The Holy Spirit fully alive

An artist’s depiction of a scene from the Pentecost appears in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. CNS photo / Crosiers

We just experienced Pentecost in our Catholic Christian faith, which is the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Christ. Originally, the feast day signified the coming of the Spirit as tongues of fire upon the frightened, discouraged followers of Jesus, as they huddled together unaware of what their next move should be.

They were followers of Jesus and they allowed him to lead them. Now that he had ascended to the Father, they felt so alone, lost and unsure.

How often do we feel like that? Becoming fully an adult, especially an adult with a mature faith life, signifies that we are prepared and ready to take the lead, to move to the front of the line and to provide guidance for those who follow after us. Rarely do we feel ready for such a position, even if we find ourselves in such a situation. We may look around and wonder who will provide directions and inspiration for us. We may wonder who will give us the steps to take so that we are sure we are moving in the right direction.

We all know that, as adults, hopefully we have gained the wisdom and insight to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice in our head and our heart and have a deep, accurate awareness of what that next step should be. There is a saying, “Just do the next right thing.” If we can take each day, dedicate ourselves to doing the next right thing, to making the next right choice, we can have confidence we are following the way of Jesus, who always provided the next right step for his apostles and disciples, even when it meant going to the cross.

Jesus did not compromise his message, and neither should we. We must know who we are as Catholic Christians, which is found in our Catholic Identity, and then follow the Catholic doctrine, which is found in the Catholic social teachings. These teachings ideally help us develop critical thinking skills, which in turn, lead to life leadership skills, which help us to become a virtuous person. If we refuse to compromise, we will likely find ourselves on the outside of a group, due to our willingness to speak up and stand firmly for the defense of our faith.

Catholic Christians have a beautiful witness in the over 10,000 saints who have been canonized. We should be able to identify someone with whom we resonate and learn more about them and their courageous acts on behalf of the faith. When you find saints who speak to you, take time to learn more about them and their lives, so that you can pray to them for inspiration, guidance, comfort and encouragement. We are a faith that is celebrated in community. It is this communal aspect that we are encouraged to facilitate and build each day.

During this first month of summer, make a commitment to attend Mass each week, even if you are on vacation. Make time for personal prayer every day. Throughout this month, read an inspirational book to contemplate the sacraments, a book about the life of your chosen saint, or take time with our Lord in the adoration chapel. We are the people who are bringing Christ into the world in which we live. We must make a concerted effort to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is fully alive within us and to shine in our world today. Be a beacon of light wherever you go and encourage others to live their faith courageously.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose of Woodbury.