Open to the Spirit

Our community has been recently blessed with an observer in our midst: she has come to stay with us for four weeks to experience the rhythm of our contemplative life. I am always so struck with the beauty of an observer’s disposition, or even that of a new postulant or novice. So open, so unknowing and unassuming, so willing to be led. It is the beauty of a spiritual child, a child with an open and trusting heart, the child that we are all called to be before God. Here Pope Francis encourages us to be led by the Holy Spirit in our daily lives:

Let’s ask ourselves: are we open to the Holy Spirit, do I pray to him to enlighten me, to make me more sensitive to the things of God? And this is a prayer we need to pray every day, every day: Holy Spirit may my heart be open to the Word of God, may my heart be open to good, may my heart be open to the beauty of God, every day. But I would like to ask a question to all of you: How many of you pray every day to the Holy Spirit? Eh, a few of you I bet, eh! Well, a few, few, a few, but we realise this wish of Jesus, pray every day for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to Jesus. (Vatican Radio, May 15, 2013)