Pentecost, Part II

The human brain is estimated to have as many as 500 trillion synapses, making it the most complex organism or machine imaginable. In addition to managing all our bodily functions and actions, the human mind is uniquely capable of conscience thought and rational thinking, also referred to as “reason.“ Does this complex mind of ours put us at the top of the hierarchy of all existence, or does it point to a greater reality, a spiritual reality who created us so wondrously?

Human reason is the incredible ability to be self-aware and it enables us not only to think and speak, but to search for meaning in our lives. Blaisé Pascal, the 17^th century scientist-mathematician who invented the syringe and the barometer, built the first mechanical calculator, and developed probability theory still in use today, was also a Catholic philosopher whose writing has stirred the hearts and minds of millions who have taken the time to reflect on life’s truths. When contemplating the human capacity for reason Pascal warned that there are two false attitudes toward reason. The first is over confidence which often leads to skepticism, and the second is laziness or disinterest in discovering the truths about life. Discovering truth, according to Pascal, is achieved by avoiding these two pitfalls. Relying exclusively on human thought can result in overlooking the greater realities revealed by the complexity of the universe which reveals an even greater reality, a spiritual reality that stirs the human heart. Perhaps this is why we feel God’s presence when we behold the wonders of nature or the infinite expanse of the universe. The second pitfall is avoidance of the hard work of seeking truth, which often results in our being deceived by the lies and perversions of truth that pass for secular wisdom.

Centuries later, Ralph Waldo Emerson said something very similar, perhaps moved by reading Pascal’s Pensees. “God offers every mind its choice between truth and repose. Take which you please -- you can never have both.” As it turns out, truth is often unpleasant, and pursuing it always requires courage. It’s easy to tune out and avoid the complications of facing truth. This is the basis of psychoanalysis: uncovering and facing the truths we’ve suppressed. Running from truth is almost always harmful to us in some way. “Forgetting our troubles” is often the pursuit of people who turn to alcohol, drugs, food, and other obsessive or addictive behaviors that damage our emotional and physical health. Symptoms of this abound in Western culture where 20% or more of the population is taking anti-depressant medication. Could it be that we’re running away from truth, and finding it too painful to face reality, or perhaps finding so little meaning and purpose in our lives?

So what does all this have to do with Pentecost? Think back to Jesus’ passion and death. Standing before Pilot, Jesus revealed the reason He had come into the world: “The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:37). Pilot’s infamous reply was, “Truth! What is truth?” Clearly Pilot wanted nothing to do with such talk and literally washed his hands of any responsibility (Pascal’s second pitfall). Pilot was a politician. He wanted nothing to do with absolute truth, preferring instead the relativism in which truth is unknowable and constantly changing according to the whims of the ruling class or the most powerful. Absolute truth carries with it obligations and requires courage, so most politicians want nothing to do with it.
We crucified Truth in an attempt to silence it and avoid the obligations that come with it. This truth that Jesus came to give us, is almost too much to ask. Jesus knew this and said to His disciples, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth will guide you in Truth.” (John 16:12)

We all know that the disciples were afraid for their lives, hiding from the authorities when the Holy Spirit came to them. Suddenly they were infused with courage and their minds were open to the Truth of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit were conferred upon the apostles and they are available to us as well, but not because of any action of our own. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are the actions of God Himself, changing us in ways that we are incapable of achieving on our own. These seven gifts enable us to recognize and embrace Truth, and to use it to guide our lives toward justice and peace of soul. Here they are:

Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Courage
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord

These gifts are conferred in the Sacrament of Confirmation, but like any gift, it’s us up to us to unwrap the present and use it. God will never force us to act, or to accept His many gifts. It is us up to us to use these gifts and to incorporate them in our daily lives, otherwise they remain unopened, forgotten, and unused. Without the aid of the Holy Spirit and the gifts He bestows on us, we lack the wisdom to recognize truth and the courage to seek God’s truth. Nor can we, on our own, discover the will of God, much less recognize the deceits of the devil or the threats to our salvation.

For each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit there is an opposite value held up by the secular world that denies absolute truth:
The world’s wisdom is the pursuit of absolute autonomy, unrestrained by moral truth; Understanding is limited to human reason alone, ignoring the spiritual realities;
Courage is replaced by the mantra of avoiding anything that is unpleasant or inconvenient, whether it be a baby, a marriage, or a family obligation;
Knowledge is suppressed by perversions of truth that are so enticing to our senses and our laziness;
Piety is considered a weakness because the focus is on personal freedom and love of self not love of God;
Fear of the Lord is ridiculed and replace by the notion that there is no such thing as sin, dulling our senses to the moral absolutes which we fail to recognize.

Rejecting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or letting them sit unopened puts us in peril of being deceived by the many enticements of the secular world, a world that is suffering and dying from its own egocentric self-absorption. Don’t be that person. Don’t stand idly by while Truth is crucified. Open your life to God and welcome the Holy Spirit and His gifts into your life. Do it today.: having a dread of sin and fear of offending God.: loving God as a Father and obeying him because of our love for Him.: enabling us to discover the will of God.: strengthening us to do the will of God in all things.: warning us of the deceits of the devil and dangers to our salvation.: enabling us to know more clearly the mysteries of life and faith.: desire for the things of God, and to direct our lives to His honor and glory.