Catechumenate Topic: God the Holy Spirit

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Trinity is a mystery, in that there exists one God, but in God three distinct aspects or personages.

The Holy Spirit is the active part of God, an example is God’s breath in Genesis and the creation of the world. Other actions of the Holy Spirit are:
-The Inspiration of Holy Scripture
-The preservation and development of the Tradition of the Church
-Guiding the teaching authority of the Church
-The actions of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of the Church
-intercession in our prayers
-in giving charisms and gifts to believers for the building up of the Church
-in inspiring the apostolic and missionary life
-the lives of the saints as signs of salvation and holiness

Symbols of the Holy Spirit:

Water in baptism, the rebirth to new life.

Anointing: Jesus “God’s Anointed” is anointed not with oil, but with the Spirit. They share the same mission

Fire: The transforming power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

Cloud and Light: Both Luminous and Obscure the Holy Spirit gives light to the people of God and obscures its glory at the same time. An example is the Theophanies of the Old Testament, Pillar of Fire and Column of Smoke.

As a result of Christ’s Ascension He sends the Spirit upon the Church at Pentecost. The Apostles are transformed. They now fully comprehend what Christ had been teaching them; no longer afraid they go out into to the world to spread the Good News to all nations.

The Holy Spirit has never ceased animating the Church since that day. The Holy Spirit is the source of the Church’s Authority, its Holiness, its Unity, its Mission and Apostolic zeal, and its ability to be composed of peoples. Everything that is good in the Church comes from the Holy Spirit. Where does the bad come from? Us, ofcourse.