Hear the Ancient Wisdom. Charles Ringma
1:4–5
February 13
The Life-giving Spirit
It is not so difficult to keep Jesus in view, but the Holy Spirit can so easily fall out of sight. The Spirit, the most mysterious member of the Trinity, the go-between God, the Silent One, is the One who most deeply and profoundly emanates our lives.
St. Bernard has captured well something of the Spirit’s gracious work. He writes, “The revelation which is made by the Holy Spirit gives light so that we may understand and fire so that we might love.”44 This highlights the way our minds are opened and our passions are enlivened by the Spirit. The Spirit thus gives insight and empowerment.
This is one part of the story of the Spirit. There is more. The Spirit renews the face of the earth and revitalizes the people of God. Thus both the created order and the body of Christ are under the energizing work of the Spirit. This says a lot about the amazing diversity of the Spirit’s
interests and concerns.
The Spirit is at work in the church. The Spirit accompanies the
proclamation of the gospel and the reading of Scripture. The Spirit is
present in the sacraments. The Spirit is with us in fellowship, prayer, and service. The Spirit thus energizes the gathered and scattered people of God. The Spirit is in the midst of the community of faith. But the Spirit is also at work in the world. The Spirit prepares hearts for openness to the gospel. The Spirit generates movements of goodness and liberation. The Spirit inspires creativity and beauty. Where there is hope, creativity, and goodness the Spirit is at work.
Reflection
Hidden yet ever present, the Spirit is the source of all wisdom, renewal, and beauty.
Hebrews 12:1
February 14
Hold Fast
The greater the revelation of Christ in our hearts and minds, the greater is the desire to cling to Christ. The more our
response to Christ has been one of social convention or
psychological need, the easier we may let Christ slip out of our lives because our circumstances may have changed.
Becoming a Christian is premised on a revelatory event. Christ reveals himself to us by Word and Spirit and we are captivated by his love and grace. And thus we respond in faith and surrender. In Christ we have come home to the heart of God in the power of the Spirit.
St. Ambrose understands this. He writes, “you received Him into the dwelling of your mind; you saw Him in spirit; you saw with inner eyes. Hold fast your new Guest, long awaited, but lately received.”45
Becoming a Christian is not primarily a social activity, but a spiritual one. It is Christ through the Spirit meeting the seeking and longing heart. It is, therefore, an encounter that is profoundly mystical, even though it may be a response to the gospel or the witness of another person. This is no simple rational experience. It is profoundly spiritual and life changing.
The more profound this experience the more joyfully we will cling to Christ in the long, and at times torturous, journey of faith. And because Christ is deeply embedded within us and is the faithful guest, he will hold us fast. And in both light and darkness we will cling to him. Having been captivated by Christ’s love, we will not let him go.
Reflection
Holding on to Christ, while being held, is the journey of faith.
Jeremiah 23:3–4
February 15
Making Others Whole
The journey towards wholeness is one of grace and one of
often painful transitions. But wholeness cannot only be the fruit of a personal focus, wholeness is communal. It’s the fruit of open receiving and gracious giving.
Anthony, one of the desert fathers, pointed out that, “The Fathers of old went forth into the desert and when [they] themselves were made whole, they became physicians, and returning again they made others whole.”46
Clearly, the journey towards wholeness for the desert fathers and mothers was one of withdrawal, prayer, purgation, and suffering. Lost in the love of God they endured difficulty. But it was love that transformed them. And this love moved them to deeds of love that brought blessing and healing to others. Their withdrawal from the world, therefore, was not an end in itself. They withdrew to lay a foundation for a new world.
Their journey was one of union with God, moving ever closer into the heart and purposes of God. But this movement in and towards God drew them ever more deeply into seeking to be God’s healing hands
towards others.
This is what true wholeness is all about. Living more fully in God and more truly at home with ourselves, we become agents of goodness towards others. Blessing, therefore, is never only for ourselves. It is for all. It is for the world.
Thought
Wholeness is the fruit of holiness, which issues in giving gifts of healing and hospitality. This builds the new humanity of which Christ was the New Adam and the pioneer.
2 Corinthians 13:4
February 16
Mere Servants
Whatever our position in the world or in the church, this does not finally define us. What does define us is who we are in Christ and that the way of Christ becomes our way in the world.
The way of Christ was that of a humble servant of the Father. Christ’s joy was to do the Father’s will. His purpose was to make the Father known. His mission was to bring into being the healing and restoring reign of God.
Christ did all of this in the power of the Spirit and with his Father’s blessing and benediction. Thus Christ’s work was Trinitarian work, not a solo effort.
We too are invited to participate in the same mission as Christ. But we do so from a much more fragile position. We are not Christ, only his followers. We are more mixed in our motives, while Christ was singular in his commitment. We are hesitant in our love, while Christ loved fully.
St. Anselm’s prayer is therefore appropriate. He prays: “by your
powerful kindness complete what in my powerless weakness I attempt.”47 In our weakness God produces his strength.
In being the mere servants of Christ, we need the grace and sustaining presence of God. In and of ourselves we cannot be what God calls us to be. Therefore, we are always called to rely on God. We are called to live in faith. We are invited to prayer.
Thought
No matter how far we are into the journey of faith and love that issues in service, we will always need the Spirit to carry us along.
Romans 5:1–2
February 17
The Movement of Grace
Grace is God extending his love, forgiveness, and goodness to us, not because we deserve this but because of God’s generous heart is towards all of his creatures.
Being a Christian and living the Christian life is to be in and to live in the sphere of grace, which is God’s undeserved favor. Grace is the realm in which we live, move, and dance. Being the grateful recipients of God’s grace is what marks us and shapes our identity as much as our genetic inheritance and our socialization.
Meister Eckhart understood well the significance and power of this grace. He writes, “Grace is not a stationary thing; it is always found in a Becoming.”48 Grace moves us from where we are to where we need to be. Grace radically reorients us.
Grace, therefore, is not a gift we put in our backpack. Grace is an intrusion into the basic fabric of our lives. It is a powerful intervention. Grace is what