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| The Blank Page | |
There are days when the words flow from my mind right onto the page and others when they come a bit more slowly. Predictably, when I try to write on my own I am far less successful than when I ask the Holy Spirit to use me as His pencil.
I suppose every writer composes this article sooner or later: the "I don't know what to write" article. But coming from a decidedly catechetical perspective, I have the opportunity to write a slightly different one.
As Christians, we have the benefit of understanding our physical reality as part of a larger reality; all of creation points to it. We can see our world as more than mere flesh and bone, and because of that we have more family, more reality, more grace. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has a wonderfully concise passage that defines our reality: The Scriptural expression "heaven and earth" means all that exists, creation in its entirety. It also indicates the bond, deep within creation, that both unites heaven and earth and distinguishes the one from the other: "the earth" is the world of men, while "heaven" or "the heavens" can designate both the firmament and God's own "place" — "our Father in heaven" and consequently the "heaven" too which is eschatological glory. Finally, "heaven" refers to the saints and the "place" of the spiritual creatures, the angels, who surround God. (#326) Heaven and earth are distinct realities, but not unconnected. We are constantly in the presence of the Whole Church and her Divine Spouse.
Because we are baptized into the Body of Christ, we can become nearer to the Triune God than ever before. We are given a gift of intimacy with God that was impossible before the Incarnation, and because of this opportunity for intimacy, we have access to our Healer, Friend, and Advocate. Wherever the Spirit of God moves, He spreads His fruits and gifts. A person in the presence of the Divine Love of God is transformed and his soul opened to a reality that is at once here and everywhere simultaneously.
This is the power of the Spirit; the reason my "I don't know what to write" article is somewhat different. You see, as soon as I realize that I don't have to do this all alone and open my mind heart to the Spirit, the dam breaks and the words flow like torrents onto the page. The Consoler and Healer is instantly at my side, the Good Friend encouraging me and inspiring me to tell His story, to open the veil to the Glory of God. I cannot boast, because the words and the mind from where they come are not entirely mine. The fruits of the Spirit are like a spiritual "buffet" that He offers to us in order to accomplish the Father's will. For this task, I can choose patience, for that task, self-control, for another, kindness (Gal 5:22-23). In the end, I'm only alone in my task if I choose to be.
The reality that we ultimately reside in is not merely "the world" that we can sense with our physical senses, but the World our Creator fashioned that includes both heaven and earth, all that is seen and unseen. It's a testament to the love of God that He can grant us the immensity of Everything in a way that doesn't merely awe us, but lifts us somewhere beyond ourselves into that same Everything.
In this love, our daily tasks are no longer merely ours to perform, but we can have the assistance of the Spirit the moment we ask for Him. We are able to accomplish the Father's will in our own lives by living out the grace of our baptisms, and accepting the friendship offered in our confirmation. The bottom line is that we are not alone, even when we are by ourselves. We can meet any challenge if we are willing to accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Because of Christ, an abundance of love awaits us.