In our recent pastoral day for clergy and laity in Palmerston North the focus was on the Holy Spirit. There are three keys to the Divine Renovation project for parish renewal: priority of evangelization, leadership and the Holy Spirit. Hence, this was the third key. Our synodal meetings looking at the future for the Catholic Parish of Hastings are designed for us to listen to one another and to have ourselves listened to. The other major component of this, however, is that we listen to the Holy Spirit. The vision we aspire to as a "God sized vision for CPH," can only come about if we are docile to the movement of the Holy Spirit. That is why we pray in silence for ten minutes before we begin talking in small groups. We can only be attentive to the Holy Spirit when we come to silence and open our hearts to that which the Holy Spirit wants to communicate to us in the depths of our being. To do this we need to trust in a loving and generous God who desires our happiness and is the best of fathers: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Lk 11: 13)
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