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The Holy Spirit

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The Holy Spirit

The husband’s face began to turn pale; he appeared to be close to fainting. His wife seemed stunned as an anguished expression of disbelief crossed her face. The doctor reiterated his news, “Yes, congratulations you will be the parents of triplets – all boys.” The husband and wife glanced at each other, as their eyes met they seemed to shout, “Ok, we wanted more children, but not all at once!” The boys were born and through the years became very close, even to the extent that as adults they formed a business together. One of the boys was in charge of marketing and sales, another was the financial expert, while the third managed all operational aspects of the business. Yet all three were familiar with every aspect of the business. They were distinct, yet quite unified in their ultimate goals.

In the Holy Trinity, God the Father is the creator of all things, the Son carries out the Father’s will of love for mankind by suffering and redeeming  man from his sins, the Holy Spirit operates in the world to aid man in his quest to know, love, and serve God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, though distinct persons, all share the same divine nature and unity.  Much has been said and written about God, especially about the Father and the Son, yet in comparison to the Father and the Son very little is written or said about the Holy Spirit. He is a mystery to many Christians and is almost totally ignored by others, and is generally unheard of by most non- Christians. Yet the Holy Spirit is God.

Then who is the Holy Spirit and what are his special functions, especially in relation to mankind? The Old Testament writers, Jesus, and many of his disciples have identified the Holy Spirit in words that note the Spirit’s role with mankind.

  • Some believe that the Holy Spirit was introduced to man by Jesus. While Jesus did elaborate and emphasize the multifaceted role of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was introduced to man early in the Old Testament, in Genesis as being active in the creation of the world. (Genesis 1, v.1/2)
  • In the Books of Exodus, Judges, and others, the Holy Spirit is recognized for imparting special gifts / abilities to individuals, such as Gideon, Samson, and others. The Old Testament is filled with many references to the Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus advised his Apostles that The Holy Spirit will be their guide. “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.” (John 14,v.16)
  • In the following words from John 16, v 7-15, Jesus is very definitive about both the existence and the importance of the Holy Spirit. “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. And when he comes, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more;  of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 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. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
  • On Easter Sunday as He appeared to the Apostles, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”  (John 20, 20-23)
  • From the Acts of the Apostles, the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is described, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
  • These instances of the Jesus recognizing the role of the Holy Spirit and the actual appearances of the Spirit are just a few of the references to the existence of the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles are filled with allusions to the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of mankind.

Since the Holy Spirit occupies a very significant place in the Old Testament and within the teachings and utterances of Jesus, it is a wonder that He is ignored by so many Christians. It would be wise for all Christians to follow the advice given by William of Saint-Thierry in his “On the Contemplation of God” regarding man’s relationship with the Holy Spirit. “Thus we hold you dear by the affection you have implanted in us. You are the one supremely good and ultimate goodness. Your love is your goodness, the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son! From the beginning of creation it was he who hovered over the waters – that is, over the wavering minds of men – offering himself to all, drawing all things to himself. By his inspiration and holy breath, by keeping us from harm and providing for our needs, he unites God to us and us to God.”

The Holy Spirit assumes the role as the operations officer of the Trinity, directing and helping mankind as mankind journeys through the struggles and perils of life.  Man would be wise to develop and maintain a consistent loving relationship with his wise and caring adviser, the Holy Spirit.

Suggested Reading”

The Gospel of St. John

The Acts for the Apostles.

The Basic Beliefs

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THE BASIC BELIEFS

  •  “What does life mean? For a few years, perhaps, we can put off answering it while we are distracted with educational, career, and marriage decisions. In those early decades, other people have more say in our lives than we do. But sooner or later, we will come face to face with the question.”  — attributed to Rabbi Harold Kushner, Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel and author
  • “For us it is all but inevitable that, however momentarily, we feel ourselves to be part of a vast cosmic drama and our thoughts turn to the author, not merely of our roles, but of our existence.”  Ralph McInerny (1929-2010) philosopher, esteemed teacher, and author.
  •  “Aristotle and Aquinas both see God as the highest being and believe that the highest life is one that acts for the sake of heeding to this highest being.” Melissa Atkinson, “Aristotle and Aquinas: Intrinsic Morality versus God’s Morality”

Theologians and philosophers frequently prattle at length about a church’s dogma, attempting to dissect every word and every concept, justifying or diminishing them according to their own preconceived views. However, few people really care about the abstractions of the philosophers and theologians. (While I do not wish to demean either philosophers or theologians, as they provide value to the discussions about God, few people ever read or pay serious attention to the actual works of philosophers or theologians.) The great mass of people, struggling to live in a daily regimen of work and family life, has little time to consider detailed philosophical or theological ruminations. However, they do care very much about the meaning of life. Why do I exist? What is my role in life? Is there a God? How do I relate to God? What is Truth? Some have a set of basic beliefs that answer these questions in one fashion or another, but many others are still searching for meaningful answers to these basic issues. Still others wander in a fog of unconcern, encumbered by worldliness and self-absorption.

The Catholic Church has a set of basic beliefs that answers the questions about life’s meaning; these answers were presented to mankind by God through His prophets and, then ultimately, through His Son, Jesus Christ. These beliefs have not changed in the 2000+ years of the church, as they are the essence of Christ’s teaching and, as such, are unchangeable. Although Christ’s teachings and the Tradition of the Church are extensive and contain thousands of pages, the basic beliefs can be and are summarized in a few sentences. If one wants to know the tenets of Catholicism, all one has to do is to read and reflect on The Apostles Creed. It is as radical set of beliefs as anyone has ever presented to man for his acceptance and commitment. It is a summary of Christ’s teaching to us about God, Himself, and how humans should relate to God.

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

 A man is born of a virgin, died and rose from the dead, resurrection of the body, life everlasting for humans! How could anyone believe in these ideas? They are more than radical; they appear to be outlandish and nonsensical! Yet billions of people, the learned and unlearned, rich and poor, and all races, not only accept the concepts in the Apostles Creed to be true; they recite them regularly and then try to live their lives in the belief of its promise! Through faith and reason, they have accepted the Creed as true.

God exists, loves us, and has opened the door to eternal bliss. All we must do is accept his truth and return his love.

Suggested Reading:

“Credo”, by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, published by Igantius Press,  Subtitle “Meditations on the Apostles’ Creed.