I was in a car yesterday, driving through Rome with a group of friends. My assignment was to check out places to hold a future event in the city. As we drove along, we passed by so many places that had such dear memories for me: St Peter’s Basilica where we met with Pope Paul VI at Pentecost 1975, the fields above the catacombs of St. Callistus where we gathered to praise God and celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which at times would break out into spontaneous dancing!

I saw places where men and women from around the world had gathered, speaking different languages but united in the language of the Spirit. Oh the joy, the fire…and the fun!

My thoughts were brought back to the present moment when an Argentinian woman (a personal friend of Pope Francis) asked me a question as we drove along. “In June, it will be a year since the Holy Father addressed the world-wide Renewal here in Rome. At that time he told us he wanted us to bring this experience of the Holy Spirit to all of the Church. I haven’t seen much action in the Renewal on this point. Jim, if the Holy Father should ask me how we are doing what shall I tell him?”

“Tell him we got tired,” I mumbled under my breath. The conversation in the car stopped and everyone looked at me. “Some folks have been trying to do that very thing for the last 50 years,” I continued, “and have not always been welcomed with open arms. I think some people have just worn down.” The Argentine nodded in silent agreement but came back with a dramatic statement “But now there is a new opportunity, a new possibility! We have to wake the Renewal up! This is the time!” Another added in, “We have carried this baby for so long, we cannot be too tired to deliver the child!” Another analogy was offered; “It is as if we got dressed to go to a party and we waited and waited for the invitation. We got tired of waiting so we took off our party clothes and put on our pajamas. Now the party is about to begin…and we are in our pajamas!”

We were driving by St Peter’s at the moment and my thoughts turned to a particular place in the square where once I had seen an ailing Pope John Paul II struggle out of his chair to declare with all the strength he could muster, “Be open to the Holy Spirit! Be open to the Holy Spirit!” Those words, spoken many years earlier, seemed to me to be a prophetic exhortation from the now-canonized Pontiff.

Are we truly “open to the Holy Spirit?” Are we indeed at a moment of “new opportunity, new possibility?” Are we “dressed for the party” or “home in our pajamas?”

The conversation in the car returned to normal, but I sat there in silence, looking out the window and reflecting on the last 5 minutes…..and the last 50 years.

I will acknowledge that time has moved on and we cannot return to 1967. Nor can we discern the future through a nostalgic look at the past.

We can learn from the past, however, and see what we can embrace in the current moment and go forward.

I know I am speaking in broad generalities, but here are some things we did that kept the fire burning bright:

We were people committed to prayer. Our lives were restructured to ensure that we had a significant amount of time for personal prayer. It became one of the highest priorities of life…higher than sleep or showers or food. It was a common thing to ask a friend “So…how is your prayer time going these days?” Our prayer was contemplative, it was charismatic, it was traditional…and it was consistent. Every follower of Jesus saw it as their personal responsibility to have a daily prayer time.

We devoured Scripture. When touched by the Holy Spirit, we became infatuated with the Word of God. We would always carry our Bibles with us. A Scripture passage could become the focus of a lunch time conversation. We would constantly turn to Scripture for strength, guidance and inspiration. It was unthinkable to go to bed at night if you had not read your Bible for whatever amount of time you had committed to.

After encountering the Holy Spirit, we had such a new sensitivity to the Sacraments! We were amazed that ancient rituals which we had grown up with now seemed so vital and alive. Every time we went to Mass, every time we entered the confessional, we expected to encounter the living Christ who had become so real, so relevant in our lives.

The Spirit of God also opened our hearts to others. We hungered for fellowship. We met with brothers and sisters of other denominations and saw them as co-workers in the Vineyard. Our own fellow Catholics became deepest friends. God put a new love in our hearts for family and co-workers. It was a sovereign work of God, and we knew it. We never complained about a prayer meeting going too long. Heck, we would stay up all night if need be…it was just so much fun to be together!

We did not “throw a switch” after a prayer meeting. We sought to follow the Spirit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We would use the charisms at a conference, but also in the workplace. God “might show up anywhere” and we always wanted to be ready to follow his lead.

I think that even though we saw ourselves as “part of the Renewal,” our true identity was that we had been grasped by Christ. Our identity was directly linked to him. There was not much talk about my ministry or one person’s accomplishments. The focus was on God, not the person.

And it was about The Lord that we spoke so freely. We could not be quiet! We would tell anybody…and everybody that “We have seen the Lord!” Sometimes we were met with skepticism and even mocking…but we would not be silent. What had been whispered to us in our hearts was shouted from the rooftops!

There was a sense that we were all in this together. True, the Renewal had leaders, but it had no spectators. Everyone did their part. Everyone took personal responsibility, doing their share to keep the fires of Pentecost burning bright.

The driver of the car slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a motorcycle, jarring me out of my reverie. I tried to re-enter the conversation but could not. I was asking myself a few questions:

  • What is my daily prayer life like?
  • How committed am I each day to Scripture?
  • Do I have an expectation of encountering the living Lord in the sacraments…or am I just going through the motions?
  • Am I still in fellowship, on a regular basis with “people of the fire?”
  • Am I “charismatic” only when it is convenient or am I always ready to respond to the promptings of the Spirit?
  • Who have I spoken with recently about my encounter with Christ?
  • Do I see myself as belonging to a religious club…or to Christ?
  • Is my involvement in Charismatic Renewal more about what God is doing…or what I am doing?
  • Am I taking some responsibility for fanning the flame in my own life, or waiting for others to carry me along?
  • Can I just relax, have a little more fun and trust in God or do I need to “make everything work?”
  • Where is the fire? Where is the joy? Where is my “first love?”

I hadn’t noticed that the car was parked and everyone had gotten out. We were going to the Church of the Holy Spirit, very close to St Peter’s. I hurriedly walked in with a new enthusiasm. This is a new moment, a new opportunity! The best days lie ahead. We only need to be faithful to God on a daily basis and wait for him to act. The Spirit is about to move in a new way. It won’t be a repeat of 50 years ago. It will be the work of the Spirit for this time! It will be wonderful! I am going to re-invest my life in those little things we committed to so long ago. I am going to put the pajamas away for at least another 50 years. I’m getting dressed for the party!

Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy

Jim is the Director of Leadership Formation Initiatives for International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS). Him also serves as the Country Coordinator of Mexico Missions for Renewal Ministries. Jim is an International Speaker and President of Vera Cruz Communications.