Reaching into the reality of the Holy Spirit

Reaching into the reality of the Holy Spirit

We know that the Holy Spirit dwells within our souls, the very life-giving entity of who we are.  It is somewhere deep in an intangible manner that this life of God guides our spiritual gifts.  Without the understanding and wisdom that can only come from the person of God we would no longer exist as a child of his creation.  

On the day we were baptized he became one with us.  Although, if it was an infant baptism our knowledge was not able to discern his presence.  Later in life the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence became a living entity through confirmation.  St. Irenaeus tells us that we receive all the gifts of the Spirit at baptism, but with confirmation these one or more charisms will begin to emerge and we will be led on a path that becomes God’s desire for our spiritual growth.

A question regarding what any of these charisms look like remains a mystery.  We can see the results of the effort put forth when any one of them becomes the deep working of the Spirit through us.  Therein is the reality of the Holy Spirit as depressing attitudes from evil intentions tend to bring another person to their knees and how each of us reaches in and takes hold of the essence of the Spirit within and touches a human need of another.

What then is the role of that person’s Spirit if we're being sent to unleash any specific need for them?  Simply this, the mission of our human spirit is to become one with each other in the same manner that Jesus is one with his Father, and they are one with us, and we are one together.  This is a quote from Jesus during the priestly prayer from John’s Gospel. (Jn 17: 1 - 26).  It is another mystery that lies hidden, but to be sure we must be the essence of sharing with each other God’s presence and opening the closed door to the hearts of each one.

Your gift, given in love for the Father’s pleasure, is the most precious manner to reach out to a brother or sister crying silently, ”Please help me” that your charism will penetrate that needy soul today.  You may ask how can my talent of singing a melodious song or writing a page of words, or even bringing healing to a lost soul become the way to reach into a hurting soul?  None of us knows what will be the process to make anew the deepest needs of another person.  Each one’s needs differ from another and our task is just to use what the Spirit has given us and he will do the rest.  

As we ponder this question as to what or how let us be ready to become the purveyor of good news using what talents we have, and put our best foot forward as the reliever of anguish in another soul.  This is how we reach into the reality of the Holy Spirit.

Ralph B. Hathaway