Gratitude to God -- Really ALIVE

What about real gratitude for the Spirit of God??? St. Paul reminds us of one of the many reasons to be grateful for God's presence within us: (Romans 8:9-11 from The Message)

"But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. .... For you who welcome him, in whom he dwells -- even though you still experience all the limitations of sin -- you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!"

For our own sharing: How do we experience the "alive-and-present God" within us during the day? What does that look like? And what does that feel like? What are some things that have helped you to become more aware of the God who lives and breathes in you?

The Spirit - Alive in Our Teens

CYO teens -- on a weekend retreat in Putnam Valley, New York. A great experience for me to see the Holy Spirit working through them and to see the depths of their love for Jesus Christ: both the teen directors and the teen participants. Now, that is what the Holy Spirit does, as St. Paul reminds in letter after letter.

So, let's start looking more closely to what God is doing in our young people and stop concentrating on what we think is negative. Look around (and go around) those circles where teenagers are growing in their relationship to Jesus and are being the real apostles of our day. Take note of what they are doing.

Let's share this good news of the Pentecost power that is being revealed to us.

The Assumption of Mary - a Triumph of the Spirit

When we look at Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord, we see the magnificent work of the Holy Spirit. Remember that when Mary asked, "How can this be done?" the answer was so simple and yet so amazing: "The Spirit of God will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." And the result of all that was JESUS.

Now, let's take a look at ourselves and see the same amazing answer to our own question of "How will this be done?" The same Spirit of God will come upon us and the same power of the Most High will overshadow us. And there will be the same result: our oneness with Jesus.

The Assumption of Mary is a reminder of our present and future life -- all bound up in the Infinite Love of God. That is something to celebrate!

The Spirit of God -- Aive and Active

We are alive in the Spirit because the Spirit is alive in us -- actually the source of life in the entire world. So, how much do we expect of that same Spirit of God in the details of our lives?
A great point for sharing!!!

Moved by the Spirit - God's Power at Work in His People

A book that will companion us in our growth in the Holy Spirit: Moved by the Spirit (God's Power at Work in His People) by Kevin Perrotta,The Word Among Us Press, 2009. Check it out at the bookstore or on the Internet. It is from a series entitled "The Word Among Us -- Keys to the Bible"
We are beginning a six-week series at Queen of Apostles Center in Monroe, New York, beginning on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010: 10:00 am to 11:30 am. We hope to make instructions and insights available on the blog so that anyone who has the book - but is at a distance or unavailable in the morning - can still follow, make comments and share via this blog. Any questions on this, just comment on the blog and I will respond.

Romans 8:26-28 - as Holy Spirit Novena

The Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Itself goes to meet our supplication and pleads on our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.

And The One Who searches the hearts of all people knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit because the Spirit intercedes and pleads in behalf of the saints according to God's will.

All things word together for good for thos who love God.

Teresa of Avila - Wisdom on Prayer

A terrific definition on prayer. Another area that we can comment on in OUR OWN wisdom.
"Prayer is not just spending time with God. It is partly that -- but if it ends there, it is fruitless. No, prayer is dynamic. Authentic prayer changes us -- unmasks us -- strips us -- indicates where growth is needed. Authentic prayer never leads to complacency, but needles us -- makes us uneasy at times. It leads us to true self-knowledge, to true humility."

Good News - The Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Alive in the Spirit -- with the mustard seed and the yeast in today's Gosepl: Matt. 13:31-35.

If that isn't the work of the Spirit of Jesus -- with God at work through Jesus and the Holy Spirit! A little mustard seed becoming the "largest of the plants" and a little bit of yeast mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened. That is GOOD NEWS and that is what we can expect of God in faith. Imagine, we plant the little seed and get a harvest of plenty! I know that this is the Spirit's word to you and me today. Let's do it and maybe we can share how this works out in our daily experiences.

Sr. Carmel Therese

Loving Surrender to our Loving God

Talking About the Spirit at Work
St. Vincent Pallotti quote: "Put yourself into God's hands ... everything will go well."
Now isn't that the way of the Holy Spirit at work in us -- REALLY being alive in the Spirit.
Sr. Carmel Therese

The Spirit of the Lord is upon you ....

From the Gospel of Luke - "Plugging into the Power"
Let's do some sharing on how the Lord is moving among us in our time -- in 2010!
Luke, Chap 1: To the question of "How can this be....?", the angel gives Mary the answer:
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."

What is our experience of this ongoing work of God in our lives?
I would welcome your own experiences in the Lord in this journey of faith.
Sr. Carmel Therese