How to Hear the Holy Spirit (14)

Session #14

A Spiritual Exercise for Fine Tuning Your Spiritual Ears

Question for discussion (please post a comment):
After doing this spiritual exercise, tell me about your adventure: What did you find? What did the Holy Spirit lead you to?

Comments from the live event

C.T. shared this story:

Before I watched this video, an incident happened that coincided with your spiritual exercise.

As usual, in the evening I was driving to church to attend 6.15 pm daily Mass. Half way to church, I believe it was the Spirit speaking to me: “Hey, this evening there is no Mass at 6.15 pm; there will be anticipatory Mass [Vigil Mass for the Ascension of the Lord] at 8.00 pm”.

I was caught ‘somewhere in the middle’ (that song that you had shared with us): Should I turn back home or should I just go for a car ride? The Spirit led me to pay a visit to a stay-alone elder. I brought with me some food and a red blouse as a belated birthday present. When I reached her home, she was so delighted to see me and said that she was expecting me to visit her. I stayed awhile to chat with her.

When I drove off, it was only 6.30 pm. I had an hour and half before the Ascension Mass started. What am I suppose to do? I was guided by the Spirit to drive to the church adoration room, and I spent one holy hour gazing at the Blessed Sacrament in silence. It has been many months since my last visit to the adoration room. I felt great peacefulness after adoring the Lord.

Here’s what L.M. experienced:

I’m on a business trip, so while the idea of doing the spiritual exercise made me think this would be good because I don’t know the area, I realized: I don’t know the area. Yikes! The need to trust — knowing that I had forgotten something for my trip and I really needed to find a drug store, and a grocery store because I needed dinner, and, well, it is Cinco de Mayo, so how about a restaurant too? Or maybe wherever the Holy Spirit wants to lead me, but I do have these goals: the item I forgot and dinner.

Still a little anxious: What if I’m not sensitive enough? (Then I practice what we just learned). What if nothing happens? (Same thing, and I can really make a prayer beforehand, that this isn’t a test, but my efforts to hear and be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not my logic.) What if it takes too long and I get lost? (Well, I do have the GPS to get back to the hotel).

After praying for deeper faith and apologizing for my lack, I set out in an area I was not familiar with, to find a drug store/grocery store and possibly a Mexican restaurant. As I heard a direction to go, I was having this dialog to try and make sure it wasn’t me, thinking of the direction I would be inclined to go and yet not following where I would choose. In a very little while I came upon a group of restaurants — none Mexican, so kept going. Then a drug store. I was thanking the Holy Spirit and ready to stop, and I got a “keep going”. Little while later, a grocery store. I went in and got my items. I even included some dinner/snacks, as I thought perhaps this meant no Mexican restaurant. God often makes Himself known to me through the use of humor, and this occurred in the store. So I’m ready to go back to the hotel and the Holy Spirit keeps giving directions. I see some beautiful houses and lots of different churches. I was tempted to use GPS to get back to hotel, but I just kept following. Then I see a Mexican restaurant to my left — unbelievable! Am I a pig to get dinner? Must be meant to be. I go in and, because of the Mexican holiday, they were not doing carryout. So: the Holy Spirit directed me to the grocery store, and I got my food there, but He also let me find the restaurant even though knowing I’d need to get food elsewhere! And I got safely back to the hotel.

I am so thankful! Even though it may not have worked the way I thought, His presence is more than I could ever ask!