The Mission of the Heart: Choosing the Spirit in Every Encounter
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Galatians 5:16-26
I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Grace Prayed For
This passage prompts us to pray for the grace of spiritual sensitivity and docility: the ability to instantly recognize the impulses of the flesh (impatience, selfishness, judgment) as they arise, and the supernatural strength to consciously reject them and choose instead to “walk by the Spirit,” bearing His fruit in that very moment.
Reflection
This passage from St. Paul is not just a list of virtues and vices. It is the very battlefield of our mission. It describes the daily, moment-by-moment choice between isolation and intimacy, between “me” and “Thee.”
My prayer is “to share and receive in all of my encounters,” but how often do I enter an encounter armed for battle? The “works of the flesh” that Paul lists—rivalry, jealousy, selfishness, fury—are the natural human reactions that block intimacy. They are walls we build to protect the self. When I am operating from the flesh, I cannot “receive” anything from another because I am too busy defending my own territory. I cannot “share” the love of God because my hands are clenched, holding onto my own agenda, my own hurts, my own pride.
But God offers another way. He says, “live by theSpirit.” The Holy Spirit, the intimate bond of love between the Father and the Son, has been poured into my heart. He is not a distant force; He is a present Person, dwelling within me, always advocating for connection. His “desires” are against the flesh precisely because His desire is for communion, for unity, for the restoration of all things in Christ.
This is where the mission begins. It begins in the quiet of my own heart, before the encounter. It is the choice to “follow the Spirit.” When I feel the flash of “fury” in traffic, the “rivalry” with a co-worker, or the “selfishness” that makes me want to tune out a family member, the Spirit offers a different path. He offers His “fruit.”
This fruit is not something I can manufacture through willpower. It is the very character of Jesus Christ, grown in me by the Holy Spirit.
- Love: To will the good of the other, right in front of me.
- Joy: A deep knowledge that I am held by God, which no encounter can shake.
- Peace: The inner calm that allows me to “receive” another person’s anxiety without reflecting it back.
- Patience: The loving gift of time and space for another to be who they are.
- Kindness & Generosity: The active sharing of the love I’ve first received from God.
- Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control: The quiet strength that makes me a safe harbor for others.
Every time I choose to receive the Spirit’s impulse for patience over my fleshly impulse for fury, I am “crucifying” my flesh with Christ. I am dying to my own need to be right, to win, or to be in control. In that little death, intimacy is born. I create a space where the other person can be seen, not as an opponent, but as a beloved child of God.
This is how the Trinitarian love shines forth. It shines forth when my actions are no longer my reactions, but the Spirit’s fruit. The mission is not to go out and “fix” people. The mission is to be so intimately connected to the Spirit that in every encounter, I become a conduit for His love, His peace, and His kindness. I partner with Jesus by letting His Spirit love the world through me, one encounter at a time.
Daily Evangelization and Baptismal Mission
Evangelizing in Day-to-Day Life
This passage shows us that evangelization is often not about what we say, but how we are. We proclaim the Gospel by making the “fruit of the Spirit” visible and tangible to those around us. This is how we share the impact Jesus has had on our lives.
This approach is about “attraction,” not argument. You are partnering with Jesus to restore creation by bringing His peace to a chaotic situation, His patience to an angry one, or His generosity to a selfish one.
Here are ways to do this, centered on sharing how Jesus has loved you:
- Be the “Non-Anxious Presence.” The world is full of “outbursts of fury” and “rivalry.” When your workplace, family, or community is spinning into chaos or gossip, be the one who embodies peace and gentleness. When someone asks how you stay so calm, you have an open door: “It’s not easy, but my relationship with Jesus is my anchor. He gives me a peace that I can’t really explain, even when things are hard.”
- Practice “Active Patience.” Patience is not just waiting; it’s an active form of love. When someone cuts you off in traffic, when a cashier is slow, or when a family member is irritating, consciously choose to see them as Christ does. Pray for them. This is a “silent sermon” that contrasts sharply with the world’s impatience.
- Listen with Generosity. One of the most selfish impulses is to plan what we are going to say next instead of truly listening. To evangelize is to “receive” another person fully. Put your phone down. Make eye contact. Ask questions. Show them they matter. This is the kindness of Christ in action. If they thank you for listening, you can say, “You are worth listening to. Jesus has shown me the incredible value of every person, and I see that value in you.”
- Connect Your Fruit to the Root. When you do something that bears the Spirit’s fruit (like volunteering, showing kindness, or forgiving someone), don’t be afraid to give credit to the source. It’s not about you; it’s about Him.
- “I used to have a really short temper, but the more I’ve come to know Jesus and His love for me, the more He has replaced that anger with patience.”
- “I find so much joy in doing this. My faith isn’t just about Sundays; Jesus has really put a love for other people in my heart, and sharing that love is what changed my life.”
In this way, your life becomes the evidence of the Gospel. You are showing the world what it looks like to be loved by Jesus, and that is the most powerful invitation to intimacy with Him.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post