At Mass last Sunday, the urge to write a poem came to me. My fingers itched to write down the words describing the choir, the church, Christ’s face on the crucifix, etc.
Yet, guilt about bringing out a notebook and paper filled me. No one else writes down anything in church. We sit and listen and rise and sing. All of this is a beautiful part of the liturgy. However, at times the Holy Spirit seems to whisper something in my ear. This desire to create can creep on us at anytime. Just as God created, we are able to create to a certain extent. In fact, being made in the image of God means that we are called to create.
Can we create to the same extent as God? Certainly not. However, we can follow the inspiration which comes from the Holy Spirit.
Just as God calls us to follow His commandments and will, He wants us to listen to His creative calling. He can guide us to do amazing things in art, science, leadership, management, and any other area.
Creativity can be used in any role of life and all jobs. Thus, there is no excuse for ignoring God’s call to mirror his power to create. You can be creative in arranging boxes in a store or teaching your children how to behave or writing a blog or even praying. There are endless options for listening and responding to God’s inspiration.
Here are a few ideas for being creative and integrating that into your Catholic faith:
- Write a poem, blog, or short story that centers on your faith
- Try a new type of prayer
- Read and meditate on a part of the Bible that you do not usually read
- Find a new way to make time for talking with God in your life
- Listen to religious music or read a book that addresses faith
I am still not certain if writing in Mass is respectful. Even taking notes on the homily to remember it better might be frowned upon by others. However, if that is what God is truly inspiring me to do, His call matters more than the opinions of those around me.
We are all called to mirror God’s creativity. This is a central part of being human (cf. Genesis 1:26-27, 2:19). This beautiful gift is both humbling and inspiring. There is no reason to be ashamed or scared of this power because God is willing to guide us through the journey of expressing and finding the creativity that He inspires.
I often ask Our Blessed Mother to help me remember something later if it was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. She helps her children with everything and, as the Holy Spirit is her spouse, if it was truly inspired by Him she will remind us.
Remember that in the Holy Mass we are focussed on God sharing His very flesh and blood with us. That is the mystery we ponder and prepare to receive for one whole sacred hour. It really is the main and complete focus. These days priests have become quite lax and don’t actually tell us what is appropriate or inappropriate and why. (Feel free to ask, make them work hard!) But all the information is available, and as genuine followers of Christ we must always seek our answers from reliable authorities, instead of making up our own mind as an individual. We are a family, we affcect each other. It was through obedience that Christ was made perfect. Of course, real freedom is being able to choose what is right.
Perhaps meditating on the mystery of the Eucharist will draw you into a deeper participation in Mass and even inspire you further when you carry Our Lord out into the world.
It did for Tolkein!
Remember that the devils also love to distract us with anything but God, even in good environments. It doesn’t have to be a bad thought, just not the one we’re meant to be having at the moment.
God bless you, may you bring others closer to Him through the creativity He has blessed you with.
This is probably why those in the Protestant movement got fed up. So much money in the church and so many rules.
I sometimes wish I could enter some thought from the homily into Evernote on my phone. But people would think I am texting so I sit there distracted trying to come up with a mnemonic to remember the point. The intention is good but you’re right that we do wonder if it is the right thing to do.
Yes, it is difficult to know how to respond. Not disturbing others in worship is a good intention, but we also do not want to fear the judgement of others when we are not doing something wrong. It is a tricky situation.
I do hope you were finally able to give these spiritual whispers some form. A few keywords jotted down seems very apropos..
I am glad to hear that. Thank you for the encouragement!