Welcome back to Waiting for the Spirit! This online retreat will lead us from Ascension to Pentecost. Feel free to post your reflections in the comments area below each day’s content as we encourage one another in prayer.
The Grace I Seek
I pray for the grace to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life.
Scripture
Read today’s Scripture readings: May 23, 2020, Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter.
Brendan McManus, SJ, reflects on today’s Gospel, John 16:23b–28. McManus is the author of The Way to Manresa and Redemption Road.
For Further Reflection
The Holy Spirit is a Person, not an “it.”
Jesus ascended to the Father so that he might send us his Holy Spirit, who renews the face of the earth and each one of us. One cannot believe in Jesus Christ without sharing in his Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals to us who Jesus is. “For ‘no one can say “Jesus is Lord”, except by the Holy Spirit.’” (CCC 152) How does the Holy Spirit reveal who Jesus is in your life?
Take some time to ponder the message that God shares with you today through the Scripture readings and reflections. When you are ready, proceed to the closing prayer.
Closing Prayer
Gretchen Crowder leads us in prayer.
Fr. Brendan: Yes, thank you for your instruction “must pass thru gaze of Jesus”…such a foundational ‘commandment’ will help me as I pray to hear “the deepest part of me that speaks the truth of what You (Jesus) have in mission for me “ (Gretchen C. ) (Thank you Gretchen). Yes, Fr. B. may I too grow to be ‘involved, implicated and set free, free to be available for what God wants (not what I want). May I hear and embrace God’s mission give specifically to me, ‘May I use it to reach out and may I reflect the Father at all times’. Amen
Fr. Brendan,
Thank you for your talk and for signing Redemption Road for me. Your book was given to me by Fr. Joe Mullen after I did the Camino. Let’s pray for Fr. Joe who has been so meaningful to me in my life. God Bless you two great men from the wee north.
Brendan O’Connell.
Thank you for a beautiful reflection from Fr Brendan
I am blessed to hear the joy that we receive by letting go so that the love of God pours into our heart in fresh and vibrant ways with those we are entrusted to love and care for in our lives.
Thank you for an amazing retreat.
May the Holy Soirit guide us faithfully along this journey.
Thank you for the reflections. I am praying for each and every person making this retreat that each one of us is able to “discover God’s mission for us personally.” May we each contemplate and recognize our unique gifts given to us by God so that we may continue on our “mission to reveal God’s love to the world.” Come Most Holy Trinity and wrap us each up in your loving embrace.
Thanks Brendan, the words ‘It has to pass through the gaze of Jesus His lifestyle, His values….’ have caught me and will I hope pave the way for the Spirit
God is so good and needed today. We pray daily for his mercy and grace for all our family and friends. Thank you for sharing this Retreat which is so needed and loved..
The practicalities of today did not go as planned…. an invitation to let God take over the planning….
Deepening appreciation of the Our Father as “asking the Father “
True consolation that I am.held in the embrace of the Holy Trinity in my life’s journey
I needed this particular ending prayer right now in my life. Thank you.
Today’s retreat content helps me understand ‘waiting’ not as a passive holding pattern with a lurch forward upon recognition of Hey that’s the Spirit!, but an interior journey and attitude of seeking to understand the Trinity in relationship among the Persons, and the relationship I have in coming to know and live out God’s will. Thank you!
How beautifully said. Thank you.
Today I read, in another source, “Longing, yearning is also Prayer…. as is suffering, anguish.” This offers such Hope. 🕊
Father Brendan—
Thank you for sharing! As a former Benedictine (St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minn.) I can and do appreciate your message.
Daniel (Nathan) Simmons
I’m a day late starting this retreat but I have played catch-up. Thank you sincerely for your thoughtful sharing and personal stories. Much appreciated.
Many thanks for this beautiful Novena Retreat.
As the day opens with sunshine and walk into the light of the day and overlook the lake, I reflect on Gods creation, His Love embraces, and the Holy Spirit speaks and gives all I need and comforts my spirit.
Wow! We are agents of God’s Love, doing what Jesus did, in being faithful to love and compassion in the world. Thank you for this wonderful uplifting retreat! I feel my cup filling up between yesterday and today.
The blessings and the cost of discipleship. It asks everything of us and gives us all we truly need.
I believe the Spirit is at work in my life. Early in the morning today I faced a humiliation for going late to community prayer. Yet, reflecting over about it during my meditation for once I was able to thank God for this, in spite of the embarrassment I initially felt. It was something that showed that I was not all that ‘perfect’ and had my limitations…all be it I need to be more careful in coming punctually for community prayer. Thank you Lord for giving me the courage to accept myself as one that was not perfect.
I am very grateful for this retreat! A group of seven of us are participating in it together and planning to share with one another our reflections, prayers, questions, etc.
Thank you so much for putting on this retreat. I am lapping it up; it’s helping to nourish and quench my thirst for deep reflection on Jesus life and teaching. God bless
I am loving the retreat. May God bless you for what you do. IT is short, profound and food for thought!
Thank you (Ani Cape Town South Africa)
For all the shared prayers and reflections, thank you so much.
May I continue to feel God’s presence and see the guiding light of the Lord’s Advocate.
Come Holy Spirit, come 🙏
Come O Holy Spirit and renew the face of the Earth. Thanks Brendan and Gretchen.