Consolation Prize

The Church is presently in the midst of its annual novena - as in THE NOVENA - the "nine" days between the Ascension of the Lord Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. I have been participating in the prayer in my usual manner (i.e. start two days late with strong intentions to do the rest, get too busy, miss another day or two, almost give up, feel guilty and then do one more day, resolve to do better next year...).

Since the title of this blog is "Indwelling Trinity", I was hoping to go "long" on the Holy Spirit - maybe read "The Interior Castle" and really have something to say.

But, alas, no.

Instead, I was struck by one title of the Holy Spirit - "the Consoler". I really haven't understood this title - it seems vaguely like it means that the Holy Spirit is the One makes us feel better when we are sad or some such.

But this week, indeed this Novena, it occurred to me that the Holy Spirit is the Consoler because He is WITH US. This was the consolation the Apostles were looking for - as in "There goes Jesus up into the sky - now all we have to do is make disciples of all nations". What a consolation when God returns, God the Holy Spirit, and enters them in the visible form of "tongues" of fire. I am always struck by the dichotomy of Moses encounter on Mount Sinai, where the people are terrified and have to stay away from the Divine Presence even from the foot of the mountain where God is, and the Holy Spirit which enters right into the Apostles. Of course, this is not to say that Jesus is not with us or that God the Father is not in us, but the Holy Spirit brings Divine Indwelling. What a consolation that presence must also have been for the Martyrs or those crushed under the heels of the world, the poor and the downtrodden. They have the Holy Spirit in them, which is what they ultimately need.

May the Holy Spirit strengthen me to live this truth in my life.

Thanks be to God.