“And Paul said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”” (Acts 19:2).
As we approach Pentecost this year, I want to look at and discuss the person of the Holy Spirit. We Catholics can agree that He is often overlooked and dismissed by many in the Church. He is fully God, as Jesus is fully God, and as the Father is fully God. He can be found throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. Through all of history, the Holy Spirit has played such an important role in salvation history, but He is still overlooked. This may be due to our struggle to comprehend what a ‘spirit’ is compared to a ‘Father’ or a ‘Son.’ Let’s overcome this issue.
As we examine the person of the Holy Spirit, we can ask two questions: Who is the Holy Spirit, and how can we better understand Him? Let’s focus on the Holy Spirit as Counselor, Empowerer, and Friend. Grasping these titles of the Holy Spirit can help us men understand and grow closer to the Holy Spirit.
Counselor
I find this title and aspect of the Holy Spirit easiest to comprehend and apply. The Holy Spirit is our guide. He is the Spirit of Truth who will guide us to all truth (see John 16:13). The early Church was given the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to guide her growth and formation. Throughout the past 2,000 years, the Holy Spirit has done this for the Catholic Church. He keeps us from error and self-destruction. His small whispers and nudges help the Pope, bishops, and priests every single day.
His guidance is also available and present to us. Have you ever had a desire to suddenly go to Confession? It was probably the Holy Spirit. How about an inspiration to have a hard conversation with a relative or coworker? It could have been the Holy Spirit. He is always at work and present in our lives. He is God, and He is love. This person of love cares about our well-being and wants to be involved in our lives. I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit into your life by simply saying, ‘Come, Holy Spirit.’ You can do this when waking up, before a meeting, during prayer time, or at any moment in the day. By giving an invitation to the Holy Spirit, He is more willing to show up.
Another practical way that the Holy Spirit can guide us is in prayer. He is the one who inspires us on how to pray when we do now know how (see Romans 8:26). What this can look like is inviting the Holy Spirit in, asking Him a question, and sitting in silence for a response. For example, when reading the Bible, you might not understand a passage. You can ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding. He might draw your eyes to a line, or you might have a sudden thought of clarity that could only be from the Lord. The Holy Spirit could show you an image in your imagination or give you a feeling of peace. He speaks softly, so we have to make space for silence to listen to His guidance. You could ask the Holy Spirit questions about your vocation or to help you better understand the Mass. He wants to be present in your life, and He is our trustworthy guide.
Empowerer
The success story of the Church does not make sense. How can twelve fishermen and a group of outcasts start the greatest movement in the history of the world? It must be by God. Remember the passage from the Acts of the Apostles about this?
“So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” (Acts 5:38-39).
The Holy Spirit has empowered the Church to grow into what she is today. The Apostles were, at one point, hiding in the upper room, but on Pentecost, they left in boldness and preached the Gospel message. The Holy Spirit was with them as they stretched out their hands, and God healed people through them. Many signs and miracles accompanied their mission.
The Holy Spirit has continued to use mere men for great things. Think of the great saints through the ages. St. Stephen, St. Polycarp, St. Gregory the Great, St. Francis, St. Francis Xavier, St. John Henry Newman, St. Padre Pio, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, and Pope St. John Paul II were amazing men who were empowered and used by the Holy Spirit to do great things for God. That is just a short list of great saints throughout the ages. There are probably many more that we do not know about.
I lay all this out to say, what is stopping the Holy Spirit from using you? Saints are people who listen to the will of God and respond. If the Holy Spirit is our counselor and empowerer, certainly He can help us to become saints of today.
In your daily routine, try to ask the Holy Spirit to empower you. God likes to often strip us of pride by showing us that we cannot accomplish things without Him. We need God. We need the Holy Spirit. God does not call the equipped. Instead, He equips those whom He calls. Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and expect Him to do so.
Friend
Seeing the Holy Spirit as a Friend can seem silly and soft. The truth is that we need friends who are as good to us as the Holy Spirit is. To be a friend is to have a close relationship with someone. This is what the Holy Spirit desires. He wants us to talk to Him in prayer about how our life is going, and He wants to respond with His goodness. In John 10, Jesus says that the sheep hear and know the voice of the Good Shepherd (see John 10:1-6). We should expect to hear the voice of God daily. It can be loud, but it is usually a whisper.
The Holy Spirit is a person, not a mere concept. He is a person just like us. He thinks, He speaks, and He is alive. He is not a good vibe. Keep it simple and talk to this person daily.
The relationship of the Holy Spirit to us is much stronger than that of a friend. He is like a brother to us, ready to guide and defend us. I think what I have to ask you is this: do you have a good relationship with the Holy Spirit? And what are you going to do this week, before Pentecost, to start that process? If you need to reread this blog for practicals, they are scattered throughout this. My simplest advice is this: don’t complicate it. Invite the Holy Spirit in often. Start your day by saying good morning to the Holy Spirit.
The post The Holy Spirit is God appeared first on The Catholic Gentleman.