Transformation: A Lifelong Experience
Sr. Theresa Byrne
What a delightful topic to reflect on as we prepare for the feast of Pentecost! To make our journey through life, God knew we would often have rough terrain to travel so he gave us special gifts to ensure that we journey well: Word, Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit.
We are all called to ongoing transformation, and that is the work of the Spirit. A very positive “sign of our times” is the distinction between “spirituality” and “religion.” The latter comes to us through our culture and the former is innate, placed there by God—a spark of the divine that makes us the children of God.
Spirituality is how the spirit within us connects with the Spirit of God. It is the foundation of all religion. Bishop Kenneth Untener, the late Bishop of Saginaw, MI, saint and prophet, said so often, “The most unused precious gift among Catholic Christians is the place and power of the Spirit in our lives.” In the early Church, it was the opposite. Once the frightened disciples were empowered by the Spirit, everything changed.
For the past 20 years, I have been involved in adult spiritual formation and retreats. There are no words to explain the transformation in people’s lives when they are open to the Spirit. In the silence and solitude of retreats, they “hear” the Spirit speak and they tell me this: “I am beginning to see everything differently;” “I need to move in a new direction;” “I have new and deeper questions;” “I need to value relationships more;” “God is asking something new of me;” “I am being asked to surrender my resentments,” etc. What miracles of transformation! Truly the work of the Spirit. All we are asked to do is believe and be open. This is an awesome reality.
There are many stages and “thresholds” in our lives, and the Spirit wants to prepare us and transform us for each one. The Christian Scriptures tell us the Spirit is with us as Teacher, Guide, Counselor, Friend, Reminder, Advocate, and source of our Joy. May we always be aware of how blessed we are and be open to our continuing transformation. The Spirit has so much “more” in store for us.
Sister Theresa Byrne, OP
© Sinsinawa Dominicans 2008
