Do you hear the wind blows? Can you locate the precise source of where it is coming from? Or do you simply follow its course? Greek word for both spirit and wind is pneuma, like pneumonia as a respiratory disease or pneumatic drill for air.

Pope Francis, Fr. John Cordero and Fr. James Martin wisely characterized the presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of spiritual direction and the metaphors they used. The Holy Spirit is a mystery, where we can’t explain the place where the wind comes or goes to. But, it is a direction you can trust. 

Some folks are carriers of the Holy Spirit – a young friend of mine is that way. I interviewed her as a freshman at Fordham University and after six months there, her treatise on feminism was so much advanced in seeking sisterhood amongst her friends, but forging solid relationships with her mom, dad and siblings. She found herself a niche, and she helped first with outreach, organizing conferences and later, convening teams to work with fintech companies. How can she have a deep understanding of what’s needed at her age? Granted her parents modeled the examples but her personal instincts made her soar that after her graduation, she already has a job waiting. She is fearless and strategically thinks of how to push her vision, while helping her classmates as well. That to me is the Holy Spirit in her life.

Like Island Pacific Market that saw the community needs and made a website for online orders and contactless delivery. Or the nightly get togethers of folks at 7pm or 8pm banging on pots and pans to say thanks to the frontliners. That’s the Holy Spirit moving us to connect to others, from one warm heart to another, forming a community of harmony. 

Photos here of Portugal’s Mary and Child next to a photo of my daughter and granddaughter, and 3 month old grandbaby were by my husband. The love painting is by my favorite beautiful daughter and the praying plant, striated ropeballs of cactuses are from my favorite handsome son, plants, giving off oxygen we need, just like pneuma.

Portugese sculpture of Mama Mary and child Jesus. When I saw this, I could not leave without buying it.
My then 3 month old grandbaby, whose joyful spirit was captured by my husband. He would call this as the photographer who caught the emotional peak of the moment.
Love painting was created by my beautiful daughter from the hands and feet of her baby, then a year old. To this day, my now 5 yo grandbaby remembers how she imprinted her hands and feet on that canvas. 
My favorite, handsome son gave me these two cactucesm I love them because you simply soak them overnight and they are good to go for a week. I love this corner as it shows the interplay of dark and light and together, we both need.
The praying plant my favorite handsome son gave us. During the day, the leaves relax, some are down but at night, they are all pointing upwards. The wooden Igorot sculptures were carved in the Philippines.

Allow docility to open you for the Holy Spirit to come in, to be born from above is to be born with the strength of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to transform us, a rebirth from on high.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis noted 3 factors of dividing our communities:

  • Money – in your Church, a person with the gold ring is ushered and revered, leaving the poor to the sidelines. Poverty is the mother of our community, it guards the community to care for others.
  • Vanity – the desire to feel better than others, dressing like a peacock and where peacocks appear, there’s division.
  • Gossip – what the devil puts in our mind to talk badly of others, to disqualify them from the rest.

The presence of the Holy Spirit allows us to guard against money, vanity and gossip that may transform us all to harmony in the community, Pope Francis said.

Hubby made another mask for himself, a more fashionable one. I am lobbying for a fashionable one.
Hubby baked this cheese-crusty sourdough bread.
Our simple salad last night of yellow mangoes, roasted portobello mushrooms steamed broccolini and sliced Persian cucumbers.