One cannot teach and remind if one does not have the intellectual powers unique to rational persons that enable one to do so. It symbolizes power, energy and transformation. Notice the Holy Spirit is synonymous with God himself. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. In the Liturgy, we use words and symbols through which God shows up and is made manifest. —In the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up; : The best translation for the term “Spirit” is “Ruah” or breath, air or wind. In the end, at His death He “gave up His Spirit.”  And after His Resurrection He breathed the Spirit on the Apostles and promised to send His Spirit on all as He was preparing to ascend into Heaven. These texts leave no doubt as to the personhood of the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit? It is this action that also guarantees the working of the Holy Spirit to make present the Savior of the world in a real and sacramental way. If you think hard about it, you’ll discover that “life” is hard to define. We can know and love the Holy Spirit just as we know and love the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit makes us who we are as Christians. This pointed over and over again to the need for a Messiah. Why is this the case? Among the many texts revealing the Holy Spirit’s divinity, perhaps the most plain and unmistakable are found in Hebrews. This is significant because the inspired author could have used the neuter ekeino, but he did not. As outlined earlier in this Chapter, the Holy Spirit is the one teaching through the bishops, sanctifying us through prayer and the sacraments, and spreading the Good News through the apostolic works of the Church. Each one of these images reveals a unique characteristic of the Holy Spirit. This is a marking of God and a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is poured at baptism, and the Holy Spirit is subsequently poured in that act. Bishop Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. This article gives a systematic explanation from the Catholic point of view.. Catholic theology of the Holy Spirit is very little different from general Protestant or Orthodox theology of the Holy Spirit, with a few notable exceptions, which I will attempt to list: The Holy Spirit is the present-day advocate of Jesus Christ in our hearts. We should examine one key phrase from John 16 more fully when considering the truth that the Holy Spirit is revealed not only as a person, but as a divine person—God himself. The Holy Spirit is God2.2 II. Confused? It’s just that we only came to a fuller understanding of this Person of the Trinity after Jesus’ ascension. In your decision making, ask the Spirit to help guide you. Galatians 4:6), by which we become, in Christ, sons and daughters of the Father. In the Eucharist, we have a unity of Heaven and Earth. Among the greatest of these actions is the Most Holy Eucharist. But when we speak of “Tradition” with a capital “T,” we speak of the work of the Holy Spirit to continue teaching and guiding us through the successors of the Apostles in every day and age. The Holy Spirit is God Job 33:4 – “The Spirit of God made me and the breath of the Almighty […] It’s confusing to many. And in John 16:7-15, Jesus makes it very plain. As the disciples are gathered in the upper room, tongues as of fire descend upon them, and they are filled with the Holy Spirit. There have been many images of the Holy Spirit used in Scripture. Much can be said about living creatures and how they work from a scientific perspective. At His baptism, the Spirit descends in fullness upon Him. These manifestations of God’s presence are theophanies. As outlined earlier in this Chapter, the Holy Spirit is the one teaching through the bishops, sanctifying us through prayer and the sacraments, and spreading the Good News through the apostolic works of the Church. Charisms are especially necessary for the apostolic and missionary activity of the Church. Jesus promised His Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to His disciples. Both the personhood as well as the divinity of the Holy Spirit are rejected by these groups. At His baptism, the Spirit descends in fullness upon Him. The Holy Spirit is one member of the Holy Trinity. Kingdom: The kingdoms of the Old Testament also pointed to the promise of the one eternal Kingdom which would be established by Christ and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. The most common attacks on Catholic belief concerning the Holy Spirit generally come from quasi-Christian sects such as the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who deny the central mystery of the Christian faith—the Trinity. Contents1 Scripture1.1 I. Much can be said about living creatures and how they work from a scientific perspective. Through that person, each particular book of the Scriptures was written. on Amazon. St. Augustine taught us, "what the soul is to man's body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church. So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” The reason St. Paul tells us “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” is because it would require infinite power to be able to comprehend the thoughts of God which are infinite. The law, given through Moses, was also a manifestation of God’s order and direction. One last obstacle for some who deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 2:14-18. Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. It also means that they act in perfect unity. Jesus says he will both teach and remind us “all that [he has] said to [us].” Action follows being. As a Person, the Holy Spirit is one we can be in relation with. Cloud and light: We see these images in the Old and New Testament. This brings us to the next chapter on the Church itself! —In the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up; The question is often asked, “How can you pour out a person? ekeinos) is used in the masculine singular. This shows the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus’ ministry. But it’s also important to point out that the age we are in now, the age after the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Son, is especially the age of the Holy Spirit! This title and the theory connected with it, like the theory of the fruits of the … And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, who the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. Promise, Theophanies, and the Law: God spoke to Moses, Joshua and the great prophets in various ways. The branch of Christian theology concerned with the Holy Spirit is called Pneumatology. This shows the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus’ ministry. This does not mean that lances or daggers are actually female and personal! White is a symbol of purity, and its wings give it swiftness and agility to descend from the Heavens. Amazon.com – Google Play – iTunes – Barnes and Noble, Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. The law, given through Moses, was also a manifestation of God’s order and direction. He is One, yet He is also Three. In that verse, the resurrected Jesus is appearing to the Apostles in the upper room behind closed doors. Six are listed in the “Immanuel Prophecy,” which describes an expected future ideal Davidic king: wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength … A charism is a spiritual gift given to someone for the good of the Church. All of these point to the promise of God’s future gift of salvation. In Latin and the modern romance languages, this is the case as well. : Water signifies the Holy Spirit in that it is poured and cleanses. This was God’s way of slowly revealing the full truth of Who He is over time. This is the time when the Holy Spirit is especially active in our world and in the Church. The Catechism #688, spells those ways out like this. : The symbol of anointing with oil also signifies an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Tradition is the word used to specify the teaching action of the Holy Spirit in every age. He is there in His fullness, veiled by the liturgical action itself. —in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation. To be “consubstantial” means that God the Holy Spirit is of the same divine substance or the same divine nature as the Father and the Son. And this is important! The Holy Spirit does in the whole Church what the soul does in the members of the one body." Not that the Holy Spirit wasn’t already with Him fully. Church:  At Pentecost the Church is born. We also recall that Jesus laid hands on the sick to cure them. John 14:26, for example, refers to the Spirit as to pneuma to hagion (the Holy Spirit). For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is the third person of the Trinity, the Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God. : The Holy Spirit prepared Mary with a special preservative grace (as explained in. Or a mysterious aspect of God’s life. The Holy Spirit has been around from before the beginning of time and has been made manifest throughout the history of our Universe. This is done by an action of the Holy Spirit alive within the Church. : We see these images in the Old and New Testament. —in the signs of apostolic and missionary life; This shows the power of the Holy Spirit to act in us and to use us as instruments. : Fire transforms that which it touches. Jesus says. John 14:26 says: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”. : To be marked or sealed with God is an action of the Holy Spirit. One God, three divine Persons. Thus, their inability to keep the law was a sign they needed more. The Gift of Piety. ” Would we say Jesus is just a force and not a person because he is “poured out” in this verse? Because true prayer is something that must be a response to God. This grace was given by a special working of the Holy Spirit by applying the merits of her Son’s death and Resurrection to her at the moment of her conception. As God, the Holy Spirit can truly function as the Comforter and Counselor that Jesus promised He would be (John 14:16, 26, 15:26). We can initiate “prayers.”  But there is a difference between “true prayer” and “prayers that are said.”  True prayer is when God, by an action of the Holy Spirit, speaks to us and draws us by an interior calling. Consider Psalm 22. The Holy Spirit Proceeds from the Father and the Son Scripture I. The, The human author of each book of the Scriptures, as explained in. It’s a sort of spiritual quality or ability to offer some service to the Church. He is, no doubt, the least spoken of among the three persons of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He was the greatest of the prophets who spoke with the anointing of the Spirit of God. Now that’s saying a lot. . When Jesus was nearing His trial and crucifixion, He promised his apostles that He would ask God to send them His Holy Spirit. The Liturgy is a work of the Holy Spirit where the entire Trinity is made present. He is, no doubt, the least spoken of among the three persons of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Verse 13 tells us that the Holy Spirit “will guide [us] into all truth.” We have a hint here of what we see even more plainly in texts like 1 Corinthians 2:11: Scripture indicates the Holy Spirit is omniscient, a quality that God alone possesses or can possess. The Holy Spirit is love, to put things very simply. This is seen in Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination and the Anointing of the Sick. God is also made present to us in all liturgical actions, but above all, it is the Holy Eucharist that we hold up as the summit of His presence! Pentecost: Pentecost is the clearest manifestation of the Holy Spirit. We see the Holy Spirit alive in various ways in the Church today. And what are these divine qualities that they each share in? A divine Person. I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. The Church has received this name from the Lord and professes it in the Baptism of her new children. But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. To do this effectively, and in accord with God’s plan, we need His grace and action in our lives. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Yes! We also profess that the human author wrote under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit! Personhood means there is potential for love and union. . Further, if being referred to as “spirit” indicates the third person of the Blessed Trinity is impersonal, then both angels and God the Father would have to be “forces” rather than persons as well. No, instead He gave us the Holy Spirit, and most specifically, He gave the unique gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and their successors to teach us and to lead us into all truth in every day and age when questions would arise. The Holy Spirit comes when a person prays or reads Scripture, or when a person asks the Holy Spirit for guidance, inspiration or courage. The Holy Spirit (Arabic: روح القدس Ruh al-Qudus, "the Spirit of Holiness") is mentioned four times in the Qur'an, where it acts as an agent of divine action or communication. And the Spirit loves us just as He loves the Father and the Son. We need special charism (gifts) to accomplish this responsibility. We do not see Him with our eyes, but He is there. The Muslim interpretation of the Holy Spirit is generally consistent with other interpretations based upon the Old and the New Testaments. : Jesus is the “Anointed One.”  He is filled with the Holy Spirit and one with the Holy Spirit. So it goes with the Holy Spirit. kingdoms would fall as people failed to live by the law which was revealed by the Spirit. It is poured at baptism, and the Holy Spirit is subsequently poured in that act. This is Tradition, and it is quite an ongoing gift! These manifestations of God’s presence are theophanies. We can know and love the Holy Spirit just as we know and love the Father and the Son. 16 The term "Spirit" translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind. If the Holy Spirit were an impersonal force, the inspired author would not refer to it as a he. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. True prayer is thus the fruit of the Spirit's presence within us. The third person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is sometimes referred to as “the forgotten” member of the Godhead. Water also signifies death to sin. 20:10 - Does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father and the Son? In this text, St. Peter describes the power of God being manifested on the day of Pentecost by quoting Joel 2:28: But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. And it is by the finger of God that the Holy Spirit continues to work in our day and age. That the Holy Spirit is like wind, that it goes where it wills, yet God can be … The person who receives this sacrament has already received the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of baptism, and the Holy Spirit abides with a person always. This means that the Holy Spirit did not just appear after Jesus ascended into Heaven. What I mean is that we can “say prayers” if we like, and this is good. The works of the Holy Spirit were revealed to us more fully after this time, helping us to understand Him as a divine Person. The gift of piety accords with reverence, inspiring a filial relationship with God so … 31:47 - Most of my family is Catholic and has received Confirmation, but they don’t seem like they’ve received the Holy Spirit. Fire: Fire transforms that which it touches. Together, flowing from " the same divine well spring" they form the deposit of faith, which with the help of the Holy Spirit, has been preserved in the Catholic Church since the time of Jesus. In Hebrews 10:15-17, the reference is even more clear: And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more.”, The Holy Spirit is revealed here to be both a person and divine. It is the Holy Spirit who is given to us in baptism. Nouns in Greek are assigned gender as they are in many languages. There are numerous references to the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. Let the Spirit … The Holy Spirit has an intellect and will and with those characteristics freely knows and loves as God. We see this in several of the sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders). This is what the Nicene Creed (the one we say at Mass every Sunday) means when it sa… : Perhaps this is the most common symbol of the Holy Spirit. The most common attacks on Catholic belief concerning the Holy Spirit generally come from quasi-Christian sects such as the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others who deny the central mystery of the Christian faith—the Trinity. We respond to God calling and speaking, and this begins a process of prayer. The intercession is our transformation in Christ. The Holy Spirit did not just start to act at that time. “Con” means “with,” and “substantial” means “substance.”  Again, this is philosophical terminology that our Church has used to try to vaguely put into language the relationships between these three divine Persons. It is, therefore, no surprise to find many Catholics ill-equipped to deal with some of the more notable errors concerning he who is “the Lord and giver of life.” Thus, studying the person and nature of the Holy Spirit, though sometimes neglected, is crucial for us as Catholic apologists and as Catholics in general. It was revealed to us through the prophets and patriarchs that there was one God and only one. Turning to God, surrendering to Him, seeking Him and listening to Him all requires an action of the Holy Spirit upon us. In the Liturgy, we use words and symbols through which God shows up and is made manifest. 17:40 - The Holy Spirit has always been my favorite person of the Trinity. So let’s take a closer look at the activity of the Holy Spirit. It was the finger of God that gave the Ten Commandments. Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, National Liturgical Calendars of the World. The claim goes that Father and the Son are clearly personal, masculine terms, and therefore, they are revealed as persons. Being of the same substance means that each Person of the Trinity shares in all the same qualities of this nature. We do not deny the verses of Scripture indicating his personhood because he is described as being “poured out” in Acts 2:17. Gifts of the Holy Ghost. Jesus was transfigured in light. The Holy Spirit is clearly a person. The key to a charism is that it is for the good of the Church and the spreading of the Gospel. First, we’ll examine Hebrews 3:7-10: Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. The third person of the Holy Trinity, who is distinct from the Father and the Son but one in being, coequal, and coeternal with them, because, like them, he is in the fullest sense God. This pointed over and over again to the need for a Messiah. kingdoms would fall as people failed to live by the law which was revealed by the Spirit. Then the Son began to reveal to us that He would send His Advocate, the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted the Holy Spirit also to be sent to anyone else who believes in Him, in Jesus. : The laying on of hands is a sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They have all-power, are all-knowing, and are all-loving. We see this in several of the sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders). It symbolizes power, energy and transformation. The truths about the Holy Spirit are that 1. he is a person, and 2. he is God. And it is by the finger of God that the Holy Spirit continues to work in our day and age. ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’”. The point is that the Holy Spirit gives us the Church and she, in turn, gives us the sacraments. We say, for example, in Confirmation that there is an indelible character, a spiritual character, a seal, that is impressed upon one’s soul. Water: Water signifies the Holy Spirit in that it is poured and cleanses. Why? He wants to inspire each and every one of us for a powerful work He has given only to us. These O.T. From their childhood, Catholics learn to pray the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”. In the end, at His death He “gave up His Spirit.”  And after His Resurrection He breathed the Spirit on the Apostles and promised to send His Spirit on all as He was preparing to ascend into Heaven. Origen of Alexandria (c.185-c.254) taught that the Spirit worked primarily within the Church, whereas the Word (Christ) worked within the whole of creation. From the teachings of Christ throughout the history of the Church, Christians believed and still believe that the Holy Spirit is an all-powerful Person. Finger:  It was by the “finger” of God that Jesus did many great works. Charisms could be as amazing as being prophetic or healing the sick, or they could be as ordinary (but necessary) as being able to organize activities within the Church in an exemplary way. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as a “force,” or as “power” emanating from God, rather than as God himself. We know the Holy Spirit…. It is in this high form of prayer that we discover God acting in our lives and transforming us. And this is an action of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the “Holy Breath of God.”  This image is seen in various places in the Scriptures. We also recall that Jesus laid hands on the sick to cure them. They share the same power as God and act as one God. Also, the prophets were anointed with oil to symbolize the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on them for their ministry. Rather, this was a manifestation of the Spirit who was already with Jesus revealing this reality. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy, Books from My Catholic Life! Good question. In all your hardships, ask the Holy Spirit to console you. The cloud is a masking and veiling of the presence of the Spirit, and the light is but a small portion of the radiance of the Holy Spirit shining forth. That Messiah would come and, in the end, bestow the Holy Spirit. At the Annunciation, Mary conceived her Savior, and the Savior of the whole world, “by the power of the Holy Spirit.”. Likewise, he is all-loving, forgiving, merciful and just. That the Holy Spirit burns like a fire out of control, yet it does not consume. —In prayer, wherein he intercedes for us; We do not even know how to pray by ourselves. Three key points are in evidence here. It was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites through the desert. The “Church” here means everyone who is alive in Christ. The Great I AM. They share the same will and act in unison in fulfilling this will. Our hearts Creation and is made manifest His Counselor? ’ ” the of! Reveals a unique characteristic of the Holy Spirit upon us of becoming through! Special preservative grace ( as explained in surrendering to Him, seeking Him listening! Israelites through the desert I mean is that we can be said on this later in... Necessary for the apostolic and missionary activity of the Scriptures was written to to... Think hard about it, you ’ ll discover that “ life ” is ho in. 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