The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are a community of vowed Catholic women religious. Inspired by our foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, we are passionate about our lives of prayer, education, service and advocacy.
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“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, the Spirit will guide you into all the truth; for the Spirit will not speak on Its own, but will speak whatever is heard, and will declare to you the things that are to come. The Spirit will glorify me, because the Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said that ‘the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and declare it to you.’”
Reflection
As we begin our reflection today, Father’s Day, let us pause and ask God to abundantly bless with the Spirit all those in the role of father. May these people be enlightened, be free of harming others, and share true love and care for all children, young adults and all those to whom they have been entrusted.
Over the last few weeks, we have pondered the Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost Gospels. We have given thought to Jesus alive among us, to the call to be missionaries and to the coming of the Holy Spirit among all.
The Gospel for today continues to reinforce for us the presence and work of the Spirit in our lives. Jesus, aware of human limitation (“you cannot bear it now”), does not scold yet offers the Spirit of Truth.
The Johannine community have been through the depth of Jesus’ suffering, death, descent into hell, resurrection and the coming the Holy Spirit. They have experienced a great deal.
We reaffirm that Jesus does not abandon; he is always alive with us. Earthly death does not confine his word to the era of the first century. Jesus, through the Spirit, is still our guide and our way, truth and life.
The Spirit unites heaven and earth, God and humanity, within each person and within each community.
Today, feast of the Holy Trinity, invites us to also ponder the relationship of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and to gain insight about its application in our lives.
The triune relationship is one of unity, each sharing and bringing about specific gifts of creation of everything, of redemptive modeling among us and of inner life in abundance for all.
In this section of John’s Gospel, we recall in the words of Jesus how all that belongs to God belongs to Jesus and “the Spirit will receive” all that belongs to Jesus and declare it to us! Trinity reminds me of a mutual relationship between friends and good acquaintances and of people forming community.
Each brings gifts and shares them, enriching and enhancing the best within oneself and the others. All pass the fruits of the relationship on to others. In a community of faith each passes on the truth and life of care that continues to mature within the community in serving beyond him/her/themselves.
Action
Do you dare to believe that the life of God given through Jesus and the Holy Spirit is offered to you today to so live? In what way do you live with others in respect for their gifts shared and your openness to share your giftedness? In what manner are you open to learning from others who, too, have received the Spirit of God?
Sister Barbara Sheehan, SP, a Sister of Providence since 1960, lives in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods after several years in Chicago, where she ministered as Executive Director/ACPE Supervisor of the Urban Clinical Pastoral Education Consortium, Inc. and as a spiritual director. She has extensive training not only in clinical pastoral supervision but also in care with those sexually abused, those challenged with mental illness and those suffering trauma. She has offered many workshops at regional, national and international conferences, is the author of Partner in Covenant: The Art of Spiritual Companionship and of numerous articles including one of her latest, Formation For Professional Practice: Addressing Social Hurts" in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, Vol. 34 2014.
Thank you for this reflection. In these times I constantly need to remind myself that “the life of God given through Jesus and the Holy Spirit is offered” to all, with ‘all’ being the operative word. It’s a work in progress, so thank you for reinforcing it in this reflection.
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Thank you for this reflection. In these times I constantly need to remind myself that “the life of God given through Jesus and the Holy Spirit is offered” to all, with ‘all’ being the operative word. It’s a work in progress, so thank you for reinforcing it in this reflection.