On an unlikely Monday morning in November, my niece was baptized at just a month old and I have to say, it was the most unextraordinary baptism I have ever attended. Just me and my immediate family were in the pews, the priest walked in late, and the celebration after consisted of chicken soup and cookies at my brother’s house. And yet what an eventful day that the Catholic Church gained a new member!
We know from the baptism of Jesus that so much more happens during this sacrament than what the naked eye can see. In Scripture, the Holy Spirit comes down on Jesus and God speaks his words of blessing over His beloved Son. As the Holy Spirit came down for my niece, I could almost hear God saying, “This is my beloved daughter, Felicity, with whom I am well pleased.” And then what happens? The Gospel of Luke says that Jesus “was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days to be tempted by the devil.” It is clear that the Spirit does not want to remain dormant.
If you’ve ever run track and field before, you’ll know the adrenaline of getting set in the starting blocks and waiting for the command to go. It is not a calm waiting but rather an energy that allows you to shoot out of those blocks almost too quick for your legs to respond. I imagine the Holy Spirit to be waiting in a similar way within all baptized Christians. Absolutely still, not daring to make a false start, waiting for the command, waiting on us. God invites us into adventure and it’s our yes that triggers the Holy Spirit. Jesus was invited into the desert and his yes allowed the Holy Spirit to live in Him, to not only keep him alive for forty days, but to withstand the temptation of Satan in such a vulnerable state.
Do we believe that the Holy Spirit has this power in our lives? If you do, then you should have full confidence that you can get through Lent without any blunders. Every Lent season of my life, I look back and can confidently say that I messed up. I look back and realize how weak I am and how difficult it is for me to stick to commitments. But have I looked back and confidently said, the Holy Spirit got me through those forty days? How often have I realized the strength and grace of the Holy Spirit in all the success of that Lenten season?
My niece is still just a baby but I have full confidence that the Holy Spirit has complete freedom to work in her life. The Holy Spirit who is the Advocate and Consoler can freely love this child and be received within the purity of her heart. If we had the dependence of a child, maybe we could allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Maybe instead of waiting for the Holy Spirit to move before taking action, we could jump into action and watch the Holy Spirit move. This is the invitation during Lent. Say yes to the hard commitments and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the Holy Spirit will shoot out of those starting blocks for you.