Sprit Led

I have just started reading a book my Pope Benedict XVI. It was published early in his papacy. The title is, "New Outpourings of the Spirit". While I have just started the book it has gotten me pretty excited and I wanted to write about it here before my thoughts get blurry. 

As far back as 1997, then Cardinal Ratzinger, started researching the many new spiritual movements in the church. He concluded that these movements are good and would help revitalize the church. He cautions pastors to not extinguish but rather to help nurture these movements. The Holy Spirit, present in these movements will help bring many to the a greater faith in the church. He also cautions the laity involved with these movements to not stray from the church but rather to work in partnership with them to build up the church. Personally, I am involved with the charismatic movement. Through the charismatic renewal I have found a very deep spirituality that always brings us back to Jesus and the sacraments.

In the book, Pope Benedict also talks about the importance of the church guarding against become too institutionalized. It is important that the ordained leadership (priests, bishops and deacons) are just that ordained. They are in a sacramental relationship with the church not an assigned role but rather something confirmed through the church and the Holy Spirit. From 2 Cor. 3:5, "Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God."

As the church continues to grow it must embrace these outpourings of the Holy Spirit, we must follow the leading of the Spirit being cautious to not throw aside the core beauty and beliefs of the church. Again, in 2 Cor. 3:16-18, "but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit." The Spirit gives us freedom. But not freedom in the secular sense, rather freedom in the true sense. The freedom that can only come from God.

For me, this outpouring of the Spirit in my life has given me freedom to live in the love of Christ. I also understand, as I await entry into the diaconate, that the call comes firstly from the church through the Holy Spirit. I also see in this the importance of Pope Benedict's call to new evangalization. It is awe inspiring to see so many people blogging and twittering about their faith in God and the Catholic church.