Holy Spirit, burn away the dead wood...
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More work on the yard this weekend. It feels endless. Mostly gathering up the debris and old wood and putting it into the fire. Saving what is good to be used later.
It is Pentecost. Praise the Lord! And I keep thinking of the Fire that illuminates, consumes, and burns away the dead wood.
Today I am committed to praying one of the scary prayers and the great effort of response...
Holy Spirit, I surrender. Burn away in me all that is dead. Transform me in Your purgative fire. Change my life again. Amen.
I cannot pray such prayers without an internal hesitation and reservation. But I am told faith is like a muscle. We keep flexing and working the weak flesh and eventually it can do what it could not do before.
Perhaps by the time I die, I will have only a tiny hesitation left, and then the Spirit wil blow it away with His inestimable mercy.
On this birthday of the Church, let us not confuse the work of the Spirit with the work of man...
Men and women are complicated. But Pentecost is not complicated.
When the people saw the manifestation of the Spirit on Pentecost, they were astonished and asked Peter what they should do. (Acts 2) Peter replied:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
St. Paul later tells us that the works of the flesh must be burned away if we are to live in the Spirit. (Gal 5) So being part of the Church means to have faith and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit...
And then respond with great effort and zeal for the Lord. Participating in allowing the Holy Fire to get rid of what is not of Him. It seems like a fitting day for me to face the scary prayers and offer them quickly before I chicken out!
St. Basil says that the power of the Spirit will be given according to the measure of our faith. Well then...
Let is begin again. Lord, increase my faith!
Come, Holy Spirit! 🔥