Sony Kadookunnel

In the apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, Pope Francis reminds us that the Lord “wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence,” and that the call to holiness is present in various ways from the very first pages of the Bible: “as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet 1:15-16). “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1Thess 4:3). Lord has chosen each one of us “to be holy and blameless before Him in love” (Eph 1:4).

Taking these words to heart, often we think that by setting upon a plan for action, by being patient, little by little we can achieve holiness by our efforts alone. Indeed holiness takes courage and patience, but holiness is primarily a work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This task is beyond our power: “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it” (Romans 7:18). Since person is unique, there is no standard given model of holiness we can implement. Pope Francis insists in Gaudete et Exsultate that “each believer discerns his or her own path … rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them.” According to Jacques Philippe, the author of In the School of the Holy Spirit, “holiness is not the realization of a given model of perfection that is identical for everyone. It is the emergence of an absolutely unique reality that God alone knows, and that he alone brings to fruition.”

Beyond following the general principles that apply to everyone, the shortest route to holiness is to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. St Faustina writes in her diary, “O my Jesus, how very easy it is to become holy; all that is needed is a bit of good will. If Jesus sees this little bit of good will in the soul, He hurries to give Himself to the soul, and nothing can stop Him, neither shortcomings nor falls – absolutely nothing. Jesus is anxious to help that soul, and if it is faithful to this grace from God, it can very soon attain the highest holiness possible for a creature here on earth. God is very generous and does not deny His grace to anyone. Indeed He gives more than what we ask of Him. Faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit – that is the shortest route.”

In prayer, we sense the different movements within us such that, we begin to develop a “spiritual sense” in which you can hear the Holy Spirit’s “tone of voice.” The first thing to do to foster inspirations is to desire and ask for them. “Ask, and it will be given you” (Luke 11:9). Gratitude also fosters inspirations, says St Therese of Lisieux writes to her sister Celine: “What most draws down graces from our dear Lord is gratitude, for if we thank Him for a gift, He is touched and hastens to give us ten more, and if we thank Him again with the same sincerity, what an incalculable multiplication of graces! I have experienced this: try it and you will see. My gratitude for all that He gives me is boundless, and I prove this to Him in a thousand ways.”

Externally, a true inspiration of the Holy Spirit cannot contradict the Word of God, the teaching of the Church, and the demands of our duties in life. Internally, inspirations from Holy Spirit brings joy, peace, tranquility, gentleness, simplicity, and light. On the other hand the spirit of evil brings sadness, trouble, agitation, worry, and confusion. St Ignatius of Loyola teaches that by taking note of the movements of our heart in prayer, paying attention to the origin, motion, we will be able to discern whether they come from our human nature, the Holy Spirit or the evil spirit. While the divine inspirations are stable and constant, the evil inspirations are unstable and changing. Therefore, we must “practice peace” by keeping an attitude of inwardness that is attentive both to God’s presence and others.

“The whole spiritual life could be summed up as taking note of the ways and movements of the Holy Spirit in our souls” – Fr Louis Lallemant, a 17th century Jesuit, and one of Pope Francis’ favourite spiritual guides.