This week I have been working on a talk for an upcoming retreat.  The talk is “Who is the Holy Spirit?”.   When I think of the Holy Spirit, I think of the “Great Advocate” or the “Animator of life”.

For me, the Holy Spirit is how I come to know God, the father, and Jesus.  The Holy Spirit ties in closely for me with the Catholic idea of sacramentality.  We believe Jesus is present in our lives now.   The way we come to understand God’s work in our lives is through the Holy Spirit.  A friend recently shared the image of the Holy Spirit being “God laboring in the world”.  I am struck by this image because truly the Holy Spirit is laboring for us and in us for God.

I am often asked, “How do you find God in your everyday life?”  For me, it is simply a commitment to stop, to reflect, to pray, and to listen.  I stop, I pause, I reflect on my day, and I ask for help from the Holy Spirit to find God.  Most often, I can name an experience or a moment of peace, of love, of beauty, of awareness, or grace where I know God was present.  These are often not over-powering examples, but rather small whispers and reminders of the present of God through the Holy Spirit in my life.  It may be small- a hug from Chris or Brady or Abby.  A quick glance at something beautiful in nature.  An unexpected phone call or email from a friend or family.  A brief moment of quiet in my day.A moment of clarity on a project I am working on.  An exchange with a stranger.

There are moments where the Holy Spirit is so prevalent it can be overwhelming!  These moments for me tend to come from clarity on a decisions, a tug to do something, understanding on what to do, a call to use my gifts in ways I never dreamed of.

All week as I have worked on this talk, I find myself very thankful for “The Advocate” because I know that is only through the Holy Spirit that I have come to know God and to know Jesus.

Who is the Holy SPirit to you?
Where is the Holy Spirit at work in your life?

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.