+JMJ
May is the month of Mary and this Sunday we celebrate Pentecost. So, the contemplation that the Lord blessed me with below is really fitting.
Our Mother Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit. This gives her a very unique and intimate relationship with the Third Person of the Trinity, far beyond any other creature on earth.
The Lord showed me that she is particularly capable in leading us to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and developing the fruits that grow from them.
The Upper Room
And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongue, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.
Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was nosed abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: “Behold, are not all these, that speak, Galilean? And how have we heard, Everyman our own tongue wherein we were born?”
-Act 2:1-8
My Contemplation
I am drawn to Mary in the Upper Room. The room feels so dense and agitated with the thoughts and prayers of the Apostles. Their fears and doubts fill the air with a heaviness, like a stifling humidity. But as I kneel down near the Holy Mother, the air is much lighter, clearer, easier to breath. She is the only one kneeling completely still. She is not agitated. She does not shuffle back and forth in discontented fear.
”What do we do?” Is the common prayerful whisper in the room.
But this was not the prayer of Our Lady. She was interceding already for us and for the Apostles. Begging God to send them His Holy Helper. Pleading and begging for the gifts she had received at the Annunciation. She was filled with the Holy Spirit then, knew the gifts that were His, and knew the Apostles needed these gifts too.
A breeze, gentle at first, blows through the room releasing some of the denseness of the air. Mary gently wraps her mantle around me and draws me closer to her, just as a huge gust of wind fills the room. It is a strange feeling, hot, like air blown from a wood burning stove, but comforting. Then, fire descended and splits in the air, a tongue coming to rest on each person in the room.
Hearts are opened. Eyes are opened. Minds are opened. The gifts work immediately, giving the Apostles the courage to go forth and fulfill their missions in and for Christ.
As they leave I am left alone, with the Holy Mother. Wrapped in her mantle, pressed to her Immaculate Heart, and each beat deepens my insight into the Holy Spirit.
Reassurance of Mary
Mary didn’t need to be in the Upper Room. She had already been covered in the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation. This gave her a very unique insight into the gifts the Holy Spirit provides. Gifts she would have known and pondered in her heart (Luke 2:19).
This would have made her a source of comfort, fortitude, strength, and reassurance as the Holy Spirit descended upon them. I can imagine it was pretty scary seeing tongues of fire sitting upon each one of them!
This was the beginnings of her mission as our Mother, our helping hand. She in the Upper Room contemplating the divine mysteries, perhaps already interceding on our behalf, begging God to send the Divine Paraclete, which they knew would come from the words of our Lord.
“And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you forever.” -John 14:16
She was given to us by our Lord (John 19:26-27) and is able to provide us with the way to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, because she so intimately cooperated with the Holy Spirit within her. She gently magnifies His gifts and is an example of the fruitfulness of service to the Holy Ghost.
The Gifts of The Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of God.
I have sometimes struggled figuring out the gifts of the Holy Spirit, just because three of them seemed, to me, to have the same meaning. Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge are interchangeable aren’t they?
But they are very specific gifts that we need in order to serve the Lord.
Wisdom
“But the wisdom, that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.” -James 3:17
Wisdom I always thought was an “Old Person” thing. I suppose it is in a way, because wisdom is the ability to exercise good judgement, which deepens with experience. It is the gift that provides common sense, distinguishes between right and wrong, and prudence.
What decisions have you made that may have required more playful judgement?
Understanding
“I will give thee understanding, and I will instruct thee in this way, in which thou shalt go: I will fix my eyes upon thee.” -Psalm 31:8
Understanding is different in that it has to do with intelligence, enlightenment (not the weird spiritual enlightenment), and the ability to “put the pieces together.” It is the gift that provides clarity of mind, comprehension, insight, and discernment.
Have you taken the time to really discern the will God has for you specifically? And really listen?
Counsel
“But the counsel of the Lord standeth forever: the thoughts of His heart to all generations.” -Psalm 32:11
Counsel is giving good advice. It is the gift that provides the ability to teach, direct, encourage, guide, and inform.
This is one I struggle with myself. I have never found it easy to give advice concerning people’s problems and I have never thought of myself as a good teacher. I have a heard time breaking things down for others into easy to unstable pieces. This very well could be a lack of openness for Him to work in this area and allow this gift to be used through me.
Do you prayerfully give advice or just spit out what comes to mind first?
Fortitude
“Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh: shall anything be hard for me?” -Jeremiah 32:27
Fortitude is a firm and steadfast commitment to God. It is the gift that provides courage, determination, endurance, long suffering, resilience, and moral strength.
Have you made promises to God? Are you keeping them even when it gets difficult?
Knowledge
“If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul: Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee.” -Proverbs 2:10-11
Knowledge is the ability to learn, study, and research. It is the gift that provides information retention, recall, and fact mastery. Then be able to use that information for good.
Do you make time to read about the faith? Do you study the writings of the Saints?
Fear of God
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” -Proverbs 1:7
Fear of God is a deep reverence and respect for God. It is the gift that provides humility, adoration to God, and gratitude.
How have you honored and reverence the Lord this week?
Piety
“Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God: mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.” -Colossians 3:1-2
Piety is personal holiness. It is the gift that provides devotion. Devotion to God. Devotion to prayer. Devotion to growing in virtue. Devotion to avoiding temptation. Devotion to obeying God’s will.
What have you been devoted to this week? To God? Your vices?
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
When we cooperate with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the result is the fruits of the Holy Spirit. These we can see lived out fully in the Holy Mother and therefore, know that she was infused deeply with the Holy Spirit.
The fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control, and chastity.
I could probably give specific examples for each one, but there is one line in the whole bible that I think proves she possess all these fruits.
”My Soul doth Magnify the Lord.” -Luke 1:46
In order to magnify the Lord she would have had to possess all the virtues and attributes that He had. Our Lord is all love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generous, gentle, faithful, modest, temperate, and chaste.
This is the goal for us too. We are to cooperate with the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit at Confirmation and develop the fruits over time, in order to magnify the Lord in our lives.
The Lord showed me how important it is to be close to His Mother. That she provides clarity, strength, reassurance, and guidance in cooperating with the gifts provided by the Holy Spirit. It is her intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit and the Triune God that will help us cultivate these gifts into fruits that will grow the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
What have you learned from the Holy Mother? What gifts of the Holy Spirit do you need to cooperate with more? Which fruits could you cultivate? Ask the Holy Mother to help you!
Leave me a comment if you are called to do so!
New to Ignatian Contemplation? Click here to learn more!