“Just remain faithful to Me, and do not lose heart in times of weakness. I will put even these to good use.” (Inner Word)
It may not be easy for us to understand these words. How we would love to be strong and overcome all of life’s challenges. This may be especially true for people with a strong fighting spirit. But then our weaknesses emerge, serving as a constant reminder of the limitations of our human nature. We fall short of what we set out to do and are disappointed in ourselves.
Holy Spirit, in the beginning you hovered over the waters (cf. Gen 1:2) and brought order to the chaos. You also want to bring order to the chaos caused by sin, order in our inner and outer life. So much has been confused with original sin and the sins that follow it, that even your friend Paul lamented that a different law dwells in his spirit than in his body and – worse still – that he follows the law of the flesh (cf. Rom 7:23). With him we lament: Who will deliver me from this body? (cf. Rom 7:24)
But let it not remain so!
We must regain control over ourselves and not be slaves to our passions and feelings! It was so wonderfully ordered by our Heavenly Father: The Spirit enlightened our human spirit, it put the will into force and the natural drives were at work.
But, dear Holy Spirit, now, unfortunately, they are rebelling against us and are therefore a reflection of the fallen creation, which is rebelling against God, and in addition, the fallen spirits, who are trying to disturb the ways of salvation of God, also want to confuse us.
But it should not remain that way!
Beloved Holy Spirit, You gentle soul guest,
let grow in us the spirit of gentleness,
that spirit that permeates everything,
that transforms and softens our heart,
purifying it from all hardships;
that is as mild as Your wonderful Bride, our Mother.
“Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance.” (Mt 5:4)
You do not need us, but rather lure us with Your love. You would rather let Your love taste like honey than give us bitter herb, even if we sometimes need it.
“But when I pour out My grace upon people and receive it back from them, I prepare in My divine heart the honey of eternal sweetness.” (Words of Jesus to Saint Mechthild of Hackeborn)
Time and again, a loving soul may ask itself how it can repay its Lord for all that He grants it in His lavish goodness. And yet it remains true: “How could I ever thank You enough for all Your goodness?” We will always fall short of what God gives us. And that is just as well, for He gives in a divine way, and we remember that He is the source from which love flows.
“God forces no one. He accepts what is given to Him, yet He gives Himself fully only to those who give themselves fully to Him.” (Teresa of Ávila)
If, as St. Teresa of Ávila rightly describes, we are not compelled by God on our path of discipleship, then we must deeply internalize this truth. The saint speaks here of the great respect our Father has for human freedom. He Himself gave it to us as a great gift of love, setting us apart from the irrational natural world.
Beloved Holy Spirit, come You, the eternal and pure light and penetrate us, so that nothing can remain hidden from You, no shadow can live on in our soul, every darkness may go away and everything be inflamed by Your love. Awaken us from all inertia and purify our heart so that it may love as God loves; love as You love, so that You and I may be intimately united in the praise of the glory of God.
“O God, create in me a pure heart, renew a right spirit within me” (Ps 51:10).
You, beloved Holy Spirit, are
“…intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, incisive, unsullied, lucid, invulnerable, benevolent, shrewd, irresistible, beneficent, friendly to human beings, steadfast, dependable, unperturbed, almighty, all-surveying, penetrating all intelligent, pure and most subtle!” (Wis 7:22-23)
“God’s compassion for you is greater than your worries.” (Jean-Baptiste de la Salle)
Very often, Sacred Scripture urges us not to give in to worry. And indeed, from a spiritual perspective, excessive worry leads us into a state of profound unreality. This state consists in our seeing no way out; our worries constantly accompany us, sap our vitality, and even influence our appearance, so that we look out at the world, in a sense, with a “gloomy” expression. Who is not familiar with those faces furrowed by worry, which evoke our compassion?
“You Holy Spirit, you kiss of the Father and of the Son, you sweetest and most intimate kiss” (Saint Bernard of Clairveaux), we want to know and love you better. Therefore, descend into our soul, “like the sun which illuminates everything where it finds no obstacle. Reach out like an arrow of flame to the deepest part of our soul. You do not rest in proud hearts and high spirits; rather you open your dwelling in humble souls” (St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi).
Enlighten us in these days in which we are preparing the Solemnity of Your coming, You who are our Comforter and Teacher, the Bridegroom of our souls, the One who makes us holy.
Love is longsufferin (cf. 1 Cor 13:4)
Longanimity is your wonderful fruit, which lives in those souls that listen to you and do not lose heart over long distances. It is similar to patience, but even more strongly related to the goods of the spirit. It carries the perseverance in itself and makes the soul strong and capable of suffering. Thus it grows as the fruit of an intimate relationship with you. It is divine in nature, as the Apostle Paul testifies:
“The Holy Spirit is light and strength. It is He who enables us to distinguish truth from falsehood and good from evil. Just as binoculars magnify objects, the Holy Spirit enables us to see the good and the evil in their full magnitude. With the Holy Spirit, one sees everything in its full magnitude: one sees the greatness of the smallest acts performed for God and the gravity of the smallest mistakes.” (Saint John Vianney)
According to the traditional calendar, the feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle is celebrated on May 15, and we will dedicate today’s meditation to him. For this occasion, the following Gospel passage has been chosen:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” (Mt 18:1–5)
Here the Lord presents us with two aspects regarding children. First, their simplicity and sincerity. That is the attitude with which we must approach our heavenly Father. In children who still retain their purity, we find a wonderful innocence that willingly receives what we offer them. By living such a relationship with our Father, we become receptive to God’s love, which can be transmitted to us directly. True greatness flows from this, for in the Kingdom of Heaven, the one who loves and serves others is great. If our heart is as open as a child’s, not only do we receive God’s love by the most direct path, but this love also becomes the motivation for action, since love drives us to carry out God’s works. Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit—the love between the Father and the Son—Who impels us to do good and enlightens our hearts.
