The Spirit as Continuing Revelation

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

Spring is in full bloom in my part of the world. Right now the peonies are opening and perfuming our yard. I can't look at these gorgeous flowers without remembering the peony bushes that grew around the seminary where I went to high school. Every year the sacristan would harvest huge bouquets of these lovely flowers and adorn the altar with them.

The peony is the kind of flower which changes as it opens from a tight hard blossom to a lovely feathery bloom. Every day it presents us with a different view, a different perspective. Today's Gospel speaks of the fact that the full message and impact of the Good News cannot be absorbed all at once. This is precisely why Jesus sent the Spirit, to continue to reveal the Gospel message as we grow and mature in the faith. The abiding presence of the Spirit makes it possible for us to digest the Gospel as the mystery of faith continues to unfold in our lives. Jesus came to reveal his Father to those who came to believe in him. For those of us who have heard the word of revelation, the Spirit becomes our connection to that time when Jesus walked among us.