What will the Holy Spirit conceive in you?

How full of grace and worthy Mary was to be chosen as the most beloved spouse of the Holy Spirit. Within her womb the Spirit conceived our Savior, the Savior of the world, the King of the Universe.

Mary – immaculately conceived, pure, a perfect spouse for the Holy Spirit to continue its saving work in humanity – is the new Eve, not blemished by the temptation and deception of sin, but bringing forth the One who would forever conquer sin and death.

We may not feel worthy for the Holy Spirit to work in us. We may feel constantly inadequate or sinful. What we often fail to realize is that the Holy Spirit can still work in similar ways in our own lives to bring us to newness, to wash us clean so that we too might conceive something much greater than ourselves.

Before His departure from this world, Jesus told his apostles that He must leave so that the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, may come. Through the Holy Spirit, all will be made new and even greater works will be accomplished. “Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater work than these will he do, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12).

Sister Renee Yann of the Sisters of Mercy writes that it can be dangerous to call on the Holy Spirit. “‘Come, Holy Spirit’ is a dangerous prayer! Don’t say it if you don’t want to be shaken out of your routine, blown off course, and ignited with a grace that refuses half-heartedness” (“A Dangerous Prayer,” Sisters of Mercy Communications, May 2023).

Receiving the Holy Spirit can put you in the ranks with Joshua and Caleb as they led Israel into the Promised Land, or mighty King David as he bravely fought from his youth, or John the Baptist as he passionately paved the way for Jesus, or the chosen apostles who went to the far corners of the earth to spread the good news, or even Paul being blasted off his horse and transformed into one of the greatest evangelists of Christ. As we grapple with our feelings of uncertainty about being ranked with these phenomenal warriors of the faith, we fail to realize that we are already there!

Rest assured, you have all you need to walk in their shoes. In fact, you have been endowed with the Holy Spirit more than once in your life: first at baptism and then again at confirmation. At baptism, the seed is planted that blooms into gifts given by God; the buds are ready to begin to open at certain stages in our life. The gifts of the Holy Spirit then become an arsenal, a tool belt for defense and cultivation of your works of faith.

Although each gift is unique and should be protected and guarded well, it should not be hidden. We must use these gifts in works of faith. As St. James states, “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17) Not only should we call upon the Holy Spirit and use the gifts of the Spirit to cultivate our faith, we should also pass them on.

At the recent Confirmation Mass at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey encouraged families and confirmation candidates to not only receive the Holy Spirit but to pass it on. He spoke to the parents about being the very first catechist in their child’s life and how through them their child came to know the Holy Spirit.

At the end of this beautiful Mass, when my parents congratulated my husband and me on raising such a fine daughter, I reminded them it was their spiritual formation and the spiritual formation of my husband’s parents that put the fruits of our parenthood into motion – and their parents before them, and so on back throughout history.

When passing the Holy Spirit from one generation to the next, words must be put into action. This new digital generation is also a heavily visual generation. Therefore, our actions essentially send the breath of the Holy Spirit into those we raise, who watch us intently as models of their adult life.

Not ready to do great things? Don’t worry. You have all you need. God has been carefully planting and weeding and fertilizing special unique gifts of the Spirit inside of you for years. Simply ask the Holy Spirit for the gifts you need at the time.

Will it be wisdom, or understanding, or counsel, or fortitude, or piety, or maybe fear of the Lord?

Whatever you need to do, your great works are only a breath away. Be brave! Pray “Come Holy Spirit” and then wait. Abbot Placid reminded us to keep an open mind, for the gifts may emerge differently than what you expect. Be watchful. The answer to prayer comes when we least expect it. Then, with purity of mind, justice of heart, and above all love of God, be ready to receive the Holy Spirit and get to work!

Will Peterson