"We name You as our Strengthener"

Introduction

In the beginning of our Catholic tradition, everything in the
faith was perceived and lived as a whole - with theology and
spirituality, doctrine and prayer all integrated in the life of
Christians. This synthesis was strengthened by the Cappadocians
(St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory Nazianzen, and St. Gregory of
Nyssa) in the East, and St. Augustine of Hippo in the West. The
integration and synthesis still flourished in the Medieval times
through the Dominican St. Thomas of Aquinas and the Franciscan
St. Bonaventure. In time however, the synthesis of theology and
prayer began to weaken beginning with the Eastern Schism of 1054
A.D. and became more pronounced during and after the Protestant
Reformation. What contributed to this weakening were two trends
that "compartmentalized" the faith into theology on one side,
and prayer on the other. It also contributed to the eventual
"forgetfulness" of the significance of the Holy Spirit.

The two trends

First of the trends was the division of dogmatic theology and
spiritual theology. The former concentrated on the Church's
dogmatic and doctrinal formulations, while the latter (spiritual
theology) concerned itself with prayer and the individual
Christian's relationship with God. The second trend consisted in
the increasing institutionalization within our Church. This
created a division between the ecclesiastical members of the
Church (the clergy and religious) who are concerned with things
of the Spirit, and the lay faithful, who are relegated to
temporal and secular concerns. With the development of these
two trends, we lost the full biblical vision of the Holy Spirit
as One who renews both the Church and all things pertaining to
the secular and temporal in the world.

Vatican II's contribution

With the charismatic movement flourishing in the 1960s and the
eventual reformulation of the faith through the Second Vatican
Council, the Church began to recapture again the deeper sense of
tradition rooted in biblical experience and the teachings of the
early Church councils. The Council is aptly described as "a grace
of God and a gift of the Holy Spirit". Under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit, the Second Vatican Council has begun to
integrate once more both experience and doctrine, Church and
the world, and the clergy and the lay faithful.

A renewed sense of the Spirit in the world

Vatican II made the Church aware again that the Spirit is
present in the world - transforming it and renewing all of life.
Because of this renewed understanding and perception, the Church
again renewed her responsibility to respond to the needs of
the world. Looking at the 'signs of the times', the Church now
involves all her members, both clergy and lay faithful, to be
actually involved in responsibly taking care of the earth and
respecting all forms of life in all its stages.

A world in travail (Rom 8:22ff)

In the time of St. Paul, this holy apostle and missionary already
sensed that "the whole creation is still groaning in travail". At
the dawn of the third millenium, we know that what St. Paul said
still rings true today. Creation indeed is still groaning in
travail as global climactic changes have greatly affected many
parts of the world. This reality is causing a renewal of faith in
God as the author of all creation. As the Church aptly teaches
that we are in the "age of the Spirit", it is but fitting to seek
the Holy Spirit who "helps us in our weakness" - especially in
these uncertain climatic upheavals.

Given below is a prayer to the Holy Spirit called "Veni Creator"
and which includes the phrase, "we name You as our Strengthener".

Veni Creator


Come, Holy Spirit, Maker, come
and with Your servant live;
to hearts that You Yourself have made
Your grace from heaven give.

We name You as our Strengthener,
God's Gift from out His height;
Love's-self, and Fire, and Course of life,
Soul's-hardening for the fight.

God's finger writing in our hearts,
Yourself seven times a gift;
the Father's solemn Promise, You
with words our tongue enriched.

A Flame to guide our senses, Light;
with love our hearts Endower;
the failings of our flesh supply
with never-failing power.

Still further yet drive back our foe,
and straightway give Your peace;
with You before us leading on
may we from all worry cease.

Through You may we the Father know,
and learn through You the Son;
have faith in You for evermore,
of both the Spirit one.

All glory to the Father be,
and to the risen Son;
all glory, Spirit, be to You
while endless ages run.

Sources of this blog post

• Dictionary of Theology, by editors Komonchak, Collins, and
  Lane
• Devotions to the Holy Spirit, by Brian Moore, SJ