Hello, fellow pilgrims. In our Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus continues to prepare the disciples for His departure, and He tells them that he will not leave them orphaned. He will give them an Advocate—The Holy Spirit. While scripture offers us vivid descriptions and images of The Holy Spirit, it can be a complicated concept to understand and recognize. Images like:
the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove
– Luke 3:22 –
or
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated
and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled
with the Holy Spirit
– Acts 2:3-4 –
But what IS the Holy Spirit? And what is its significance? Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as an Advocate. And we know that an advocate is someone who acts and speaks on behalf of another. But the Advocate Jesus offers us—the Holy Spirit—is even more than that. It is an intercessor both in heaven and on earth. And it resides within each of us, speaking to us and calling us into righteousness. Calling us into Christ-like actions that bear good fruit; fruits that Galatians 5:22-23 identifies as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If we listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to and through us, we make room for the Spirit to help us in our weakness (Rom 8:26), and it will teach us all things and will remind us of everything Jesus asks of us(John 14:26).
You might be wondering, “How? How do I listen to the Holy Spirit? What if I don’t hear it? Or feel it? Or recognize it?”
Like most things, it takes practice. Think of “listening” for the Holy Spirit as a muscle that needs exercise or a plant that needs care. The more attention and care you give to it, the stronger it gets. We will be talking about this on Sunday, so (in Paul Harvey fashion) stay tuned for the rest of the story.
See you on Sunday.
You are beautiful and you are Beloved.
Angela+