Dear Friends:

Before his ascension into heaven, Jesus told his disciples that he would ask the Father to give them another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with them forever . They would not be left orphans, without someone to love them, care for them and guide them: ‘I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you’ . The Paraclete would come to them to remain with them forever.

Jesus also told them that the Spirit would live in them: ‘for he dwells with you, and will be in you.’ The Spirit would dwell in their innermost being and transform them to become children of the Father. Like Jesus, who through the gift of the same Spirit, would be revealed as the Son of God, so the disciples, by the gift of the same Spirit, would be revealed as the children of God. The Spirit would pray in them as he prayed in Jesus. Like Jesus they would be able to say, ‘Abba, Father’, for they would be the sons and daughters of God .

What an extraordinary gift has been given to us in the Holy Spirit! Every moment of our lives we have the right and the privilege to turn to the Holy Spirit living within us. He is waiting for us to turn to him. He wishes to reveal to us how much God loves us. When we are perplexed about what we should do or say, he will guide us and give us wisdom. When we are fearful, he will give us courage. He longs to strengthen our faith and overcome doubts. He desires to set our hearts on fire with love for both God and neighbour.

He will give us the power we need to live out our faith and do what we know to be right. As beloved children of the Father, we can always call upon the Spirit, pray to the Spirit, seek wisdom and counsel from the Spirit. All too often the Spirit remains for us the forgotten person of the Blessed Trinity. Yet he is the Spirit of power, of life, of wisdom, of understanding and truth. Turn to the Spirit, speak to him and Love the Holy Spirit!