The early Christians were also a little scared of the Holy Spirit. In St. Luke’s Gospel, the risen Jesus tells his followers to wait in Jerusalem until they have been “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). After Jesus ascended into heaven, they followed his instructions, but they weren’t quite sure what to expect. I doubt they were prepared for what happened next:
“And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4).
This Pentecost was an extraordinary event. While the Holy Spirit was revealed with the “rush of a mighty wind,” this doesn’t mean that the Spirit only works in flashy or dramatic ways. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us, the ‘comforter’ or ‘helper’ (
paráklētos
in the Greek New Testament) who helps us to accomplish God’s will in our lives.
Jesus’ followers waited in Jerusalem for nine days before the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and since then Christians have developed the spiritual practice of praying a novena (from the Latin
novem
, ‘nine’)—a set of prayers said over a nine-day period, mimicking the pattern of the disciples. Usually one prays a novena with some specific intention or request in mind, asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit.
This year during Ascensiontide, our family has been praying a novena together. We’ve been using the form found in the
Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book
(and there are many other versions available online, such as
this one
)
, gathering in our living room each evening as we anticipate the Feast of Pentecost. We didn’t have to think too hard about our special intention for these prayers—right now, we’re focusing on the ongoing pandemic throughout the world and asking the Holy Spirit for healing and transformation.
These prayers have served as a powerful reminder that the Holy Spirit works in both the extraordinary and the ordinary. In one portion of the novena, we pray:
“Descend upon me, O mighty Spirit, that inspired and encouraged by thee, I may faithfully fulfill the duties of my life and vocation, that I carry my cross with patience and courage and accomplish more nearly thy perfect will. Make me day by day more holy and give to me that heavenly peace which the world cannot give.
Amen.
”
Sometimes the Holy Spirit appears as tongues of fire, as in the Acts of the Apostles, but oftentimes the Holy Spirit works in more subtle ways: helping us to love God and our neighbor, inspiring us to share God’s love in our words and actions, and guiding us in our daily work. The Holy Spirit empowers us, even when we’re not aware. As St. Paul writes, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26).
God continues to comfort and strengthen us through the Holy Spirit, and I can see so clearly the work of the Spirit in The Church of St. Michael & St. George. You are a blessing to me, and I look forward to celebrating the Feast of Pentecost with you tomorrow.
Blessings,
Fr. Stewart
