Re-kindling the Spirit

In my neighborhood--- around the corner, thankfully--- there is a rusted Model-T Ford sitting on a front lawn. It wasn't left there because of laziness or indifference; the house and lawn are well-kept.  It is clearly meant to be a lawn decoration---and that's fine, since the dear old car clearly will never again be operable. 

The human personality and spirit was meant to run on the energy of the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of our Creator---flowing through us.  Unfortunately, many of us ran out of fuel many years ago and have left our spirits parked somewhere like rusted-out Model-Ts.  Our religion has become an ornament, but not the divine energy to fuel our lives.

Unlike the Model-T, though, our spirits and energy can be re-newed.  There is a scripture that says, "Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you."  Sin often keeps us from doing that.  Like Adam in the garden, we tend to hide from God because of our nakedness---as if He had not created our form in the beginning and knows exactly what we look like underneath the fig leaves.  But the consciousness of sin makes us fear to approach the holiness of God. 

Sr. Faustina, in writing of the Divine Mercy, tells us, as does Julian of Norwich, that our weakness and misery draws even more of the mercy and pity of God.  Like a mother grieving over the hurt of her fallen child, pitying his/her helplessness, God is even more solicitous of the sinner than He is of the sleek and the strong.  Jesus tells of the Good Shepherd leaving the flock to go in search of the one little lost lamb.  The Father is standing on the roof of the house, every day searching for the return of the prodigal son, waiting to lavish on him the robe and the ring.  Sometimes, though, we just cannot re-start the old car once all the parts have rusted out.  We don't know where to go for repair and restoration.

"Help" is a good prayer, a good starting-place: and we have this confidence in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us, we know that what we have asked for is ours (I Jn. 5:14).

Holy Spirit, fill me with the fire of Your love,

enlighten my mind with the knowledge of Your truth,

give me wisdom and understanding of the ways of God,

and annoint me with the power of Jesus to do good in this life.

Take my hands, my feet, my eyes and ears, my mind, heart and soul

to be used as instruments of God's love on earth. 

Keep me from the power and snares of evil,

and bring me at last into your heavenly kingdom.

All you holy ones of God, pray for me.

[I think I hear an engine starting up.]