“Stirred and Filled by the Spirit” by Beth
DeCristofaro
… for this boy is to be consecrated to God
from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power
of the Philistines. The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy
grew up and the LORD blessed him; the Spirit of the LORD stirred him. (Judges
13:5, 25)
He (John) will be filled with the Holy Spirit
even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to
the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to
turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the
understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord." (Luke
1:16-17)
Piety
Breathe in me O Holy Spirit That my thoughts
may all be holy.
Act in me O Holy Spirit that my work, too,
may be holy.
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit that I love only
what is holy.
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit to defend all
that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit that I always
may be holy,
(St. Augustine)
Study
In this Third Week of Advent, as we await the
birth of a baby, the beginning of humanity’s salvation, we read about a small
piece of humanity’s history and identity. Names, ancestors, lineage were essential
to place one within one’s people. Matthew recorded the names of Jesus’
forefathers and mothers. Judges cited the family of Samson, who was the
People’s liberator. Luke, who will later identify Joseph as a descendant of
David, also tells us where Zechariah and Elizabeth fit into the Chosen People’s
family.
In the USA, we tend to be more casual about
heritage although the study of ancestry is popular. It is exciting and at times
enlightening to find out the stories of our family. We might not share familial
genes with them but Scripture stories of our family in faith allow us to
appreciate what their lives have bequeathed to us. Our preeminent birthright
that of children of God is one that does not need a list of names. The stories
we read this week are all of ordinary, run of the mill people much like us. It
is the stirring of the Holy Spirit which brought them to sacred action. It is
the filling of the Holy Spirit to which they responded and which brought them
to our awareness. It is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which opened the way
for unexceptional people to witness and take part in the breaking open of the
divine. In this third week of Advent, are we stirred and filled?
Action
Each year I enter into Advent wanting to be a
better person, each year, I struggle as the daily commonplace distracts and
thwarts me. Pray St. Augustine’s prayer and throughout the day, look for
moments of holiness, be aware of what is holy, see and defend what is sacred,
act out of holiness. At the end of the day, offer a prayer of gratitude for the
stirring of the Spirit.
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