The Holy Spirit 

   St. Augustine wrote, “If you understood him, it would not be God."  While I don’t claim to understand God, I strive to better know Him.  For some reason I have more difficulty in trying to know the Holy Spirit than the Father and the Son.  Because of that, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in prayer and contemplation in my efforts to better know the Spirit.  The following, as poor as they may be, are my thoughts and reflections.

   God the Father beholds the Son and has perfect and eternal love for Him.  Jesus, the Son beholds the Father and has perfect and eternal love for Him.  This perfect and eternal love of the Father for the Son and of the Son for the Father is the Holy Spirit.  God is love and is also a Trinity of Persons, while remaining One.  Therefore, the Son is love and the Holy Spirit is love.

   The Holy Spirit comes upon us and guides us in love to better know the will of the Father in our lives.  He places within us a love that is unknown to us, a love that, like God, can’t be fully understood.  As humans we far too often associate love with performance.  If someone pleases us, we may love them, if not our love is withheld.  This is not the love of God but the love of a fallen human race.

   When the Holy Spirit comes upon us it is a coming of love.  A love to be cherished but not to be held on to.  It is a love that is to be shared with others.  It is the love of God, a love that is all-encompassing, given freely to all.  Family, friend, neighbor, or even enemy, if He is within us, we must love them as well. 

You are Love.

Fill me with Your love

Help me to love as You love.

Sharing it with everyone I meet. 

Amen