The photo above was taken in Nazareth on Easter Sunday in 2019. A moment I will never forget. Fellow pilgrim, Toya and I were walking back from the Church of the Annunciation and enjoying our afternoon stroll through the streets. We were exploring all the nooks and crannies through the Old Town of Nazareth.
As we turned a corner a dove was just sitting on the ground in front of us. We stopped in awe, knowing the gift which was being given to us, we were used to seeing pigeons but this was a beautiful white dove.
We grabbed each other’s hand and for what felt like forever we prayed, each of us saying our own prayer nothing was said out loud. Nobody walked past us, it seemed that time had stopped. As we ended our prayers, I reached for my phone to take a picture. Just as I was taking the picture the dove left us and I received this photo as a gift. “Thank you Jesus” was all we could say after this moment and I think we both floated down the street as we were filled with the Holy Spirit!
This is an excerpt from Richard Rohr’s email, beautifully said…
“Even though we so often pray, “Come, Holy Spirit,” the gift of the Spirit is already given. The Holy Spirit has already come. You all are temples of the Holy Spirit, equally, objectively, and forever! The only difference is the degree that we know it, draw upon it, and consciously believe it. All the scriptural images of the Spirit are dynamic—flowing water, descending dove, fire, and wind. If there’s never any movement, energy, excitement, deep love, service, forgiveness, or surrender, you can be pretty sure you don’t have the Spirit. If our whole lives are just going through the motions, if there’s never any deep conviction, we don’t have the Spirit. We would do well to fan into flame the gift that we already have.
God does not give God’s Spirit to those of us who are worthy, because none of us are worthy. God gives God’s Spirit in this awakened way to those who want it. On this Feast of Pentecost, quite simply, want it! Rely upon it. Know that you already have it.”
