Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Tuesday of the 22nd
Week in Ordinary Time
From the first reading:
We have not
received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may
understand the things freely given by God.
This is a difficult passage to
unpack, and in order to grasp even a bit of it, I have had to ask the Holy
Spirit to guide me in my reflection today. So, in a sense, I am “thinking aloud”
as I write to you this day. As always, I advise you to take to heart anything
which you find meaningful, and just leave the rest behind.
There is one reality which is so
wonderful and so exalted that we have trouble fully accepting it, and it is
this: That we have already been given God’s Spirit. It is within us, and
it is by means of this Spirit that we are able to contemplate matters which
worldly people cannot understand and probably regard as inexplicable nonsense.
This does not make us any better
than those who have not yet been given the gift of faith; to put it in
worldly terms we are just more fortunate, we are lucky. We have done nothing to
earn this tremendous gift of God; we are not worthier than others, because
worthiness has nothing to do with it. It is, and we have trouble grasping this,
it is a free gift, and we often have trouble comprehending just what
that means. We do not lose the gift because of our sinfulness or laziness or
lack of focus, or anything of that sort. It is always there, and all it takes
is our attention to be in touch with it.
That is why it is so very
important for us to discipline our minds through meditation, so that we might clear out all of
the noise and all of the distractions so that we can gain better access to that
gift which is within us. I mentioned above that I had to ask the Holy Spirit to
guide me in my reflection, but the truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit
always guides me, even when I forget to pray or when I am unconscious and
distracted.
What does this Spirit tell us?
Well, you have to answer that question for yourself. The Spirit knows all
things, even the mind of God, because the Spirit is God. So when have you found
yourself inspired with thoughts or actions which are beyond your usual
capabilities or your power of thought? When have you suddenly grasped just how
much God loves you in a way you haven’t grasped before? When have you been
walking along and were suddenly grasped by the incredible beauty of what you
see before you? When have you suddenly drawn upon a greater measure of peace,
or love, or joy than you usually experience in your humdrum day-to-day
existence? When have you had the impulse to put everything down and just be
without having to earn or prove or do anything at all, even in the midst of a
noisy environment? When have you suddenly connected with another person
on a level far deeper than what you find in your regular acquaintances? When
have you had the sense that your life is more filled with meaning than you ever
give it credit for?
These, I believe, are all signs
that the Spirit is working within us. These are signs that God’s love for us is
so much greater than we think we deserve.
Think on these things, and may
the Spirit of God that is within you speak to your heart, mind and soul this
day. God bless you!
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