Liturgy & Devotions | Liturgy & Piety

What can we do to be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

by Fr Nicolas Schwizer | Source: Catholic.net

We need to cultivate interior dispositions in order to attract and receive the Holy Spirit.

1. A first disposition:

Awaken in your heart the desire for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

It is the same desire the apostles and the Most Blessed Virgin had when they were gathered at the cenacle awaiting the promised Holy Spirit. It is the petition: Come, Holy Spirit! We anxiously wait for you because we are so weak, because we need your transforming power. We should awaken a deep longing for the Holy Spirit to lead us. We need to seek our transformation into genuine children of God, into simple men and women who trust in God as a child trust his parents. Therefore, we must cultivate a desire for the Spirit of God, so that our faith can increase.

2. A second disposition:

Make a greater effort to be silent, to be interiorly alone and tranquil.

It has to do with recollection and solitude, filled with God. The powers of the soul should not be concentrated on us but on God. Only in this way will we be able to listen to what the Holy Spirit murmurs to us. If in our surroundings, especially in our inner self, there is so much noise, so many strange voices, so much worldly spirit, then we will not be able to listen to the Holy Spirit. If we do not listen to him, then we will not know what God wishes of us, and what directions Our Lord is giving us. This way, we will never be aware of his presence in our soul and our faith will diminish because we cannot identify God’s work and influence in our lives.

3. A third disposition:

Pray humbly.

We need prayer much more than we need exercise. Knowing we only possess the sails and that the Holy Spirit is the one who must inflate them, we feel totally dependent before God. We should then cultivate the heroism of humble prayer. We should be masters of prayer and humility.

4. A fourth disposition:

Have a Marian attitude.

We know that on the day of Pentecost, Mary was amid the apostles. We do not doubt that, especially by her powerful maternal petition, the Divine Spirit came upon each of them. Alike the apostles, we too must unite with Our Lady as we seek the Holy Spirit. Saint Grignion de Montfort often repeated, The Holy Spirit would like to find the Most Holy Virgin in souls. This means God would like to find a Marian attitude and spirit. He would like to find a deep love for service. When Our Lord finds a Marian alike a soul, He can do nothing but penetrate that soul with his gifts and work miracles of transformation. Just like in the Incarnation, when the Holy Spirit and the Virgin collaborated for Jesus to be born. Today, the Spirit of God also wants to cooperate with Mary so that Christ, the Son of God, may be born and live in each soul.

   Take seriously your Covenant of Love with God. So that Our Lord will be able to give you his gifts. Pray specially for the gift of wisdom, which will help you to build up your childlike faith.

Questions for Meditation

1. Do I have moments of silence during the day?

2. Do I consider myself a Marian person?

3. Have I thought about the Covenant with the Holy Spirit?