1st January 2023
The Child whom the shepherds see in the manger and whom his parents present for his circumcision, and the Spirit who, according to St Paul, cries in our hearts, ‘Abba, Father!’, never cease to reveal to us the true God. We have been taught by the Church and we believe that the Child born of Mary is God, the Son of God. We believe, too, that the Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of the Son, is God, proceeding from the Father and the Son. At our Baptism, we have been plunged into the one life of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. At our Confirmation, we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. The ‘Year of the Holy Spirit’ which begins today in our diocese of Portsmouth offers us a good opportunity to meditate on our intimate link with the Three divine persons.
We are constantly overwhelmed by the infinite dimensions of Christian life. Christian life is life in the mystery of God, within the Trinity, life in God, from God and for God. This goes far beyond what we can grasp for we partake of a mystery, of God’s mystery. This should not make us feel uncomfortable, though. Rather, let us turn to Mary, our Mother and our model. See her wisdom! She did not pretend to understand or master everything. Rather, “she kept all these things, pondering them in her heart”. She calmly went, in the memory of her heart, from events to persons, from words to silence, and from light to love. She considered things without putting herself under any pressure to come to a quick judgement or conclusion.
Note that the basic elements of her life of faith were the same as ours: God’s word in the Holy Scriptures; the holy traditions of the People of God; the presence of the Incarnate Word of God; and the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit who guided her in all her thoughts and actions. She knew how to bring all these together so as to come to a deeper understanding of God’s action and of the way she was called to take part in it.
Generally speaking, the meaning of many events and circumstances is rarely straightforward. It takes us time – sometimes a long time – to grasp why such event happened, such a word was said or such a grace was given to us; and also, why such a trial was sent or such unexpected help was suddenly provided. We say that God allows things to happen: good things, but also less good ones, or even bad ones; but we believe – and we have sometimes experienced – that He is able to bring about a good outcome from what seemed at first sight opposed to His designs, as far as we know them.
Today, for instance, the Church meditates on the death of Pope emeritus Benedict. Those of us who had known his predecessor, Pope St John Paul II, had to adapt to a different style. But we could soon perceive the continuity of God’s work through these two outstanding men whose qualities complemented each other. We are now in the era of Pope Francis whose emphasis is again different. We keep in our hearts the events the Church is going through asking the Holy Spirit to give us the right understanding of the times we are in and of the will of God for our times.
Mary teaches us, today, how to meditate humbly, prudently and wisely on the circumstances of our lives and of the life of the Church and the world, in the light of the presence of the divine Persons. More especially, she helps us to attune ourselves to the all-pervading presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit “searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10). Being the Wisdom of God, He “pervades and penetrates all things” (Ws 7:24). He brings them into divine light. He blesses what is good. He manifests what is lacking in order to heal it. He is the hand of God’s mercy touching the deepest wounds of our sinful hearts in order to cure them. He can thus be described as purifying fire, soothing oil, and comforting water. Under His guidance, our minds and our hearts begin to see how God is at work at all times.
God’s work and God’s presence are better discerned by those who, like Mary and under her guidance, let the Spirit govern their hearts. The Spirit helps them remember things and ponder over them. They thus come to realise how they may compare with what is told of God’s work in the Bible, and to recognise the discreet, even hidden, action of God. This process of peaceful and contemplative discernment of God’s ways and God’s presence is at the heart of the life of the Church, and to some extent of every Christian life. Let us therefore enter this new Year with renewed attention to the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Let us humbly ask the Mother of God to help us, the Church and the world, meditate in our hearts on the things of our lives and ponder them in the light of the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.