But I have told you all this, so that when the time for it comes you may remember that I told you. (John 16:4)
Let us remember that the words of today’s Gospel (John 15:26 – 16:4) were spoken at the Last Supper, where Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death and resurrection. From now on they will to have to learn to recognize his presence in a different way. The Holy Spirit will continue the work of Jesus.
His disciples will be criticized for their values, judged for their behavior and badly-treated for their beliefs (as we continue to experience today), but the Holy Spirit will keep them strong by reminding them of all that Jesus means and teaches.
St Eugene lived this reality in many situations as a Christian, a priest, a missionary religious and as a bishop. Never once did he despair or give up – he always relied on the strength of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer and his daily Gospel study and meditation, he “remembered” all that Jesus was, and was guided and loved by him.
On retreat in 1811 he prayed:
that the Holy Spirit… may come to rest on me in all its fullness, filling everything within me with the love of Jesus Christ my Saviour, in such a way that I live and breathe no longer but in him, consume myself in his love, serving him and spreading the news of how lovable he is.
We have been baptized and are in relationship with Jesus and his Father, and we have received the Holy Spirit. Let us remember all this throughout the day, and may it be our strength to face and cope with what is happening in the world and around us today.
There is within me this morning a sense of timelessness as we await that which has already happened. It is more than a just remembering of that which has already taken place – it is somehow living it in the present moment – something that never quite ends – something that is ongoing, realized in every moment. Our awareness of this dual reality constantly challenging us to surrender ourselves to it. Perhaps the only thing that changes about it is the ever-deepening of our experience of it, the ever fulfillment of our awareness of our life in all of this.
My eyes have skittered back and forth to Eugene’s words from 1811. There is within me a desire to make those words mine, even as I recognize a small fear within me that I will have to let go of something that I have been hanging-on-to. Another small skirmish between being and doing and I myself seem always tempted to let the doing give birth to the being. Ha!
The Holy Spirit has come and rests on me, with the love of Christ our crucified Saviour. Over and over I try to live in such a way that it no longer me that breaths and lives, laughs and cries but him who is within me – no for I exist and have my being through, with and in Him.
Being. It is an ever-present struggle within my humanity which believes that it is all happening in my doing. Being gives birth to doing. An ongoing and never ending surrender leads to deeper awareness of living within Jesus Christ, my Saviour.
A more beautiful comment I have rarely come upon. Eleanor’s insight into the mystery of Jesus is so deep yet simple. Such an inspiration for us to cherish and dwell in this mystery. A. 1000 thanks to Eleanor .
Today, as we are preparing ourselves to the feast of St. Eugene de Mazenod, praying the Novena, we are commemorating other great Apostolic Man – St. John Paul the Great, in occasion of 100. anniversary of his birth. This great Pope had a deep devotion to our Founder, keeping his relics on his own desk. He canonized blessed Eugene in 1995. Today, at the Mass by the tomb of St. John Paul the Great Pope Francis said that the gift of John Paul the Great in the Church was a clear sign of God’s goodness toward us. Let us be grateful to God for those two great apostolic men. God is good all the time and He gives always prophets, imbued with the Holy Spirit, to His beloved people, in order to lead us to the fullness of life.