the contrary spirit
“They had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia they tried to go on into Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them.” —Acts 16:6-7
Six days from today, the Church begins the Pentecost novena. In this way, we prepare our hearts and open them to the Holy Spirit. Although the Holy Spirit is our Joy, our Hope, and the Desire of our hearts, the Spirit, being God, has ways and thoughts that are very different from ours (Is 55:8-9). Therefore, we naturally are resistant to the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit proves the world wrong about sin, justice, and condemnation (Jn 16:8). The Spirit insists that we constantly realize that Jesus has chosen us out of the world and that therefore we don’t belong to the world (Jn 15:19). The Spirit will convict us as “enemies of the cross” if we are set on the things of the world (Phil 3:18-19).
Because the Spirit is all-knowing and we are not, the Spirit repeatedly must restrict us from going to certain places and doing certain things (Acts 16:7). This is frustrating for us because we feel the Spirit is treating us like children. Yet the fact is that in many ways we are and will always be like children due to our human weaknesses and limitations.
To receive the Holy Spirit, we must choose to be crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14). To receive the Holy Spirit in a deeper way, we must be humble and painfully realistic. Come, Holy Spirit!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I decide to humble myself before You.
Promise: “Through all this, the congregations grew stronger in faith and daily increased in numbers.” —Acts 16:5
Praise: Mariano, a Catholic businessman, witnesses to every customer with whom he deals. His secret of evangelization: “I listen attentively to them and am interested in what is going on in their lives. Soon, when they return the favor, I tell them what Jesus is doing in my life.”
Reference:
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2025, through May 31, 2025. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 4, 2024"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.