One of my favorite days in the Church is Pentecost Sunday. There are two reasons really for this. First, our best friend, Michael, three years ago celebrated his first mass on Pentecost Sunday, and that day will always hold a special place in our hearts as we watched someone we love do what he was meant to do. Second, and most important (sorry, Michael), I am a big fan of the Holy Spirit. 

It is hard to grasp the Holy Spirit sometimes.  It is not something that is tangible that we can touch or put our arms around.  However, I assure you, we have all experienced the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives by what the Holy Spirit enabled us or someone else in our lives to do– forgiveness, reaching out to someone in need, taking a risk in faith, making a huge life decision, loving another person, living a life of faith, and on and on. 

I believe in the transforming power of the gospel message because of the Holy Spirit’s work in my life.  I believe I can be transformed and others can be transformed because of what the Holy Spirit enables us to do, just like the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in different languages.  For me, it is the Holy Spirit that empowers me to transcend all that feels impossible in my life and to have the courage to do what God asks of me.  It is the Holy Spirit that allows me to LIVE TRANSFORMED! 

The Holy Spirit acts as that gentle internal guide that helps me become aware of all that God asks of me– how to live, who to love, who to forgive, and what to do with my time. 

I am thankful for this great gift that God gave us.  I am grateful for God’s great advocate that has moved my heart in directions I never dreamed.

What has the Spirit enabled you to do?
Where have you witnessed the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life or in someone else’s?

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.