The Holy Spirit will come upon you

(Sr. Margarita Maria
Carmelite of Nazareth)

In Nazareth , a small village unknown by many, God enters into the history of mankind. Mary, a young, humble girl from Palestine receives the announcement from an Angel and within she asks only one question: “How can this be?” (Lk 1:34) And the Angel says to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Lk. 1:35) Then Mary responds: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1:38) and the Holy Spirit overshadows her, inhabits her and the Word
was made Flesh and dwelt among us.

Mary's total availability and total receptivity is inhabited by the Holy Spirit. Her virginity is seen in this profound dimension which tells us that she had no obstacle to the Will of God. She was free and detached from herself and everything else, poor, “anawim”, an example of the “people well-disposed” (Lk. 1:17 ) who awaited the Messiah, the poorest of the poor, meek and humble of heart.

“For the first time in the plan of Salvation and because the Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the “dwelling place' where His Son and His Spirit could dwell among men.” (Catechism 721) “Through Mary, the Holy Spirit begins to bring man, the object of God's merciful love, into communion with Christ.” (Catechism 725)

Our vocation as Discalced Carmelites is “a gift of the Spirit" which invites us to an intimate union with God, in friendship with Christ and intimacy with the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Const. 10) We can say, together with St. Teresa of the Andes that the life of a Carmelite is similar to that of the Holy Virgin. She only prayed, suffered and loved. And all in silence.” (Letters 138)

We are, in this land of revelation, part of the poorest of the poor, this Christian minority, this small remnant. With Mary we journey in faith, we are on a continuous path, our life interwoven with simplicity and the ordinary, in work, in fellowship, in solitude and silence which urges us towards the continual search for His Face. Our life is a dwelling place where the Son and the Spirit can dwell in the midst of this people. With our Father St. Elijah, on Mt. Horeb , we continually embrace the experience of the living God, manifested in the “gentle breeze.” “I live in the Lord, in whose presence I am.” (1 Kings 18:15 )

United with Mary, we open ourselves to the powerful, and at the same time gentle action of the Spirit, to be pure availability and total receptivity. Because of this, we do not tire in beseeching, Veni Sancte Spiritus and we experience, in the ordinary of life, the coming of the Spirit which overshadows our communities, enabling us to live a 'parable of communion', sign of unity on this earth, reuniting in one body, different nationalities, cultures, ages and languages. We are certain that this unity is fruit of the Spirit. We contemplate this fruit, as we journey in faith, as a concrete reality, in the course of everyday life with its light and shadows.

This Spirit of fire transforms our life into a living flame, that remains burning like a continual Pentecost. The Spirit transforms us into women of communion, with a single word that is spoken from the silence and solitude. We believe that a spark is capable of setting a fire and we take the risk of allowing ourselves to be fire of the Spirit here and now, so that all those who come in contact with us can burn with the same fire.

Mary's Yes permitted God to enter into our history. We believe that in the ordinary quality of our small existence, in the present which is given to us, the Kingdom is built, as well as unity and peace in this world, because for God nothing is impossible! (Lk. 1,37)

Every one of us has heard His Voice which says: “I have searched for one among them for one who will stand in the breach for me.” (Ex. 22:30) And we launch ourselves into the adventure, believing in the One who realizes great works with poor, earthen vessels. We have said: “Here I am!”

For this, everyday we persevere “with one mind in prayer with Mary the Mother of Jesus, imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation.” (Cf. DV. 8:59)

Veni Sancte Spiritus.... Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Come, Spirit of Wisdom ,
make me crazy enough to live the beatitudes.

Come, Spirit of Understanding,
make me humble enough to trust in you without
understanding everything.

Come, Spirit of Counsel ,
make me docile enough to adapt myself to your Will.

Come, Spirit of Fortitude ,
make me weak enough to make big things.

Come, Spirit of Knowledge,
make me loving enough to know the truth about Love.

Come, Spirit of filial love ,
make me small enough to throw myself into the arms of the Father.

Come, Spirit of praise ,
make me available enough that you can pray through me.

Come, breath of fire ,
enable me to "pass on this fire to others."

Therefore, let them discover with wonder, through all that is ordinary in my life, the fruit which you bring to maturity in it: " love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control ." (Gal. 5:22)