Day 9
The Dos & Don'ts in following the Spirit

On this last day of the 9-Day Pentecost Online Retreat, we look at other factors that help us to remain sharp and attentive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Since this is the last day, it is most effective that we list them out one by one for easy reference.

DOs:

1. Gratefulness: A grateful heart unlocks a lot of things. It helps us to become appreciative towards God and others. If we appreciate God more, we become more generous to God. We know that we can never outgive God. So, if you are appreciative of the inspirations He has given you, He will surely provide you more.

2. Community Spirit: The Holy Spirit likes to speak to us through others. As we embrace others into our lives, we are embracing the Spirit and His inspirations. A mature faith community fosters inspirations from the Spirit as they support and encourage one another in the pursuit of holiness. The Spirit loves this means as it nurtures humility through community setting. You can be assured that one will gain many more inspirations through a faith community setting.

3. Spirit of Abandonment: When an event happens in ways that are against our wishes, the spirit of abandonment prompts us to embrace it with a trustful heart recognizing that if God permits it to happen, there must be a reason behind it. We then begin to search for/listen to the underlying messages for us from above.

4. Pray, Pray, Pray: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:11) In silence and in solitude, we are in God's presence. When we give ourselves totally to God in prayers, God the Spirit outpours His love and inspirations to us. Practice this always: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” (Bible: 1 Samuel 3:10)

DON'Ts:

1. Self-Centeredness: A self-centered (self-absorbed) person is locked up in his/her own space. They are less observant and pay less attention to others' needs and words. They are normally not open to new ideas and concepts. In this situation, he/she probably shuts off many possible inspirations from God through self-screening.

2. Being Judgmental: When we judge others, we close off the opportunities that the Spirit may be prompting you through others. If we pass judgments easily to what is happening around us, we can easily miss out any messages that the Spirit is trying to alert us through those happenings.

3. Attachment: Attachments to earthly things suffocate us from our attention to what are most important in God's eyes. When we detach ourselves from material, emotional or even spiritual attachments, we reclaim the lost dwelling place in our heart for the Holy Spirit. Our minds and hearts become more open to receive inspirations from the Spirit.

4. Distractions and Worries: If we allow ourselves to be constantly distracted or worried, we are allowing Satan into our heart to steal the spotlight which rightly belongs to the Spirit. God's voices and the Spirit's ways, gentle as they are in nature, would not be able to compete with all the flashy distractions and worries that have crowded our minds and our hearts.

As you can see, the above lists demand a change in our attitudes and behaviours. If we desire to be attentive to the inspirations of the Spirit and produce fruitfully in the Spirit, we need to choose the right path. This demands taking actions with a lot of hard work and perseverance on our side. But as St. Paul said: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” (Bible: Galatians 5:25) Knowing that the Holy Spirit is sent to us as our Advocate, the designated pathway leading us back to the Father's house. There is no better path than to live in Him, count on Him, and to follow His way.

Dear Holy Spirit, let your light shine upon me so that I can see clearly your way. Help me to follow you closely and never permit me to be unresponsive to your inspirations. Stir into flame the gifts you have given me and arouse in me an aspiration to become holy just as you are holy. Inspire in me the same love you have for me towards others, so that I will work unceasingly to bring others to you. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen!

Novena to the Holy Spirit:

Invocation Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, and console me. Tell me what to do, direct my every choice.I promise to submit myself to all you desire of me and to accept all that you permit to happen to me. Let me only know your will.Grant this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Day Nine Receiving the Spirit“ Liberating the Spirit” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11: There are different gifts but the same Spirit; there are different ministries but the same Lord; there are different works but the same God who accomplishes all of them in everyone.To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.To one the Spirit gives wisdom in discourse, to another the power to express knowledge.Through the Spirit one receives faith; by the same Spirit another is given the gift of healing, and still another miraculous powers; prophesy is given to one; to another the power to distinguish one spirit from another; another receives the gift of tongues; another the interpreting of tongues. But it is one in the same Spirit who produces these gifts, distributing them to each as he wills.

Meditation: Gently breathe in God's Spirit, that Spirit which if not barred out by selfishness, will enable you to do good works. This means rather, that God will be able to do good works through you. You can become a channel for God's Spirit to flow through you and into the lives of others. The works that you do will only be limited by your spiritual development. Let your spirit be in harmony with God's Spirit and there is no limit to what you can do in the realm of human relationships.

Prayer for the Day: Accomplish your work in me O God, that the many gifts you have given me through the Holy Spirit may lift up the people around me and bring glory to you.Let your Spirit be free in me to fully serve you with all my heart and unite me to work with others in unselfish love. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.