Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
Have you ever dreamed of what it would have been like to live at the same time as Jesus lived, to have been in his presence, to have heard him speak, perhaps to have been one of his disciples?
Have you also considered that in some ways we have an advantage over those who lived with, heard, and followed Jesus?
If what Jesus tells us in the course of his farewell discourse is true – and it undoubtedly is – the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst is a stronger influence in our lives than the physical presence of Jesus. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will guide us to all truth.
Sometimes people try to use the Scriptures to speak to the problems and difficulties that we deal with in the 21st century. However, it must be said that the Scriptures do not address every situation or every contingency. While there are broad guidelines offered in the commandments and in the Gospels, they do not really address some of the situations we have to deal with today. The world of the Scriptures was a much smaller world, a less complex world, a simpler world.
However, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst who does help us to address these difficulties IF we listen to the promptings of the Spirit. Listening involves putting on a contemplative attitude. It means that we must take time out on a regular basis to simply dwell with the Spirit, to plumb the depths of wisdom that the Spirit makes available. It involves take the time necessary to experience the quiet murmurings of the Spirit. When we spend time in quiet prayer, we are able to listen and come to understand the truths with which the Spirit guides us.