A Reflection on the Holy Spirit
By Fr Ramon Borja, SDB
On this Pentecost Sunday, I feel it fit and called for that I begin my sharing with me asking for apology…
“I’m so sorry, dear Holy Spirit. I realise that a lot of times, I pray to God the Father and God the Son… even to Mama Mary… but very very seldom do I pray to you, God the Holy Spirit. Unfair, right? You deserve far more than that… far more than what I give you… my infrequent praises, my lack of appreciation and my frugal thanksgiving. The few times I talk to you, they are almost always me asking your help and blessing, not me offering you my faith and worship, my love and trust. So sorry, dear Holy Spirit.”
See the picture above? That’s my view every time I pray in our convent chapel. Who do you see? Of course, Jesus crucified. Which makes me pray to him often, if not always.
But do you see someone else? Don’t you see the Holy Spirit there too? He is also in the picture, you know… but just there, there in the background, there behind the glass window, almost covered by the plants. No wonder, I very very seldom pray to him. “So sorry again, dear Holy Spirit.”
But you know what? I feel the Holy Spirit replying to me, and honestly humbly telling me…
“It’s ok mon. It’s totally ok and I don’t mind at all. Coz that’s really who I am… one in the background, never in the limelight. Unseen… but never unnecessary. Unseen… but has always been there and will always be there… for you all and with you all. Invisible… but never invincible. No power of the world nor of the underworld is more powerful than me. Be it pandemic or whatever problem or pain? Be it sin or suffering, death, destruction or depression? They are all far below me. For after all… believe me on this, count on me, call on me… I am the Holy Spirit… God’s saving power and almighty love. I am the Holy Spirit… I am God. I may not be in the forefront of your prayers… and that’s ok… but know that I am always there, part of the picture, never absent, always present… in your life… and in the lives of everyone. It’s ok mon, I really don’t mind. But that I am always with you, guiding and gifting you… that, do always keep in mind.”
Oh, Holy Spirit! You make me love and praise, thank and glorify you even more! Indeed, such is the Holy Spirit… we may not see him… but without him, we are nothing.
Back in the Philippines, I was blessed to get to know this group of sisters commonly known as the Holy Spirit Sisters. (Officially, they are the Missionary Servants Sisters of the Holy Spirit.) My opinion? The Holy Spirit is very much like these sisters… and the so many sisters or nuns from various congregations… like our Carmelite nuns and the Franciscan sisters who serve us here in Sarawak.
They are never in the limelight, but they do so much. Usually, in our church communities, we see our priests and bishops as there in the forefront, preaching in pulpits, having video masses and talks (like me, hehe), seated in front during banquets, and receiving praises, gifts and donations very often too. But these humble and hardworking sisters? No, not so. But I’m sure you will agree with me as I say… without them, the Church won’t be this alive.
These so many sisters all over the world…
…of various colours (coz of both the habits they wear, depending on their congregation, and the skin tone they have, depending on their race),
…of various ages (both the dynamic young ones and the time-tested elderlies… and we are grateful to both groups),
…of various shapes and sizes too (no pun intended)
are so like the Holy Spirit – never in the limelight, but one we can never do without.
And in line with this train of thought, I’m sure there are so many out there, not just the sisters, who are also doing a lot of good and service, a lot of care and kindness, and sadly they remain unnoticed, unacknowledged and unappreciated at times.
They are…
…the cleaners, nurses, clerks in hospitals (not the doctors)
…the guards and janitors in schools (not the teachers and principals)
…the so many names we see but never read at the end of each movie (not the actors and actresses)
…the crew in every concert (not the artists… but aren’t these people artists in their own rights too?)
…the off-camera guys in every online Masses, talks, or whatever (not the on-camera faces)
…the men and women whom you probably do not know by name nor even did bother to greet, yet they collect your trash rain or shine, even on holidays, on a weekly basis or even more (Imagine life without them? Must be so messy and smelly. Yuck, right?)
…your parent or sibling who works abroad to send you money for your schooling and daily living whom you don’t even greet with WhatsApp/Messenger call nor text
…those donors in that ‘community pantry’ where you got your meal for today (some of them might even be more needy than you are)
…the cooks and crew who prepared your nasi lemak, lechon kawali or McDonald’s meal (not just your Food panda or Grab food delivery driver)
…the so many donors of their time, talents and treasures, both big and small, that have not been acknowledged in speeches nor on commemorative journals and coffee table books
…the sacristans and the likes who always come to church earlier than everyone and then leave the church much later after everyone has gone just to make sure that the church is safe, clean and ready for everybody
…the list can go on and on and on.
The so many unseen but never unimportant persons out there in our lives without whom our lives would never be the same. We do salute you. We can never thank you enough. You are like the Holy Spirit… never in the limelight, but one we can never do without.
In that way, am I like the Holy Spirit too?
Dear Holy Spirit, may I be like them, very much like you.
Especially during this ‘new normal and quarantine’ days/months… when we are asked to ‘stay at home’… may we still be there for others, even if often they now fail to see us.
Like Mary and the early Apostles, may go out of the comforts and safeness of our upper rooms if only to give birth to God’s Church that makes God’s Good News heard in different languages.
You and I, we are God’s Church. May we receive God’s Spirit privately and intimately and thus and then proclaim God’s Salvation publicly and inspiringly.
You know, after writing this, I will make a call to my dad staying in our house in Tagaytay, Philippines. I want him to know and feel that even if he cannot see me, his son in Kuching, Malaysia, I do pray for him, care for him, thank him and love him a lot.
And in the same way, even if I do not see him very often now (unlike before when I was still serving in the Philippines when we can even have beer chats a number of times), I want him to know and feel that I so appreciate him, that he doesn’t need to be seen for me to know and feel that he so loves me. To my dad, may I be like the Holy Spirit as he is to me… unseen but never uncaring.
In that way, are you like the Holy Spirit too? To whom?
To our families and friends, even to strangers from both near and far away, these ‘please stay at home’ covid times, especially these ‘quite sad at home’ covid times, through our passionate prayers and creative compassion, may we be like the Holy Spirit to them…
…maybe unseen but never uncaring
…maybe unnoticed but never unneeded
…maybe unappreciated but still untiring… untiring in inspiring, in caring, in blessing.
They may not see us… but not just with our eyes but more so with our hearts, we see them.
“Fill us, dear Holy Spirit, that we may feel them.
May they feel our concern and care.
Or far better still… may they feel (through us) that God is there, you are there, loving them, caring for them… always… for life… for life in its fullness.”
Holy Spirit… unseen but never uncaring.
Someone who recently got dumped by his girlfriend and still finds it hard to move on asked the Holy Spirit this question, “Holy Spirit, why are you so much like my ex-girlfriend?” To him and to this question, the Holy Spirit replied with a question too, “What makes you say that, my dear?”
And to this, the hopeless romantic guy replied telling the Holy Spirit, “Coz you’re so much like my ex-girlfriend — even if I don’t see her, I still very much feel her all the time.” Booom!
Makes sense, somehow, right?…
But the Holy Spirit still had the last say. He told this guy, “You see, my dear, unlike your ex-girlfriend, I will always love you. With me, you can trust that there is forever for us.” That’s booom to the max!
With our ex-boyfriends/ex-girlfriends, may we be able (in God’s time and grace) to “move on”. But with the Holy Spirit, there will never be that need for moving on. There will only be… moving… on and on and on.
That’s what the Holy Spirit did to the Apostles that Pentecost moment… from fearful disciples, HE MOVED THEM to become fearless, faithful, and fruitful apostles. The Holy Spirit moved them to get moving… to become moving… on and on and on… in different languages and ways… in various circumstances and days.
Pray with me, please…
“Dear Holy Spirit, move me too. I welcome you and urge you. Move us all. We long for you and need you. Sometimes, especially these covid times, we feel stuck and stagnant, we feel dry and dead, we feel silent and silenced. We are yours, move us, please. We are your Church… not only then when churches were crowded and frequented, but even now and especially now, when churches are closed and hardly visited. We desire to remain your Church, even in this, especially in this new normal. With you and only through you, may we be like you… phenomenal! Though we fail to see you, may we feel and sense you. Do fill us with your gifts… of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and holy fear of the Lord… so that we may bear in our lives your fruits… that of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Sorry again for praying to you so seldom. Our bad. Our loss. But let this, our prayer here and now, make up for it for all its worth. We so ask you. We so need you. Our God. Our life. Dear Holy Spirit, unseen but never uncaring… fill us, please… that this ailing world of ours may feel you… and thus… be healed by you… be healed only by you. AMEN.”
Let me end this reflection with this… a part of Guy Sebastian’s hit song last year, 2020,… which for me so sounds like the Holy Spirit singing to you and I… so feels like the Holy Spirit, especially during these pandemic and problematic ‘night’ moments of our lives, responding to our prayer and plea… Join me. Let us feel God’s Spirit singing…
Instead of telling you you’ll be alright, I’m just going be that someone by your side. Yeah let me be that distant satellite, a constant in the sky…
‘Cause I’m standing with you tonight
Yeah I will be that voice in your ear
Quietly destroying your fear
You won’t even know that I’m here
But I’m standing with you tonight
Oh I will be the pill for your pain
Until the clouds have run out of rain
Close enough but just out of sight
I’m standing with you tonight
That’s the Holy Spirit… unseen, but never uncaring.
Sorry if I fail to see you, you who never fail to see me… to feel me.. and fill me.
