Give Yourself a Booster

I’m feeling a bit like a pincushion. In the last eight months I have had a Shingles shot and booster, two Covid shots, one flu shot, and today, I received a Covid booster. All these were precautionary measures to protect myself from possible harm, sickness, and even death.

As I sat there today, for the mandatory fifteen minutes after the Covid vaccination making sure I didn’t self-destruct, I got to thinking about just what the purpose of a booster is.

I looked up the Wikipedia definition of a booster when I got home and here it is:

In medical terms, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (primer) dose. After initial immunization, a booster injection or booster dose is a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protective levels, after memory against that antigen has declined through time.

A booster is a reminder to the cells of our bodies of the power we have to fight the enemy that threatens, one that we have encountered before but of which our memory has declined over time.

A spiritual booster then, is something that reminds our souls of the power we were given to fight the enemy that threatens. One (or many) that we have encountered previously, but of which our memory has declined over time.

What are those enemies that our souls have to fight constantly? Those invaders that threaten to harm us, make us spiritually sick, even spiritually dead?

Discouragement, negative self -talk, doubt, despair, wild imaginings, false beliefs about ourselves and others, inflated egos, lustful desires, insecurities, and pride to name just a few.

Early on we were exposed to the antidote for all of these soul viruses. At our baptism we were “inoculated“ with the Holy Spirit. We were given the power to fight off all these threats to our spiritual health. But time and life make our memories fade and we need to receive a booster of the Holy Spirit. In the Catholic faith we see the sacrament of Confirmation as that booster shot of the Holy Spirit in a more formal sense but that power is available to all of us all the time.

We can administer a booster shot of the Holy Spirit anytime we need to. We just need to ask. Jesus made sure that we would be fully covered against all threats when He promised to send the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. And the side effects of this booster are peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness, joy, and love. No chills, no fever, no headache.

If you are feeling spiritually under the weather, listless and lethargic in prayer, no appetite for the mass, the rosary, or any of the practices that used to energize you, maybe you need a booster.

Roll up those sleeves and ask!

Joan