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In the second of his articles, Fr Raniero Cantalamessa OFM Cap reflects on the life of Mother Teresa and on the lessons on holiness we can draw from her life
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The
Role of the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the Call to Holiness|
"We must not fail to imitate what we like to celebrate " (Imitari non pigeat quod celebrare delectat) Mother Teresa's story reminds us of something essential for our sanctification: the importance of obeying inspirations. This is not something to be practised only once in a lifestyle. God's first and decisive call is followed by many other subtle invitations which we call good inspirations. All our spiritual progress depends on our docility to these inspirations. It is easy to understand why fidelity to inspirations is the shortest and surest way to holiness. This is not the work of man: it is not enough to have a very clear programme of perfection to be able to carry it out gradually. There is no identikit of perfection. God does not make saints in batches; he does not like cloning. Each saint is a new invention of the Spirit. God can ask of one saint the opposite of what he asks of another. To take a couple of examples from our own time: What do Escriva de Balaguer and Mother Teresa have in common? Yet, for the Church, they are both saints. What is the unique holiness that God wants from us? Therefore, we do not know from the beginning what, specifically, is the holiness God wills for each one of us: only God knows that and He reveals it to us along the way. By doing this He stops man limiting himself to following general rules which are valid for all. This means a person has to understand what God is asking of him or her - and him or her, alone. Consider what would have happened if Joseph of Nazareth had limited himself to following faithfully the then known rules of holiness, or if Mother Teresa had obstinately observed the canonical rules in force in religious institutions? What God wants from each one in particular is discovered through a combination of factors: the events of one's life, the word of Scripture, the advice of a spiritual director. The principal and common means are, however, the inspirations of grace. These are the interior requests of the Spirit in the depth of the heart through which God not only makes known what he is asking, but at the same time communicates the necessary strength, if the person accepts, to realise it. Good inspirations have something in common with biblical inspiration, acknowledging of course the authority and extent, which are essentially different. "God said to Abraham," "God spoke to Moses": this speaking of the Lord was not, from the phenomenological point of view, different from the one that takes place in inspirations of grace. God's voice, even on Sinai, did not resound in the exterior, but within the heart in the form of clarity, impulses originated by the Holy Spirit. The Ten Commandments were not inscribed in stone by God's finger, but in Moses' heart, who then wrote them in stone. "Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2.Peter 1:21), they were the ones who were speaking, but moved by the Holy Spirit; they repeated with their mouth what they had heard in their heart. All faithfulness to an inspiration is rewarded by ever more frequent and strong inspirations. It is as if the soul is being trained to come to an ever-clearer perception of the will of God and a greater facility to fulfill it. Discernment of Spirits The most delicate problem in regard to inspirations has always been to discern those that come from the Spirit of God from those that come from the spirit of the world, one's own spirit or the evil spirit. The topic of discernment of spirits has undergone a notable evolution over the centuries. In the beginning, it was regarded as the charism which served to distinguish between words, prayers and prophecies pronounced in the assembly - which ones did or did not proceed from the Spirit of God. Then, it is, in fact, the same gift although applied to different objects. These are criteria of discernment that we could call objective. In the doctrinal field, for Paul these are summarised in the recognition of Jesus Christ as Lord; 'No one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord!" except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12.3); for John they are summarised in faith in Christ and in his incarnation: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of God; every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God" (1 John 4:1-3) In the moral area, a fundamental criterion comes from the consistency
of the Spirit of God with himself. The latter cannot ask for something
that is contrary to the divine will, as expressed in Scripture, in
the teaching of the Church, and in the duties of one's own state.
A divine inspiration will never ask acts that the Church considers
immoral, no matter how many arguments to the contrary are suggested
such as God is love, therefore, everything that is done for love is
of God. Importance of obedience to superiors St Ignatius invites us to observe the intentions - "the spirits" - that are behind a choice and the reactions that the latter causes. It is known that what comes from the Holy Spirit brings with it joy, peace, tranquility, gentleness, simplicity, light. Whereas what comes from the evil spirit brings sadness, disturbance, agitation, disquiet, confusion, darkness. The apostle clarifies this by contrasting the fruits of the flesh - enmities, discord, jealousy, dissension, divisions, envies - with those of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace... (see Galatians 5: 19-22) In practice, however, things are more complex. An inspiration can come from God and, despite this, cause great disturbance. But this is not due to the inspiration, which is gentle and peaceful, as is everything that comes from God; it stems rather from resistance to the inspiration. A serene river also, when it meets obstacles, causes whirlpools. If the inspiration is accepted, the heart finds itself immediately in profound peace. God rewards each little victory in this area, making the soul feel his approval, which is the purest joy in the world. Importance of Church leaders listening to the Spirit If it is important for every Christian to accept inspirations, it is vital for those who have tasks of governance in the Church. Only in this way is the Spirit of Christ itself allowed to guide his Church through his human representatives. It is not necessary that all passengers in a ship have their ear attuned to the radio on board to receive directions, warnings of icebergs or meteorological conditions, but it is indispensable that those who are in charge do. From a courageously accepted "divine inspiration" of Pope John XXIII, the Second Vatican Council was born and many more prophetic events have occurred in more recent times. It is this need of the guidance of the Holy Spirit which has inspired
the words of the "Veni Creator: Ductore sic te praevio vietmus
omne noxium" ("With you as guide we shall avoid all evil.")
In his "Roman Triptych", the Holy Father takes up this word
when, speaking of the moment of choosing the Successor of Peter, he
puts in the mouth of those present the prayer: We must all abandon ourselves to this interior Teacher who speaks to us without the noise of words. As good actors, we must listen carefully, on great and small occasions, to the voice of this hidden prompter, to play our part faithfully in the theatre of life. It is easier than one thinks, because the Spirit speaks to us within, he teaches us each thing, he instructs us in everything. "But the anointing which you received from him abides in you and you have no need that anyone should teach you: as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie." (1 John 2:27). It is enough sometimes to glance within, to have a movement of the heart, a moment of recollection and prayer. With the words of a very well known liturgical prayer we ask God, through the intercession of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the gift of recognising and following his divine inspirations as she followed them: "Actiones nostras, quesumus Domine, aspirando preveni et adjuvando prosequere, ut cuncta nostra oratio et operatic a te semper incipiat et per te cepta finiatur." (Inspire our actions, Lord, and accompany them with your help, so that all our activity has its beginning in you, and its fulfilment in you. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.") Edited translation ofFr Raniero 's Advent Meditation
to Papal Household in 2003. Thanks to Zenit Catholic News Services.
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