\“WHEN they hand you over, do not
worry about how you are
to speak or what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but
the Spirit of the Father speaking through you.” (Mt 10,19-20)
What reassuring words from Christ! After warning us, his
followers, that we are sent like sheep in the midst of wolves, he
consoles us with these words. We should not be afraid to do what
Christ has sent us to do. Everything will be taken care of.
In another part of the gospel, the same reassurance is
also given. “In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage. I
have overcome the world,” he told his disciples. (Jn 16,33)
But this divine reassurance does not exempt us from
cultivating a theological mind, conforming our thoughts, words and
deeds to those of God who now actively intervenes in our life through
his Spirit.
We have to learn to think, judge and reason in terms of
faith. We have to learn to develop a supernatural outlook in life,
always referring things to God. We have to be convinced that for us to
be objective, to be discerning of the endless subtleties and mysteries
in life, we need always to refer things to God.
Otherwise, we would just be at the mercy of what our
senses can only provide, of what our intelligence can only understand,
of what the worldly trends and conditionings can only show us.
Not that these are unimportant. They will always be
indispensable and we need to gather as much as possible all the
pertinent data through these human powers and factors. But we would
still miss the real thing if all these data are not referred to God.
That is, if we do not listen to what the Spirit tells and shows us,
the Spirit who is always intervening in our life.
We have to allow the Spirit to speak and we listen and
discern as attentively as possible. It is in this way that we can
participate as intimately and as actively as possible in God’s wisdom,
power, knowledge and understanding, his love and mercy. It is in this
way that we get to do God’s will that will always be for the good of
all. In short, we get to do our part in his providence.
We have to adjust the way we think and see things in
general to accommodate this very crucial truth about ourselves and
things in general. We are often so hampered and then entangled by
merely earthly and material considerations that we fail to see things
in their real and ultimate perspectives, with the all the inputs of
sense data, pure reason and faith considered.
We need to pray to the Holy Spirit, to develop an abiding
and intimate relationship with him. In this, let’s hope that we can
pass from the infantile stage to the more adult and mature one that
would enable us to resolve the many questions and doubts we can have
about the Holy Spirit.
Let’s remember what Christ told his disciples about the
coming of the Holy Spirit: “I tell you the truth. It is expedient for
you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter (the Spirit
of God) will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto
you.” (Jn 16,7)
And the Spirit finally came on Pentecost and continues to
stay with us till the end of time, guiding us toward our proper end.
It’s usually our pride that makes us blind and deaf to the
Holy Spirit, and to depend solely or mainly on ourselves. We have to
melt that pride away, sometimes using strong solvents for that
purpose.
But it’s important that our dealings with the Holy Spirit
be constant. We have to learn to be sensitive and docile to his
promptings to the extent that our thoughts, words and deeds would
reflect the mind and ways of the Holy Spirit.
Toward the Holy Spirit, the proper attitude to have is to
want to be filled with him. Let’s be zealous in reaching that goal,
without being distracted by our other concerns no matter how urgent
they may be.
Let’s promptly second the Holy Spirit’s inspirations,
because delays will only distance us from him. His ways may make us
suffer and to keep quiet on certain issues, like what happened to
Christ himself, but his ways are always effective in leading us to our
proper end.
Let’s hope and pray that we develop a culture that is
attentive to the workings of the Holy Spirit in our life.
to speak or what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but
the Spirit of the Father speaking through you.” (Mt 10,19-20)
What reassuring words from Christ! After warning us, his
followers, that we are sent like sheep in the midst of wolves, he
consoles us with these words. We should not be afraid to do what
Christ has sent us to do. Everything will be taken care of.
In another part of the gospel, the same reassurance is
also given. “In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage. I
have overcome the world,” he told his disciples. (Jn 16,33)
But this divine reassurance does not exempt us from
cultivating a theological mind, conforming our thoughts, words and
deeds to those of God who now actively intervenes in our life through
his Spirit.
We have to learn to think, judge and reason in terms of
faith. We have to learn to develop a supernatural outlook in life,
always referring things to God. We have to be convinced that for us to
be objective, to be discerning of the endless subtleties and mysteries
in life, we need always to refer things to God.
Otherwise, we would just be at the mercy of what our
senses can only provide, of what our intelligence can only understand,
of what the worldly trends and conditionings can only show us.
Not that these are unimportant. They will always be
indispensable and we need to gather as much as possible all the
pertinent data through these human powers and factors. But we would
still miss the real thing if all these data are not referred to God.
That is, if we do not listen to what the Spirit tells and shows us,
the Spirit who is always intervening in our life.
We have to allow the Spirit to speak and we listen and
discern as attentively as possible. It is in this way that we can
participate as intimately and as actively as possible in God’s wisdom,
power, knowledge and understanding, his love and mercy. It is in this
way that we get to do God’s will that will always be for the good of
all. In short, we get to do our part in his providence.
We have to adjust the way we think and see things in
general to accommodate this very crucial truth about ourselves and
things in general. We are often so hampered and then entangled by
merely earthly and material considerations that we fail to see things
in their real and ultimate perspectives, with the all the inputs of
sense data, pure reason and faith considered.
We need to pray to the Holy Spirit, to develop an abiding
and intimate relationship with him. In this, let’s hope that we can
pass from the infantile stage to the more adult and mature one that
would enable us to resolve the many questions and doubts we can have
about the Holy Spirit.
Let’s remember what Christ told his disciples about the
coming of the Holy Spirit: “I tell you the truth. It is expedient for
you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter (the Spirit
of God) will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto
you.” (Jn 16,7)
And the Spirit finally came on Pentecost and continues to
stay with us till the end of time, guiding us toward our proper end.
It’s usually our pride that makes us blind and deaf to the
Holy Spirit, and to depend solely or mainly on ourselves. We have to
melt that pride away, sometimes using strong solvents for that
purpose.
But it’s important that our dealings with the Holy Spirit
be constant. We have to learn to be sensitive and docile to his
promptings to the extent that our thoughts, words and deeds would
reflect the mind and ways of the Holy Spirit.
Toward the Holy Spirit, the proper attitude to have is to
want to be filled with him. Let’s be zealous in reaching that goal,
without being distracted by our other concerns no matter how urgent
they may be.
Let’s promptly second the Holy Spirit’s inspirations,
because delays will only distance us from him. His ways may make us
suffer and to keep quiet on certain issues, like what happened to
Christ himself, but his ways are always effective in leading us to our
proper end.
Let’s hope and pray that we develop a culture that is
attentive to the workings of the Holy Spirit in our life.
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