For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
John 3
I would like to picture myself as one who exudes a loving peace and calm, leading a constant interior prayer life and always connected in some mystical way the Holy Spirit. .…But, I’m not like that.
Instead I am more “high energy” (translation: impatient), tapping my feet and drumming my fingers at lines, waiting, traffic, frustrating situations, etc. Yet sometimes, I am flooded with the grace of patience and a peace in the midst of a situation that would normally be stressful. I can recognize it right away and always feel grateful to the Holy Spirit for this new patience and peace that I am certain does not emanate from me.
I think today’s readings are a good example of some of the graces that come with the Holy Spirit. In the first reading from Acts, we see the formerly cowardly Peter, now peacefully standing in court calmly saying, “We must obey God rather than men.” After recounting what those court officers had done to Jesus, Peter adds, “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” He feels the peace and calm of the Holy Spirit and recognizes it, much to the fury of the court officials.
In today’s gospel, John also notes that the gifts of the Spirit are not rationed. Instead those graces are given with a generous and overflowing love. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are clear in our lives when we recognize them. They include peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, charity and joy. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
And the opposite of these gifts are also clear. When our days are filled with gossip, criticism and judgments, we have lost touch with the Spirit. If we can easily see how other’s could improve their lives and we hold tightly to the grudges in our hearts, we have forgotten the generous heart of the Spirit who is constantly pouring down graces on us.
Holy Spirit, let me recognize you in my everyday life. I am not always aware of the gifts you offer me so easily, and sometimes I don’t want to be patient or gentle. I want to be crabby and selfish. Send down the fire of your love and let me burn with a new desire to be loving and generous. Let me share that fire with those I meet today.
Maureen McCann Waldron
The most important part of my life is my family – Jim my husband of 47 years and our two children. Our daughter Katy, a banker here in Omaha, and her husband John, have three wonderful children: Charlotte, Daniel and Elizabeth Grace. Our son Jack and his wife, Ellie, have added to our joy with their sons, Peter and Joseph.
I think family life is an incredible way to find God, even in (or maybe I should say, especially in) the most frustrating or mundane moments.
I am a native of the East Coast after graduating in 1971 from Archbishop John Carroll High School in suburban Philadelphia. I graduated from Creighton University in 1975 with a degree in Journalism and spent most of the next 20 years in corporate public relations in Omaha. I returned to Creighton in the 1990s and completed a master’s degree in Christian Spirituality in 1998.
As our children were growing up, my favorite times were always family dinners at home when the four of us would talk about our days. But now that our kids are gone from home, my husband and I have rediscovered how nice it is to have a quiet dinner together. I also have a special place in my heart for family vacations when the kids were little and four of us were away from home together. It’s a joy to be with my growing family.
Writing a Daily Reflection is always a graced moment, because only with God’s help could I ever write one. I know my own life is hectic, disjointed and imperfect and I know most of us have lives like that. I usually write from that point of view and I always seem to find some sentence, some word in the readings that speaks right to me, in all of my imperfection. I hope that whatever I write is in some way supportive of others.
It’s an incredibly humbling experience to hear from someone who was touched by something I wrote. Whether the note is from someone across campus or across the world, it makes me realize how connected we are all in our longing to grow closer to God.
