Listen to God and respond in love

May 11, 2008 -- Pentecost Sunday

By Bishop Robert Morneau

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. What is your favorite image or symbol of the Holy Spirit? 2. Do you invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit when you read the Bible or celebrate the sacraments? 3. In what sense is the Holy Spirit light, love, and life?

Franciscan Capuchin Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa holds degrees in theology and classical literature. As of 1980, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II to be the preacher of the Papal Household, giving conferences and sermons to the pope and cardinals in Rome. Liturgical Press published Cantalamessa's "Come, Creator Spirit: Meditations on the Veni Creator" in 2003. Several passages might guide our meditations on this Pentecost.

"When we try to speak of the Holy Spirit, symbol, image, song, poetry and prophecy are perhaps more suitable media than concepts and reasoning" (4).

Wind and fire are powerful elements on this planet earth. But they are ambiguous elements in their capacities to either give life or destroy life. In the "Acts of the Apostles" we hear of a driving wind that suddenly filled the place where the disciples were staying; we hear of tongues of fire descending upon them bringing about a graced transformation. These symbols speak of the power of God to bring about change in the lives of individuals living in fear.

There are other ways to gain entrance into knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit. Song can do, as can poetry. As we sing "Come, Holy Spirit," the heart is invited to welcome into its sanctuary the very life of God. Hospitality is essential, a warm, gracious welcome to God's visitation. If given, we experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Poetry too can mediate the gift of the Spirit. As one poet, Jessica Powers, proclaims: "To live with the Spirit of God is to be a listener . . . To live with the Spirit of God is to be a lover." Again we are back to the core of spirituality: listening to God's word and responding to it in love. Nothing more or less is asked of us.

"To read the Bible without the Holy Spirit is like opening a book in the dark" (247).

St. Paul reminds us that it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can say that "Jesus is Lord" and really mean it. The Spirit does three things: enlightens us to see, enkindles us to be on fire with God's love, and empowers us to hear and live God's word. This same Spirit is necessary if we are to read the sacred Scriptures with any real insight. The Scriptures were written under the inspiration of the Spirit; the Scripture can be correctly read only if the Spirit is our guiding force.

"The same Holy Spirit, who as light takes us from ignorance to the truth, as love takes us from self-centeredness to love of others" (261). When Jesus appeared to the troubled disciples in that locked room, he bestowed upon them peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was that Spirit that flooded their minds with the truth of who Jesus was; it was that Holy Spirit that drew them from their own self-centeredness into a life of sacrificial love for others. The consequence of this transformation was joy and peace.

One last reflection from Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa: "The Spirit is at the same time ineffable truth, generous love, and invincible glory" (274).

(Bishop Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Green Bay Diocese and pastor of Resurrection Parish in Allouez.)