Images of the Spirit
Dear Parish Family,
I am excited to begin this new series with you on the Holy Spirit. For me, the Spirit is the under-appreciated member of the Trinity, and yet I see the Spirit at work in so many ways around our parish. The Spirit is very active, inspiring, and encouraging the work of the Lord among our members. He seeks to build up the Body of Christ in and through the Body, the Church (that’s us!)
Some examples: a friend comforts a friend upon learning of some news, a parent reminds a youngster to spend time in prayer before God, a member volunteers to assist with a few small tasks that will largely go unseen, and someone steps forward into leadership with courage. These moments happen daily and weekly. The Holy Spirit is active and making something greater than what could be accomplished through one person alone. Where do you see evidence of the Holy Spirit?
The Spirit builds up by strengthening the bonds of communion and using our talents together for a good greater than what would otherwise be possible. Call it spiritual synergies. Our new Strategic Plan, which I presented last week, is for me powerful evidence that the Spirit has been at work crafting and helping to shape our priorities for the next 3-5 years of our life together. It is exciting! Often the work of the Spirit is exciting, but He can also be disruptive because He calls for growth, and growth is often outside our comfort zone.
Today, I would like to deepen our understanding of Spirit. First, let us talk about prayer: raising of the mind and heart to God. When you lift your heart to connect with the Almighty, to whom are you connecting? How do you address God?
My bet is that often, the Holy Spirit is not the first Divine Person that comes to mind. And yet this is the Age of the Spirit, the epoch of the Church, the time of the Advocate or Paraclete whom Jesus promises to send (see: Jn 14:26ff), “the Spirit of truth” who will lead us into all truth and remind us of what Jesus taught us. We ought to have the Holy Spirit more on the tip of our tongues.
One way to gain a better sense is through the images used in Scripture that refer to the Holy Spirit (see Catechism n.687ff). The main image of the Spirit may be the dove, which appears at Christ’s Baptism, but also plays a key role in the flood. Doves are gentle and when they take off, their wings flap together creating subtle noise so we can be aware of their presence.
The Holy Spirit is also associated with key elements: wind, water, and fire. In Hebrew, ruah, means breath, air, and wind - all ways to refer to the presence and action of the Spirit passing among us, making his presence known, yet also without being able to be “caught.” Water can be barely noticed or quite powerful, even overwhelming. We pray “send down the Spirit like the dewfall” when we ask for the Spirit to come down on the gifts of bread and wine, the epiclesis. The Spirit is also described as a fire - the tongues of fire at Pentecost, the fire of the burning bush. Fire transforms that which it burns, suggesting the “transforming energy of the Holy Spirit’s actions” (CCC 696). All three leave evidence of their presence without really being contained.
There are other images of the Spirit, but I hope these few can give us a starting point to attempt to grasp His action in our lives. Often, it is gentle - almost unnoticed - although sometimes it can be powerful and overwhelming. When we begin to recognize the Spirit, whether He comes softly or strongly, His presence will become unmistakable.
My deep hope during these weeks is that each of you grows in the sense of the Spirit so as to welcome His presence in your life and prayer. Together let us deepen our relationship with the Holy Spirit!
Fraternally yours,
Fr. Joel
