Putting on the Mind of Christ

The men of the Friday morning Bible study and later Fr. Mike Suhy in his mass sermon both spoke of the workings of the Holy Spirit, and so I think that is a good place to start these further thoughts about our journey to spiritual growth.

The Bible Study guys discussed the last lines of 2Peter 1, on the gift of prophecy and how it is a gift of the Holy Spirit which, like all of His gifts, requires our cooperation and especially trust in those things which we may not understand.  The guys had several personal examples of events they felt were urgings of the Holy Spirit.  For example, Steve continues to date a woman which he knows is a limited relationship, “If we were to ever get married, we’d have to live in different houses,” yet he spoke confidently that God wishes him to continue the relationship.  Brendon’s dad died after a long illness, and he thought it would be a good idea to spend more time with his family, so they bought a camper trailer and headed north for the weekend.  They had only gone a few miles when the trailer began swaying back and forth, and the trailer and their Suburban flipped and rolled over, blocking US23 for hours, “and blocking MY plans --- permanently.  No one was hurt, but I feel confident that God has other plans for me and my family.  I don’t know what those plans are, but I don’t think getting away to compartmentalize our time together is it.  We’ll pray, and we’ll listen.”  They trust the Holy Spirit speaks, and they want to hear.

The Gospel Friday was about the virgins with the full lamps, and the ones who didn’t plan well.  The latter ones were focused on their plans, and when those plans didn’t go well they expected others to help.  Fr. Suhy explained how the Holy Spirit works to help us see beyond our plans, and expands our hearts so there is room for His much bigger plans.  “He wants to give us more, so we can be ready to give more.”  Later, at the end of the mass, Fr. Suhy stopped and said: “I just have to say one thing more about the parable of the virgins:  When the ones who didn’t plan well asked or more oil, the ones who had the fullness of the Holy Spirit, who were filled with God’s love and wanted to do His will, said no to the others.  When asked for more by those in need, they said “no”.  God does not give us everything we ask for, Fr. Suhy explained.  If we are filled with His Spirit, like Him we may not say yes to (for example) everything our kids ask for.  It is not the Holy Spirit’s work to always give to those who only know their own will, and expect us to obey it when asked.  The Holy Spirit gives us gifts of prudence and discernment.  Sometimes, He will show us, as in the parable, that it is God’s will for us to say “no”.  Sometimes, it is the loving thing to do.”

As the Bible Study guys and Fr. Suhy concluded, sometimes the will of God makes us feel uncomfortable because we do not understand it, but this might be a good thing.  We may not understand “why” He wants us to do something, yet when we feel such uncomfortable urgings, that is when we often are feeling the will of God, fighting our will.  If He gave us every one of our petitions, He would be giving us our will, but His is much better.  Our uncomfortableness is a sign of His will.  This is where trust and humility come in.  This is, as Paul says, “putting on the mind of Christ.”

I have been going on retreats for a few years, and they have been major steps in my faith walk.  I usually go to the retreat center with certain things I wish to speak to God about --- I can’t help but be concerned about the events of my life --- but after I raise my concerns and petitions in prayer there, it seems then in the peace and quiet we spend together, the Holy Spirit tells me HIS concerns and petitions for me.  And in this exchange, I always have found joy.  It’s why I will continue my annual retreats.

To be honest, I never want that joy to end.  When I think about my life --- my failures especially --- it is very tempting to want to always feel that joy of being in the presence of the Holy Spirit, to know God is speaking to me --- ME!!  It is humbling to know He would take time to talk to me, to explain things, to show me clearly His will.  It’s tempting to just go away to some desert monastery and spend the rest of my days in a never-ending retreat.  Yes, it’s tempting, but then that would definitely be MY will, for my personal joy, but if it is only for my joy it seems like that is the definition of temptation.  I will resist.

Last week while on retreat I had an uncomfortable event happen in my life.  Perhaps because my mind was focused on God, perhaps because that Humility Prayer I prayed every night for years is helping to change me, or perhaps because the Holy Spirit just told me firmly to “Zip it!” for a change, but I found myself accepting not questioning the unfortunate event.  I trusted there was a reason, although I did wonder what that might be.  After accepting the situation, I tried to focus again on my prayers and petitions.  And as often happens, I heard silence, but I waited.  I trusted.

It was on the last night of the retreat, early in the morning, that I firmly heard the Holy Spirit speak to me, through my meditative readings of that night.  He spoke, through my readings in Divine Intimacy and The Better Part, of becoming more like Him, in mercy and in love.  In Divine Intimacy, He gave the example of someone asking God for forgiveness, and telling God the penances he would do, or the charities he would do, or even so far as to offer his life to God, for forgiveness.  But God answers that He doesn’t want those things.  “I told you what to do, when I said to pray ‘forgive us as we forgive.’  As I have mercy, I want you to have mercy.  Nothing else is needed.”

In The Better Part, the Gospel was about the Jews asking Jesus: What is the greatest commandment?  And He answers: “To love God and neighbor”.  They asked for the one greatest commandment and God gave them two?  But the meditations clarify that God really only gave them one, for they are meant to be one and the same.  And with the Spirit’s aid I saw that’s what He was saying to me.

I wrote in an earlier posting how we need to respond to God’s invitation to His eternal banquet: we need to commit to change our lives, to know Him better, to better prepare for the banquet He invites us to.  That is a necessary thing, but for some He asks more --- like the parable of the talents --- because He has given more. 

During my retreat days I read the book titled Union With God, which explains St. John of the Cross’ call for deeper intimacy with God.  In my youth, I had read St. John’s writings and was confused, but this book I understood clearly.  I had changed over my lifetime.  It was after I completed the book, however, that I noticed the author was a Carmelite, like the author of the Divine Intimacy book, which meditations so moved me that last night of the retreat.  And then I saw that they were both authored by the same man.  And it all became clear to me.

God calls us to have an intimate relationship with Him in heaven, but He calls us to get as close as we can to that relationship here on earth, through the help of both the Holy Spirit Whom we do not see, and of our neighbor whom we do see.  It’s like a trinity:  us, God, and neighbor.  He calls us to have mercy, as He does.  He calls us to love, as He does.  “He is our Father and we are His children, but if we are all children of the same Father, how is it we do not consider ourselves brothers?” (TBP #273)

The Church is often defined as a human trinity, of the Church Militant (those on earth), the Church Suffering (those in Purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (those in heaven).  We are considered as one Church, worshipping together, growing closer to God together and caring together.  “What you did for the least of My brothers, you did for Me” has great literal meaning.  My retreat started out with a disruption of my plans, of my peace.  It ended with a clear call to not worry about my plans, but to live in mercy and love of God and neighbor.  Those are His plans, for us to aspire to achieve, if we are able.

That is putting on the mind of Christ, a challenge, to me.  And I left the retreat in joy.