TRAN: Encouraging Catholic college students to have boldness in prayer

“What would you like for Christmas this year?” As a child, this question excited me, but now it makes me feel uneasy. Either I don’t really know what I want, don’t think I need anything or don’t want to burden my loved ones.

Now that Advent approaches, I like to believe that God, who loves and cares for us so deeply, asks us the same question, and I realize my own instinctive response to Him is much like how I react to other people. I’m called to pause and reflect on why I hesitate to ask Him for His gifts. Do I think I would burden God with my heart’s needs and desires? 

God deeply desires us to ask Him for His gifts. Our heavenly Father promises each of us abundant and limitless gifts if we seek Him and simply ask. “For everyone who asks, receives” … “how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Lk 11:11-13). The Holy Spirit, our great Advocate, provides every spiritual gift that God desires to give us. God longs for us to come to Him in prayer for our every need. I like to imagine that each time we pray for a need, God, who loves us and knows us so perfectly, is already and almost surreptitiously holding for us a beautiful glittering package with the very gifts we need wrapped inside. We simply need to accept and be willing to open them up and use them for the purpose which He gives them to us.  

Isn’t the gift of Jesus enough? Of course, Jesus is more than enough. But we need the gifts of the Spirit in order to fully embrace the gift of the Son.

A relationship with the Holy Spirit brings extraordinary dynamism to our Christian faith and living. Not only do the gifts of the Spirit transform our own spiritual life, but they are just as importantly meant for the building up of the Body of Christ. The Church needs the gifts that God gives you for its flourishing. The world needs your God-given gifts so it can encounter and come to know Jesus’ presence more fully lived through you. The presence of Jesus carried within you can change the world! 

The social, political, economic and environmental challenges of our world at times may cause us to feel disheartened and to lose hope. We fear that the great dreams we have for our world and future are unattainable, and we may be tempted to think that we fall short.  

In Pope Francis’ homily at the closing Mass at World Youth Day 2023, he shares, “As young people, you want to change the world(...) but it still seems insufficient. Yet, the Church and the world need you as much as the earth needs rain. To all of you, dear young people, who are the present and the future, Jesus now says: ‘Have no fear,’ ‘Do not be afraid!’”  

As Advent approaches, I invite you in prayer to make a sort of spiritual wish list to God. I hope these reflection questions might help you on your journey: Are there things in my life which are not of God that are keeping me from accepting the gifts of the Holy Spirit? What spiritual gifts do I still need for Jesus to become more fully present in my life? Do I turn to God with childlike dependency, trust and joyful anticipation of His gifts? 

I pray we will each ask for an increase of the Holy Spirit and His gifts this Advent so that all those we encounter would experience Jesus’ presence within us and be transformed by Him. May God grant each of us an outpouring of His gifts and a great spiritual renewal! 

Mimi Tran serves as a campus minister at the Rice Catholic Student Center.