The Message
Lesson Five — St. Faustina and the Holy Spirit
After the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles at Pentecost, they were not afraid. They were filled with holy boldness. This recalls one cenacle member, who spoke about her introverted son and the difficulty he had after his parents separated. The boy had built a wall around himself, and he rarely spoke or got involved. After Confirmation, however, he changed. He burst out of his shell and was laughing, joking, and speaking. It was as if the story came directly from the Catechism: "Through His grace, the Holy Spirit is the first to awaken faith in us and to communicate to us the new life, which is to 'know the Father and the One whom He has sent, Jesus Christ'" (CCC, 684).
When He does speak, which is often, the Spirit elicits from us fruits of obvious goodness. Saint Paul tells us, "Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law" (Gal 5:19-23).
When we allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we become overshadowed by Him and begin to bear the fruits in our lives. We "bubble over" with love and joy, and minister by proclaiming the Good News to people. But we must be quiet and listen. Saint Faustina wrote, "O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed" (Diary of St. Faustina, 145). And, "A noble and delicate soul ... follows faithfully the faintest breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto Him like a child to its mother" (148). That is why we must listen to hear the Holy Spirit, and we must be ready to be His instrument.
Since she was quiet in her soul and heard the Holy Spirit, St. Faustina, by definition, was a contemplative. She had an intuitive grasp of the importance of quiet and silence: "The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God. It lives almost always under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God works in a silent soul without hindrance" (477).
However, St. Faustina also was charismatic. She exuded and overflowed with the joy and love of God. She wrote, "Oh, if souls would only be willing to listen, at least a little, to the voice of conscience and the voice — that is, the inspirations — of the Holy Spirit! I say 'at least a little,' because once we open ourselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit, He Himself will fulfill what is lacking in us" (359). Earlier in the Diary, St. Faustina shares this gem about her interior life: "In my interior life I never reason; I do not analyze the ways in which God's Spirit leads me. It is enough for me to know that I am loved and that I love" (293).
We must be filled with the love of God, and we will do His will only by following the Holy Spirit. If we do, we will accomplish great things all over the earth: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Questions for Discussion:
The Catechism teaches that "The Holy Spirit is 'the principle of every vital and truly saving action in each part of the Body.'" Knowing this, we must come to know and listen to the Holy Spirit in a more powerful way. We must be silent and listen, and we will be overcome with love and joy that will exude God's mercy to others.
1. Why is a contemplative spirit so useful in the spiritual life?
2. Discuss ways in which people can find quiet time in today's noisy, fast-paced world.
3. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? What are the Spirit's fruits?
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