Mass at the chapel of the Jesuit Generalate, presided over by Cardinal Müller: Talk after the Mass:
Saint
Paul teaches: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
within you?” (1 Cor 6:19). My body is myself—this I cannot change.
The
Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Christ is the head; the Church is the
spouse of Christ (Eph 5:25-27). Saint Cyprian says separation from the Church
is like adultery. Truth is not a system of ideas, but Jesus himself (Jn 14:6).
The
Church is united—not like a political party or any organization, but as an
image of the Triune unity. Tertullian calls the Church the body of the Trinity
because “we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). The Church is visible communion.
From
Roman emperors to kings throughout history—including today’s world leaders—none
can save the world. They promise it, but fail completely. The Epstein files
scandals and involvement of great leaders show this clearly.
We
are called to different leadership. The Pope is servus servorum Dei—servant of
the servants of God. The Church is not nation-based. King Henry VIII declared
the Pope could not be the visible head of the Church; he made himself head and
founded the Church of England. But the Church cannot be of England; the Church
is in England, in India, in Italy, everywhere. The Church has her own God-given
mission. She cannot serve the function of nations.
God’s
revelation transcends national territories and cultural barriers. It is neither
Western nor Eastern. Today countries like China embrace communism and reject
Christianity as a “Western product.” But the irony is that communism and
Marxism are the true Western products—not the Church or Christ’s revelation of
God’s mystery.
The
same misunderstanding exists in India. Christianity does not spread Western
culture; rather, Western culture has often adopted Christian values.
Saint
Cyprian says: Prayer is not to avoid problems, but to overcome them. Every day
let us pray Jesus’ words: “Thy will be done” (Mt 6:10).
Fr
Augustine: How Do We Experience the Holy Spirit in Our Life?
Acts
1:8 says: “Wait and pray until you are clothed with power from on high.”
They all gathered together—along with some women, the brothers of Jesus, and
his mother Mary—and were praying (Acts 1:14).
Luke
1:35: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High
will overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). “Nothing will be impossible for God” (Lk
1:37).
Mother
Mary was the first person to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit in the
Gospel. She was deeply troubled—a woman conceiving without knowing her husband
would face stoning. She did not understand everything. But she surrendered
completely to the will of God. The spirituality of surrender: waiting, praying,
and surrendering.
What
Does the Holy Spirit Do in Our Life?
Jesus
gives five names for the Holy Spirit.
1.
Fire.
Luke
12:49: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already
kindled!” (Lk 12:49). Matthew 3:11: “He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11). Acts 2:3: Tongues of fire appeared (Acts
2:3). The disciples were cowards until they were sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Saint Paul recognized the power of sin in his life: “I want to do good, but I
cannot do it; I do the opposite” (Rom 7:18–19). Jesus says: “Temptations are
bound to come” (Lk 17:1).
A young man with shaking hands—a seemingly addicted
college student—came to speak with me about his situation. Because of peer
group pressure, he had fallen into addiction. He said simply: “Father, I don’t
want to waste my life.” After participating in the retreat, he returned to
college transformed. He testified: “Now I know how to handle temptations—with
prayer and surrender. Still there are moments of temptation, but in those
moments I make it my prayer time. So I don’t feel isolated, but perfectly connected.”
It was his secular college—there was no space to pray.
Now a few more youth have come together and formed a prayer group, shedding
light and hope across the college campus.
Our
hope is in the Holy Spirit. Whatever our temptations may be, we wait, we pray,
and we surrender.
2.
The
Spirit of Truth (Jn 16:13)
“When
the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (Jn 16:13).
We
most often react to partial truth. “I failed the exam—so I am incapable of
anything.” But this is not the whole truth. Failures make us sad, sick,
desperate. Yet they are not the end.
Jeremiah
29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you… plans for welfare and not for
evil” (Jer 29:11). God’s plan is the whole truth. We are not accidents in
the world; we are sent with God’s purpose.
When
failure or sickness comes, we wait, pray, surrender. The Holy Spirit reveals
the whole truth. Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for
good for those who love God” (Rom 8:28). Can you believe this? Nothing
that happens to us is unfortunate—it works for our good. Ephesians 2:10:
“We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph
2:10).
Imagine
a potter at work. His feet move the wheel, his hands shape the clay. Only the
plan in his mind coordinates everything—until a beautiful pot or flower vase
emerges. The same in our life: we don’t need to understand everything. We need
only surrender to God’s will—especially at moments of failure.
3.
The
Paraclete (Jn 14:16)
Jesus
says: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with
you always” (Jn 14:16). The Holy Spirit comforts us at all times. Even after
the Annunciation, Mary was comforted by the Holy Spirit. She became the
ambassador of joy. The only true Comforter in our life is the Holy Spirit.
A couple fought bitterly. Exhausted, they decided to
go to a film for relief. But the movie showed nonstop fighting! They left even
more distressed. It
seems funny, but most of the time we seek comfort in the wrong places. The Holy
Spirit is our true comfort.
Today
we want everything at one touch. One touch to light, one touch for food, one
touch for everything. We have forgotten the art of waiting, praying, and
surrendering.
A funny story about Saint Anthony of Padua: He
performed miracles daily. His superior thought he was acting imprudently (as
superiors often do). He ordered: “Anthony, you are doing too many miracles.
From now on, get permission before any miracle.”
The next day, on his way back to the community,
Anthony saw a man falling from a construction site. He raised his hand and held
the man suspended in the air. Then he hurried back to the superior:“Father,
permission to continue the miracle? The man is still hanging in the air!”
4.
A
Spring of Living Water (Jn 4:14)
Jesus
promises: “Whoever drinks the water I shall give him will never thirst; the
water I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to
eternal life” (Jn 4:14).
In a village, a couple earned their bread through
agriculture. One day the woman heard her brother was sick. She told her
husband: “I must go care for him. Eat the food I’ve prepared and drink water
from the well in front of our house.”
The next day, the man went to the well, peered in, and
calculated in his mind: “There must be only 10 buckets of water left.” So he
decided to fetch water from the distant public well instead.
He
didn’t know the well would keep springing water—no matter how much you drew!
5.
The
Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit
1
Corinthians 12:30: “Do all speak in tongues? Do all heal? Do all work
miracles? … But I shall show you a still more excellent gift” (1 Cor
12:30). “If I do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2). The Letter to the
Galatians speaks of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22–23). Love is the
first fruit. The power of a mango tree is in its fruit. Love is the power
of the Spirit—not mere sentiment, but commitment. Forgiveness is the highest
manifestation of love.
Joy
is also a power. It enables us to rejoice even in difficulties.
A man came to me: “Father, please pray for me.” I said
I would. Then I asked: “What should I pray for?” He replied: “No peace, no joy,
no love, Father.” “What happened to you?” I asked. “Don’t you have a job?” “I have a good job,” he said. “But because of
traffic, I arrive late every day. My boss—a lady—cuts my salary in half every
month. My wife fights with me because of it.”
Six months later, he returned with a joyful face.
“What happened?” I asked. “That lady boss was transferred. The new boss is
understanding, and my wife is happy now.” I told him: “You are happy because of
external circumstances. But you cannot always control external things. Your
peace and joy should not depend on the outside world—they should flow from
within you.
Whenever there is a problem, get connected to Jesus. Wait, pray, and
surrender.”
Listening
to the Voice of God (Mt 7:24–28)
Matthew
7:24–28: The wise man built his house on rock; the foolish man on sand. Winds,
rain, and storms come to both, but what matters is where you build your house. It
is not enough just to “read” the Bible. We must listen to the voice of God.
Jesus often heard the Father’s voice: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him”
(Mt 17:5). He himself says: “My sheep hear my voice” (Jn 10:27). Hebrews 4:12:
“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb
4:12). Not dead letters printed on a page, but fully alive.
Matthew
10:30: “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Mt 10:30). No detail of
our life escapes God’s sight. Psalm
56:8: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle” (Ps
56:8). Psalm 119:92: “If your law had
not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Ps 119:92).
When
you read the Bible, listen for God’s voice—it speaks something only for you.
There
are three layers of listening:
·
Historical
layer: Know that
real events happened in the past. You are not reading a fairy tale.
·
Revelation
layer: Everything reveals God. King
David—a small shepherd boy—became king, but fell into sin. God saw his sin, yet
when the prophet Nathan brought God’s word, David repented and was forgiven.
God is merciful—he does not wait to punish, but to forgive.
·
Personal
message: This is between you and God. Do not
close the Bible until you receive your message. “The Bible is a love letter God
has written to me,” says Saint Augustine.
An event: During my seminary days, my father sent a
letter every month. I would hold it to my heart, read it as if seeing my
father’s face speaking to me. I read it again and again. The content was often
the same, but I read with great love—because it carried my father’s message.
Do
not open the Bible without praying to the Holy Spirit. Then you receive your
personalized message. The Word of God should become the joy of your life. Whenever
I felt bored in the seminary, I read my father’s letters and felt encouraged.
Let the Bible become your love letter.
A testimony: A college girl, very smart and her school’s topper,
wanted to pursue higher studies. But her family could not afford it. She
decided to work for one year to save money. She went for job interviews but
failed everywhere. Afraid she would never study, she opened the Bible.
She read the passage from Mark’s Gospel where Jesus
raises the daughter of Jairus (Mk 5:35–43). “Do not fear, only believe” (Mk
5:36). She felt God speaking to her: “Do not be afraid.” She surrendered to
these words, and all her fear vanished. “Now I know my God is with me,” she
said.
Jesus said to the girl: Talitha cum— “Little girl, I
say to you, arise” (Mk 5:41). The young woman rose with confidence. That day
she went to her interview, everything went well, and she got the job.
Morning
Meditation: Building on the Rock
What
do I do during my morning meditation? Is it just a timetable? Is it merely a
continuation of my bedtime prayer?
Psalm
5:3: “At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you” (Ps 5:3). My God is
waiting to speak to me. The whole day will be bright. We will face problems,
but we will not break down—for God is fighting with me (cf. Ex 14:14).
Mark
1:12: Jesus curses the fig tree (Mk 11:12–14). He was hungry and saw a fig tree
with fresh leaves, but no fruit. He cursed it, and the next day it was withered
(Mk 11:20–21).
Why
curse the tree if it was not the season for figs? There is symbolic meaning—a
prophecy in action. I am the fig tree in my family, workplace, community. Can
hungry people find any fruit in me?
Matthew
25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you
did for me” (Mt 25:40).
A man knocked on my door and burst in before I could
say “Come in.” With an angry tone he shouted: “Father Augustine, I hate you!”
He had sent me an email to book a room for his
retreat, but at reception it wasn’t reserved. I invited him to sit and talk,
but he kept shouting. I stayed patient and, with a few phone calls, resolved
his issue. I could have shouted back—but that would not have brought him peace
or turned him from hating all priests for life.
Some
people think they have a license to judge everyone. John 15:16: “I have
anointed you to bear fruit” (Jn 15:16). In season and out of season (2 Tim
4:2). If there is no fruit, there is a curse.
How
many people are hurt because of me? People may shout at us, but we have no
right to shout back. Loving those who
love us comes naturally. Loving those who wound us is transformative. It does
not mean approving evil, nor giving up on justice. It means not allowing evil
to define our heart. It means breaking the chain of negative reciprocity. The
real question is not: “Do I have enemies?” The real question is: “Do I allow
the enemy to determine who I am?”
Begin the day with the Word of God!
