HOLY SILENCE

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "The Holy Spirit teaches us everything. It sanctifies us. It assimilates us to God. When we have the Spirit of God, we become incapable of all sin, incapable of sinning. When we have the Holy Spirit, we cannot do evil. We cannot be filled with anger or hate or speak evil. We must become filled, replete with the Holy Spirit. This is where the essence of spiritual life lies. This is an art — th

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul ... as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is ... then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger" (St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent , Step 8: On Freedom from Anger, #14). Ponder: Anger is a killer that destroys our relationship with God, self, and others. Here are a few steps we can take to reduce or e

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Do not go outside, return within yourself; in the inner man dwells truth," (Bl. Augustine, On True Religion ). Ponder: Augustine's call to turn inward reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the indwelling presence of God. In other words, the third person of the Most Holy Trinity does not remain aloof and closed up in the heavenly kingdom. He also lives within us and permeates our body, mind, and

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness." Ponder: This portion of Romans 8:26 translates the Greek word synantilambánetai as "helps." Such a vivid compound word literally means 'to take hold of something alongside someone,' like two people carrying a heavy object together. It doesn't mean 'doing it for you', but 'with you' . In other words, the help in this sentence is directed at weak

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : " Illumination : 'That you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light' (1 Pt. 2:9). " Understanding : 'I bless the Lord who gives me counsel' (Ps. 16:7), for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of guidance and understanding. " Knowledge of the principles of truth : This is one of the essential attributes of the nature of the Holy Spirit and it is

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy." - Written by Saint Augustine (b. 354 - d. 430) Ponder: The Holy Spirit hears u

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : There are varying translations of Exodus 14:14, but two of them, importantly, are rendered like this: (1) "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still ." (2) "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent ." Ponder: The first revelation in this verse may come as a surprise to you. The Lord fights for you . That is a vital reason for the Incarna

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:1). Ponder: As we fast approach Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha, it may seem odd to be told to start thinking about Pentecost. But it makes perfect sense. First, it is important

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "At that time, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him . And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. "And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brou

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: On 25 November, we commemorate St. Gregory the Theologian (c. 329–390) who was a dear friend to St. Basil the Great. This is what he writes in paragraph 29 of the Fifth Theological Oration (Oration 31), often called "On the Holy Spirit." " Indeed, I tremble when I think of the abundance of the titles [of the Holy Spirit] ... Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Mind of Christ, Spi