23 Spirit Wind
"May the road rise before you and the wind be always at your
back." is the beginning of an Irish blessing. Of course the
Irish know that the wind won’t be always at your back, that
sometimes it will be in your face. The blessing reflects their
awareness of the big difference it makes.
In a Jesuit retreat house in Guelph, Ontario there is an outdoor
statue of St Ignatius leaning into the wind. It is an evocative
symbol of our struggle in life. The wind may be against us but it
helps to define our features. If it slows our progress, we arrive to
the flapping of bunting.
In Greek, as in Hebrew, one word serves for both ‘wind’ and
‘spirit’. The spirit is as unpredictable as the wind,
"blowing where it pleases; you can hear the sound but you cannot
tell where it comes from or where it is going."
(Jn 3,8). And the swirling wind is the air we all breathe, life to
our lungs.
The wind of Pentecost was strong enough to reverse the disorientation
of Babel. Coming together to pray and to listen to each other can
help the Spirit Wind do away with estrangement and confinement.
Welcome
to the site of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans. We are a
Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of over three thousand members,
founded in 1703. Our missions are spread worldwide. While we may be
found involved in many diverse ministries, we have dedicated
ourselves to working with the poor and in those situations where the
Church has difficulty in finding ministers. We hope you enjoy your
visit to our site and that while browsing you will keep us in your
prayers. May God bless you.
