We are currently enjoying the heat, or perhaps not. Our end-of-summer heat wave, if you can call it that. The trees are in their fullness, lush with green, and the water in the lake sports its Prussian blue coolness with a distinct horizon marked by powder-soft blue skies. Soon the leaves will start to change. Until that time, every resident here tries to make the most of these days, enjoying the wealth of sun and opportunities to walk, swim, visit, and relax.

Someone asked me about the Holy Spirit, questions I struggled to answer. The Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood of the Trinity. We know God the Father, as He is so evident in the Bible. We hear Him, but we never see Him. We know Jesus, who looks like us, who took on time and came to teach us and to sacrifice His life for our selfishness. Who is not well-known is the Holy Spirit. In my day, He was called the Holy Ghost. In other words, He was a mystery but actively present to us. He is not seen in human flesh. The name of this third person in the Trinity, “ghost,” seemed a good way to communicate the abstract and transcendent personhood. He is often represented in sacred art as a dove. But what he means is the love between the Father and the Son, which is difficult to put into words or images. He operates on the inside of our soul, keeping us on the path to goodness. I realize that this is a simplistic presentation of a great mystery, but He represents the spirit of love. He confirms us in our Faith and enlightens our souls. He helps us gather closer to the truth.

Jesus gives us an explanation of the Holy Spirit in St John’s gospel. “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for He will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John14:15-18) It is at the Last Supper that Jesus will refer to the Holy Spirit 4 times. He wanted to make sure that the apostles knew this important gift was coming to help them. This Holy Spirit was to give courage to the Apostles as they brought the Good News. “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father–the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father–he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning “(John 15:26-27). The Spirit is to give courage to the disciples, to make them strong in their new Faith in Jesus and His message.

We know that the apostles, all but one, would leave Jesus after He was arrested. Peter does follow him but denies him three times. Peter, it is hard to think that this is the person that Jesus will make the rock of his new message. However, Peter will go into hiding, along with the others, afraid for their own lives. You can almost feel the anxiety and confusion as they race to the tomb after the Crucifixion to see that Jesus is risen from the dead. Fifty days after Easter Sunday, the apostles were held up in a room, when a large wind descended on the place and tongues of fire appeared over the heads of the apostles, and they left the room filled with a mission and the strength of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had transformed their anxiety and fears, and they were renewed in their ministry and lives.

What bearing does all of this have on us today? We are living in a world where instability can occur at any moment. We are Christians, but many are fearful to say or claim their Christian community. We are afraid to let others know that we hold our Faith as primary for fear that we may make others uncomfortable. Having the Holy Spirit does not make us combative, but He makes us brave. He gives us the courage to live our Christian Faith out loud. He strengthens our resolve to love our neighbor as ourselves. No matter what the current trend or present ideal is, we stand for Jesus in the public square. We cannot see the Spirit, but he dwells within us, to speak our lives. St Paul in Galatians tells us what we are up against:” The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions Galatians 5:16-20). Does this not sound a lot like the times we are living in? Paul goes on to tell us what living a life with the Spirit can be: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:16-18). It should be evident to you that the Christian way in the Spirit is not the way of the current world.

Brothers and Sisters, listen to the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you. He is your advocate and your strength in these difficult days. Many of the Christian churches practice Confirmation. Confirmation is a granting of the Holy Spirit and is to strengthen our Faith. Remember the Holy Spirit draws us to the Truth. The Truth, as Jesus said in scripture,” The truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).