Are you following the Holy Spirit or the world's spirit?

by Colleen Spiro

Banquet Still Life by Abraham van Beyeren (photo credit: Wikipedia Loves Art project).

In a recent homily, Pope Frances said, "… We cannot pick and mix, no? A bit of the Holy Spirit, a bit of the spirit of this world… No! It’s one thing or the other.”

Pope Francis said that we need to open our hearts up to the consolation of the Holy Spirit so that this consolation, "allows us to understand these commandments."

So we either follow the world's teachings. Or we follow Jesus' teachings.

One thing or the other.

One of the phrases used in recent years is "cafeteria" Catholics. This term is used to describe those Catholics who pick and choose what church teachings that they are going to follow. "Pick and mix," to use the pope's words.

We do not always understand the teachings. We do not always understand the why or how or what of them. Perhaps we have a strong opinion that goes against the teaching.
But our opinion is not what is needed here.

Prayer. Prayer is needed. Prayer to the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Church's teaching, to help us inform our conscience. To help us know - which spirit are we following? The Holy Spirit? Or the world's spirit?

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." - St. Augustine


Colleen originally posted this at her blog  Thoughts on Grace.