Living in the Season of the Holy Spirit #5: Empower
By Fr. Ron Will CPPS
All the reflections in this series can be found here: Living in the Season of the Holy Spirit.
Welcome back to Precious Blood Renewal Center, as we continue our reflections on the season of the Holy Spirit. When we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we participate in a new creation
I’m standing on the dock on the lake of Precious Blood Renewal Center today. We reflect on the fifth word of the season of the Holy Spirit: empower. The flowing fountain behind me reminds me of that key idea: empower.
The spirit of God is not some vague being, that exists in some far-off Heaven.
The Holy Spirit is God with us. Emmanuel continuing throughout history. The Spirit with us is the same Spirit to empower St. Peter to proclaim the resurrection of Christ with such boldness,
The same Spirit who gave St. Paul the courage and persistence to preach throughout the Roman Empire.
The same Spirit who sustained Mary every day of her life,
This Spirit wants to work in us just as powerfully.
The same Holy Spirit who sent the disciples with confidence also sends us to make a positive difference in the world. Now we must discover and live our God-given gifts. When we do ordinary things under the influence of the Holy Spirit with great love, we make a difference in ourselves and in other people’s lives. We gradually transform the world into something new.
Think of Jesus’ parable about how just a little yeast can leaven multiple loaves of bread. That is also an image of how the Holy Spirit empowers us.
The Holy Spirit sets us free and at the same time compels us to right action. But we must give the Holy Spirit something to work with. If no one ever has the courage to proclaim it, its power will remain dormant and unused. Through the Holy Spirit, we can find the courage to be truth’s voice in the world.
So drink deeply of the Spirit. Don’t just ask for a sip, as if that’s all you deserve. Don’t seek only to quench your thirst so that you can go back to living as you’re used to. Don’t sell the Holy Spirit short.
Ask for a fountain of the holy spirit inside of you:
- A fountain of living water that fills you to overflowing.
- Saturates your heart with the love of the father.
- And flows out to everyone you meet.
The first disciples didn’t receive the Holy Spirit just that one day on Pentecost. They were immersed in the Spirit again and again. The Acts of the Apostles record at least seven times the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, and this doesn’t count all the other times that never made it into the Bible. The same is true for us.
Pray for it. Keep praying. Not just on the Feast of Pentecost put every day. You may not see wind or fire, but the Spirit will come to you in new unexpected, even extraordinary ways. Not only for your benefit but the for the good of his body the church.
Plan to join me here again next Tuesday, as we continue to explore what it means to live in the season of the Holy Spirit.
Give Jesus permission to breathe life into you: to empower you!
Take a deep breath and pray with me, repeating this phrase 10 times: Come, Holy Spirit, Come.
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[Fr. Ron Will, a Precious Blood priest and spiritual director, is a graduate of Catholic Theological Union and Creighton University’s School of Christian Spirituality. He has a special interest in helping form intentional disciples of Jesus, encouraging others to go spiritually deep-sea diving to explore a deeper relationship with God, and walking with people as they dive into the ocean of God’s mystery actually experiencing God rather than simply dipping one’s toe into the water.]
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Bread image by FRANCESCO ANGRISANI from Pixabay
This article is being republished. It first appeared on July 21, 2020.
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