Eyes of the heart enlightened by the Spirit

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to connect with the life and freedom we experience in the faith, hope and compassion that are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Led by the Spirit

The Letter to the Ephesians thanks God for the eyes of the believers that have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

* [1:15–23] See note on Rom 1:8 for the thanksgiving form in a letter. Much of the content parallels thoughts in Col 1:3–20. The prayer moves from God and Christ (Eph 1:17, 20–21) to the Ephesians (Eph 1:17–19) and the church (Eph 1:22–23). Paul asks that the blessing imparted by God the Father (Eph 1:3) to the Ephesians will be strengthened in them through the message of the gospel (Eph 1:13, 17–19). Those blessings are seen in the context of God’s might in establishing the sovereignty of Christ over all other creatures (Eph 1:19–21) and in appointing him head of the church (Eph 1:22–23). For the allusion to angelic spirits in Eph 1:21, see Rom 8:38 and Col 1:16. Here, as in 1 Cor 15:24–25 and Col 2:15, every such principality and power is made subject to Christ.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus declares the same Holy Spirit will build our confidence in times of trial.

* [12:10–12] The sayings about the holy Spirit are set in the context of fearlessness in the face of persecution (Lk 12:2–9; cf. Mt 12:31–32). The holy Spirit will be presented in Luke’s second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, as the power responsible for the guidance of the Christian mission and the source of courage in the face of persecution.

Nancy Shirley echoes the plea of Paul that our relationship with God needs our attention.  We need to be aware and nurture it from the beginning no matter what age we are when it commences.

Another wonderful plea from St Paul is May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call.  The concept of the hope is certainly one to embrace. It is so easy (certainly for me) to lose track of what the main purpose of my life needs to me.  I can be so bogged down with the day to day tasks that I forget it is about that hope. The promises that are possible far exceed the rewards from my day to day tasks yet I do not always keep the right perspective.

Don Schwager quotes “The Holy Spirit will inspire martyrs and teach believers”, by Cyril of Jerusalem, 430-543 A.D..

"You must also know that the Holy Spirit empowers the martyrs to bear witness... A person cannot testify as a martyr for Christ's sake except through the Holy Spirit. If 'no man can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:3), will any man give his life for Jesus' sake except through the Holy Spirit?" (excerpt from CATECHETICAL LECTURES 16.21)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 12:8-12 emphasizes that the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say. (Luke 12:12).

Jesus speaks simply and directly to those fears. “Do not worry about . . . what you are to say” (Luke 12:11). In the moment of need, the Holy Spirit will inspire you and use your words to make a difference.
If you are having a hard time imagining how this could happen, take a moment to reflect on your past experiences. You’ve probably felt the Holy Spirit’s inspiration even if you didn’t realize it at the time.

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the author of the Letter to the Ephesians gives thanks for the faith that puts Christ at the centre of all things. We can see in people’s hearts an edifying faith that sustains us in difficulty. Our choice is the freedom to accept Love in Christ or to reject His Spirit. Friar Jude reminds us that we are instruments of Providence.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the Tibetan practice of tonglen. It refers to our willingness to take on the pain of others we know are hurting and extend to them whatever we feel will ease their pain.

There are various ways that tonglen is taught, but the essence of it is breathing in that which is unpleasant and unwanted and breathing out—sending out—that which is pleasing, relieving, enjoyable. In other words, we breathe in the things we usually try to avoid, such as our sadness and anger [and suffering], and we send out the things we usually cling to, such as our happiness and good health. We breathe in pain and send out pleasure. We breathe in disgrace and send out good reputation. We breathe in loss and send out gain. This is an exceedingly counterhabitual practice. It helps us overcome our fear of suffering and tap into the compassion that’s inherent in us all.

Tonglen reverses the usual logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure. We come to see pain as something that can transform us, not as something to escape at any cost. Our compassion is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

References

(n.d.). Ephesians 1:3-10. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/ephesians1.htm
(n.d.). Luke chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/12
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 20, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(2018, October 19). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/2018/10/20/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/