Guest Column / Richard Etienne

A little inspiration: Where could you use a true infusion of the Holy Spirit?

How often are you truly inspired by an idea or, even greater, an urging?

The word “inspire” literally (yes, literally) means to “breathe spirit into.” What a beautiful image!

When was the last time that you felt a deep passion to do God’s work—to use your life to do God’s will—to play some small role in furthering his kingdom in the very community where you live and work?

The church calls this our apostolate: religious or evangelistic activity or works. Yes, our individual salvation is the first step. But the second is to lighten the burden on the less fortunate around us.

Or, maybe, you sometimes have truly grand ideas! How often do you seriously ponder the effects of acting on these grand plans? Where did those ideas or impulses come from?

If the source of this inspiration (see what I did there?) is the Holy Spirit, why doesn’t a person find a way to make these “visions” happen?

Have you seen the new film Cabrini about the life and works of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini? She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious institute that was a major support to her fellow Italian immigrants to the United States. Now there is an example of a person who acted on the urgings of the Holy Spirit!

In the Book of Genesis, we read, “then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gn 2:7). Again, what a fantastic image! God breathed his spirit into man—and “so man became a living being.” And the purpose of this new “being” is to love and serve the wondrous God who made all creation!

In the Book of Joel, we read that “your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even upon your male and female servants, in those days, I will pour out my spirit” (Jl 3:1-2). Our faith teaches that these very things are true for all of God’s people who have been baptized.

And in the Gospel of John, it says, “And when he had said this, he breathed on them [the disciples who were hiding in the locked room in fear] and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ ” (Jn 20:22).

It is only after this that the disciples are able to eventually move out of the locked room and begin to witness as demonstrated by Peter in chapter two of the Acts of the Apostles.

Where are the situations in your own life that could use a little inspiration—a true infusion of the Holy Spirit? What inspiring vision is the Holy Spirit breathing into you? How are you going to respond to these urgings? Is it time to open the “locked doors” in your life? Are you asking and praying for this guidance? Doesn’t God work in mysterious ways?
 

(Richard Etienne has a degree in theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and resides in Newburgh, Ind.) †