Come, Holy Spirit!

Come, Holy Spirit! Melt me, mold me, fill me, and use me for the good of your people. ~ Prayer in Morning Devotional

Pentecost or the "great fifty days" has been reduced to one day by most people's understanding. It actually is the whole 50 days from Easter to now. Joan Chittister describes Pentecost as “a delicious time. A shaft of light has come to pierce the uncertainties of the seeking. We are living now with a torch in our hands, however dark the darkness.” She further encourages Christians to let the Spirit transform us so that our lives and Christ’s melt together and become one.

Today when I woke up, I had a desire to go to church, even though I had been last night at the prison service. I wanted to go somewhere that I knew the Spirit would be blowing through, a mass where joy would be prevalent. I found it at St. Kizito, the African Church in St. Boniface. The tri-lingual service was beautiful and just what this soul needed to be refreshed. The mass itself was in French and English with music in various African languages. What a blessing!

I felt transported across the ocean—the drums and percussion, the singing, the clapping, the rising to bring your offering to the altar, the women’s dresses, and the men’s shoes all made me think of my time in the Great Lakes Region. At one point, I could feel the Spirit blowing through me, as a wave of emotion swept over me. I don’t often talk about how much I miss Africa to people here, but at that moment, I did miss it terribly. I am pretty honest with myself about things but I do know I ignore my feelings on this topic. Today though, I could not.

On this Feast Day of the Holy Spirit, I could not help but wonder if God was nudging me to examine again my love for a nation so very far away from here where my gifts were so well used. The gifts of the Spirit are a blessing and I do want to serve God with them in order to return them properly. I want to be used for the common good of the people. I feel a wee bit unsettled tonight as I ponder this dilemma.

On the other hand, I do feel as if I am using the gifts here. The joy of the Risen Christ is crucial on this Feast Day. Today we receive the Spirit, the very breath of God in our lives. Set me on fire, dear One. May I be refreshed by the Wind that whips through my life this day and always.

How about you? In what area of your life is the Spirit blowing through today that you need to take notice of?

Peace,

Suzanne