Today’s first reading gives us a glimpse into the charism of St. Paul — a man led by the Spirit. His words remain straightforward and honest. They remain confident and unafraid. “But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there, I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me” (Acts 20:22-23). Look at his trust. He does not see the road ahead of him, but he continues to say yes. How encouraging. How comforting. It is a reminder that I do not need to see in order to believe. I do not need to understand. Like St. Ignatius of Loyola, we can say, “Show me the next step and your grace and that will be enough for me.” We can remain satisfied, knowing that the less I see or know, the greater my confidence can be. But how does Paul reach this point of trust?
A Close Friendship
I would like to propose the idea that Paul grounded himself in a close friendship with the Holy Spirit. Friendship. That is right. Paul could only have been led by the Spirit if he knew Him. We talk about knowing Jesus Christ or knowing the Father, but often friendship with the Holy Spirit can be overlooked. When we speak about friendship, we mean a close unity between two people. Friendship implies a sense of intimacy and the practice of ‘letting down one’s guard.’ It means letting another into one’s inner life. Ultimately, friendship means communion.
Recently, I have been working on my surrender, which, for all of us, is always a work in progress. A friend recommended that I spend half an hour each afternoon letting the Holy Spirit “work on my heart.” It is strange but true. That is what Paul did. He let the Holy Spirit work on his heart.
Work On My Heart
Let us face it. Like St. Paul, if we say yes, we will be led where we do not know because “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). And more often than not, this will be where we “do not want to go” (John 21:18). But when we respond with a full-hearted fiat, we will join St. Paul in exclaiming, “I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:). That is what the Holy Spirit does. It leads us into all truth (John 14:16).
As the Easter season wraps up, we approach Pentecost. Christ has given us fifty days to prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today marks the fifth day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit. What if we spent a few minutes every day, took a few breaths, and said quietly, “Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come and work on my heart.”
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful and renew the face of the earth.
O Holy Mary, spouse of the Holy Spirit. Show Him to us. Let Him overshadow us, and we will be satisfied.
