Make Yourself Comfortable
A favorite shirt is often a comfortable shirt. A time or two I have kept such a garment longer than I should have because I don’t even notice when it begins to wear out. It is the same with a favorite pair of shoes—they are sometimes comfortable ones.
The word “comfort” is interesting. It often carries the connotation of a thing with a soft and cozy element. A comforter on the bed adds warmth and coziness. The seats in a luxury car are designed for comfort. Giving comfort to another person may mean bringing reassurance or solace. The root meaning has another edge to it. The Latin parts, cum fortis mean “with strength,” so when someone supplies strength to another, that is the act of comforting.
This translates fittingly to Christian theology, when we call the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Looking at the King James Version, Jesus tells his disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth.” The “Comforter” in other translations appears as the “Helper” or the “Advocate”. Look now at the Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter:
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; in glory everlasting. Amen.
Here the basic petition to God is, “Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us.” With the Holy Spirit comes strength. Having the Holy Spirit, we are comforted, made strong, with God’s strength and advocacy.
In the coming days, we are anticipating the Church’s grand feast, the Day of Pentecost, a celebration of the coming of the Spirit as empowering gift. It falls on June 5th this year. From Ascension Day (Thursday of this week) to Pentecost, we hold up the prayer, “Send us your Spirit to strengthen us.” Always needing this, we now emphasize it.
The important question for each of us: “Am I conscious of my need for the Holy Spirit? Do we seek the Spirit to function fully within us? It requires that we align with God’s will, yielding to God’s direction for our lives. To yield truly, we must open up to the blessing of the Spirit’s blessing: that which brings peace, and that which brings strength. In doing so we find that the Spirit guides and moves us.