The Gifts of Peace and the Holy Spirit

05-24-2020Weekly Reflection

At Pentecost, Jesus gifted His troubled and spiritually weak disciples with His PEACE and the HOLY SPIRIT. "Peace be with you… receive the Holy Spirit." Today especially, but for the rest of our life, let us pray to the Lord to grant us His PEACE, and the company of the Holy Spirit in our journey of life.

Lord Jesus, we do not understand how things will work out, but we trust in You. At times, we don’t see a way, but we know You will make a way. We have great faith that even now, You are touching hearts, opening doors and lining up the right opportunities for us. Sometimes, the horizon might be dark and gloomy, but we have faith that dawn is coming, in the Peace of Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I remember the days when Charismatic communities, prayer and worship was the thing. Invoking the Spirit with the "Come, Holy Spirit…" was a very powerful prayer. Summoning the power of the Holy Spirit brings so much PEACE, freedom and liberation within especially during times of trouble, confusion, temptation and pain. The key is acknowledging that we need help, as Blaise Paschal says, "Man is at his greatest when he/she is able to kneel down and say: My God, My God.” We need the humility to accept that God is an indispensable part in our life, He is the creator and we are a creation. The Holy Spirit has the power to unlock doors, break chains, and set us to the right track and direction.

Jesus promised that the power of God will be within us, but we must open it from within also. Only a heart that is open, humble and docile can experience real Pentecost.

Henry Nouwen's book The Wounded Healer is a call to recognize the suffering of our own heart and translating our woundedness into service. He proposes to ministers to go beyond their professional role and leave themselves open to others with the same wounds and sufferings, in the image of Christ. It is called, healing from our own wounds. Because a broken heart is an open heart, we need to go through our own woundedness before we realize our need for God. Pentecost is overcoming the proud master in us and becoming a truly humble and obedient disciple.

Remember, “we are called not so much because of us as in spite of us, that we are unworthy instruments, that we are not indispensable, and that we need to rely on Someone greater than ourselves or we cannot become His true disciples.”

Filled with the Holy Spirit we are able to rise in our tears and our fears, and from our sins and weaknesses. Meaningful and a mission filled life is a Spirit full life.