The Spirit and Me: In Ministry, the Greater Call

By Frank A.J. Braun

"The Spirit and Me" describes the spiritual growth and perfection of humanity in the image and likeness of the Triune God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is written in five parts.

Part 1 concentrates on the attributes of the respective Persons of the Trinity and the part each plays in human history. Part 2 looks at the composition of the human soul and explores the interdependent nature of mind, body and spirit. Part 3 reviews the gifts bestowed on humanity by the Holy Spirit. Part 4 looks at God's role in the establishment of human laws and social orders. Part 5 looks at the ways humans can decide to either embrace or shun their God-like attributes, and how these decisions affect the lives of real people.

Frank Braun gives new meaning to grace and how it affects human maturation. He explains how the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as spiritual forces, set humans apart from all other created life and enable them to participate in the creation process as ministers of their Creator. His theories, based on both theology and many realms of science, give a new understanding of the human soul and the of pneumatology--the study of the nature and operation of the human spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank A.J. Braun
• Release date: Sep 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370279784

Frank A.J. Braun

Frank A.J. Braun was born and reared on a small farm in Osage Bend, Missouri, the second of eight children. After three years of undergraduate study and two years of law at St. Louis University, he entered the United States Air Force where he served as a Special Agent in the Office of Special Investigation. While stationed in Tokyo, Japan he completed a B.A. degree at Sophia University in 1956.Upon completion of his tour of duty, he worked one year for the FBI and then put his investigative training to good use, spending the next thirty-six years in claims work with State Farm Insurance. During this time he graduated with an M.A. in Religious Studies from Gonzaga University, Spokane Washington. Since retiring in 1994, Frank has spent his time in research and writing.Frank and his wife Evelyn made their home in Billings, Montana. They had four children and five grandchildren. Evelyn passed away in 1999.In addition to being active in his Catholic Parish and community organizations, Frank has been a member of Christian Family Movement, Cursillo Movement, Catholic Charismatic Movement, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship, Business Men’s Fellowship and the Association of Christian Therapists. Frank has been an active member and an officer in most of the organizations with which he has been involved. He has participated in numerous conventions and conferences; he also does public speaking and prayer ministry. For the past 30 years Frank, and his wife until her death, also coordinated weekend Word and Communion Services for their parish at a large nursing home complex.

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This book is the culmination of a lifetime of study, meditation, contemplation, investigation and lived experiences shared with my family. Up until the time of her death, my wife, Evelyn, patiently listened to my insights and in turn offered her ideas and encouragement concerning the writing of this treatise. Much the same can be said of our daughters, and their husbands and children. In fact, many of the accounts are a reflection of our spiritual growth as a family. For this reason I am dedicating this work to the memory of Evelyn and to our daughters—Janet, Jacquelyn, Julie, and Christi—and their families.

Many are the friends, acquaintances and teachers who have contributed to my spiritual growth. A few who had a profound effect on my life and whom I wish to acknowledge are my parents, George J. Braun and Bertha F. Braun, Christian Brother Frederick, F.S.C, Fr. Walter J. Janer, S.J., Fr. Armand M. Nigro, S.J., Leonard Doohan, Ph.D., Abbot David Geraets, O.S.B. and Demos Shakarian.

I also wish to thank my niece, Gwendolyn K. Braun, M. Ed. who initially helped me with my computer, Steven D. Hickman, Psy. D., who assisted me with the graphics; Renee Sansom Flood, who helped me with writing and editing; Ken Kingman, who took the cover photo; Mike Curtis, owner of Gibson Advertising who edited the manuscript and prepared the cover, graphics and text for publication; and a special thanks to my daughters, Janet, Jacquelyn, Julie and Christi who were available to help me with computer and other technical problems.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

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Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created in the image and likeness of our Triune God as you renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of the faithful, grant that by this same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in the consolation of our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Preface

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Seek first his kingship over you, his way of holiness, and all these things [needs and visions] will be given you besides. Matthew 6:33

From early childhood I have been intrigued with the lives of the canonized saints, especially with those known as mystics, such as John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. As a Catholic I perceived saints, and especially mystics, as individuals who lived in the presence of God and had a personal relationship with Him. The desire for this type of intimacy with God led me to the premise that if God shows no partiality, (Acts 10:34) or, as translated in the King James Bible, God is no respecter of persons, this gift should be available to all people—even those embarked on a normal way of life and without the esoteric trappings usually associated with canonized saints. Did Jesus not say, My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27)? Often, when hearing sermons and teachings on prayer and how God answers our requests—through scripture, nature, signs of the times, our conscience, and even other people, with no mention of how God communes directly with us—I would vacillate between sadness and anger. Why couldn’t ordinary people like me hear directly from God, as Jesus promised?

Each Sunday, Evelyn and I attended Mass with our children. We faithfully said our meal and evening prayers. We were members of the Christian Family Movement, and we had become a leader couple. I had a good-paying job as an insurance investigator and claims representative, and was active in fraternal and political organizations. Yet, something was missing. I was in a rut. As I look back, I am reminded of the saying of an old evangelist, Billy Sunday, who preached in the early 20th Century. He had a good description for people who fell into my category. It went something like this: Many Christians have just enough religion to make them miserable!

Thursday, July 8, 1968, found me soaring like an eagle. I had just been installed as Grand Knight of the largest Knights of Columbus council in Montana. With the help of fellow officers and a review of our membership roster, we had assembled a new administrative team that I felt would be second to none. After a kick-off steak dinner at our club, followed by the first meeting over which I would preside, we would plan and set our goals in motion for the coming year. I was anxious, but I looked forward to the challenge.

It was now 4:00 p. m. and I was on my last work appointment. I parked on a side street in downtown Billings and then walked around the corner to the shop where I was to get an automobile title signed. Upon entry into the business, I realized I had left the title in my car. I ran back, retrieved the title and started my return. As I reached the corner of the building at the end of the block, I darted left into the path of a husky teenage boy on a bicycle, who had also cut the corner from the opposite direction. His right pedal hit my left leg where it meets the ankle, and both bones were totally broken and dislocated. Stunned, I sat up against the building while the apologetic youngster ran to call an ambulance.

I have little memory of the physical pain. However, a question kept racing through my mind: Where would I be if this accident had taken my life? Added to this was the guilty recollection that I had slammed the screen door in Evelyn’s face that morning to punctuate the fact that I had a busy day before me and didn’t have time to discuss whatever she wanted to talk about. This is the only time I can recall that I reacted to her in such mean-spirited manner, but it had happened. Fear welled up in me. Would she come to the hospital? I asked her several times afterward if she would have let me back in the house that night if the accident hadn’t occurred. Her only response was a smile. The last shock came when the anesthesiologist told me the statistics of non-recovery as he put me under for the operation to reset my bones. By this time I was begging God for forgiveness of my many sins and for my life, all the while feeling like I was yelling into empty space.

Evelyn provided me with tender loving care as I recovered; my co-workers assumed my workload; and the Knights of Columbus got off to a good start without me. Nevertheless, it was not back to status quo. I remember thinking that I always knew when I was flunking a class in school, or how I was doing with an employer, but I had no idea how I rated with God. What could I do to change this?

When reflecting on my relationship with God, I often thank Him for my being born in Missouri. As arrogant as it may sound, that old motto, Show Me, has served me well. I knew there had to be a better way, so I literally pleaded with God in prayer for guidance and looked for ways to improve my spirituality—though I hardly knew what the term meant at that time.

Within a year, a friend talked me into making a Cursillo, a type of Christian retreat, which moved me off-center and to another level of spiritual growth. I became active in the Cursillo Movement and began to co-teach religious education courses in our church with Evelyn. In time, I became involved with the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) and the Charismatic Movement. These organizations promote a closer walk with our Triune God through prayer, teaching, lectures, personal testimonies and encouragement to read the Bible and Christian literature. Little by little I began to understand the workings of the Holy Spirit and how to pray in meditation and contemplation with His aid.

Along the way I was given the opportunity to earn a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. The final requirement for my degree was completion of a research paper. One Saturday morning on my way to Mass and my weekly Cursillo group reunion, I asked the Lord for a topic on which to write. To my surprise, a quiet inner voice spoke the title, Ministry, The Greater Call.

This was not a study I would have chosen, since I related ministry to the clergy and other persons in religious orders and work. I was just a layperson in the secular business world. Musing for a reply, I finally responded in thought that I would write on this subject if I did not have to use the words clergy or laity, the terms used to distinguish between religious leaders and their congregation. The inner voice then assured me that the level of human social status has nothing to do with a person’s call to ministry, and that was why I needed to research this subject.

Although I read many books, thoroughly researched the words ministry and call, and made several determined efforts, I was unable to come up with an insightful paper in the allotted time. My counselor, Fr. Armand M. Nigro, S.J., recognized my impasse and suggested I do other research. His reasoning was that my subject was too broad; it was suitable for a book, but not for a thesis. His statement was the seed for this work.

Much water has passed under the bridge since I started this work 38 years ago. Little did I realize then how far it would take me on my quest! From the beginning, the initial title—Ministry, the Greater Call—intrigued me, as it meant there are at least two other calls: a great and a greatest. In time, my search revealed that the human race has in fact undergone three calls, and that these same calls are also applicable to each of us as we mature: first, as a living soul in the image and likeness of God; second, as a servant (minister) sharing in the earthly creative process; and finally, as a son/daughter in the reign of our Creator.

The awareness that really moved me was the revelation that we humans are created with souls composed of a mind, body and spirit in the image and likeness of God, and that through the Spirit of God we have been gifted with the divine attributes and the spiritual forces (grace), not unlike those possessed by the Persons of the Trinity. Perhaps the most awesome inspiration came with my gradual understanding and development of the Model of the Human Soul and Its Cognitive System, along with the parts played by the Holy Spirit and the human spirit in the soul’s evolution.

As I pursued a better understanding of these insights, it was hard for me to comprehend why pneumatology, the study of the nature and operation of the human spirit, did not rank alongside other forms of scholastic research. Why was there so little knowledge available about the human spirit and the spiritual gifts and forces associated with it? Also troubling me was the fact that while the Bible and religious writings are rich in teaching and theory about grace and its availability to humanity, there seems to be little information concerning its scientific and pragmatic application in the life of the human soul. The answer I sought—and asked of many religious teachers—was: why can’t we hold grace and spiritual things in our hands, and analyze them rationally and scientifically?

Too long have we looked at our spiritual side as a mysterious phenomenon. In my career as a professional investigator, I believed and professed that there is no such thing as a mystery; only undiscovered and unlearned truths. Over the years, though, I often became impatient with my efforts to develop a better understanding of ministry and the spirituality that sustains it. However, I was always rekindled by the last stanza of the sonnet, When I Consider How My Light is Spent, written by the English writer and poet John Milton when he was 40 and going blind. I first learned it in college, and this verse was refreshed in my mind—a kind of afterthought—that same Saturday morning the Holy Spirit suggested the subject for this book. It reads, He also serves who only stands and waits. [1]

I like to think of the research recorded herein as a handbook on how we are created in the image and likeness of God, and a documentation of my years of study, meditation, investigation and lived experiences in pursuit of an understanding of this scriptural declaration. My vision in publishing this book is to show how God, through the spiritual force of His word and His gifts, calls us into being as living souls; harnesses us with His attributes and grace; and empowers us with cognitive faculties and functions that enable us to unite with Him and our fellow humans as co-creators and ministers in the evolution of this Universe. My ultimate hope is that this book will be a source of information and inspiration to those who read it; that it will have an effect on their spiritual growth; and that it will be the impetus for further scholastic inquiry and research into the spiritual workings of the human soul.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Preface

PART ONE: The Triune God

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Oneness and Plurality of God

Chapter 2 The Creator

Chapter 3 The Redeemer

Chapter 4 The Sanctifier

Chapter 5 Spiritual Beings

Chapter 6 Spiritual Forces

PART TWO: The Human Soul and Cognitive System

Chapter 7 Evolution of the Human Soul

Chapter 8 Evolution of the Human Cognitive System

Chapter 9 Intellect, Instinct, Sense

Chapter 10 Conscious, Unconscious, Subconscious

PART THREE: Gifts of the Spirit

Chapter 11 Grace

Chapter 12 The Spirit of Knowledge

Chapter 13 The Spirit of Fear of the Lord (Awareness)

Chapter 14 The Spirit of Wisdom

Chapter 15 The Spirit of Understanding

Chapter 16 The Spirit of Counsel

Chapter 17 The Spirit of Strength (Conviction)

Chapter 18 The Spirit of Delight in the Fear of the Lord (Volition)

Chapter 19 The Gift of Call (Instinct)

Chapter 20 The Gift of Faith

Chapter 21 The Gift of Works

Chapter 22 The Gift of Hope

Chapter 23 The Gift of Service

Chapter 24 The Gift of Love

Chapter 25 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Charisms)

PART FOUR: The Law and Social Order

Chapter 26 The Law

Chapter 27 Social Order

PART FIVE: Ministry, The Greater Call

Chapter 28 The Purgative Way

Chapter 29 The Illuminative Way

Chapter 30 The Unitive Way

Figures, Diagrams and Illustrations

1. Evolution of Humanity in the Image and Likeness of God

2. Virtue Versus Vice

3. Pyramid Model of the Human Soul

4. Model of the Human Soul and Its Cognitive System

5. The Cognitive System and Its Psyche, Norms, Functions and Faculties

6. The Spiritual Evolution of Humanity into the Image and Likeness of God

7. Model of Family

8. Model of Community

9. Model of Religious Realm

10. Model of Economic Realm

11. Model of Political Realm

12. Model of Aberration of Community

13. Model of Aberration of Realm

Epilogue

Endnotes

Bibliography

About the Author

PART ONE

The Triune God

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Introduction

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When our children were growing up, we spent several weekends each summer camping out with my wife Evelyn’s parents and family. One of our favorite places was Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena, Montana. On a July afternoon in 1977, while enjoying one of these outings, I hiked up the side of a mountain overlooking the lake. As I sat on a log to contemplate the beauty of God’s creation, I asked the Lord if there was a relationship between the historical spiritual evolution of humanity and the individual spiritual growth of each human being. If so, I asked that He show me in a simple way how this played out in His scheme of life for us. Amazingly, during a two-hour period, as one rainstorm passed on my left and another on my right, a story unfolded in my mind like a daydream.

I envisioned an adventurous young farm boy, as I had once been, foot-loose and fancy-free. He traveled about the world as his dreams beckoned, with no obligations to any other person. While he had developed a knack for self-survival, there were times when pickings were slim. This day happened to be such an occasion. He was tired, hungry and in need of clothes and a pair of shoes.

While walking down a lonely country road, he saw an Old Farmer in a field. The Farmer was loading bales of hay onto his horse-drawn wagon (a job I had participated in many times as I grew up). The young traveler thought that if he were to offer a helping hand, he might be rewarded with food and lodging for the night. After climbing over the barbed wire fence that ran along the road, the wayfaring youth approached the Old Farmer with a courteous greeting, hung his knapsack on the front ladder of the hayrack and began to toss bales onto the wagon. The youth explained that he was just passing through the area. He further suggested that with rainclouds overhead and dusk approaching, he hoped he could be of help. The Old Farmer nodded his approval. Thereafter they carried on an amicable conversation and happily moved on toward their respective goals.

When evening arrived, the traveling youth made a pretense of being on his way, but the Old Farmer, sensing the boy’s needs, insisted that he stay the night. He then showed the young man a room, directed him to a shower and even found him a good pair of boots and some clean clothes. After cleaning up, they sat down to a well-cooked meal, enjoyed each other’s tales of adventure and eventually retired for the night.

The next morning, after a delightful breakfast, the Old Farmer asked the young adventurer what he would be doing that day. The young man reiterated his independence and indicated he would be on his way to the next city. The Old Farmer said that he, too, was headed into town and would be happy to provide a lift. As they proceeded down the winding country road, the Old Farmer told the young man he had really come to like him. He went on to explain that he was childless, but that he had always wanted an heir. Having made known his desire, the Old Farmer asked the youth to consider joining him in the operation of his ranch and to become his adopted son. He further explained that as his heir, everything he owned would be shared with him. The youth politely declined, saying, I am free, free, free, and I intend to stay that way!

With age, the vagabond’s priorities began to change. He found his individualistic way of life had its pitfalls. Not only were his needs not always met, he also became increasingly lonely. When he became sick or got into trouble, no one else seemed to care. In time it occurred to him that perhaps he should go back to the Old Farmer and ask him for a job.

The somewhat more mature young man again made his way back to the ranch. After a cordial greeting, he sheepishly remarked, When we last talked, you said if I ever wanted to come back, there would be a place for me here. The Old Farmer responded, I said that if you ever decided to come back and settle down, I would adopt you as my son. After reflecting for a moment, the wayfarer responded that he did not think he was ready to be bound with that type of permanent relationship and responsibility. Rather, he wondered whether he might just become a hired hand, as it would still leave him a measure of independence.

The Old Farmer said he did have a job available. I have an opening for a farm hand on one of my distant ranches where you can also live. There are a list of do’s and don’ts on the bunkhouse wall. A foreman is in charge of that operation and you will be under his supervision. He will address any questions you may have and be your supervisor. If you are loyal and do your job, your every need should be met, along with reasonable pay.

Initially, the arrangement appeared to be quite satisfactory. As a newly hired hand he was expected to put in a certain amount of time each week for his employer, but his free time remained his own. Also, his basic needs were met. Nevertheless, in time he found he was not always able to comply with the rules posted in the bunkhouse, and the foreman could be inflexible. In fact, sometimes he felt his boss was downright unfair and was looking out more for his own interests than those of his employer or employees.

One day, a thought occurred to the now not-so-young hired hand. Perhaps he should check whether the Old Farmer still desired to adopt him as a son. This bond would further limit his independence and increase his responsibility, but on the other hand it would enable him to creatively participate in the ranch operation. And it would certainly beat trying to keep a list of impersonal rules and answering to the whims of an intermediary. With maturity, the thought of receiving an inheritance also gave the Old Farmer’s invitation more appeal. He began to wonder how he could have been so blind to an offer of such unmerited favor.

He again approached the Old Farmer. With some hesitation, he asked if the original offer of adoption still stood. The older man replied that before responding to this request, he felt obliged to inform him of changes that had occurred since their initial encounter. First, he explained that since making the initial offer, he now had a son of his own, and second, that he had willed everything he possessed to this son. The heart of the would-be heir sank in disappointment.

With a gracious smile, however, the Old Farmer said that his offer of adoption still stood. Unable to contain his thoughts concerning the loss of the inheritance, the former sojourner asked the Old Farmer why he would still want him as a son. The Old Farmer replied that while he had given everything to his natural son, he had also made a provision for all other children he might adopt. The younger man asked how this could be. The wise Old Farmer told him, You see, while I agreed that everything of mine belongs to my son, he agreed that everything of his is mine. If you in turn will agree to share everything of yours with me, he and I will agree to share everything we have with you.

A review of the young man’s life indicates he went through three phases, with each level of growth bringing him into a closer relationship with the man who desired to be his father. As for the Old Farmer, his offer never changed. Historically and individually, this same phenomenon is unique in the journey of life for all humanity. Our Judeo/Christian Testaments tell us that the human race has evolved through three God/man encounters, three epiphanies since its creation. In the same way, each human being has the potential to become one with God—to mature into the image and likeness of the Triune God through three levels of growth.

Recorded history, as well as scientific research, supports the theory that humanity has gone through an evolutionary process. Whether one espouses the position of evolutionist or creationist, there came a point in the history of creation when the Homo sapiens species became living souls with the ability to perceive knowledge, to rationalize it, to make willful decisions apart from their Creator and to compound this acquired knowledge by passing it down from generation to generation.

While recognizing it may be a quandary for some, I have chosen to use the creation story in Genesis as a beginning for the human race as it provides a point of reference for humanity’s first God/man encounter and is in accord with Judeo/Christian beliefs and traditions.

Not unlike a child at birth, Adam and Eve came into being as living souls with only a finite measure of God’s attributes—omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipresence (infinite presence) and omnipotence (infinite power), the attributes of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, respectively. From this humble beginning, starting with only a limited measure of God’s three traits, the human race has now matured through a historical process wherein we have been given full access to His infinite attributes in three separate epiphanies—three God-man experiences: first, His omniscience; second, His omnipresence; and third, His omnipotence as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The Evolution of Humanity in the Image and Likeness of God

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The vertical lines across the widening cone are the points in history when God/man encounters took place and humanity was sequentially gifted with access to the infinite attributes of the Persons of the Trinity – omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. With each epiphany, the human race was graced into a fuller relationship with God. In much the same way, each human being goes through a similar maturation process in his/her journey of life.

The first vertical line begins with God, as Author, bringing about the Creation Age of mankind. God envisioned humans in His image and likeness, formed them male and female with incarnate bodies, called them individually by name (Adam and Eve) and commanded them to propagate and take dominion of the earth. Although obviously united with God, Adam and Eve came into existence as individual rational souls (not unlike our own children), created with finite measures of God’s omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence; innocent in the eyes of God. However, this changed when Adam and Eve, at the urging of Satan, ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Thereupon their eyes were opened, and they gained access to God’s infinite knowledge (omniscience). This act, as scripture reveals, led God to expel them from His divine presence and deny them access to His divine power; the tree of life (Book of Genesis 1-3).

Nevertheless, while Adam and Eve were set apart from their Creator and limited to a temporal life on this earth, they and their offspring were endowed with the ability to grow in His infinite knowledge. As they fulfilled their call to take dominion of the earth and propagate the human race, humanity advanced in knowledge with each generation. However, no matter how hard humans worked and expanded their knowledge of God and His creation, they could never earn their way into God’s presence or the life-giving power to be reunited with Him.

The middle vertical bar in the diagram shows the start of the Redemption Age, the second God/man encounter, and the sharing of God’s infinite presence (omnipresence). In this second epiphany, which commenced with Abraham (Books of Genesis and Exodus), God revealed Himself to Moses and the Hebrew Nation as Yahweh, meaning I am the Divine Presence. The sign for this new presence of God was the ten plagues, the power of the blood of sacrificed animals and the deliverance