2013-05-13      John W                  John W's previous articles

Loss of enthusiasm

"You can only have long-lasting enthusiasm if you have a fire that burns within you. 
Without it, all your efforts to ignite enthusiasm will only give you short-term results"
- from 15 Proven Tactics to Fire Up Enthusiasm

Volumes have been written as to why "the fire goes out"

The word "compromise" has a lot to do with fire going out:
when basic goals and principles are compromised, standards soon decline

Jesus once spoke about salt losing its taste, and weeds choking wheat

This Wikipedia article says that the original meaning of "enthusiasm" had to do with the influence of a deity

"A fire that burns within you" ...."the influence of a deity"

This makes us think of the Holy Spirit, often represented by fire:

Fire symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. The prayer of the prophet Elijah, who "arose like fire" and whose "word burned like a torch," brought down fire from heaven on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. This event was a "figure" of the fire of the Holy Spirit, who transforms what he touches. John the Baptist, who goes "before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah," proclaims Christ as the one who "will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Jesus will say of the Spirit: "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!" In the form of tongues "as of fire," the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself The spiritual tradition has retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the Holy Spirit's actions. "Do not quench the Spirit."
^{- CCC 696}

The key for avoiding lack of fire as a Christian, the key for nourishing our enthusiasm as Christians,
is not a theory or an exercise.... but a Person: the Holy Spirit, who came down on Jesus at the Jordan River, who came down on the apostolic group on Pentecost Sunday, who was downloaded into our hearts at Baptism and Confirmation ....but who needs to be installed on a daily basis by prayer and good will 

In this week before Pentecost, let's often pray:
"Come Holy Spirit, enkindle in our hearts the fire of your love, and please don't let that fire go out"

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