We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. // 1 Corinthians 2:12
“Appas! I have appas!”
My eighteen-month old’s cry to the untrained ear seemed to be a request for the crunchy autumnal fruit that grows in abundance in our western New York orchards. But no, he was not requesting an apple; he was instead asking to nurse. And as his mother, I knew exactly what he needed.
I presently am in the middle of teaching my fifth child to speak, understand, and listen, and I often find myself talking more slowly, enunciating carefully, and repeating words, so he can absorb it all. Even when each child has been in the stage where words are mostly made of “uhhhs” or “daaahs,” I’m mostly able to decipher his meaning.
In today’s reading, Saint Paul is writing to the Early Church with encouragement that the Holy Spirit is the only One Who fully understands the deep mysteries of our Faith. But He wants to reveal them to the Church. And even when we know some mysteries and teachings are difficult, we can find hope and be encouraged by this.
When we allow our minds and hearts to be formed by God and are looking to grow in our knowledge of Him, we will be more in tune with the mystery of the gift of faith. Just as my love and attentiveness to my children’s gurgles has allowed me to make sense of what they’re trying to communicate, so my love of God and dedication to learning about Who He is through the reading of Scripture, Catechism, and other sacred texts enables me to begin to unpack all of the mysteries and truth to be found.
I encourage you to dig into an aspect of our faith that you might have shied away from or would like to know more about. Grab a book—many Saints, or even more modern-day Catholics like Dr. Scott Hahn or Venerable Fulton Sheen have beautiful insights into the Sacraments and Bible. Or maybe a captivating podcast or YouTube channel fits into your life better. I invite you to make a commitment to grow in your knowledge of God and the faith He has gifted to you.
Make a commitment. // Sarah Ortiz Click to tweet
Sarah Ortiz is a Catholic convert, wife, and mother to six boys while living in a 200-year-old farmhouse in Western New York. When not folding laundry, she can be found reading, experimenting in the kitchen, keeping the family library, or snagging amazing antique furniture deals. She was a contributing author to Set a Fire. Find out more about her here.
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