When it comes to the trinity—God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit—I think we can sometimes overlook the third person: the Holy Spirit.
We are likely more familiar, or even comfortable, with the Father and Jesus, and perhaps might spend the majority of our prayer communing with one or both of them. Of course, this is fine, since by addressing one we address all three. But the Holy Spirit does indeed yearn to have a relationship with us as well. In fact, in a special way the Holy Spirit works and sustains the life of the Church. He has a special part in our personal relationships with God.
the Spirit of God is not some vague, powerful energy but an actual divine person who loves and knows us (an individual divine person equal to the Father and the Son). And the Spirit is how God works through us—the members of His body—in order to bring about the kingdom.
We read in Scripture that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. Suddenly, this group of huddled and frightened individuals had their hearts set aflame by love for the Lord, bestowing on them gifts for the sake of God’s kingdom. With the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they were able to partake in the incredible and challenging mission of spreading the Gospel to the whole world with courage and love. The Spirit is the active presence of God in the Church today.
But some of us may hesitate after this story. It may not sound like the same experience we’ve had with God and yet, it’s this same Spirit that is available to us in our own lives as well.
While the Holy Spirit can and does still indeed work in miraculous ways—just look at the saints throughout the centuries—for many of us, the Spirit also works the extraordinary into more ordinary means. The Spirit’s presence may come in a small impulse to call someone who is feeling lonely or offer a word of encouragement to someone struggling with sin. It might be a feeling of courage and peace that overcomes us when we feel called to stand up for what is right and just. It may be the removal of obstacles that allow us to fulfill our dreams for the Kingdom.
He is active and wants to move in our lives but sometimes, we have so many distractions we are blinded to how the Spirit moves. We have to make room first in our hearts and lives.
The first step is being available and open.
Because if some of us are really honest, the Holy Spirit may not feel taboo but experiencing the Holy Spirit might feel terrifying.
We might see it as too “feely” or even some strange force is going to flood our lives! But by making room in our hearts for the Holy Spirit we are simply allowing God’s loving spirit to be present. It means actively lifting our heart up and desiring to have God dwell within us.
Sure, sometimes this leads to intense feelings of love or consolation. But often it results in a faithful trust that God is dwelling in our hearts and is leading us, loving us, and present with us in every moment of our day.
Small practices can help us start to be open. I’ve tried to make it a practice of calling upon the Holy Spirit as much as possible. I often try to do this at the beginning of my workday, asking for the Spirit to be present and guide my efforts and labours for the day. In fact, before writing this article about the Holy Spirit I asked for that same Spirit to guide and sustain me!
You might consider taping a reminder to your desk—something I’ve done in the past—or setting a reminder on your phone. Plus, it can literally be as simple as praying “Come, Holy Spirit” at the start of your day.
While I think the first step to seeing the Holy Spirit move in our lives is to simply invite His presence, I think it’s also important to actively set time aside to reflect on how the Spirit showed up.
How did the Holy Spirit help me navigate that obstacle with my co-worker? How did the Spirit give me the necessary courage to not give in to temptation with others earlier that day?
How did the Holy Spirit give me the right words to say over the phone to a struggling family member?
This type of prayerful practice is similar to the Examen. The Examen is a prayerful exercise whereby we review the previous day, intentionally reflecting on where we both accepted and rejected God’s grace. It can help us learn from the day in order to grow in holiness.
Similarly, I think it can be a wonderful practice to consider how the Holy Spirit has made Himself present throughout the day. And we can do this by looking for the effects of the Spirit. Or, as St. Paul tells us, the fruits of the Spirit, which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Did someone offer us a word of encouragement as we were struggling in the midst of self-doubt? Did we witness something beautiful on our way to work that rekindled our hope? Did we feel a sense of peace and courage as we endured a challenging set of circumstances?
In other words, did the Holy Spirit make Himself known to me without my realizing it at the time?
Finally, the more we invite and reflect on the Holy Spirit the better we will be able to discern God’s will for our lives. We’ll be able to choose the path of peace and love more easily because we will have learned to recognize it. We will be able to see how the Holy Spirit is leading us in our lives, and how we’re being called to live out our particular vocation in the world.
This has born out in my own faith life, and I’ve had countless experiences.
In fact, each time I’ve needed to make a major decision in my life—pursue a new job, move to a new city, end a relationship—and I’ve asked for the Holy Spirit’s guidance I have not been disappointed.
Whether I receive wisdom and guidance through a person (or group of people) just when I need it, stumble upon the right Scriptural passage in prayer, or receive a confirming sense of peace that indicates a path forward, the Holy Spirit has always shown up.
Ultimately, to make room for the Holy Spirit we only have to ask—and then look! Especially since the Spirit of God remains ever eager to enter and make His love and peace known both to us and everyone else in our lives.
