Spirit of Energy, Courage, and Love . . .

Image courtesy of Doris Klein, CSA

"May the Force be with you,” advise the Jedi Warriors, Guardians of the Galaxy in the popular blockbuster movie series of Star Wars. This new expression nudged its way into our language and seemed to settle comfortably into almost every conversation. It was a blessing of luck or general good will when individuals parted ways or when warriors were to face some sort of imminent challenge. The Force was the unseen but discernible source of a Jedi’s power, an energy field created by all living things. It surrounded them and penetrated all things. It bound the galaxy together. Certainly Director George Lucas was influenced by particular elements of mythology, philosophy, and theology.

In Sunday's readings, there are two different stories describing God’s Force - the coming of the Spirit. No matter what the details are, the Spirit of God will propel these men and women beyond locked doors, and they will be filled with a newfound confidence in the message they are to preach as they carry forward the reign of God.  

First, let us contemplate the Gospel. It is Easter Sunday evening, and the disciples are hiding in fear in an upper room behind locked doors. This same upper room is where Jesus encouraged them to not let their hearts be troubled and to believe in him, and they would do great works.

Now they are waiting, listening, pondering what to do next with their lives.  As followers of Jesus, they are terrified of the authorities who may come to take them away as recognizable collaborators of Jesus. They fear they may have to face arrest or something even worse.  They pray, puzzled over what was and what will be, wondering if they have been fooled.  They ask one another: Are you sure the tomb was found empty? Are you sure it was him on the road to Emmaus and in the sharing of bread?

Suddenly, Jesus stands before them. He gives them the usual Jewish greeting ‘Shalom;’ but here, it is filled with a deeper meaning, a driving force. He blesses them with Peace, instilling an energy of excitement and joy that breaks through their worrisome spirits.  He breathes on them, and God’s Force, the Spirit – the Sprit that hovered over the chaos, the Spirit that incarnated the Word within Mary’s womb – now with laser like motion, soars over and within the disciples, and they are released, unshackled, set free . . . They will move from terror and hiding to speaking out boldly.  Jesus’ vision now becomes their vision.  His power to heal and forgive is their power. They no longer can be contained, nor can their spirits be restrained.  

There is no more hiding in upper rooms . . .  they will stand among the people in the streets. No more recoiling behind locked doors, they will preach boldly in the Temple. They are transformed from shared fear and insecurity to being empowered with one mind and heart. They will be accompanied with the “surround sound” of the winds of change to preach the mission of Jesus, and thus," all will hear them babble about the love of God and all will understand." (R.R.)

In our First Reading from Acts (which is usually called the Gospel of the Holy Spirit), Luke presents us with a scene in an upper room, 50 days after the Resurrection event.  
The disciples are all in one place, when a noise like a driving wind fills the house, the space ablaze with the fire of God’s presence, and they are filled with the Spirit. They begin speaking in different languages, proclaiming the mighty acts of God. The Spirit has moved in the people as well, gifting them with a hearing and understanding of the amazing works of God.

Just as the Spirit drove Jesus into the desert, here, the Spirit drives his disciples into a galaxy of streets, villages, towns, cities, countries, and lands far, far away from Jerusalem. They now move forward with a power and courage to withstand the imminent challenges as they are bound together in the Spirit, preaching the reign of God – God’s mighty Guardians of the Word equipped, strengthened, and propelled by the Force of the Spirit.
Let us pray:  May the Force – the Spirit of God be with us always!

A compassionate prayer . . .

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks with

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks with

compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours. 

Teresa of Avila

And so we pray . . .

Gracious and Holy God

give us wisdom

to perceive you,

diligence to seek you,

patience to wait for you.

eyes to behold you,

a heart to meditate on you,

and a life to proclaim you;

through the power

of the Spirit

of Jesus Christ our savior.

Amen.

A prayer of St. Benedict

An act of sacred quieting . . .

A Quieting Prayer . . .

I weave a silence on my lips,

I weave a silence into my mind,

I weave a silence within my heart.

I close my ears to distractions,

I close my eyes to attentions, 

I close my heart to temptations.

Calm me, O God, as you stilled the storm,

Still me, O God, keep me from harm.

Let all the tumult within me cease,

Enfold me, God, in your peace.

(Author Unknown ~ Celtic Tradition)

A Blessing for Hope and Courage . . .

Blessing

What we choose changes us.

Who we love transforms us.

How we create remakes us.

Where we live reshapes us.

So in all our choosing,

O God, make us wise;

in all our loving,

O Christ, make us bold;

in all our creating,

O Spirit, give us courage;

in all our living

may we become whole.

Author: Jan Richardson

https://www.janrichardson.com/

Photo by: JH, OSU

Spirit Therapy ~

Image by Doris Klein, CSA

Come, Holy Spirit ~

Replace the tension within me with a holy relaxation,

Replace the turbulence within me with a sacred calm,

Replace the anxiety within me with a quiet confidence,

Replace the fear within me with a strong faith,

Replace the bitterness within me with the sweetness of grace,

Replace the darkness within me with a gentle light,

Replace the coldness within me with a loving warmth,

Replace the night within me with Your day,

Replace the winter within me with Your spring,

Straighten my crookedness, fill my emptiness,

Dull the edge of my pride, sharpen the edge of my humility,

Light the fires of my love, quench within me the flames of envy,

Let me see myself as You see me, that I may see You as You have promised ~

And be fortunate according to Your word, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”                                                                                                      

(Anonymous)

The Art of Shedding . . .

“There is no pain or sorrow which comes to us that has

not first passed through the heart of God.”   -Meister Eckhart

The river birch with its salmon-colored shaggy bark is very hardy – able to withstand frost and wind, and to thrive well in damp riverside soil. About the only thing it cannot tolerate is shade. Shedding its bark is a natural developmental characteristic – the peeling of paper-thin layers makes room for new growth to happen. If the peeling is premature, the tree will become “wounded” and fail to grow.

Sometimes along our journey of life, we come to an awareness that we need to be healed from our inner wounding that resides deep in our soul space. This healing is always a challenge, a process, and a sacred adventure! Much like the river birch trees, we, too, have layers of old wounds that need to be peeled away, each in its own time.

To set out on this inner quest, we (unlike the river birch) learn to befriend the shade – our shadow self, who truly is our teacher – inviting us to name our fears, doubts, pains, and illusions. In so doing, we gently peel off layers placing all into God’s loving embrace.

With each inner “pilgrimage”, we gather courage and integrity to go ever deeper to enter our wounding with grace and faith. We then let grief have its way with us, allowing our tears to bless us as they carry away our hurts.