Reflection: Watching, Waiting and Living the Promise of Pentecost

We ought to treat the Holy Spirit as who he is, as God who tenderly breathes his love into us, stirring us, guiding us and carefully shaping us that we might one day fully awaken in Truth and Light, becoming a new person clothed in Christ, immersed in a Love beyond all loves. "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor 5:17).

DENVER, CO (Catholic Online) - We just days ago celebrated the Ascension of the Lord, in which we participate again in that moment of joy when Jesus was "taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God" (Mk 16:19). After the disciples witnessed this, they "returned to jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God" (Lk 24:51-52). Along with the disciples, our hearts ascend into the heavens as we too go forth continually praising God for all the incredible gifts of wonder he has so lovingly bestowed on his children. And, also, we await Pentecost, that day on which the apostles gathered in the upper room and suddenly heard a noise like a "strong driving wind" that "came from the sky," and "filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them" (Acts 2:2-3). The fruits of Pentecost are wonders for which a lifetime of contemplation cannot begin to exhaust. While we can say that we await Pentecost, which expresses our desire to unite ourselves to the gift of the Holy Spirit ever-more closely, it is important to recognize that Pentecost has already occurred as a matter of history; that is, the Paraclete who is Love, sent by Love, rains down from heaven this moment, flowing in and through the thirsty hearts of the faithful around the world as a Divine Wind. Yet there are countless others who still await their own personal pentecost; for though they may know of the Holy Spirit, they do not recognize him, they fail to hear his whisper. For while the Advocate continuously knocks on the door of the soul, he does so delicately and unobtrusively; thus the cluttered, glittery, disordered attractions of the world easily drown out the sound of his loving invitation. Yes, many await pentecost. We Have Received the Promise "On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of Promise was poured out on the disciples," and the "Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in him" (see CCC Nos. 2623, 732). Since that day, the pearl of great price (Mt 13:46) has been unlocked, and the treasure buried in the field (Mt 13:44) has been found. Therefore as Christians baptized into Christ, we unworthily yet joyously reap the fruits of Pentecost at this very moment; for God has truly "sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba!' Father!" (cf Gal 4:6). Thus we can join our hearts in union with the Byzantine liturgy of Pentecost, voicing this most precious and holy gift of the Spirit which we have received: "We have seen the true Light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith: we adore the indivisible Trinity, who has saved us." However, as mentioned above, though the Promise of the Father is poured out upon the world, there are many who are either unaware of just what this Promise is, or have failed to recognize and cherish the Promise given, which has resulted in significant damage to individuals and societies. One could easily argue that a failure to understand and embrace the precious gift of the Holy Spirit spawns not simply minor injuries and arguments, but catastrophic events such as the Holocaust, the Great Purge, and the evils of abortion. On a less grave yet still serious note, sincere Christians who in some way desire to be drawn nearer to God, who are conscious of the need to live a life of holiness, and who are informed in some manner of the gift of the Paraclete, nevertheless often allow the many distractions and errors present in modern-day society to seep into their attitudes and way of life, effecting in them a type of indifference toward this very Gift which is the life-blood of the Christian. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict's words at Fatima highlight this tendency to take all too lightly the Promise of the Father: "But who finds time to hear God's word and to let themselves be attracted by his love? Who keeps watch, in the night of doubt and uncertainty, with a heart vigilant in prayer? Who awaits the dawn of the new day, fanning the flame of faith?" What Does It Mean To Listen To The Holy Spirit? Through the sacrament of Baptism, which is the "gateway to life in the Spirit" (CCC No. 1213), we are indeed given the Spirit, who dwells within us. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16). Yet the Spirit acts in us very delicately, without imposing himself, quietly but constantly whispering to us of his loving presence and desire. Therefore it is important to recognize the need for careful attentiveness toward this Third Person of the Holy Trinity who comes to us in tenderness and love. "Therefore, whether you eat of drink, or do anything else, do all for the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). Archbishop Luis M. Martinez's classic work on the Holy Spirit, "The Sanctifier," provides clear insight into what it means to actively listen to the Paraclete: "Consecration to the Holy Spirit must be total: nothing must draw us away from his loving possession. Undoubtedly vacillations and deficiencies are part of our imperfection, but even so, our love must not be extinguished. Rather, it must lift its divine flame toward infinite love in the midst of all human vicissitudes. . . . True devotion to the Holy Spirit, therefore, is not something superficial and intermittent, but something profound and constant, like Christian life itself" (The Sanctifier, Pauline Books and Media, 55). It is helpful to reflect on what listening to the Holy Spirit is not. We are not listening when we relativize the Faith, heedlessly molding those doctrines of Christ, which are inseparable from Truth, to fit our own subjective desires. We are not listening when we intentionally fail to attend Holy Mass, as if the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is a rather insignificant and uninteresting event. Nor are we listening when we neglect to keep vigilant in prayer; or when we ignore the sacrament of Reconciliation; or when we fail to assist the poor. And we are not listening when we intentionally refuse to offer our spiritual and financial support to the Catholic Church Christ founded as the sacrament of our salvation. We ought to remember the Church is guided and supported by that same Holy Spirit who Christ so graciously sent among us: who, then, should treat the very Church whose nourishment is the Holy Spirit as merely one insignificant institution among others? We ought to treat the Holy Spirit as who he is, as God who tenderly breathes his love into us, stirring us, guiding us and carefully shaping us that we might one day fully awaken in Truth and Light, becoming a new person clothed in Christ, immersed in a Love beyond all loves. "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor 5:17). "If he [the Holy Spirit] is our Guest, we must give him a place in which to dwell; if he is our director, we must submit to his inspirations; if he is our Gift, we must possess him; if he is the Artisan who, in a divine way, brings our soul to its perfection, we must let him work; we must be submissive to his loving designs" (The Sanctifier, 57). Those who love the Spirit are entirely captivated by the knowledge of his presence; therefore "as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master" (Psalm 123:2), their eyes constantly gaze upon the Paraclete, anticipating his divine breath which signals their actions and shapes their thoughts, drawing them ever-deeper into the divine fires of Love Itself. Live For The Faith If we desire to truly live in God, opening up before us a new and previously unknown life of light and wonder, it is necessary that we no longer live for ourselves, but for Another. For some, this will at first appear to be a terrible thing, perhaps similar to a type of death. And it is indeed a death, a death to the world. It is dying that we may truly live in he who is Life: "He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised" (2 Cor 5:15). Therefore if we truly thirst for the Paraclete who is Love, we must listen to him, we must be attentive, and we must embrace with all our heart a deep and sincere repentance. True repentance is not something superficial, in which we merely talk of change, or accept whatever is entirely easy; rather, it is a radical turning from that sin which injures and binds us, entangling us in darkness. Thus an essential step in the process of repentance and conversion is the sacrament of Reconciliation, which offers us life-giving, sanctifying grace, as well as vital nourishment that the eyes of faith may deeply see into the Artisan's depths. Through sincere repentance, our feet are set securely upon the Gospel path; the eyes of faith are nourished, the fire within is ignited, the forest of love is set ablaze. In this fire, the face of the Holy Spirit becomes visible within the heart, and, as we kiss him with love, he carries us off in his arms to horizons of brightness for which there are no words, nourishing us with a joy that flows from the wellspring of God himself. This type of divine joy cannot be taken away, even amidst circumstances which would appear to the worldly to be entirely difficult and joyless. "Faith in God opens before us the horizon of a sure hope, one which does not disappoint; it indicates a solid foundation on which to base one's life without fear; it demands a faith-filled surrender into the hands of the Love which sustains the world." -- Pope Benedict XVI at Fatima

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----- F. K. Bartels knows his Catholic Faith is one of the greatest treasures a man could ever have. He is managing editor of catholicpathways.com, and is a contributing writer for Catholic Online.

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