Trust in the Blessing

During Confirmation interviews I like to explain certain aspects of the sacrament that the confirmands may not have yet considered. Often young people may not realize that in Confirmation they will receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Honestly, from a theological point of view we tend to find less written on the Holy Spirit—maybe it’s a sign of the Spirit’s mysterious work in our lives.  Understanding the Spirit requires the effort of uncovering its presence in our life experience.

As I was looking at the readings for today I noticed right away the reference in Ephesians to the Holy Spirit. It tells us that we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit as first installment of our inheritance toward redemption. In other words, what we receive as believers in the power of Christ is the beginning of heaven. It’s the true blessing above all other blessings, and it’s a foreshadowing of a blessing much greater to come—the blessing of eternal life.

In the idea of blessing we possess the key to a deeper understanding of what this Friday’s readings are all about. God wants us to know that we are chosen and that we will never be abandoned. His love is a love that reaches beyond life and death to something that we have not yet imagined. Being confirmed in the Church and receiving the fullness of the Spirit is like a doorway to an unimaginable degree of blessing that is real in a way that makes the realities of this life appear to be insignificant in comparison.

God’s mysterious ways are confirmed to us daily. I’ve learned that we have to be keenly aware in order to detect God’s presence. If you’re serious about it, and if you pray about it, God will heighten your awareness; you’ll begin to see God in every situation. I really do believe this. Regardless of how mundane something may appear to be, God is present. Regardless of how difficult or impossible a situation may seem, God’s presence is never too far away.

What we’ve got to do is to trust in the blessing. You may have waited many years for something and perhaps you have all but given up; nevertheless, your patience will not go unrewarded. You will receive your blessing—just keep having faith. After all, God know knows you well. You were chosen and that in itself is cause for great rejoicing. It just happens to be the fact that we do always receive the Spirit’s blessing, though sometimes many years pass before we uncover it.

Comments

[Gabrielle]

The beginning of heaven. I can see this in the way that the sense of gratitude and wonder begins to grow and grow here on earth. Now I can understand, in a way that I would never have been able to many years ago, why in heaven there is nothing but, "Holy, Holy, Holy..."

[Honora]

:-) To me, the Holy Spirit is the silent noise of incredible joy in our hearts all through life. His presence is felt in the dark quiet freedom of underwaterness, but far more, He is that leap in our hearts just before Midnight Mass begins, and again on Christmas morn when we open our eyes and try to remember why this day is so special. He is there on Easter Sunday in all our unashamed rejoicing in Mass; He is the feeling when one falls in love, and it is Him from Whom a newborn draws a first breath of air while all the world holds theirs, allowing him or her to breathe a Heaven we've moved too far from. He is the joy breathed out by two or more gathered in Christ's name, and the burning in one's heart is the sign of His presence.

Thankfully, we don't have to understand Him first. He longs to bestow. As Christ said, "If I don't allow them to shout their joy, the very stones will cry out!" They would've!

Beautiful, well-spoken post.