Lenten Journey: Pray to the Holy Spirit

"When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts4:31).

St. Paul found his strength in the Holy Spirit. First he was transformed by his encounter with Christ and then he was emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit. Before God sends Paul out into the world, He sends the Holy Spirit over him: "Be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17).

Every time God asks something from us, it's a good idea to pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment. We should seek counsel from the Holy Spirit. Whenever I need to find the right words to say something important to my sons or daughter or when I need to find words of comfort for someone who is hurting, I first pray to the Holy Spirit. Every day when I sit down to write on this blog, I first say the following prayer:

"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

Every Sunday at mass we affirm our belief in the Holy Spirit when we pray the Creed. "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son..." But most of the time we don't reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit and what an important asset the Holy Spirit can be in our lives. 

Whenever an idea pops up in our mind combined with thoughts of love or mercy, we should try it out and see if it brings us joy, hope or peace. If it does, the Holy Spirit is probably behind it. The more we practice listening to the Holy Spirit, the clearer His voice will become.