  As I waited for my coffee to brew this morning, I decided to clear off my coffee table.  I grabbed a book I had just finished reading and decided to put it back in my bookcase.  While there, I browsed the many titles and one of them caught my eye – Praying with Saint Paul:  Daily Reflections on the Letters of the Apostles Paul.  I opened it to April 17 and here’s what I read:

Circulating the Spirit – Fr. William M. Joensen

Humans continue to try to build things on alternatively larger and smaller scales, all in an attempt to decipher and master the universe.  This is the motivation behind the building of the world’s largest particle collider to date.  It is composed of a circular tunnel extending for many miles that has been described as a kind of Babel built underground.  Dozens of countries manufactured its components and provided scientific expertise, all speaking different native tongues, but united in the common purpose to reduce the world to its most minute particles, including a long postulated particle that imparts mass to all others.

Even if and when they are successful in overcoming their Babel-like origins and achieving their aim, investigators who would thereby claim to have explained the universe would ignore dimensions of reality that cannot be accelerated into existence by mere mortals.  This mysterious dimension is met only by the will expressed in words such as:  “Jesus is Lord.” “Let it be done to me.” “only say the word and I shall be healed.” “I baptize you.” “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” “I absolve you.” “Teach us to pray.”

These words are entrusted to the people of God.  Some are pronounced exclusively by ministerial priests, and some are said by all who exercise their baptismal priesthood.  These words are taken to heart and kept there.  God’s people are “kept” people.  But they are not prisoners; they are truly free, with the freedom of the children of God.

The realm of Spirit is not inherently opposed to matter.  Rather, it is the dimension of God’s being encircling all that is, imparting meaning and transforming all that the Spirit touches: water, oil, bread, wine, and human beings.  The Lordship of Jesus is grasped by the only beings whose own flesh may become the dwelling place of the living God.  We are remade by the Spirit, and are capable of making the Lord known.

Master of the universe, you overcome the chaos that we humans encounter, and that we ourselves create.  Allow me humbly to yield to the movements of your Spirit in my life, so that I may be a channel of Spirit and life for others, as all my being declares that you alone are Lord.

This reflection is based on Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 12:3 “and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.”  Upon reading the entire reflection, I was moved by the words “God’s people are a ‘kept’ people.  But they are not prisoners; they are truly free, with the freedom of the children of God.”  After reading Paul’s words, I realized what he was getting at.  As children of God we are, or at least should be, free – free of worry, free of anxiety, free of fear and all the negative things that come with being “of this world.”  We CANNOT proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, if we do not trust that we are a “kept” people.  That means living by the Holy Spirit or “going with the flow” trusting in God, as I like to say.

So today, don’t let the world news get you down. Don’t let it stop you from being free and proclaiming through your actions and responses that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! Circulate the Spirit.  God bless you today and always.

The three practices of Lent that draw us closer to God

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Lent
St. Peter Chrysologus

I was praying the Liturgy of the Hours this morning when I came across this sermon I have to share.  I hope you enjoy it and gather some valuable insight into the importance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving – not just during Lent but everyday.

This comes from the second reading of the Office of Readings.  It is from a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop.

There are three things, my brethren, by which faith stands firm, devotion remains constant, and virtue endures.  They are prayer, fasting and mercy.  Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy receives.  Prayer, mercy and fasting:  these three are one, and they give life to each other.

Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting.  Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated.  If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing.  So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others.  If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself.

When you fast, see the fasting of others.  If you want God to know that you are hungry, know that another is hungry.  If you hope for mercy, show mercy.  If you look for kindness, show kindness.  If you want to receive, give.  If you ask for yourself what you deny to others,  your asking is a mockery.

Let this be the pattern for all men when they practice mercy:  show mercy to others in the same way, with the same generosity, with the same promptness, as you want others to show mercy to you.

Therefore, let prayer, mercy and fasting be one single plea to God on our behalf, one speech in our defense, a threefold noted prayer in our favor.

Let us use fasting to make up for what we have lost by despising others.  Let us offer our souls in sacrifice by means of fasting.  There is nothing more pleasing that we can offer to God, as the psalmist said in prophecy: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God does not despise a bruised and humbled heart.

Offer your soul to God, make him an oblation of your fasting, so that your soul may be a pure offering, a holy sacrifice, a living victim, remaining your own and at the same time made over to God.  Whoever fails to give this to God will not be excused, for if you are to give him yourself you are never without the means of giving.

To make these acceptable, mercy must be added.  Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy.  Fasting dries up when mercy dries up.  Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth.  However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit.

When you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn.  Therefore, do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering.  Give to the poor, and you give to yourself.  You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.

Powerful words for Lent, that hopefully flow into our every day!  Certainly not easy to live by but worth a try – for no other reason but to draw CLOSER to God.  God bless you!