Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
This prayer shows us that the Holy Spirit does not call us towards idleness, but instead that the Holy Spirit calls us to be active in our practice of faith. It petitions that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us a fire which will ultimately come to renew the face of the earth. A fire is far from idle because it blazes forth and overtakes all that it comes into contract with. This must be the missionary spirit that is alive in the Church and which is thus an active part of our daily life. Again, we are not to be idle, but we are to entrust ourself to the Holy Spirit and thus renew the face of the earth. If we desire renewal in this world and in our own life we must be found active in our practice of faith.
Pope Francis exclaimed concerning the Holy Spirit: “Listen to the Holy Spirit because he is giving people the good news that God loves them and can renew, purify and transform their lives.” We must each ask ourself how our life is currently in need of this renewal, this purification, and this transformation. No matter how out of control our life or our world may seem to be we must remember that the Holy Spirit is always calling us towards something greater.
If we turn our attention to our reading from the Acts of the Apostles we will realize that it was the Holy Spirit who was present in the midst of the apostles and assisted them in accomplishing something greater. In this passage we are brought to what is known as the Council of Jerusalem. It was here that the apostles gathered in prayer and discerned what role that the Gentiles would take within the Church. Here it was decided that laws concerning diet and circumcision did not have to be followed by Christians for all things have been fulfilled through the coming of Christ.
There are two statements made concerning what brought about this decision. (1) This was a decision of the Holy Spirit and (2) that this decision was made through their authority as apostles. Since this council many councils have taken place which have helped to guide the Church in evangelizing the world and thus calling all to holiness.
Christ instructs us of this in our Gospel: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
Therefore may we reflect upon our life and ask what ways that we have cut off the movement of the Holy Spirit within it. May we reflect upon the ways where we can discover renewal within our life that brings forth the missionary spirit which must be present within the Church. May we not stand by idle, but may our faith blaze forth through our interaction with the Holy Spirit. May we allow the Holy Spirit to renew, purify, and transform our lives.
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