“Draw, Antonio; draw, Antonio; draw and don’t waste time.”
Today is Pentecost and I completed my novena to the Holy Spirit. I am certain I am missing more than a million pieces of heaven rushing toward me. Yet, here in this lake retreat I am celebrating what I can catch like my boys who run after their bubbles so mesmerized by the way they float and sparkle.
I am mesmerized, enchanted and basking in the Advocate on this glorious day. Last evening at Mass, Fr. Chis at St. Martin in Vicksburg gave a homily I will be re-reading and re-living in my mind and heart all the while wishing Pentecost was celebrated for an octave like Easter. His homily unleashed love towards me I cannot fathom but also cannot deny. This love, I interpret to be a light upon the beautiful gifts of the Holy Spirit and we all possess them...we all walk around the grocery store with this love. We endeavor to get dirty in the garden with it’s joy. We hug out children with it’s gentleness.
One little morsel of my novena was about my gift of writing which I play with and love passionately; yet I feel more like a woman from a love song who suffers from longing for a lover she cannot have. In my younger years my gift was lauded and I was awarded repeated titles of editor, won contests...etc. Then, in college where I assumed I would burst forth in a grand writing career, I experienced the not only roadblocks but near death to my dream in a professor’s disparaging assessments of my work.
Throughout the anticipation and duration of the novena my children have been a part of my prayer. Luke physically handed me the Good News Catholic newspaper of our Diocese and inside is a posting for freelance writing if you have a sample. Due to my blog and my recent publication in ICEA’s Journal I have that to present. My youngest, Zachary handed me random book on Soul Writing I purchased a long long long time ago before I could even dream of little boys in my midst and just a glance at a few pages took me home to my heart’s calling. And my middle man, Ryan has been repeating every song, every line of every movie lately and whatever anyone else around him says to him including my nightly proclamation to him, “Ryan, God made you perfectly.” To which he now responds, “Mommy, God made You perfectly too!”
I have been sitting in this heavenly atmsosphere and this morning, the celebration day of Pentecost, which is the birthday of my church I cherish, I come across my favorite book about writing by Annie Dillard. I don’t think of this book as the least bit spiritual regarding the faith that I need to live my life but it is spiritually written for me and my writer’s soul. Annie Dillard advises if you think you should save something that is the ultimate clue to embrace it and use that inspiration. She seems sent to me to give me a message. She quotes the artist Michaelango who left a note to his apprenitce which captures me from inside the prison of doubt and illuminates my freedom to write with his passionate advice, “Draw Antonio,; draw and don’t waste time.”
What did the priest say in the homily?
ReplyDeleteOur priest was talking about his friend who asked him about praying to the Holy Spirit. His friend said, I pray to Jesus, God, Mary, St. Anthony, but I tend to forget about praying to the Holy Spirit. Tell me about when /how you pray to the Holy Spirit."
Then Kayla grabbed my attention and I don't remember or didn't hear his response; but what I realized I never thought to pray to the Holy Spirit before either.
Have you had chance to write anything for the Catholic newspaper?
I look forward to reading more of your writing :)
Love you!