God the 

Holy Spirit

Refer to our Sunday Experience pages to find different prayers to pray as a family sometime during the week as well as setting up a prayer space and other activities as a family.

For the Learn do the following:

1. Watch Video at the top of the page. (if you want more resources, or are interested in learning more about the topic click on the Extra tab).
2. Click on the appropriate grade for your child.
3. Read the "relates to..." section at the beginning.  This is helpful to understand what to convey to your child is important about this lesson.  It will        help make the lesson both an intellectual and a lived lesson.
4. Read through and familiarize yourself with the sample script. 
5. Teach your child the lesson, either using your own words or the sample script.
6. Either discuss the questions with your child (best option), or have your child write out answers to the questions.
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Relates to Jesus: Jesus’ reciprocated love of the Father eternally yields the Holy Spirit, who is sent to the Church and all her faithful after Jesus’ Ascension.

Relates to my Faith: The Holy Spirit plays an active role in prompting us to make good choices that will keep us connected to God. We need to learn to follow these promptings and trust in the guiding presence of our loving God.

Sample Script:

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Just as the Father loves the Son, so the Son loves the Father. This reciprocated, back-and-forth total self-giving love eternally breathes forth the third person in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reciprocates the same love to the Father and the Son in an eternal self-gift that shows the complete and total love of God in the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit, for His part, gives this total gift of love freely to the Church. We first encounter this gift of love in the Sacrament of Baptism, and further through the reception of each of the Sacraments. In baptism, by being marked as a child of God within the Church, we each encounter the foundational grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This initial offering of grace that allows the Holy Spirit into our lives gives us a greater clarity to hear the voice of the Lord in our hearts.

Here, with the foundation of baptism, the Holy Spirit can prompt us to a life of prayer, growing our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit helps us to make right choices, or to choose the good, so that we listen to our parents and play well with others, which also helps us in learning to hear and listen to the voice of God. The Holy Spirit is there with us when we go to Mass, helping with our attention to the readings and to the bishop/priest/deacon that is giving the homily, showing the adults around us how we are to worship God.

The Holy Spirit also seeks to comfort us and provide us with strength when we are sad, lonely, hurt, uncomfortable, and afraid. Reaching out for and praying to the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to receive the love of God and experience Him in our times of need. While we may not “get a feeling” or hear God’s voice right in the moment, we know that the Holy Spirit is present and hears our cry to God. We place our hope in God, knowing that He is always with us, loving us as the child we are to Him. With this confidence, we should make it a practice to reach out to the Holy Spirit throughout the moments of our life.

Questions:

What number person is the Holy Spirit in the Trinity?

You received the Holy Spirit when you received this Sacrament as a baby?

How do we stay close to the Holy Spirit?

What are some of the things we can do to share the Holy Spirit with others?

Who should we pray to when we are sad or hurt to ask for comfort and healing?

Activities:

On a piece of paper, draw a cross with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit marked appropriately. Talk about how this sign of our faith, made when we go to Mass or when we begin/end prayer, reminds of our one God who is distinct in His three persons.

As a family, discuss and share times when you have seen or experienced the Holy Spirit. Tell a brief story, covering the important points of course, and share your feelings or intuitions that you experienced with this encounter. This helps to show the presence of God in one’s life.

Relates to Jesus: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to always be with and guide the Church down through the ages. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit’s power during His earthly life and the promised advocacy of the Holy Spirit proclaims the truth of Jesus Christ for all to hear.

Relates to my Faith: The active presence of the Holy Spirit offers us the faithful assurance that we are never alone in pursuing and living out the Catholic faith. We need to humbly submit to the Spirit’s promptings and allow Him to rule our hearts.

Sample Script:

During Jesus’s earthly life, He spoke of the sending of the Holy Spirit at the appropriate time. Part of Jesus’s mission in taking on human flesh like me and you is to assure all people that God cares for and loves everybody. And just like our parents or grandparents do for us in wanting to spend time with us and learn about us, so too does God want to spend time with us and learn about us and let us know that we are never alone in this life. So when Jesus ascended back to be with God the Father, He sent the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to come down upon and be with Mary, the apostles, and the first disciples who made up the first Catholic Church.

It is pretty amazing to know that the same Holy Spirit that descended upon Mary and the apostles over 2,000 years ago is the same Holy Spirit that is active and working with us today. Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John are still true today, in that the Holy Spirit (or the promised Advocate) is with us today to walk the journey of faith, coming to know and love God, joyfully and lovingly serving our neighbor, and making good choices so that we ourselves can grow in holiness.

Now, you might be thinking, this all sounds pretty neat, but how do we know that the Holy Spirit is in the Church? Apart from the fact that Jesus told us so, there are a number of different ways we encounter the Holy Spirit in the Church. Let’s talk about a couple:

1.The Holy Spirit is seen through the people. Jesus taught, with His own baptism in the Jordan River, that baptism gives us or imparts the grace of the Holy Spirit. This gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism allows our very heart and soul to become a temple or a holy place where the presence of God in the Holy Spirit can live. We know the Holy Spirit is within us as He helps us to pray to God, especially when we don’t want to, and to be kind to our friends or siblings even when that is difficult for us. The Holy Spirit helps us to choose the good and to avoid evil. We want to do our best to not sin or intentionally choose to do bad so that we can keep our temple of the Holy Spirit in good order.

2.The Holy Spirit is seen through the clergy. In Jesus’ handing on of the mission to proclaim the Gospel to the Apostles, followed by the decent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, began the explicit presence of God with His ministers in the Church. With each new ordination comes a new handing on of the Holy Spirit to assist the bishops, priests, and deacons in preaching and teaching the faith in truth.

3.The Holy Spirit is seen through the Sacraments. Much like in Holy Orders or ordinations, all of the Church’s Sacraments offer an encounter with the Holy Spirit. The Sacraments are intimate or very special ways that God walks alongside us at special times in our life. Most importantly, the Sacrament of the Eucharist offers you and me a weekly opportunity to really and truly receive Jesus Himself directly into our very body, giving the grace and strength to be the holy daughters and sons that God has called us to be.

These are just some examples of how the Holy Spirit is present within the Church. The point to remember is that God, through the Holy Spirit, wants to be present to us at each and every moment of our lives. We are never alone! God loves you so much that He wants to experience life with you. We need to do our best to invite Him into the moments of our life and to live lives that are good and pleasing to Him.

Questions:

How much time does God want to spend with you?

What is the difference between the Holy Spirit who descended upon Mary and the Apostles and the Holy Spirit we receive at Baptism today?

How do we see the Holy Spirit in people?

How do we see the Holy Spirit in the clergy?

How do we see the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments?

Activities:

As a family, pray for the Holy Spirit daily to bless your talents. As you use your talents in the coming days and weeks, what do you notice? Discuss and share daily as a family.

On your ride into church each Sunday, share as a family one way you hope to encounter God at Mass. Pray together that the Holy Spirit will show you what you hope to encounter and allow you to be open to speak to you. On your ride home from church, share as a family any graces received.

Relates to Jesus: Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, is the fullness of God’s revelation. Just as Jesus shows who the Father is, Jesus also shows us who the Holy Spirit is.

Relates to my Faith: The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, who communicates to us the things of God and inspires us to communicate to God through prayer and petition.

Sample Script:

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. And while we speak of the three persons of the Trinity, we also rightly speak of the oneness of God. So, to put this in another way, we can say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe in one God who eternally exists. Our one God is three persons who eternally operates as Love and desires all people to return love to Him and to live a life full of His love.

A popular image of the Holy Spirit looks like this; namely that God the Father loves God the Son and God the Son loves God the Father. This love between the Father and the Son is eternally communicated back and forth between them. This eternal communication is the Holy Spirit, eternally in love with the Father and the Son and desiring to communicate this love for all people to encounter, helps us, in some small way, to speak of our all-powerful God.

Jesus, during His time on earth, spoke of the Holy Spirit as the Advocate. While this word of advocate can have a couple different definitions, for our purposes the idea of seeing the Holy Spirit as Advocate or helper seems most appropriate. The Holy Spirit seeks to help us in journey through life. Life can sometimes be tough, and while we may be blessed to have our family and friends close to help us, it is comforting to know that the God of the universe, who created and has power over all things and who loves you very much, is near to help you and be with you during the times of your life. We need to remember this to reach out to the Holy Spirit and invite Him into the moments of our life, receiving this most wonderful advocacy.

A further dive into Scripture and we see a whole number of different images that show the presence of the Holy Spirit. We see Him as wind passing over the formless matter at the beginning of creation in the book of Genesis. We see Him as a dove hovering over the Lord Jesus at His baptism, in which God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” in the 3^rd chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. We see the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 descending upon Mary and the Apostles as tongues of fire which allowed these recipients to speak in many languages yet still be able to understand one another.

Today, the Holy Spirit is active all around us. He is active in our Church and He is calling people by name. And you know something that is pretty cool? He is calling you by name. He is loving you as the child of God that you are and is desiring to be invited into your life. He wants you to share with your family and friends the ways He has been seen in Scripture, while also sharing the personal ways you have encountered Him in your life.

Questions:

Who is the Holy Spirit in relation to the Trinity?

How does Jesus speak about the Holy Spirit and who He (the Holy Spirit) is?

What passages in Scripture show us the presence of the Holy Spirit?

Name some of the images that we see the Holy Spirit portrayed as.

Why should we tell our loved ones about the Holy Spirit?

Activities:

As a family, explore the Acts of the Apostles to find some of the workings of the Holy Spirit. Share and discuss these stories and consider how these passages might be speaking to you individually and to your family.

As a family, share your stories of when you have encountered the Holy Spirit in your life. Practice sharing these stories and point out to each other the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Relates to Jesus: Jesus desires that none of His people feel lost and alone in this world. His words, His presence are continuously calling our name to let us know that the God of love is seeking us.

Relates to my Faith: The longevity of the Church from the time of Christ until the present day show that the Holy Spirit, and not man, is alive and caring for humanity over the generations. While a number of human leaders are put in place to do a number of different things, it is God who is leading the Church towards her Heavenly homeland.

Sample Script:

How do you know when something is alive? There are many answers here, but a good general consensus will offer answers like you see it moving, you see it breathing, you see it eating, you see it growing, and so on. We know that something is alive when we recognize a certain level of activity going on in and around the object in question.

It might be funny to say, but how often to you think of God being alive? I think it can be easy to think of God as some far off distant being that doesn’t seem alive because He is thinking about more important things. Or perhaps one could think of God as just some kind of idea that people talk about when things are going bad but doesn’t really mean anything in my life or the lives of others. We must remember that God is a God of the living because He Himself is life itself; He creates it, He sustains it, and He loves it.

God is very much alive and an excellent example of His life is found right here in our Church. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with and enliven the Church so that the people of God could encounter the presence of God in their day-to-day lives. The activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church shines forth in any number of ways but one example stands out. If you really pay attention to the readings each week, you’ll notice that there will be a word or a phrase that stands out, that really seems to speak to your life and something that you have on your mind or heart. This is no chance happening but rather is the presence of the Holy Spirit that is actively trying to get your attention to tell you that “I, God, am right here. I love you and I am going to be with you through this thing in your life”. This is pretty neat because it shows that the Church isn’t some old historical thing but rather a living organism filled with the presence of God wanting to be a part of your life.

Now, the Holy Spirit isn’t bored, sitting up in Heaven just deciding this day or that day to come be in your life because there isn’t anything else to do in eternity. He isn’t some nosey, controlling figure that is trying to run your life for you. The Holy Spirit loves you and loves you so much that He wants to experience all that is in your life, all the good and all the bad and all the in between. The Holy Spirit wants to celebrate the good things in your life with you and help you navigate the bad things in your life with you. Remember, the Trinity is a community of persons and just as the Trinity experience a community among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity desires that you too experience community with the Trinity in your life. Here, you will find happiness and peace and fulfillment in your shared life with the living God.

Questions:

What are some ways that you know of that tell you God is alive today?

Tell how are some of the ways that God loves you?

How do you experience God alive in your life?

Are you comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings with God? Continue to pray to the Holy Spirit and invite Him in.

What is an example of when the Holy Spirit speaks to you?

Activities:

Take some time to think about the communities you have: your family community, your friend community, your dance class community, etc. Think of the good, positive traits of these communities. How do you see God present in your life through these communities?

As a family, discuss ways that you can be more intentional about inviting the Holy Spirit into your individual lives and into your family lives.

Relates to Jesus: Jesus desires that all people come to know, love, and serve God. This is the mission of the Trinity through the work of the Church.

Relates to my Faith: The Church gives us the grace through word and sacrament to have the necessary tools to proclaim the Kingdom of God with our lives and to preach the Gospel message to all that we encounter.

Sample Script:

Take a moment and think of the sport or activity that you are most involved with. Think about all that goes into preparing for a performance or a game. All of the practice, all of the time committed to help yourself be the most prepared so that you can be successful takes a certain amount of focus and determination. As well as being committed and focused, you need to have the right equipment and gear to perform what you practiced in the game or at the performance.

Now, take a moment and consider the disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Gospel passages of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we see these men and women in the very beginning stages of learning what it means to be a disciple. They are found often having a difficult time grasping fully what Jesus is teaching and misinterpreting the points that Jesus is trying to get across (see Mark 10:29-45 or Matthew 16:21-25 for some examples). The disciples emotions and quick reactions often lead them to go down a path that is not the intended direction of Jesus, finding them receiving correction and sometimes outright rebuttals (see John 18:10-11). Most notable, is the fear and rejection, three years into the relationship, that Jesus experiences from most of the apostles during His passion and death, especially from being betrayed by Judas Iscariot and by being denied by Peter himself.

Through it all, the disciples maintained connection to one another, remembering the teachings of the Lord but full of fear and confusion. The book of the Acts of the Apostles details the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that won for the apostles and disciples the freedom to embrace fully the mission God was calling them, and is calling you, to live and preach. Most powerfully, in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we read how the Holy Spirit comes down upon each of the apostles and enlivens them to boldly and confidently proclaim Jesus Christ, who died and has risen, and calls us to repent from our sins and live a life centered in God.

So, how does this apply to you? We have received the Holy Spirit just as the apostles have when we were baptized. The Holy Spirit descended down upon you and gave you the grace to be a child of God. This gift opens you up to receive the teachings of Jesus with faith and confidence and communicate these truths in your life. Believing that we have this indwelling or the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, we must respond to the call to practice, live and share our faith so that others may come to understand the love God has for them.

How do we practice our faith? We need to attend weekly Sunday Mass, listening to the readings and the homily and receive Jesus in the Eucharist with great attention. We need to say our prayers each day, praying to know God and to help others. We need to say sorry for our sins and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We need to pay attention to people around us and respond to their needs with care. As we continue to grow in our practice of the faith, we’ll come to feel more comfortable in living and sharing the faith and recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit in the moments of our life. Being able to point out the existence of God in our life will help us encounter Him and realize Him in our daily life. You’ll be able to name the presence of God for yourself and for others, proclaiming the truth that God loves you and wants you to be an active part in building up His Kingdom.

Questions:

Were the disciples perfect once they started following Jesus? Name some ways that they struggled in following Jesus.

What is it that you think kept the disciples wanting to follow Jesus?

How have you encountered the Holy Spirit in your life?

What are some ways that you can grow in your faith?

What are some ways that you can share your faith with others?

Activities:

As a family, read a chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. What are some ways that you notice the presence and working of the Holy Spirit?

One of the easiest ways to begin proclaiming the faith to others is to live it. For example, using kind words when you speak and ending a conversation by telling the other “God bless you” shows your belief in the presence of God. Think of one way that you can proclaim your faith by your life and start practicing this.

Relates to Jesus: Jesus calls us to be holy, to “be perfect just as our Father in Heaven is perfect”. Holiness is a graced walk with the Holy Spirit who guides us in aligning our will to the will of the Father. Jesus is the prime example of this.

Relates to my Faith: The holy men and women known as Saints serve as role models and intercessors for us, showing us how to love God and love neighbor throughout our lives.

Sample Script:

Up and down throughout the ages, the Holy Spirit has inspired countless men and women to lead lives that have proclaimed the glory of God. These men and women have offered their lives to God in countless ways as a witness to others of the presence of a living God who desires to be in relationship with all people. Whether through living lives of service to others (St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)) or being a great leader and teacher (Pope St. John Paul II) to desiring union with God from the start of one’s life (St. Catherine of Siena) or converting later in life to realize the fulfillment of all desire (St. Augustine), the Saints tell the reality of God among His people and help us to direct all that we are to focus on our ultimate destination; total union with God.

In general, the Holy Spirit leads the Saints to pursue and achieve virtuous and heroic things for the glory of God. Far from a manipulative or controlling operation, the Holy Spirit inspires men and women to strive for the greater things of God, calling these souls to use their gifts and talents in particular ways. Their willful response to the Holy Spirit is powerful, bringing forth great fruit that yields a number of souls that are turned towards God.

This is pretty amazing and I know that it can sound like something that is only for these chosen souls. But think again! The Holy Spirit is actively calling each and every person to that same call of holiness, which is pretty neat to think about. You probably remember that each of us is created in the image and likeness of God, with our own unique set of gifts and talents meant to be uniquely used to build-up a particular part of the Kingdom of God. And while we are each called to holiness, we are each called to holiness by cultivating and using our unique set of gifts and talents which shows us that our particular brand of holiness will look different than a St. Teresa or a St. Augustine. The Holy Spirit is calling us to be holy in a way that is unique to our skill set.

We need to listen to the Holy Spirit in prayer to hear His voice and discern how He is calling us to live a holy life with our gifts for the betterment of the Kingdom. When we operate within the gifts and talents that we have, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, we are fully alive in having the Holy Spirit communicate to our hearts and ultimately to the hearts of all.

Our relationship with God is so very important. We must know Jesus’ voice so that we can hear Him talk to us and recognize the direction of the Holy Spirit calling us closer to Himself. Further, of added assistance here are the Saints, who serve as role models of living holy lives. No matter what you and I might be dealing with or struggling with, we often can find several Saints that dealt with similar issues and circumstances that can provide us insights as to how to go about working through our situation in a holy way, walking alongside God.

The Saints are also powerful intercessors that pray for us and assure us that we are not alone in our dealings. These holy intercessors unite us to God by our connection with the Holy Spirit through the Church, as the Saints who have ran the race well, finishing their earthly journey, are assisting those of us still on earth fighting to win the reward of Heaven by leading a holy life. Just as the Holy Spirit led the Saints to stay close to Him, He is leading us to stay close in prayer, Sacraments, and attention and service towards others.

Questions:

What do the Saints tell us about the reality of God?

We are all called to holiness. How does the Holy Spirit inspire each and every one of us?

How do we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit?

How can Saints serve as role models for us?

What does it mean for the Saints to act as our intercessors?

Activities:

As a family, pick out a Saint and read his/her story (https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints is a good site). What was most striking? How did you find God’s presence in this saint’s story?

Begin, as a family, praying for the intercession of this Saint.

Relates to Jesus: It is Jesus himself who promised us and gave the Apostles and the Church the great gift of the Holy Spirit come in power to make them fearless witnesses of his words, deeds, and saving message. Without Jesus, the Spirit would not have been sent.

Relates to my Faith: It is the Holy Spirit given in the form of his gifts and fruit that enable us to fearlessly and effectively share the saving message and “good news” (i,.e, the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. We must establish a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit if we expect to be effective witnesses to Christ’s love, not just in our words,but in our deeds and very lives.

Sample Script:

After the His Resurrection from the dead, Jesus sent the next 40 days with the Apostles and the closest disciples, continuing to teach and be in close proximity with them. It is interesting to point out that Jesus didn’t perform any healings or exorcisms (at least we have no record that He did).  He wasn’t found preaching to the people or challenging the religious authorities in the synagogues. He was, very quietly and under the radar, spending time with those closest to Him; those that He had chosen to continue His mission in the Church.

It seems that these were Jesus’ final lessons; driving home the main points of the course before the big final exam. We find Jesus calling the Apostles to faith (John 20 with Thomas), to leave behind the things that they were used to (John 21 with Peter), to repent and lean totally on love (John 21 with Peter), and proclaim the Gospel message to all (Matthew 28 with them all). In these passages we find Jesus driving home the main points of discipleship before His ascension and the sending of the powerful Advocate.

Now, there are probably a whole number of reasons why Jesus spent His 40 days before the ascension the way He did, but I would like to offer an idea that seems to stand out for me. Namely, following Jesus as a disciple is no small thing. In fact, it is the most important thing because it is the path to a truly fulfilled life. Living the life of a disciple calls for one to turn his life around, dying to a life of self-centeredness to live a life of loving other-centeredness. The disciple seeks repentance for one’s sins and rectifies the wrongs that he has done so to be free from the previous life and to grow in the life that is before him.

The disciple thus detaches himself from all things that would keep him from fully following in the footsteps of the Master. The example of Peter being found back in his fishing boat after the Resurrection (John 21) gave way in part to the Lord’s questioning of Peter, “Do you love me more than these (fish)?” You are not a fisherman anymore Peter, you are a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19). "If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27). Being a disciple of Jesus demands that He be at the center of our life, guiding us and entrusting all to His loving care.

At the point of detachment the disciple’s faith is free to flower, for the only thing we have to lean on is the love of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is most active here as He provides the grace to leave all things behind and follow Jesus in total trust. The freedom to only possess Jesus Christ opens the disciple’s heart to boldly proclaim the Gospel in authentic truth and love that brings forth life and grace.

So, with Jesus spending His 40 days providing this final instruction, He ascended into Heaven and the Holy Spirit was ready to come down upon the apostles and disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2). The outpouring of grace ignited these hearts on fire for love of the Lord and began a powerful commitment to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified, building His Church throughout the land. The rest of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles tells of the miraculous events the disciples performed in the name of Jesus. This same Holy Spirit, and the incredible acts performed through the disciples, is available to us each this day.

At our baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit, making each recipient a temple of the Holy Spirit that gives each the foundation to be a disciple. By following the example of the Apostles, we are afforded the roadmap of how to be a disciple, to nurture the Holy Spirit that dwells within, and how to utilize the gifts given to proclaim the glory of God. See ourselves as temples of the Holy Spirit allow us to be vigilant over what we think, say, and do, wanting to keep all that would dirty our temple away so that the Holy Spirit can be fully alive within us.

In closing, it is important to remember that the way to discipleship is a journey and often requires a regular schedule of turning from sin and seeking forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, working to detach from anything that would prove to be an obstacle between you and God, learn to trust and have faith in God at each moment of your life and with great consistency, and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with practice and greater conviction. Your rootedness in prayer is critical, to constantly pray that the Holy Spirit resides in your heart and builds you up in strength, will provide a clear path of discipleship and a life full of grace.

Questions:

Who did Jesus remain with after the Resurrection?

What are some of the traits we learn from Jesus regarding being a disciple?

What about being a disciple seems easy for you? What seems difficult?

At our baptism, why are we a temple?

Being a disciple is not always easy. What can we do to assist us on our journey?

Activities:

Read with your family John 20 and 21. Discuss some of the things you notice about Jesus’ time with the Apostles.

Talk about some of the ways that discipleship can be lived together as a family. Make a plan to live out some aspect of discipleship more intentionally.

Relates to Jesus: It is Jesus himself who promised us and gave the Apostles and the Church the great gift of the Holy Spirit come in power to make them fearless witnesses of his words, deeds, and saving message. Without Jesus, the Spirit would not have been sent.

Relates to my Faith: While Baptism is the sacrament by which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are initially given to us, Confirmation is the sacrament which strengthens those gifts within us. But like muscles that are not used or exercised, these gifts can atrophy into uselessness. In the Gospels Jesus gave us several parables in which useless limbs are cut from the tree and burned as not only an illustration, but a warning that we are to use the gifts we are given to spread his Gospel. We must establish a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit if we expect to be effective witnesses to Christ’s love, not just in our words,but in our deeds and very lives.

Sample Script:

The Holy Spirit is alive and present in and throughout the Church, guiding souls to encounter God and to live a fulfilled life of cooperation with grace. While the Holy Spirit is alive and available to all in the Church in various ways, it is in the Sacrament of Confirmation that the Holy Spirit plays an explicit role in ordaining the soul with completion and gifts that fully initiate the recipient in the Catholic Church. Confirmation is necessary for the soul to live a rich spiritual life in the faith.

The Holy Spirit enriches the confirmation recipient with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, piety, fear of the Lord, fortitude, and counsel enliven the soul to live a life committed to the Church and to be a vessel of grace that encourages others to engage with God. The gifts of the Holy Spirit allow the recipient to live out the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy that not only serve our brothers and sisters in love but allows the individual to grow in holiness as he/she witnesses to the presence of Jesus. Further, the gifts reveal the face of the Trinity in great clarity for the betterment and well-being of the faithful.

Wisdom offers judgment about divine things while also affording direction in human affairs. Knowledge keeps one on the straight path of justice, correctly making decisions on matters of faith and right action. Understanding is the penetrating to the heart of things and the ability to see as God sees. Piety is the reverence shown to God and to the things that are of God. Fear of the Lord is revering God in that we never want to be separated from Him; it is not a fear that wants to control and sub serve. Fortitude is firmness of mind to do good and avoid evil, especially when it is difficult, with eyes and heart always fixed on God. Counsel is allowing the direction of God to control his life, knowing that this is best for his salvation.

Operation within the gifts of the Holy Spirit with firm intention and a desire to bring glory to God will yield the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The fruits are kindness, generosity, joy, charity, self-control, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, chastity, peace, patience, and modesty. These fruits are truly gifts that come forth from a life well lived that is focused on the things of God, sharing the love of God with others, and ordering oneself after the model set forth by His Son Jesus Christ. While all of these fruits are important, one stands out; namely self-control or perhaps another name that could be used is balance. Everything in life needs to have a balance or it will throw things off one way or the other. Too little and you’ll be lacking in your approach; too much and you’ll be weighed down, unable to adequately take on what else what be needed. Self-control tempers our approach on things and orders us to appropriately engage a situation.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the Holy Spirit as received at Confirmation is the role it takes on in enhancing our spiritual lives. Here, the Holy Spirit affords the recipient with a special line of connection to the Trinity, as we stated earlier, reflects the image of God on the recipient that can also be available for the entire world to see. The Holy Spirit conveys the love and mercy of God, a message that is of desperate need in our world today. It is important to state that God’s love and mercy is for every single person and it is of special responsibility for the confirmed soul to communicate this important reality frequently in their words and deeds with others.

The Holy Spirit helps to root out sin by making the recipient aware of his short comings and prompts him to uproot this sin so the temple of his body can be a worthy dwelling place for Him. The Holy Spirit causes the desire to seek forgiveness for a wrong done or an omission left undone, reaching out to the other if necessary but certainly being able to forgive oneself and to seek forgiveness from the Almighty God. Humility is a grace given here, to humbly ask for mercy and to make a commitment not to fall into this sin again. Perhaps even more miraculous is the strength to live a life that actively and consistently forgives others and shows mercy towards them and their wrongs. Here, the face of God is revealed to the other and the grace of the Holy Spirit is passed along for the other to encounter.

Questions and Activities

Why is the Holy Spirit so important for the Confirmed soul?

What are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit? Explain a bit about each one.

How do the Gifts of the Holy Spirit allow us to assist others?

What are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit?

Talk about the role of the Holy Spirit in inspiring forgiveness and mercy.

Activities

As a family, discuss the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. What are some of your favorites? Which one, as a family, could you work on?

As a family, discuss the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. What are some of your favorites? Which one, as a family, could you pray for and work towards?

Relates to Jesus: Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit not only to assist us in the general work of the Church, but in the specific work of bringing us to salvation and helping us to grow in greater union with God.  

Relates to Faith:  Knowledge of the Holy Spirit helps me to see when he is present in my life and helps me to judge the efficacy of the life I am living be it in family life, my employment, or in apostolic work in the Church.

Catechism References: CCC nos. 638-747

No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."⁷ Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own."⁸ Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him," while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them.⁹

688 The Church, a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the place where we know the Holy Spirit:

- in the Scriptures he inspired;

- in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses;

- in the Church's Magisterium, which he assists;

- in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ;

- in prayer, wherein he intercedes for us;

- in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up;

- in the signs of apostolic and missionary life;

- in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.

I. THE JOINT MISSION OF THE SON AND THE SPIRIT

689 The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God.¹⁰ Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and indivisible, the Church's faith also professes the distinction of persons. When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him.

690 Jesus is Christ, "anointed," because the Spirit is his anointing, and everything that occurs from the Incarnation on derives from this fullness.¹¹ When Christ is finally glorified,¹² he can in turn send the Spirit from his place with the Father to those who believe in him: he communicates to them his glory,¹³ that is, the Holy Spirit who glorifies him.¹⁴ From that time on, this joint mission will be manifested in the children adopted by the Father in the Body of his Son: the mission of the Spirit of adoption is to unite them to Christ and make them live in him:

The notion of anointing suggests . . . that there is no distance between the Son and the Spirit. Indeed, just as between the surface of the body and the anointing with oil neither reason nor sensation recognizes any intermediary, so the contact of the Son with the Spirit is immediate, so that anyone who would make contact with the Son by faith must first encounter the oil by contact. In fact there is no part that is not covered by the Holy Spirit. That is why the confession of the Son's Lordship is made in the Holy Spirit by those who receive him, the Spirit coming from all sides to those who approach the Son in faith.¹⁵

II. THE NAME, TITLES, AND SYMBOLS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The proper name of the Holy Spirit

691 "Holy Spirit" is the proper name of the one whom we adore and glorify with the Father and the Son. The Church has received this name from the Lord and professes it in the Baptism of her new children.¹⁶

The term "Spirit" translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind. Jesus indeed uses the sensory image of the wind to suggest to Nicodemus the transcendent newness of him who is personally God's breath, the divine Spirit.¹⁷ On the other hand, "Spirit" and "Holy" are divine attributes common to the three divine persons. By joining the two terms, Scripture, liturgy, and theological language designate the inexpressible person of the Holy Spirit, without any possible equivocation with other uses of the terms "spirit" and "holy."

Titles of the Holy Spirit

692 When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the "Paraclete," literally, "he who is called to one's side," ad-vocatus.¹⁸ "Paraclete" is commonly translated by "consoler," and Jesus is the first consoler.¹⁹ The Lord also called the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth."²⁰

693 Besides the proper name of "Holy Spirit," which is most frequently used in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles, we also find in St. Paul the titles: the Spirit of the promise,²¹ the Spirit of adoption,²² the Spirit of Christ,²³ the Spirit of the Lord,²⁴ and the Spirit of God²⁵ - and, in St. Peter, the Spirit of glory.²⁶

Symbols of the Holy Spirit

694 Water. The symbolism of water signifies the Holy Spirit's action in Baptism, since after the invocation of the Holy Spirit it becomes the efficacious sacramental sign of new birth: just as the gestation of our first birth took place in water, so the water of Baptism truly signifies that our birth into the divine life is given to us in the Holy Spirit. As "by one Spirit we were all baptized," so we are also "made to drink of one Spirit."²⁷ Thus the Spirit is also personally the living water welling up from Christ crucified²⁸ as its source and welling up in us to eternal life.²⁹

695 Anointing. The symbolism of anointing with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit,³⁰ to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. In Christian initiation, anointing is the sacramental sign of Confirmation, called "chrismation" in the Churches of the East. Its full force can be grasped only in relation to the primary anointing accomplished by the Holy Spirit, that of Jesus. Christ (in Hebrew "messiah") means the one "anointed" by God's Spirit. There were several anointed ones of the Lord in the Old Covenant, pre-eminently King David.³¹ But Jesus is God's Anointed in a unique way: the humanity the Son assumed was entirely anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit established him as "Christ."³² The Virgin Mary conceived Christ by the Holy Spirit who, through the angel, proclaimed him the Christ at his birth, and prompted Simeon to come to the temple to see the Christ of the Lord.³³ The Spirit filled Christ and the power of the Spirit went out from him in his acts of healing and of saving.³⁴ Finally, it was the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.³⁵ Now, fully established as "Christ" in his humanity victorious over death, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly until "the saints" constitute - in their union with the humanity of the Son of God - that perfect man "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ":³⁶ "the whole Christ," in St. Augustine's expression.

696 Fire. While water signifies birth and the fruitfulness of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. The prayer of the prophet Elijah, who "arose like fire" and whose "word burned like a torch," brought down fire from heaven on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel.³⁷ This event was a "figure" of the fire of the Holy Spirit, who transforms what he touches. John the Baptist, who goes "before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah," proclaims Christ as the one who "will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."³⁸ Jesus will say of the Spirit: "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!"³⁹ In the form of tongues "as of fire," the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself⁴⁰ The spiritual tradition has retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the Holy Spirit's actions.⁴¹ "Do not quench the Spirit."⁴²

697 Cloud and light. These two images occur together in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. In the theophanies of the Old Testament, the cloud, now obscure, now luminous, reveals the living and saving God, while veiling the transcendence of his glory - with Moses on Mount Sinai,⁴³ at the tent of meeting,⁴⁴ and during the wandering in the desert,⁴⁵ and with Solomon at the dedication of the Temple.⁴⁶ In the Holy Spirit, Christ fulfills these figures. The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus.⁴⁷ On the mountain of Transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'"⁴⁸ Finally, the cloud took Jesus out of the sight of the disciples on the day of his ascension and will reveal him as Son of man in glory on the day of his final coming.⁴⁹

698 The seal is a symbol close to that of anointing. "The Father has set his seal" on Christ and also seals us in him.⁵⁰ Because this seal indicates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (sphragis) has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible "character" imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments.

699 The hand. Jesus heals the sick and blesses little children by laying hands on them.⁵¹ In his name the apostles will do the same.⁵² Even more pointedly, it is by the Apostles' imposition of hands that the Holy Spirit is given.⁵³ The Letter to the Hebrews lists the imposition of hands among the "fundamental elements" of its teaching.⁵⁴ The Church has kept this sign of the all-powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in its sacramental epicleses.

700 The finger. "It is by the finger of God that [Jesus] cast out demons."⁵⁵ If God's law was written on tablets of stone "by the finger of God," then the "letter from Christ" entrusted to the care of the apostles, is written "with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts."⁵⁶ The hymn Veni Creator Spiritus invokes the Holy Spirit as the "finger of the Father's right hand."⁵⁷

701 The dove. At the end of the flood, whose symbolism refers to Baptism, a dove released by Noah returns with a fresh olive-tree branch in its beak as a sign that the earth was again habitable.⁵⁸ When Christ comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon him and remains with him.⁵⁹ The Spirit comes down and remains in the purified hearts of the baptized. In certain churches, the Eucharist is reserved in a metal receptacle in the form of a dove (columbarium) suspended above the altar. Christian iconography traditionally uses a dove to suggest the Spirit.

III. GOD'S SPIRIT AND WORD IN THE TIME OF THE PROMISES

702 From the beginning until "the fullness of time,"⁶⁰ the joint mission of the Father's Word and Spirit remains hidden, but it is at work. God's Spirit prepares for the time of the Messiah. Neither is fully revealed but both are already promised, to be watched for and welcomed at their manifestation. So, for this reason, when the Church reads the Old Testament, she searches there for what the Spirit, "who has spoken through the prophets," wants to tell us about Christ.⁶¹

By "prophets" the faith of the Church here understands all whom the Holy Spirit inspired in living proclamation and the composition of the sacred books, both of the Old and the New Testaments. Jewish tradition distinguishes first the Law (the five first books or Pentateuch), then the Prophets (our historical and prophetic books) and finally the Writings (especially the wisdom literature, in particular the Psalms).⁶²

In creation

703 The Word of God and his Breath are at the origin of the being and life of every creature:⁶³

It belongs to the Holy Spirit to rule, sanctify, and animate creation, for he is God, consubstantial with the Father and the Son. . . . Power over life pertains to the Spirit, for being God he preserves creation in the Father through the Son.⁶⁴

704 "God fashioned man with his own hands [that is, the Son and the Holy Spirit] and impressed his own form on the flesh he had fashioned, in such a way that even what was visible might bear the divine form."⁶⁵

The Spirit of the promise

705 Disfigured by sin and death, man remains "in the image of God," in the image of the Son, but is deprived "of the glory of God,"⁶⁶ of his "likeness." The promise made to Abraham inaugurates the economy of salvation, at the culmination of which the Son himself will assume that "image"⁶⁷ and restore it in the Father's "likeness" by giving it again its Glory, the Spirit who is "the giver of life."

706 Against all human hope, God promises descendants to Abraham, as the fruit of faith and of the power of the Holy Spirit.⁶⁸ In Abraham's progeny all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This progeny will be Christ himself,⁶⁹ in whom the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will "gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad."⁷⁰ God commits himself by his own solemn oath to giving his beloved Son and "the promised Holy Spirit . . . [who is] the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it."⁷¹

In Theophanies and the Law

707 Theophanies (manifestations of God) light up the way of the promise, from the patriarchs to Moses and from Joshua to the visions that inaugurated the missions of the great prophets. Christian tradition has always recognized that God's Word allowed himself to be seen and heard in these theophanies, in which the cloud of the Holy Spirit both revealed him and concealed him in its shadow.

708 This divine pedagogy appears especially in the gift of the Law.⁷² God gave the Law as a "pedagogue" to lead his people towards Christ.⁷³ But the Law's powerlessness to save man deprived of the divine "likeness," along with the growing awareness of sin that it imparts,⁷⁴ enkindles a desire for the Holy Spirit. The lamentations of the Psalms bear witness to this.

In the Kingdom and the Exile

709 The Law, the sign of God's promise and covenant, ought to have governed the hearts and institutions of that people to whom Abraham's faith gave birth. "If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, . . . you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."⁷⁵ But after David, Israel gave in to the temptation of becoming a kingdom like other nations. The Kingdom, however, the object of the promise made to David,⁷⁶ would be the work of the Holy Spirit; it would belong to the poor according to the Spirit.

710 The forgetting of the Law and the infidelity to the covenant end in death: it is the Exile, apparently the failure of the promises, which is in fact the mysterious fidelity of the Savior God and the beginning of a promised restoration, but according to the Spirit. The People of God had to suffer this purification.⁷⁷ In God's plan, the Exile already stands in the shadow of the Cross, and the Remnant of the poor that returns from the Exile is one of the most transparent prefigurations of the Church.

Expectation of the Messiah and his Spirit

711 "Behold, I am doing a new thing."⁷⁸ Two prophetic lines were to develop, one leading to the expectation of the Messiah, the other pointing to the announcement of a new Spirit. They converge in the small Remnant, the people of the poor, who await in hope the "consolation of Israel" and "the redemption of Jerusalem."⁷⁹

We have seen earlier how Jesus fulfills the prophecies concerning himself. We limit ourselves here to those in which the relationship of the Messiah and his Spirit appears more clearly.

712 The characteristics of the awaited Messiah begin to appear in the "Book of Emmanuel" ("Isaiah said this when he saw his glory,"⁸⁰ speaking of Christ), especially in the first two verses of Isaiah 11:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.⁸¹

713 The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs."⁸² These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how he will pour out the Holy Spirit to give life to the many: not as an outsider, but by embracing our "form as slave."⁸³ Taking our death upon himself, he can communicate to us his own Spirit of life.

714 This is why Christ inaugurates the proclamation of the Good News by making his own the following passage from Isaiah:⁸⁴

The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to bring good tidings to the afflicted;

he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor.

715 The prophetic texts that directly concern the sending of the Holy Spirit are oracles by which God speaks to the heart of his people in the language of the promise, with the accents of "love and fidelity."⁸⁵ St. Peter will proclaim their fulfillment on the morning of Pentecost.⁸⁶ According to these promises, at the "end time" the Lord's Spirit will renew the hearts of men, engraving a new law in them. He will gather and reconcile the scattered and divided peoples; he will transform the first creation, and God will dwell there with men in peace.

716 The People of the "poor"⁸⁷ - those who, humble and meek, rely solely on their God's mysterious plans, who await the justice, not of men but of the Messiah - are in the end the great achievement of the Holy Spirit's hidden mission during the time of the promises that prepare for Christ's coming. It is this quality of heart, purified and enlightened by the Spirit, which is expressed in the Psalms. In these poor, the Spirit is making ready "a people prepared for the Lord."⁸⁸

IV. THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME

John, precursor, prophet, and baptist

717 "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John."⁸⁹ John was "filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb"⁹⁰ by Christ himself, whom the Virgin Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary's visitation to Elizabeth thus became a visit from God to his people.⁹¹

718 John is "Elijah [who] must come."⁹² The fire of the Spirit dwells in him and makes him the forerunner of the coming Lord. In John, the precursor, the Holy Spirit completes the work of "[making] ready a people prepared for the Lord."⁹³

719 John the Baptist is "more than a prophet."⁹⁴ In him, the Holy Spirit concludes his speaking through the prophets. John completes the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah.⁹⁵ He proclaims the imminence of the consolation of Israel; he is the "voice" of the Consoler who is coming.⁹⁶ As the Spirit of truth will also do, John "came to bear witness to the light."⁹⁷ In John's sight, the Spirit thus brings to completion the careful search of the prophets and fulfills the longing of the angels.⁹⁸ "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. . . . Behold, the Lamb of God."⁹⁹

720 Finally, with John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration to man of "the divine likeness," prefiguring what he would achieve with and in Christ. John's baptism was for repentance; baptism in water and the Spirit will be a new birth.¹⁰⁰

"Rejoice, you who are full of grace"

721 Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary.¹⁰¹ Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom."

In her, the "wonders of God" that the Spirit was to fulfill in Christ and the Church began to be manifested:

722 The Holy Spirit prepared Mary by his grace. It was fitting that the mother of him in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily"¹⁰² should herself be "full of grace." She was, by sheer grace, conceived without sin as the most humble of creatures, the most capable of welcoming the inexpressible gift of the Almighty. It was quite correct for the angel Gabriel to greet her as the "Daughter of Zion": "Rejoice."¹⁰³ It is the thanksgiving of the whole People of God, and thus of the Church, which Mary in her canticle¹⁰⁴ lifts up to the Father in the Holy Spirit while carrying within her the eternal Son.

723 In Mary, the Holy Spirit fulfills the plan of the Father's loving goodness. Through the Holy Spirit, the Virgin conceives and gives birth to the Son of God. By the Holy Spirit's power and her faith, her virginity became uniquely fruitful.¹⁰⁵

724 In Mary, the Holy Spirit manifests the Son of the Father, now become the Son of the Virgin. She is the burning bush of the definitive theophany. Filled with the Holy Spirit she makes the Word visible in the humility of his flesh. It is to the poor and the first representatives of the gentiles that she makes him known.¹⁰⁶

725 Finally, through Mary, the Holy Spirit begins to bring men, the objects of God's merciful love,¹⁰⁷ into communion with Christ. And the humble are always the first to accept him: shepherds, magi, Simeon and Anna, the bride and groom at Cana, and the first disciples.

726 At the end of this mission of the Spirit, Mary became the Woman, the new Eve ("mother of the living"), the mother of the "whole Christ."¹⁰⁸ As such, she was present with the Twelve, who "with one accord devoted themselves to prayer,"¹⁰⁹ at the dawn of the "end time" which the Spirit was to inaugurate on the morning of Pentecost with the manifestation of the Church.

Christ Jesus

727 The entire mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the fullness of time, is contained in this: that the Son is the one anointed by the Father's Spirit since his Incarnation - Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.

Everything in the second chapter of the Creed is to be read in this light. Christ's whole work is in fact a joint mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Here, we shall mention only what has to do with Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit and the gift of him by the glorified Lord.

728 Jesus does not reveal the Holy Spirit fully, until he himself has been glorified through his Death and Resurrection. Nevertheless, little by little he alludes to him even in his teaching of the multitudes, as when he reveals that his own flesh will be food for the life of the world.¹¹⁰ He also alludes to the Spirit in speaking to Nicodemus,¹¹¹ to the Samaritan woman,¹¹² and to those who take part in the feast of Tabernacles.¹¹³ To his disciples he speaks openly of the Spirit in connection with prayer¹¹⁴ and with the witness they will have to bear.¹¹⁵

729 Only when the hour has arrived for his glorification does Jesus promise the coming of the Holy Spirit, since his Death and Resurrection will fulfill the promise made to the fathers.¹¹⁶ The Spirit of truth, the other Paraclete, will be given by the Father in answer to Jesus' prayer; he will be sent by the Father in Jesus' name; and Jesus will send him from the Father's side, since he comes from the Father. The Holy Spirit will come and we shall know him; he will be with us for ever; he will remain with us. The Spirit will teach us everything, remind us of all that Christ said to us and bear witness to him. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth and will glorify Christ. He will prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment.

730 At last Jesus' hour arrives:¹¹⁷ he commends his spirit into the Father's hands¹¹⁸ at the very moment when by his death he conquers death, so that, "raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,"¹¹⁹ he might immediately give the Holy Spirit by "breathing" on his disciples.¹²⁰ From this hour onward, the mission of Christ and the Spirit becomes the mission of the Church: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."¹²¹

V. THE SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS

Pentecost

731 On the day of Pentecost when the seven weeks of Easter had come to an end, Christ's Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, manifested, given, and communicated as a divine person: of his fullness, Christ, the Lord, pours out the Spirit in abundance.¹²²

732 On that day, the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity. By his coming, which never ceases, the Holy Spirit causes the world to enter into the "last days," the time of the Church, the Kingdom already inherited though not yet consummated.

We have seen the true Light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith: we adore the indivisible Trinity, who has saved us.¹²³

The Holy Spirit - God's gift

733 "God is Love"¹²⁴ and love is his first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."¹²⁵

734 Because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit¹²⁶ in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.

735 He, then, gives us the "pledge" or "first fruits" of our inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as "God [has] loved us."¹²⁷ This love (the "charity" of 1 Cor 13) is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received "power" from the Holy Spirit.¹²⁸

736 By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the fruit of the Spirit: . . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."¹²⁹ "We live by the Spirit"; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we "walk by the Spirit."¹³⁰

Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, led back to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children, given confidence to call God "Father" and to share in Christ's grace, called children of light and given a share in eternal glory.¹³¹

The Holy Spirit and the Church

737 The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ's faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may "bear much fruit."¹³²

738 Thus the Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity (the topic of the next article):

All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father's and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, . . . and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ's sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity.¹³³

739 Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body. (This will be the topic of Part Two of the Catechism.)

740 These "mighty works of God," offered to believers in the sacraments of the Church, bear their fruit in the new life in Christ, according to the Spirit. (This will be the topic of Part Three.)

741 "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words."¹³⁴ The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God's works, is the master of prayer. (This will be the topic of Part Four.)

IN BRIEF

742 "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!"' (Gal 4:6).

743 From the beginning to the end of time, whenever God sends his Son, he always sends his Spirit: their mission is conjoined and inseparable.

744 In the fullness of time the Holy Spirit completes in Mary all the preparations for Christ's coming among the People of God. By the action of the Holy Spirit in her, the Father gives the world Emmanuel "God-with-us" (Mt 1:23).

745 The Son of God was consecrated as Christ (Messiah) by the anointing of the Holy Spirit at his Incarnation (cf. Ps 2:6-7).

746 By his Death and his Resurrection, Jesus is constituted in glory as Lord and Christ (cf. Acts 2:36). From his fullness, he poured out the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the Church.

747 The Holy Spirit, whom Christ the head pours out on his members, builds, animates, and sanctifies the Church. She is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity's communion with men.

Principal Scripture references: John 14:15-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; 20:22; Acts 2; Gal 5:16-25; Is 11:1-2 

Additional Verses: Gen 1:1-2; 2:7; 6:3; 41:38; Ex 31:3; 35:31; Num 24:2; 27:18; Neh 9:20; Jb 32:8; 33:4; Ps 139:7; Is 32:15; 40:13; 42:1; 44:3-4; 48:16; 51:12; 59:19-21; 61:1; 63:14; Ez 36:27; 37:9; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28-29; Mic 2:7; 3:8; Hg 2:5; Zec 4:1-7; 12:10; Eph 4:30-32; 2 Chrn 15:1; 2 Chrn 24:20; 1 Sam 10:10; 19:20; Ez 11:24; Mt 3:16; 1 Cor 2:11-14; 2 Cor 3:3; Php 3:3; 1 Pt 4:14; 

Videos: 
Bishop Barron explains the basics of the divine personhood of the Holy Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD71MBo5gBA (28 mins)
Bishop Barron commentary on the signs that the Holy Spirit is present in you and your work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1INut0Gi09Q (12:02)
Jeff Cavins discusses the Holy Spirit in the Life of Catholics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_l8vGBboV8 (6:49)

Scott Hahn discusses the Holy Spirit’s role in guiding the Church as the Living Tradition of the Church:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CakGh4xD8cE (51:24)

Additional Narrative

Jesus' work of salvation did not end with the Cross or the Resurrection; rather it is ongoing through the ministry of the Church (that includes you and me by virtue of our Baptism). But to initiate the work of the Church, He continued to prepare His apostles during the forty day period after his resurrection and before his ascension for the coming of the Holy Spirit, which he sent at Pentecost. It is the Holy Spirit which would become God’s active presence in the world, and especially in and through the Church (defined here as all the baptized who remain faithful disciples of Our Lord)  and sent the Holy Spirit upon them to begin her work. When we are baptized, we become Temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19).

We certainly know from Our Lord’s words at the Last Supper in the Gospel of John, the second chapter of Acts, as well as the fifth chapter of Galatians, the role and characteristics of the Holy Spirit, but because there is no ready visible image of the Holy Spirit, Scriptures, and thus the Church, use symbols to help us visualize the Holy Spirit. From the opening words of Genesis, the very first image given us is that of “a mighty wind” (ruah) and “breath of God” (Gen 2:7 and Jn 20:22). We see this image in multiple places, but most especially in Genesis and in Acts 2 at Pentecost where in both places, the same image is used. We also see in Pentecost the image of the Spirit as tongues of fire (Acts 2:3), and in Exodus, the Holy Spirit in the cloud that is dwelling among the Israelites by day, and fire by night called a “shekinah” or “glory of God”. At Jesus’ baptism we see the Holy Spirit as a dove. In Genesis, we see both the Spirit’s destructive and restorative power in water. All these images are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle which help us get a better idea of both the role and being of the Holy Spirit. 

The images of water, fire, and wind all have both destructive and regenerative power. Bishop recently explained in one of his videos on the Holy Spirit that both aspects of the Holy Spirit are true. While, because of the image of the Holy Spirit as a dove at Jesus’ baptism, we often get the erroneous idea the Holy Spirit is merely a cute and cuddly entity that sprinkles joy and happiness about like Tinkerbell. In point of fact, Scriptures show us that the Holy Spirit can be as much a fearsome and destructive force as a powerful and awesome force of good. We see in Scriptures the mighty floods, the pillar of fire, the driving winds that bring about destruction of evil and from it, those same forces bring about new life and purified souls washed clean and ready to stand against every evil do the will of God. 

The power of the Holy Spirit was not limited to the Apostles at Pentecost and those who lived through the persecutions and spreading of the early Church. We see it throughout history in the growth of the Church throughout the world and the lives of the Saints and in every good and beautiful action which shows the goodness of God acting through people and in our lives in the world. When we are moved by grace to do good and do it, it is the Holy Spirit acting in us that brings forth the love of God towards the subject of our actions. This is why when we do good, we should offer those actions back to God as a spiritual offering (1 Pt 2:5). 

The Holy Spirit works in the Church in a number of ways: to guide her to all truth (Jn 16:13) teaching her and reminding her of everything Christ taught the apostles (Jn 14:26). This is the function of the Magisterium (the Church’s official teaching authority consisting of the Pope and the bishop’s in union with him). The Church was given this promise, specifically to the Apostles by Jesus in these verses, but first to Peter at his profession of faith in Jesus in Mt 16:16-19 and also to the Church as a whole in Mt 18:18. The Holy Spirit also works through the apostolic action of the Church, and in the preaching and living of the Gospel in the lives of the baptized faithful, and in the sacraments of the Church. 

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit enters the soul for the first time, and sets up his dwelling therein establishing the initial graces of healing from Original Sin and restoration of the soul to God making us his adopted daughter and sons (i.e. “divine filiation”), initial entrance and unity with the Christ’s mystical body, the Church, the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) and prepares the soul, and other graces. In Confirmation, these graces are strengthened and completed (though we must still exercise them so as not to weaken them). In Reconciliation, the Holy Spirit restores all these graces and the merit of our good works lost through serious sin. In the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Spirit enables us to unite in his complete love generated (spirated) by the Father and the Son.  The sacraments of vocation (or service, i.e. Holy Orders and Matrimony), the Holy Spirit fills us and guides us with the graces necessary to function in accordance with God’s calling in our lives, and lastly, in Anointing of the Sick, our souls and bodies experience the Holy Spirit’s restorative and healing power.

In our own lives, we need to have a close and prayerful relationship with the Holy Spirit, for it is the Holy Spirit who guides and consoles us, who advocates for us (Jn 16:14-16), and makes our work for God in the world efficacious. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us his gifts for use in God’s kingdom (i.e. our work and life in the world around us be it domestic, secular, or apostolic in nature). The Spirit’s gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Reverence for God equip us with all that is necessary to live as holy and fruitful members of God’s kingdom.  If we want to be effective and powerful witnesses and workers for Our Lord, we must stay close to the Holy Spirit, asking him to strengthen these gifts in us, and not grieve him by sinful behavior (Eph 4:30-32).

Lastly, we can actually measure the effectiveness of our work in God’s Kingdom by looking at the fruit of the Spirit, that is, the effects produced by our actions. These are listed in the fifth chapter of Galatians, and they are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  When we look at these, perhaps in our culture, and certainly in our English language, the hardest of these fruits to define is “love” since we use the word in so many ways, some good and some far off how Our Lord would define it. However, our definition of love can be found in 1 Cor 13, in Jesus’s example of sacrificial love (ie., the total giving of himself up to his life for others-namely us, even when it is not deserved). 

Finally, we cannot mention the Holy Spirit without mentioning that Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth, Mother of Our Lord and Savior and our Mother, is the “Spouse of the Holy Spirit” in as much as it was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was conceived in her womb. So, when we invoke the Holy Spirit to assist us in our needs, we should call upon Our Lady’s intercession too.

All Content for "The Way", Learn, is original content and copyright of the Diocese of Kalamazoo and may not be copied, reproduced, or used without prior written consent of the Diocese of Kalamazoo. 2020