Life in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-11: Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

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I am sure all of us have heard this word ‘spirituality.’  While this word could be understood differently by different persons depending on the context and situation, we Christians understand the word ‘spirituality’ to mean life in spirit – life led by the spirit – Spirit of God and Holy Spirit.

The opposite of spirituality, in today’s world could be – EGO – Someone described this EGO as Edging God out so if spirituality is about inviting God is then Ego is edging God out. Rightly so then, the opposite of spirituality is EGO

From the text we heard from Romans we can pick out the following characteristics as the hall-marks of Christian Spirituality – Christian Life led by the Spirit. We also pick out in the same text the characteristics of life that is being eaten by EGO!

• Live by the law of the Spirit – law of sin
• Live according to the Spirit – life according to the flesh
• Set the mind of what the Spirit desires –life of flesh is death
• Spirit is life and Peace – Flesh is hostile to God
• Be in the realm of the Spirit- realm of the flesh
• Spirit gives life – flesh cannot please God

So, what is spirituality – to live a life that is governed by the law of the spirit, to live according to the Spirit, to set the mind on what the Spirit desires and to be in the realm of the Spirit. This is what spirituality is – what is so evident here ‘action’ that life that is actually lived. It is not enough to say, I am a Christian or I have received the Sacraments or I am daily church goer that defines our spirituality on the other hand it is the kind of actually life we live out there in the world with one another that defines the kind of spirituality we possess.

As humans, we have our own limitations and weaknesses. None is born a saint; one grows up to be a good human a good Christian! So, allow the spirit to work on the weaknesses and limitations, seek the help of the spirit to overcome them and let the spirt build up your good side to make it better and ultimately the best.

Without the Spirit, we remain where we are -static, dormant and inactive just with a big blown ego that is of no use for any.

With the spirt, we become dynamic, alive and active. So, let us possess the spirit, as the Holy Spirit has possessed us. Let us not lose the control that the Spirit has over us, let us make sure that the Spirit continues to hold us. With Ego, we lost the control, we allow the illpower to take hold of us and voluntarily edge the Spirit of God from our lives.

However, it is a struggle between the Spirit of God and Spirit of Flesh called Ego!

St. Paul describes the reality of life, “I don’t understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Is it not our experience too? Each of us has our own forms of erratic behaviour. At one moment we are kind and thoughtful, and in the next moment we are angry and intolerant. Is this the way God wants us to live? Does he really want us to be chaotic in our actions? In Paul’s words, does God really want us to be alternately controlled by the Holy Spirit one moment and by our selfish desires the next moment (Romans 8:5)?

God does not want us to act and think in this way. He wants us to be able to know whether our thoughts come from the Holy Spirit, from the selfishness or from our own fallen nature. He doesn’t want us to be left wondering whether our thoughts and actions are pleasing to him. No, he wants us to know that we really can recognize when our behaviour is of him and when it isn’t. He wants to assure us that we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us grow in our ability to discern God’s will and the movements of his Spirit within us.

Then, we need to begin asking right questions in or life – why am I doing what I am doing? Why am I behaving how I am behaving? Why do I hate someone when I should not? Why do I gossip when I should not? We need to check and clear our motives. What is at play? What is it that I ultimately want?

Sit with an issue and see the issue from the lens of Gospel teachings? Let us rise above the ways of the world, ‘normal human thinking’ and see an issue from God’s eyes? Let us ask that Famous question -what would Jesus do? This is in fact spirituality. With these right questions and proper exanimation of our actions, we let the spirit to take control of us then what do we need in life at all. when we are striving to live in the Spirit, we can become “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).

Holy Spirit is the Source of Positive energy

Galatians 5, 22- 23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Reflection:

Paul in these verses lists nine fruits – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These nine, in my understanding are the source of positive energy, positive spirit and positive attitude in our life. I wish reflect a little today about the Holy Spirit as the source of positive energy in our life.

No one can deny the fact that we all need positive energy in our life. Despite what is going around in our life, in our relationships, in our workplace, we all want to remain positive. It is our wish and desire, that we do not give into any negative spirit, which destroys the peace of mind and heart leaving us in a state of distress with only gloom around us.

My prayer has always been, Lord, give me the positive spirt that I may remain positive – give me the positive energy that I may radiate the positive attitude. Being a Christian -when I am praying this positive spirit and positive energy, I am actually praying for the Greatest Gift of God – the Holy Spirit. I am not however thus reducing the Holy Spirit into a mere psychological construct but in invite everyone to see the holistic role that the Spirit of God can play in our lives.

Paul just exactly says what we need to have in order to possess a positive attitude in our life love not hate; joy not sadness, peace not violence; forbearance not resistance, kindness not indifference; goodness not evilness, gentleness not arrogance and self-control not self-indulgence.   Now, these are the fruits that the Holy Spirit is waiting to give us when we live our lives by its guidance.

It is important that life led by Holy Spirit radiates a positive spirit in all its fullness. The life wisdom has taught me, that by being negative in my thinking, by being negative in my words I destroy myself who is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I end up gaining nothing for myself except accumulating some more negative energy. 1 Cor 6, 19 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

We who have received the Holy Spirit, cannot but, people of positive spirit. If, we do not radiate the positive energy and those who come in contact with us do not get the positive vibe from us, we need to question ourselves as to who is actually leading us – God’s spirit or the evil one?  Gods’ spirit has life energy – we read in genesis – the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. God’s spirit is creative and generative of life, goodness and purposefulness.

Life is meaningful and purposeful only when we are on the positive track of upholding God in what we do and say, upholding ourselves as children of God and upholding others as our fellow brothers and sisters.

There may be things that we cannot change in our lives and in our surroundings which may cause constant stress but then let us not try anymore changing those things but let us change the way we think about them, we see them and we relate to them – Things then can change for the better – instead of waiting for the things to change -why not we change. The spirit of God helps us in this not-so-easy endeavour giving the energy we need and the mindset to change the perspective. This is what happened with the apostles. Because they received the spirit, the external situation did not change but they changed. Their fear disappeared, their uncertainties vanished, they were anew in their thinking and acting.

Let us therefore pray, that despite what is going on, we will change to see things differently – differently – in the light of God.

Now, it’s been listed as to how we can gain the Positive energy and how we can maintain it- we need to pray to the Holy Spirit to give us his fruits – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindess and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control – with these fruits our can nothing short of being a life of positive energy.

This Pentecost let us resolve, that we may grow day by day in the fruits of the Holy Spirit and live our lives giving out positive energy

Holy Spirit, the Companion

When Br Praveen asked me to share a reflection on “the Holy Spirit” as a preparation towards the Feast of Pentecost, that we will be celebrating exactly this day next week, the immediate question that came to my mind was – Who is Holy Spirit to me? Not from what I have learned in my classes during the seminary days – not from what I have read from the books – not from what I have heard from the homilies and sermons, but from my experiences who this Holy Spirit is?

It is said, “There is something wonderfully mysterious about the Holy Spirit.” With the eyes of reason, when we search for the Holy Spirit, we may find the Holy Spirit mysterious but may just rationalize the Holy Spirit missing its wonderful part. With the eyes of faith, when we search for the Holy Spirit, we may find the Holy spirit wonderful but may just spiritualize the Holy Spirit missing its mysterious part. Let us therefore use the reason and faith and experience for ourselves how this Holy Spirit is mysteriously wonderful! Reason appeals to Mind – Let us understand the Mysterious Holy Spirit with our Mind and Faith appeals to heart – Let us love the wonderful Holy Spirit with our heart.  

To explain about someone, as to who he or she is, we always take the aid of imagery that he looks in this way or she looks in that way or he looks like that person or her features resemble someone. The imageries usually help us understand the reality of the person, especially the one, whom we have not yet seen. Yes, the with the physical eyes, I have not yet seen the Holy Spirit but with the eyes of faith, I have experienced the Holy Spirit in my life.  Let us try and understand the Holy Spirit with an imagery – various imageries are used fire, dove, wind, etc – we can also use human imagery!

I take here the imagery of “Holy Spirit as the closest companion” whom I can ever have in my life.  Companion – who is a companion? The other word could be a friend, an associate or a mate. I would further elaborate the concept of a companion to be someone who is with you all the time, someone who you can never part with, someone you may choose to ignore, you may choose to pay no attention to but one who would never leave you! Holy spirit is that someone who is with you always, no matter, even if you choose to disregard his presence within you!

The scripture tells us, “The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you. (Jn 14. 28).” So, friends, we have not been left alone in our lives. Right when we are in the midst of trouble and difficulty, searching through the maze of life to find a path, let us not look for a companion anywhere and everywhere, but the Spirit is there with you, in you and around you – showing the right path! Someone describes the Holy spirit as the divine antidote to the feeling of loneliness! Someone else said – holy spirt is a divine necessity.

It is my experience that the Holy Spirit, as a companion, constantly speaks to you, prompting you to do that one right thing! Now – it is important that you and I listen to this prompting and act in return as a faithful companion to the Holy Spirit.

We see, this God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit was in union with Jesus Christ our Lord as His Companion. Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. The life that Jesus led till he was 33 was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God’s spirit led him to the desert where he fasted and prayed for 40 days, God’s spirit was with him when he received the Baptism, God’s spirit was with him when he started his public ministry, God’s spirit was with him when he was in Gethsemane, God’s spirit was with him when he condemned to die on the cross. God’s spirit was with him as he lay in the tomb devoid of the human spirit, God’s spirit raised Him from the dead. We see how God’s spirit accompanied Jesus in every moment of his life and we also how Jesus faithfully adhered to God’s spirt in him.

It is true that none of can live our lives as islands. We are dependent! We need one another! We can’t just live alone. If this is true of our human life on earth. it is so true even in our faith life, our life with God, we can’t without the Spirit of God. At times, Jesus fully divine and fully human that he was, needed assurance, the assurance came with the Spirit. In our life, faith life, we need to live with the Spirit who has been given to us as God’s Gift.

Let us then brothers and sisters be convinced that we have been given the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is in all of our being, entire being and whole being. It is my experience, personal experience, that I am always guided in my decision making, adopting choices from choosing little things of life to some major things as I would by a human companion. There is a God’s companion within me prompting to do the good, to choose the right – as adults – as Christians brought up in faith – this shall be your experiences too that you have power within that guides you, leads you to do good. While the nature of the Spirit within me is to guide me on God’s path, my human nature has to choose! – either to listen to God’s spirit or ignore and go the way I want to.

There have been times in my life where I have regretted my decisions sometimes, my actions other times – my words sometimes and my choices other times. My feeing then, “if only I had listened to my companion within”. It is not that when I was about to make a bad choice, whatever the context it might be” this companion – the holy spirit was mute or inactive but it is me who chose to ignore, avoid, detach and disobey! Holy Spirit is God’s gift – to get a human companion, we would say it is a gift – The Holy Spirit has been given to us Gift by God himself. So let us not waste on this God’s gift, going about in our life, as we do not have a companion within but let us sharpen our eyes to look within for the companion, let us sharpen our ears to listen to the companion within, let us open our hearts to relate to the companion and let us sharpen our minds to understand that we do have a companion within.

This process of sharpening is not however an automatic guarantee. This process has to be worked out – we need to be tuned in – finely tuned in – which is possible through prayers, participation in the Eucharist, reading the word of God, faithful observance of devotions and leading a life that is pleasing in God’s Sight. So, when we lead a faithful, prayerful life, we will not miss to recognize the Companion, we will not miss to listen to the companion and we will not miss to be guided by the companion.

What a blessing to live with the Holy Spirit in this way. He is our Companion. We have intimate relationship. Holy Spirit e is always at our side to help, comfort, assist, counsel and guide me along the way. Let this feast of Pentecost be a kind of feast of your companion and prepare from now to give the best treat possible to this companion of yours

God bless