Poor Clare Colettine Community website wellsprings

Witness
It is the Holy Spirit who has awakened me at the age of 16 to a deeper understanding and experience of the love of God. I was a good Catholic girl, loved my faith and thought I understood it then, but when people were talking about the love of God I felt really uneasy, because I did not really know this love, I had never experienced it.

One night, during a Christian youth camp, I became very angry as I was listening to someone's testimony telling us about the love of Jesus. I went out in the night, in a field, and started to shout to God angrily, telling him that if he did love me so, why should he leave it to others to tell me about this extraordinary love - why couldn't he tell it to me himself?

I put my whole faith at stake on a possible answer, and determined in my heart that if he did not answer, I would stop believing - or simply bothering - about him. The thought that this might happen already left me with a deep deep void inside, a bleak prospect. Of course, I did not hear a big voice coming from the sky.

Someone came, who was concerned about me, and she just prayed for me - I let her do it, though I was very angry and upset, for the sake of getting it over and done with. She prayed that the Holy Spirit would come in my heart and my life. Nothing happened after that, and I went to bed still in tears and exhausted.

In the morning, I woke up different. I think the Holy Spirit did come and renewed and deepened in me the gift of faith that I wanted so - faith in the love of God. Whereas in the evening I had decided not to believe in this incredible love, in the morning, there was nothing I was more certain of. It was completely supernatural. I opened my bible, and everything became so clear, so sure and so certain about God, his Son Jesus Christ, and his love that is beyond telling. From that moment my faith deepened and I grew more and more in love with God. It was then my turn to drive people crazy by telling them about the love of God. This adventure led me to become a religious, consecrated to God in the order of St Dominic - who talked only with God or about God.

READ

John 14:15-16

The Lord says, ”If you love me you will keep my commandments.” He does not say: Here are the ten commandments: morality is good for you. He speaks of love. He has already told us in the first thirteen chapters of John that he loves us. Now he says, If: If you love me. - Yes Lord. You know that I love you - you will not find the commandments a problem because the love we have for each other will make integrity not merely possible, but easy. How could you love me and worship the idols of success, power and money? How could you love me and drag my name in the mud? How could you love me and not want to spend time with me? How could you love me and not want to respect the family I have given you, weak and human as they are? How could you love me and then involve yourself in killing and lying to people, tie yourself up in destructive relationships with people whom you know I love deeply? How can you love me and be everlastingly hankering after things and people that are simply not for you?

You can’t.

Love me - and do what you will. Because I have made it possible for you to do this I have asked your Father to give you another counsellor; the Holy Spirit of Truth.

The Spirit lived with the people of the Old Testament; he still lives with those who do not see him or know him. But for you who are made one with me in Baptism, the Spirit does nor live with you, he lives in you. This is why Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The Spirit has always been hovering over the waters, but now he has descended on you and remains in you.

In tongues of fire
The Spirit’s tongue speaks in you. His fire warms you, gives you light and burns away your dross. You live inside me, and I live inside my Father. Because of my Spirit, when you speak and act, people can hear and see me. This is love. This is passion.

Let us pray
Father,
we are in your Son,
and he is in you.
We have come from the east and west
to sit at your table,
in your kingdom that begins now
in your Spirit.
Amen.