‘The Holy Spirit Reminds Us: God Knows You and He Remembers You Always’
On the Saturday of Pentecost weekend 2022, I gathered with 50 women at St. Maurice Parish for a retreat. On the Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about the Holy Spirit with the most beautiful words I’ve heard recently. Here’s a reflection on what these two events mean to me.
The morning at the ‘Rooted’ retreat (based on Ephesians 3:14-21), we had time of community with a craft, reflected and sang praise. Pope Francis speaks about the Holy Spirit as, “The Spirit of love pours love into our hearts, he makes us feel loved and he teaches us how to love. He is the “motor” of our spiritual lives. He set it in motion within us. But if we do not begin from the Spirit, or with the Spirit or through the Spirit, we will get nowhere”. I see our time together in the morning as calling on that ‘motor’ to start our day. It was evident the love of God was flowing as old friends were reunited, new friendships formed and meaningful connections with the woman you often see in passing.
The following passage from the Holy Father’s homily was highlighted by a friend:
“We always remember the things that go wrong; we listen to the voice within us that reminds us of our failures and failings, the voice that keeps saying: ‘Look, yet another failure, yet another disappointment. You will never succeed; you cannot do it’. This is a terrible thing to be told. Yet the Holy Spirit tells us something completely different. He reminds us: ‘Have you fallen? You are a son or daughter of God. You are a unique, elect, precious and beloved child. Even when you lose confidence in yourself, God has confidence in you!’ This is the ‘memory’ of the Spirit, what the Spirit constantly reminds us: God knows you. You may forget about God, but he does not forget about you. He remembers you always.”
First, I imagine the love, with which these statements are delivered from the lips of Pope Francis. At the retreat, I met different types of women. Some were single, some working, others in ministry and a few had small babies with them. A common thread among them, is I believe we have all experienced failure. We take courage in standing again with the Holy Spirit’s strength and gifts. Also common, is our unique, dignity as children of God. When I was surrounded by 50 nicely dressed women, singing with beautiful voices, I was in awe of what a gorgeous of a creation they were. To fathom that God knows intimately 7.7 billion unique personalities is astounding!
Pope Francis reminds us that we are precious and beloved. I recently discovered what my most precious possession is. You may guess it is a ring inherited from a great grandmother or a photo album…it is pettier. I left my cell phone in an Uber and realized how precious it is to me. I would have done almost anything to get my phone back. As much as I love my phone, it is insignificant compared to the love that God has for each of us. God wanted to get humanity back so badly that He sent His Son.
‘He remembers you always’. This is so powerful. It is easy to forget about God when I am scrolling through my phone anxious for relief from a difficult day, while Netflix is playing in the background. If I stopped, and remembered, God knows my struggle and sees me, it might ease the situation. Not perfection – but easier. Similarly, I could remember the affirmation that God has confidence in me and that I have an advocate in the Holy Spirit for the troubles I face in the coming week. I hope to try this more, and that it helps you too.
In the afternoon, the women completed a Lectio Divina activity, Adoration and Confession. I wasn’t able to join them, however, I heard it was wonderful. My hope is this retreat is the beginning of more great gatherings. During the pandemic, I noticed a loneliness because we could not have in-person events for spiritual growth. It has been a journey. Pope Francis says,
“The Holy Spirit will never tell you that on your journey everything is going just fine. He will never tell you this, because it isn’t true. No, he corrects you; he makes you weep for your sins; he pushes you to change, to fight against your lies and deceptions, even when that calls for hard work, interior struggle and sacrifice. The evil spirit, on the contrary, pushes you to do always what you want, what you find pleasing…the Holy Spirit, correcting you along the way, never leaves you lying on the ground: He takes you by the hand, comforts you and constantly encourages you.
”During COVID, I was fortunate to be surrounded by community, and virtual opportunities for spiritual growth. Although I faced challenges, I was able to call on the Holy Spirit for help. At times, it was apparent that God had a greater plan than my own and I was happier for choosing His path even if it was hard. I imagine the great explorers who charted the first maps of Canada carving out cities and provinces on foot. Similarly, the Holy Spirit journeys with us through the chaos of our lives and makes sense of it, charting a course. When we stop to ask for directions. Pope Francis says, “in the great journey of life, the Spirit teaches us where to begin, what paths to take, and how to walk”. Regardless of your journey during the pandemic; the Holy Spirit wants to guide you through it.
Stopping to gaze at the Holy Spirit in the women I met at the retreat was a privilege. Reading Pope Francis’ reflection on the Holy Spirit or “motor” is life altering. My hope is to ponder these words and integrate them into my life being more aware that God knows me and remembers me always to reduce anxiety. I will continue try to find confidence in being a precious, beloved child of God. Pope Francis reminds me that even though the journey of life is hard I have someone charting my path and correcting me as I go, on whom I can rely.
If any of my words resonate and you would like to know the Holy Spirit more, I encourage you to pray the simple prayer “Come, Holy Spirit”. I also suggest taking the Alpha program to welcome the Holy Spirit to work in your life in a powerful way. Happy Pentecost. The full text for Pope Francis’ homily can be viewed by clicking here.
