My former Scout troop leader, who had become a priest and was visiting the seminary where I was staying, shared with me his first questions as a ‘young priest’ at the time. Thus, the most profound question had been to begin to truly believe in the ‘Real Presence’ of the one who made the Body of Christ really happen on the altar during mass (as for the Precious Blood), by his own word and the virtue of the Holy Spirit received in the sacrament of Holy Orders. It was “his” word that had somehow “produced” the Body of Christ by invoking the Holy Spirit on the bread presented by his own hands. The sensations of touch he had did not change. Only the substance changed… It was a matter of believing; he had a front-row seat! How can we believe that God would intervene through such and such a well-known friend, who has become a priest and is now a priest again after 10 years of estrangement?

But we can ask ourselves if this question goes even further: does God have the right to act in the world? Can God call one or another to His service? Can God even simply intervene in our lives? Wouldn’t it then have been intentional on God’s part to create us, just to share with us the joy of walking to meet Him? Or even, to work on earth, entering into cooperation with Him, discovering His love… like a laborer called to an exciting work[1], whether it’s the^1st hour or the ^11th hour? And what if, by chance, we were to discover some whisper of the Word[2], in our consciousness as well as through the events and reflections they arouse in us… and which biblical events would help us to interpret?

“ How beautiful is this interior life, it gives union with God “, said the Curé d’Ars[3]… People are rightly ecstatic that the Curé d’Ars could read souls. ” When the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, how many good intentions he gives us, but we have to correspond to them, we have to follow them[4] ” So we have to believe that God gave him the right intuition at the right time, and Jean-Marie welcomed it! So anyone who welcomes God into his soul, and makes his life coincide with it, is not surprised by His action in the world, either in people or through events.

Since, as we learn, one of the most constant discourses of the Curé d’Ars concerned ” the action of the Holy Spirit on souls[5] “, let us ask, for ourselves and for those whom God leads us to meet, for this grace of welcoming the Holy Spirit within us, and for a life that corresponds to it. ” My grace is sufficient for you ,” said the Lord to St Paul! (2 Cor 12:8)

[1 ] Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, Ch 2, 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

[2] 1 King 19^,12 ‘but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire, the sound of a light breeze. ¹³ As soon as Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him…

[3] Nodet, 34/139

[4] Catechisms JACQUET 19 quoted in Nodet, p 21/139

[5 ] Nodet, 22/139