Brother Thomas Paul’s retreat.

Episode 5

The Holy Spirit is a person…

The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. The Spirit of Wisdom and the Spirit of Understanding
The Spirit of Counsel and Might..The Spirit of Godliness…
(Isaiah11)
When this happens in a person, a total transformation takes place…a state where the lamb and the wolf dwell together…This is what happens in the kingdom of God.

Let us try to understand the kingdom of God in a simple manner.
The kingdom of God = kingdom of Love
Therefore God=Love….God is Wisdom too.

Let me share one of St. Francis of Assisi’s experience…
One day as St.Francis of Assisi was walkig down the streets of a village, he noticed that the streets were unusually quiet and deserted and all the people were inside their homes. Someone called out from inside and cautioned St. Francis from going any further as there was a wolf around. They told him that the wolf would attack him and eat him. But God had given St. Francis a special grace…the blessing to relate with every creature as his brethren…since God created everything…the wolf and the lamb. It is said that St. Francis had a coversation with the wolf. He asked the wolf the reason behind him troubling the villagers to which, the wolf answered that he was hungry and wanted food. St. Francis came to an agreement with the villagers that every family in that village would take turns to feed the wolf each day. The wolf agreed not to trouble them anymore. St. Francis and the wolf represent the lamb and the wolf we spoke about earlier from Isaiah 11.
I narrated this incident to describe the amazing grace of love we are called to experience in the kingdom of God.
Where should this start?
In our homes..in our society…everywhere…the wolf and the lamb will live in harmony when the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding comes to dwell in us as a person.
Psalm 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are your works? In Wisdom you made them all: the earth is full of your riches.
This earth abounds with your creation. They were created by Wisdom. God himself created the wolf and the Lamb. Once we attain Wisdom, we are filled with the essence of God himself.
There is one thing common in the wolf and the Lamb…’God’s Spirit’…Wisdom created both. Let us reflect upon where we stand in the kingdom of God.
What did Jesus tell the Apostles at the start?… I am sending you as lambs amongst wolves. Won’t the wolves attack us? No.
Why? Who resides in this lamb?
The person who sent him lives in him….God created the lamb. This God is within the lamb and goes wherever the lamb goes.
Love is when the wolf and the lamb dwell together in peace.
What are the fundamental aspects of Jesus as a person?.Wisdom,understanding Knowledge, fortitude, counsel, piety, fear of the Lord…
These divine qualities flow into us through the Messiah.
God has a nature and God cannot act against this nature.
In those days a leper was forbidden by law from being around people. They used to ring a bell to warn people of their arrival…so that people would know and move away. No one would touch them…
But Jesus touched him…because Jesus is beyond and above all laws.
We often talk about free will. Isn’t this free will from God himself? Pope Francis in his teachings state that man’s free will is God’s creation. When man misuses this gift of free will it becomes sin. God created atomic power. Was it to make atom bombs and destroy man?
Man can misuse atomic power. A ladder can be used to climb up as well as step down. Likewise, God’s creation has two sides. God has permitted us to use the gift of free will. This is where we must use Wisdom. When Wisdom and free will work together it can create something good for mankind but when it is misused, atom bombs can be created. This is the power of Wisdom. When free will is used with God’s Wisdom, it becomes divine and without Wisdom it becomes destructive.
When God’s Wisdom dwells in us, all enmity ends. The reason behind division and discontent amongst man is because of his inability to see the Creator in the creation.
Isaiah 11:9 speaks about Gods Wisdom working in nature…
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
For the past 2000 years, the priest lifts up the Holy Bible as he walks to read the Gospel during Mass….this is because the Holy Bible is the way to Wisdom. Wisdom comes from the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are several organisations in this world to cater to acquisition of knowledge of different subjects…but we have a shortage of Bible colleges. This is because not many people feel the need to study the Bible. Even if theology is pursued, it is to secure a degree and not to seek God or acquire Wisdom. People who have studied struggle to share their knowledge for lack of interest amongst the people.
We are unable to sit still even for 30 seconds. We react too quickly and negatively to people at the slightest provocation. But when we are enlightened by God’s Wisdom, we are able to exercise self control and avoid instant reaction…we develop the patience to wait to discuss at an appropriate time. This correction is the work of the Holy Spirit.
God says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb. ( Isaiah 11)

“Do not resist an evil person”. ( Mathew 5:39) What will happen if you do? It will be like hitting a rubber ball, it will bounce back with more force. God says, I will resist the devil for you…and this is the Wisdom hidden here. We will find all these written in the book of Psalms. We are asked only to pray like a warrior and the Holy Spirit will be our guide.