HOLY SPIRIT

Nature of the Holy Spirit

1. Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the third divine person of the blessed Trinity, consubstantial with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit has been referred to as the personal love of Father and Son for each other. The Holy Spirit is at work with the Father and the Son from the beginning to the completion of the divine plan for our salvation. [glossary, 685, 686].

2. How are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit associated with each other?

From the beginning to the end of time, whenever God sends his Son, he also sends his Spirit; their mission is conjoined and inseparable. It is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the spirit who reveals him. To be in touch with Christ we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. The Son of God was consecrated as Christ (Messiah) by the anointing of the Holy Spirit at his incarnation. [742*-747*; 152, 243, 683, 689, 723].

Titles and Symbols of the Holy Spirit

3. What are some titles for the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete (Jn 14:16) to indicate the promised gift of the Spirit as another consoler and advocate, who would continue the mission of Jesus among his disciples. He is also called the Spirit of truth (Jn 16:13), the Spirit of Promise (Cf. Gal 3:14; Eph 1:13), the Spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6), the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9), the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor 3:15), the Spirit of God (Rom 8:9,14; 15:19, 1 Cor 6:11, 7:40) and the Spirit of glory (2 Pet 4:14). [glossary; 692, 893].

4. What are some symbols of the Holy Spirit?

Some symbols of the Holy Spirit are: water which symbolizes the action of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, anointing which is the sacramental sign of Confirmation, fire which symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions (Cf. tongues as of fire at Pentecost, Acts 2:3-4), cloud and light in the theophanies (appearances of God) in the Old Testament, seal which indicates the indelible effect of the anointing in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, the hand which heals the sick and blesses little children, the finger of God, and the dove, a baptismal symbol. [694-701].

Activities of the Holy Spirit

5. How is the Holy Spirit active in the Church?

Christ pours out the Holy Spirit on the apostles and on the members of the Church to build, animate, heal, organize and sanctify them. [746*-747*, 739].

6. How does the Holy Spirit influence our prayer life?

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought. The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God's works, is the master of prayer. [741].

7. Name some places where the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the New Testament.

John the Baptist's mother Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:42), Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:34), the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at Baptism (Mt 3:16), the Spirit led Jesus into temptation in the desert (Mt 4:1), the apostles received the Holy Spirit and could forgive sins (Jn 20:22-23), the Holy Spirit came to the disciples in the upper room and they spoke in tongues (Jn 14: 15-17; 16: 4-15; Acts 2:1-4), and Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, after his resurrection (Acts 1:8.) [263*, 243-244].

8. What roles does the Holy Spirit play in the present day Church?

We begin prayers with "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"; the Holy Spirit is invoked several times during Mass, such as at the epiclesis "Accept this offering"; the Holy spirit comes to us in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders; and more generally the Holy Spirit guides and sanctifies the Church.

Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

9. What is a charism?

A charism is a special gift of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefits the Church, given in order to help a person live out the Christian life, or to serve the common good in building up the Church. Within the communion of the Church the Holy Spirit distributes special graces called charisms among the faithful of every rank for the welfare of the Church (1 Cor 12:7) [glossary; 699; 951].

10. What are gifts of the Holy Spirit?

These gifts are permanent dispositions which make us receptive to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The moral life of Christians is sustained by these gifts. The traditional seven gifts are derived from Isaiah (18:30), and they are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. (The liturgy for the sacrament of Confirmation lists the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th, respectively, as: right judgment, courage, reverence, and wonder and awe). [glossary, 1845*, 1830].

11. What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

The fruits are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church identifies twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, of which nine are listed by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; with the remaining three added by Jerome in his Latin Vulgate Bible: modesty, constancy, and chastity. [glossary; 1832].