Movements of the Spirit: The Action of Love

The Holy Spirit moves. The Spirit is action, feeling, inspiration, breath, motivation, love. Love requires choice; it requires us to move from a disposition of the self to a disposition for others. The Spirit, as God, as Love, embodies the movement of God and presents God to us in many different ways. When we refer to the Holy Spirit in this way, it feels abstract. It can be difficult to grasp the enormity of what it means to say we have the Holy Spirit within us. It can be comforting and disconcerting, beautiful and unsettling that we might be changed by the presence of the Spirit.

We hear over and over again in Scripture that the Spirit provides and the Spirit inspires. The Spirit drives us to action, to prayer, to resistance, to proclamation. When the Holy Spirit is made known in Scripture, it fundamentally changes those who encounter it. Think of Elijah in the First Book of Kings; he recognizes God’s presence, the presence of God’s Spirit, in the whispering of the wind and finds the courage to follow the path God had set for him. Think of Jesus’s baptism, a story found in all four Gospels; all three persons of the Trinity are united in the moment of Jesus’s entrance into his ministry. Jesus’ life, and the life of the world, is never the same after the Spirit descends upon him. Think of the Creation story, when the Breath of God - Ruah - is all that was needed for life to begin. It was the spark that started the glorious journey of our Universe, breathing into existence all that has ever been and ever will be.

There is no better example of this than the story of Pentecost. On the birthday of the Church, the Holy Spirit presents itself as a strong driving wind, as tongues of fire, and the ability to speak in different languages. It takes on these varied forms in order to connect to the people present in that moment. The Spirit transforms Christ’s disciples in profound ways, so much so that they will never be the same. From the time of Jesus' death until the moment the Holy Spirit descends upon them, the apostles and Jesus’s closest followers were terrified for themselves, scared that the fate of Jesus might befall them as well. They seemingly forget their mission to bring about the Kingdom of God and hide away in order to protect themselves. A cosmic shift occurs when the wind and fire and tongues push them out into the public, allowing them to speak and be understood, allowing them to recount the great works they witnessed, allowing them to perform miracles.

Pentecost continues today; the movement of the Spirit did not stop when the Church was born, but carries on, sustaining and supporting us as members of the Body of Christ. While Pentecost may be the commissioning of the disciples, the moment they are truly sent outward into the risk and responsibility of living the Gospel, our commissioning is ongoing. When we authentically encounter others we are encountering God, embracing the Spirit of God within that person. When we trust in God, the Spirit transforms our fear and confusion into courage and witness. This same Spirit moves today, encouraging holy disruption. It appears as ordinary acts of fortitude, love, protest, forgiveness, creativity, and service. We are called to move with the Spirit beyond what holds us back, to become participants in God’s transformative work of love. Let us be willing to move.

Today's Readings

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Growing up in a "very Catholic" household, Sara is a cradle Catholic who never saw her future in ministry. Yet, she spent a decade in high school teaching and campus ministry. After completing her Doctorate in Ministry from Catholic Theological Union, she has transitioned into the spirituality and wellness space, focusing on ministry. Sara holds a BA in theology, peace studies, and Italian literature and an MA in catechetical theology. As a student of theology, literature, and philosophy, Sara has always enjoyed writing, in particular reflections and prayers. A loooong time ago she had a travel blog and was a writer for a Catholic humor website, Epic Pew. Sara is currently the Associate Director of The Well Spirituality Center in LaGrange Park, IL, a ministry of the Congregation of St. Joseph.