Pentecost Sunday: Docility to the Holy Spirit

How can we tap into the power of the Holy Spirit? How can we be more docile to his divine fire and impulses?

By Deacon Frederick Bartels
28 May 2023

The Solemnity of Pentecost is one of the most important liturgical celebrations in the Church year, marking the end of the Easter Season. In the first reading from Acts (1:1-11), the Holy Spirit descends on the apostles as tongues of fire. With the gift of the Spirit, the apostles are empowered to go out into a hostile world, risking persecution and even death, to preach the message of Christ crucified and resurrected. With the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, they are enabled to speak to people in their own native languages—either that, or the Spirit intervenes, allowing the people present to hear the apostles words in their own native languages.

This has a unifying effect, which is what the Holy Spirit does. For example, the Church, gifted with the Spirit of God, gathers all nations together, scattered and divided by sin, into one family, the Church (CCC, 1). As a result of the power of the Spirit, 3000 people were baptized and brought into the Church on that day.

As Christians, we first receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Baptism. This sacrament, which brings us into the Church as through a doorway, confers the gift of the indwelling Spirit in our soul.

Through the sacrament of Confirmation, the grace of Baptism is completed with an outpouring of the Spirit into the soul.

The Holy Spirit: The Counselor, the Advocate, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth

Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit is somewhat de-emphasized in the life of Catholics and other Christians today. To be honest, we don’t pray to the Holy Spirit often enough; Christians often fail to learn about his gifts and seek to develop them in their lives. This results in a failure to be truly open to the Holy Spirit and cooperate with him.

The question is, how can we tap into the power of the Holy Spirit? How can we be more docile to his divine impulses?

With that in mind, it’s helpful to remember that the Holy Spirit is like a divine artisan, who seeks to shape us as an artisan shapes a sculpture from a rough piece of stone. The Holy Spirit’s mission in our life is not simply to make us a better version of ourselves, but to re-create us. Think for a moment about fire, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Fire burns away impurities. It cleanses and purifies. It transforms. The fire of the Holy Spirit sanctifies.

Openness to the activity of the Spirit requires docility. We must allow the Holy Spirit to move us, carry us, as a feather is carried by the wind.

Fostering Life in the Spirit

Let’s look at some practical aspects we can apply in our lives as Catholics and Christians to foster docility and increase our love for the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Convicts us of Sin

Through his sanctifying activity, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. With that in mind, there are some essential questions we should ask ourselves: How long has it been since my last Confession? If we have neglected this sacrament, it is a sign of lack of docility and openness to the Spirit. Those who resist the Spirit also resist his efforts to heal them through this restorative sacrament of the Church.

Do I examine my conscience daily? We should, each and every day, examine our conscience in light of the Holy Spirit. This, of course, implies forming our conscience according to the belief and teaching of the Spirit-guided Church. If we’re not making an effort to do that, then we’re not cooperating with the divine prompts of the Spirit—his counseling activity is set aside.

Do I examine my conscience before receiving the Eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass? Recall that we must be worthy to receive the Eucharist. If we are conscious of having committed a grave sin, then we must confess that sin—or any other grave sins we’ve committed in kind and number—in the sacrament of Penance prior to receiving the Eucharist.

Spending Time with the Holy Spirit

Do I prune away clutter and distractions in my life? Do I limit time on social media, watching movies, and socializing, and, instead, spend time in prayer with the Holy Spirit? Said another way, do I love the Spirit more than my own wants and desires?

The Holy Spirit is God—he is the second divine person of the Holy Trinity, co-equal to the Father and the Son. If we are indifferent to placing the Spirit at the center of our lives, we too are indifferent toward God. Neglect of the Spirit has serious consequences in the spiritual life.

Holy Spirit: The Principal Evangelizer

The Holy Spirit is the principal evangelizer, as we learn from the Pentecost narrative in the Acts of the Apostles. When we evangelize others by giving witness to Christ, we are participating in the work and mission of the Spirit. The Spirit moves all Catholics to engage in this mission—always and everywhere.

Furthermore, the Spirit leads people to Christ AND his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Do I speak of Christ and leave out his Church? If this is the case, we are not fully cooperating with the mission of the Spirit. The bottom line is that every Catholic—without exception—is called by the Spirit to the sacred duty of evangelizing. If we neglect this duty, we are listening more to the world than the Spirit. For Catholics, the notion that “all that matters is believing in Jesus” is false. There’s more to the story. Christ founded his one holy Church for a reason. We oppose the mentality which holds membership in the Church as optional. We reject religious indifferentism and syncretism.

The Holy Spirit: The Spirit of Truth

Do I “go along to get along?” and remain silent when I should hinder sin? Silence in the face of the many grave evils which prevail in our culture implies complicity. The Holy Spirit moves us to speak the truth, defend the divine faith of the Church, and work to correct injustices. If we’re not doing these things, we cannot claim to be cooperating with his divine impulses.

How in love with the truth am I? Do I make sacrifices for love of the truth? Am I willing to endure the suffering which will surely come from openness about my love for Christ and the belief and teaching of the Church?

All of this also implies a love for the Church’s teaching. Do I make an effort to study and learn the doctrines of the Church? Do I read the Catechism and inform my intellect on these matters?

Furthermore, if we dissent from the Church’s moral teaching, it offends the Holy Spirit. One cannot be said to have the virtue of faith in a complete sense if, at the same time, he dissents from the formal teaching of the Church, just as a ship with a cracked hull cannot be said to be seaworthy.

Finally, the Christian faith must permeate our entire life. Compartmentalizing one’s faith and life is a serious error. For example, do people know that you are Catholic? Is it something you bring into the public square? Is it obvious to your friends and co-workers? On the other hand, do you leave the holy Mass, set it aside, and walk out through the church doors, only to blend in with the weeds?

The Mass: Sacred Even in the Holy Spirit

The sacrifice of the Mass is the most sacred event in the cosmos through which Christ offers his body and blood for the forgiveness of sin, and through which our redemption is carried out. It is celebrated in and with and through the Spirit. Do we take this event seriously? Do we respect it?

What kind of clothing do I wear to the liturgy of the Eucharist? Do I make a conscious, determined effort to dress properly for the occasion? While it’s true that we cannot always wear our best clothing each and every time we attend Mass because circumstances may intervene, if our clothing would serve as an occasion for a picknick, we are not dressed properly. The fact is, the clothing we wear at Mass serves as a sign of our dedication, respect, and love for the Holy Spirit.

At Mass, we enter into the heavenly banquet of the Eucharist. We should wear clothing as we might wear for the sacrament of matrimony. Any right thinking person doesn’t show up at a marriage ceremony in shorts and a tee shirt. If we desire to prove our love for the Holy Spirit and cooperate with his grace, men will purchase and wear a suit and tie, provided they have the means and ability to do so. Women will dress modestly and beautifully. This, of course, rules out shorts, low cut dresses or spaghetti straps, and tights. It would also rule out immodest clothing for men, such as a muscle shirt or tee shirt. Dressing immodestly for the Mass is an offense against the Holy Spirit.

It is telling to note that people spend money on all kinds of things, but neglect to purchase and wear appropriate clothing for the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Where do our priorities lie?

Get Committed

The Holy Spirit demands our complete love and full attention. He moves us to a love for the Word of God. With that in mind, do I read and reflect on the Mass readings BEFORE Mass? Alternatively, do I go back after Mass and read them in light of the Holy Spirit? Unfortunately, many Catholics fail to do this, which is a sign of indifference. If we are more interested in having breakfast and coffee, arriving at Mass at the last minute, than we are on setting aside time to meditate on the Word of God, then we are not being docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, do I set aside time each week to meditate on the Word of God? Recall that the scriptures are the breath of the Holy Spirit put down into writing. If we want to increase our intimacy with the Holy Spirit, meditation on the Word of God is essential.

Run So as to Win

Again, the Holy Spirit wants—and deserves—our full attention and commitment. The lives of the saints manifested a pronounced focus on the Spirit. They ran the race of life so as to win. We must do the same. Here, the words of St. Paul come to mind:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:24-26).