We just celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, a feast day in praise of the gifts of God who is the Lover; the Son, Jesus, who is the Beloved; and the Holy Spirit who is Love. I like how Father Johan put it, the Spirit who is the personification of every act of love. I needn’t be so smug at every act of love performed successfully, it is the Holy Spirit working in me.
Pope Francis tweeted this: The Holy Spirit impels us to love not only those who love us and think as we do, but to love everyone, even as Jesus taught us. He enables us to forgive our enemies and the wrongs we have endured. He inspires us to be active and creative in love.
This is the crux of Christian love, it is not just the acts of love that are easy to perform, for people whom we love and who love us in return, those are the low hanging fruit that pose no challenge spiritually.
We are called to love as Jesus encouraged us to do and actually did: He forgave those who maliciously hurt Him in every way imaginable before putting Him to death. It is all not so easy to put into action.
Inside of me is this internal voice that never keeps silent when I feel aggrieved, unhappy or dissatisfied with something or someone. It tells me how I should feel, what I should say, how I should react self-righteously and sometimes I do let it dictate my actions, but often to my regret for it is usually not the most loving thing to say or do. I often end up acting like a child with no impulse control.
The better way, the hard way, is to take a moment in my rage and make the mature decision to die to self. This means disarming that inner voice and giving the Holy Spirit space to operate freely. The inspiration to act in love will come (pray, pray, pray away the anger and hurt).
When I allow the Spirit to talk to me and He tells me what I should do, which I may do quite unwillingly, still disgruntled and outraged at the injustice done to me, I give the Spirit authority, power to stretch me out of egoistic self to always do the right thing.
This is where the magic happens. What I say and do with the Holy Spirit acting in me often surprises me for I didn’t know I had that kind of love living within me. And, somehow, that act of love teased out of me changes me for the better. I feel good about myself, very empowered, plus friction was averted, it’s a total win-win situation.
This is sanctification, the Spirit inspired goodness that I receive and give to the other who ‘wronged’ me. It is a love that is inclusive, that allows me to forgive the other and seek for ways to mend the breach, real or imagined.
It is alive and full of creativity, it shows me the many ways I can act in love and turn any situation around. I won’t always succeed, and it could take a while, but I should never give up in trying to live out this love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit which already resides within me. I just need to let it out more and more. And when I do, I resemble my Creator most, in image and likeness.
May the Father, Son and Spirit be with you today.
