John 14:23-29
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
I’ve often been asked what a novice mistress might look for in someone who wants to explore Monastic Life. My answer is always the same: someone who truly seeks God in this place, with these people and someone who is ‘teachable’. Being willing to adapt and change and to learn the ways of the monastery is crucial for any newcomer. Openness is required both on the part of the newcomer and of the community.
When Jesus promises that ‘the Holy Spirit will teach us everything’ I hear this with some of the freshness and excitement with which I began my monastic journey. Now if we are imagining a syllabus and a nice linear progression in our learning we are in for a surprise. The Holy Spirit’s teaching strategy can’t be pinned down like that. Being attentive to the Holy Spirit and ready to learn requires deep listening. It’s a listening that touches every part of our lives.
Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.
In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace. – Frederick Buechner
How can you be open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit today?