Recognizing the Spirit within us

In an effort to nurture my own spiritual growth, I’m going to try (notice the emphasis) to add a “Prayer for the Day” to my entries before I present my reflections on the scriptures.  I hope to have the prayer be related in some way to my meditation.
Prayer for the Day

“Holy Spirit, let me recognize You in my everyday life. I am not always aware of the gifts You offer me so easily, and sometimes I don't want to be patient or gentle. I want to be crabby and selfish. Send down the fire of Your love and let me burn with a new desire to be loving and generous. Let me share that fire with those I meet today.”

Reflection

I would like to picture myself as one who exudes a loving peace and calm, leading a constant interior prayer life and always connected in some mystical way the Holy Spirit. ....But, to be honest, I'm not like that—not always.

Instead I am impatient, tapping my feet and drumming my fingers while in lines, waiting in traffic, enduring frustrating situations, and on and on and on. Occasionally, I am flooded with the grace of patience and a peace in the midst of a situation that would normally be stressful. I can recognize it right away and always feel grateful to the Holy Spirit for this new patience and peace that I am certain does not emanate from me.***

In Acts 5:27-33 there is a good example of some of the graces that come with the Holy Spirit. For instance, we see the formerly cowardly Peter now peacefully standing in court calmly saying, “We must obey God rather than men.” After recounting what those court officers had done to Jesus, Peter adds, “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” He feels the peace and calm of the Holy Spirit and recognizes it, much to the fury of the court officials.

And in John’s Gospel (John 3:31-36) he notes that the gifts of the Spirit are not rationed. Instead those graces are given with a generous and overflowing love. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are clear in our lives when we recognize them. They include peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, charity and joy. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.

And the opposite of these gifts are also clear. When our days are filled with gossip, criticism and judgments, we have lost touch with the Spirit. If we can easily see how others could improve their lives and we hold tightly to the grudges in our hearts, we have forgotten the generous heart of the Spirit who is constantly pouring down graces on us.

***Sometimes, I can’t recognize Him speaking to me right away!  What a sense of humor He can have when He is reminding me of this fault!  At Mass tonight, Father was making a joke that the Book of Acts can read like a soap opera, if you’re not careful.  Think about it.  Acts could be retitled, “As the World Turned”—As the world turned toward Christianity, first by a few, then by hundreds, then by entire communities, and eventually, the world. 

Anyway, as Father was speaking, I thought, “I remember that I got so caught up reading Acts one night that I didn’t get much sleep.”  I remember thinking at the time that it was—as Father said tonight—just like a soap opera.

I just found the blog entry that I mentioned the incident.  Look at the date.  It was the same date as today, May 5!   Like I said, a sense of humor.