Life in the Spirit

 

There’s a passage in the Acts of the Apostles that gives us a glimpse of what “life in the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4) looks like.  The Romans had imprisoned Paul and Silas to silence them from preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.  But a miraculous earthquake freed them from prison bars.  The Spirit can’t be imprisoned, can’t be contained (Acts 16:22-34).

First, the guard and his family came to believe in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then, the guard welcomed Paul and Silas into his home to feed them and tend to their wounds.

Through Paul and Silas, the Holy Spirit had brought about the radical conversion of the prison guard and his family.  Then, the guard’s conversion led him to offer hospitality to the disciples.

The Holy Spirit was at work, giving the guard the gift of faith and empowering him to love the men who had just previously been his enemy.

One night, years ago, after a long day at work I thought, “I should go to the chapel right now and say my Rosary before dinner, so I don’t get so tired and distracted with other things that I neglect to say it later.”  I heard a faint voice say to me, “No, go to dinner and back to the hotel.  The gate will be locked anyway, and it will just be a waste of time.”  Another louder, more authoritative voice broke in and said, “What will it hurt to try?  There’s still the grotto with the Holy Family that you can visit and say your Rosary.”  The second voice was much more convincing, and so I drove to the chapel.  There was only one car in the parking lot, and, as the first ‘voice’ told me, the gate to the chapel was shut and locked (the church and chapel are in an extremely bad neighborhood, with a lot of gangs and criminal activity.  The gate is there to protect the Blessed Sacrament and the people who are there to adore Jesus in perpetual adoration).  I was getting ready to drive off, but the second voice said, “Don’t leave yet.  Try the gate.”  As soon as I got out of my car and walked up to the gate, a man came out of the chapel, as if he knew I would be there.  I asked him if he would mind letting me in.  He said, “Of course not. The woman who is supposed to be relieving us called a few minutes ago and said she was going to be late.  My wife and I were just praying that someone else would show up earlier because we have somewhere to go, as well, and we really didn’t want to be late.”  I knew at that moment that I was “called” by Jesus to come and sit with Him until the lady who was scheduled could show up.  I don’t remember my dinner that night, but I certainly remember my ‘invitation’ from the Holy Spirit to show up at the ‘appointed time’. 

My experience, as well as the story in Acts, are examples of the power of the Holy Spirit as we cooperate with the Spirit’s continual grace in us.  This is what Jesus meant when he proclaimed the Good News: The Kingdom of God is near (Luke 10:9).  Jesus, the incarnation of God, has entered our world.  The reign of God has begun, and it will be fulfilled at his second coming.  In the meantime, the Holy Spirit dwells with us – at work, inspiring us to faith, hope, and most of all to love.

Jesus doesn’t abandon us.  Rather, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is still with us.  As with every generation of Christian since the disciples, it’s now our turn to continue the ministry of Jesus: to care for one another, to love one another.  In other words, filled with the Holy Spirit, we’re summoned to proclaim the Good News — That the Reign of God is near us in Christ Jesus.