After
thirty-five years of functioning as a Benedictine brother and priest in the
Catholic Church, it is evident that the faithful are often fairly aware that
they do not understand well what is meant by “the Holy Spirit”? In general, the entire mystery of
God—symbolized as “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”—baffles our people, and that
is good, for in speaking of God in any way, we are entering into the realm of
divine mystery. That means that we are
speaking about reality that lies beyond our physical and mental grasp, beyond
our mortal understanding.
Even our human condition—and
particularly what it means to be a human being—is far more difficult to
understand than we often assume. For we
dwell in shadows, between light and darkness, but often mistakenly believe that
we are in the light. Far wiser is the
saying inscribed above the portal at Delphi in ancient Greece: “Know thyself—that you are a human being, and
not a god.” One cannot know what it is
to be human without knowing the divine; and the divine is ever beyond our
under-standing. Superficial minds and
the intellectual elites of our day flatten out human existence so much that
they think they know who or what we are.
In effect, they seek to bring our common humanity down to their shrunken
level. They even think that they know
what “the self” is, or what you mean when you say, “I.” Do you really know what you mean when you
say, “I”? Herakleitos said that he could
not find the borders or limits of his soul, so great is its divine depth. On a practical level—for action in this
world—yes, you have an initial grasp that allows you to act. But if you keep still, and seek to find who
or what you are, and if you are open-minded (a very big “if” indeed in this day
and age)—then you will discover that you do not know what you think you
know. All of one’s knowing about
oneself, the world, and what we call “God” is far more unknown than known, and
largely beyond our understanding, and surely beyond our ability to grasp or
to control. The way of wisdom begins
as one wakes up and realizes, “I really do not know what I have been talking
about—myself, you, or what is called “God.”
Like Job, one realizes: “I did
not know what I was talking about.” So
begins the journey into wisdom.
If one is led to realize, “I do not
truly know myself well, and I barely know who or what God is,” then one is
being led by the Holy Spirit. That is
called humility; and “humility is endless.”
The Spirit shows us that we do not know as we ought to know, nor do we
know why we have so much difficulty understanding “the things of God.” If one thinks, “I know who I am, and I know
God,” then one is truly self-deceived, and is living in darkness unenlightened
by the divine presence. If one claims,
“I know that there is no God,” one deeply immersed in an impenetrable cesspool
of self-deception, and remains imprisoned in that muck.
The way into the realm of the Holy
Spirit begins with a penetrating insight into one’s own ignorance—and with an
awareness that one has shared in this ignorance by pretending not to be in
darkness. We deceive ourselves more than
we like to admit. When one has been “in
the Church” for many years, and still has a weak insight into the workings of
the Holy Spirit, one would do well to admit, “I know far less than I have
thought I knew.”
When I was a young man, speaking
with a leading philosopher to understand the spiritual experiences of the
Apostle Paul, we mentioned St. Paul’s frequent recourse to writing about “the
Holy Spirit.” I asked the philosopher,
“What is the Holy Spirit?” He looked me
in the eyes and asked, “What do you think is moving you to ask your
questions?” His question was a gift of
the Spirit; and my questioning was a sharing in the Spirit. The Spirit provokes wonder and questioning.
How refreshing it is when we in the
Church become aware that we do not grasp well the divine mystery to which we
often give lip service.
Who or what is “the Holy
Spirit?”
