Posts Tagged ‘Accepting the Spirit; The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament’

Accepting the Spirit

Thursday, November 12th, 2015

Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Wis 7: 22b – 8:1; Lk 17: 20-25

Dc. Larry Brockman

So much for the argument that the Holy Spirit was not mentioned in the Old Testament! Because the beautiful and deep and pervasive description of the Holy Spirit is right there in that first reading. Yes, it is all right there, and has been in front of us the whole time.

Close your eyes and listen to it again: “In Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained; Certain, not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly; Firm, secure, tranquil, all powerful, all seeing, and pervading all spirits.”

Don’t you realize that you have that spirit living inside of you? You received that Spirit in Baptism, at Confirmation, and you receive it again whenever you receive the sacraments. Yes, the Spirit is right there inside of you, dwelling within you as believers, as those committed to the Lord, Jesus Christ.   And if you really appreciate that, then you will understand what Jesus means in today’s Gospel about the Kingdom of God. Because if you can learn to feel the Spirit of God within you, and act on his promptings, then truly, the Kingdom of God is present to you right here and now as well; because the Spirit brings with Him all of the qualities we just read off.

I cannot imagine anyone who feels protected by the Spirit of the all-powerful God dwelling in Him that is, intelligent, tranquil, kind, and possesses all those other qualities we mentioned, that wouldn’t feel secure and happy and joyful with their life, no matter what was going on around them.

The problem with our society, of course, is that it looks for the wrong things in life. People want a quick fix or a unique experience in their lives rather than to trust in God and follow Him. And so, they look for something other than what the Spirit of God within their hearts prompts.

That of course, is what Jesus says at the end of the Gospel. So, we have people today who tell us: “Look, there he is” and “Look, here he is”. Jesus tells us, as he told his Apostles, not to be fooled by that. Yes, don’t be fooled by latter day prophets who abandon the Church and its teaching In favor of someone’s personal revelations. We see this all the time- Moslems, Mormons, 7th Day Adventists, Jehovah’s witnesses, and modern megachurches are all examples. They say have found something new and revolutionary- and that we will find salvation through them.   No, that isn’t true. Salvation came through Jesus Christ and the Trinity. The Spirit was Jesus gift to us as Jesus left the world physically.

That’s what Pentecost was all about. And when we believe, and we embrace the Spirit dwelling within us, by following the promptings of the Spirit, accepting His gifts, and bearing his fruits, then all the good things mentioned in the Book of Wisdom happen to us: The spirit “…passes into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets. For there is nought that God Loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom. and “Wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. ”

The kingdom of God is not something that can be observed and it will not be announced. It is already buried within you. The Spirit of God is there to pervade your being and lead you to God.   And when it is your time, then “just as the lightning flashes, so will the son of man be in his day.” Yes, he will be there for you at the Second Coming. But first, you must experience and live through your trials and the suffering it entails, just like Jesus did.