Wednesday of Sixth Week in Easter, May 15, 2007

Scripture: Acts 17:15-22-18:1. Psalm 148. John 16:12-15. Lectionary # 293

With the approach of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is constantly focused upon
by John in his Gospel. I have always associated the Spirit with mission,
peace, and love. I discovered that the Spirit is at the heart of the
Christian virtue of hope. In my theological studies I learned that this
virtue is embedded in our memories and in the promises made to us
throughout salvation history by God through the inspired Scriptures. Hope
is for me a door to the future and the anchor of the gift of faith. The
following sentence from Fr. Demetrius Dumm, O.S.B. in his book "A Mystical
Portrait of Christ" hit home to me and gave me great trust in the truth of
the Holy Spirit-- a theme Jesus is talking about in today's selection.
Here are Fr. Demetrius' words, "Those who allow themselves to be guided by
the Holy Spirit into the deeper meaning of the teaching of Jesus will come
to trust more and more the promises of God that illuminate the future and
turn it into a land of hope." (see John 16:13 and II Corinthians 4:16-17).
At the end of his short commentary on this passage, the author has this
consoling thought for those who are aging, "...the faith witness of an
older person is so precious because it demonstratest the victory of hope
over despair in a human life precisely when, humanly speaking, there seems
to be little reason for hope." (Both passages are found in his book on
pages 69-70). Jesus, prepare our hearts for the coming of the Holy Spirit
which you and the Father send. The Spirit of truth will give us the gift
of the virtue of hope and help us to face our anxiety about the future with
courage and peace. Amen.