By Most Rev. Dr. Yvon Ambroise, Bishop of Tuticorin
When we read the Acts of the Apostle we read about the Ascension of Christ, namely Christ leaving this world and his apostles, entrusting them to the working of the Holy Spirit. The parting advice to his apostles was to prepare themselves in prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Prayer, as per the instruction of Christ, goes along as a means of sensitizing oneself to the movement of the Spirit in the life of the Church which was born in that atmosphere.
Hence a Priest should sensitize himself to the living presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in his life. Let us search for the meaning, utility and the necessity of prayer to sensitize oneself to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in each one of us.
Mary, the Model of a Life, Sensitive to the Holy Spirit Mary was the first woman to be activated by the Holy Spirit, who acted on her body to create the human person of Jesus Christ by giving him a body through her. She cooperated fully to the action of the Holy Spirit by consenting to it willingly. She was guided at every step by the same Spirit in every activity, particularly in the most important events of her life. She cooperated fully with the plan of God at the conception in her womb and at the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem.
After the birth of Jesus, several events took place: the coming of the shepherds to see Jesus, the angelic choirs singing in heaven, flight to Egypt, the presentation of Jesus in the temple and finally Jesus as a boy of 12, lost and found again in the temple in Jerusalem.
These were events that made lasting impression on her and at the same time they were all beyond her full understanding. But she did not dismiss them as stray events or bad experiences but kept them and reflected over them in her heart. We get this expression twice in Luke 2:19,51. “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19.). “And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart (Lk. 2:51.)”. She tried to understand the full significance by imprinting them in her heart and by reflecting over them repeatedly. Luke used twice the same word „treasured‟ to emphasise this experience. She could discover thus the action of the Spirit in her life and a good understanding of those events with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Even after the life of Jesus on earth when the people gathered to pray together for the coming of the Holy Spirit, Mary was present with them praying for the Spirit in the great event of the birth of the Church. She was the only person in the assembly to have known and experienced the creative power of the Holy Spirit in her. She accompanied Jesus from the moment of conception to His death on the cross. Thus it was right and just that she was present during the birth of the Church. We see hence the acquaintance of Mary as well as her spirit of cooperation to the Holy Spirit at every moment of her life. Thus she is for us a model towards the process of sensitization of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and apostolate.
Docility to the Holy Spirit, a State of Mind to become sensitive to Him
Following the life of Mary in order to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit we discover that docility to the Holy Spirit is the fundamental characteristic of mind and heart. As St. Paul says in Rom 8:14. “For all, who are led by the Spirit of God, are sons of God”. Unless we are activated by His Spirit we shall not belong to Christ. The same is stressed in Rom 8:9. “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
Consequently our efforts need to be oriented in such a way that we are activated by His Spirit and that we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit. Our full docility to the Spirit is a necessity. It would imply three fundamental attitudes in our life: do not sadden the Spirit, do not resist the Holy Spirit and do not extinguish the Holy Spirit. Let us search each one to clarify in us the working of the Spirit.