The Holy Spirit is He that proceeds from the Father and the Son. Doctrinally speaking, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed Trinity, but be among the understanding concerning the Blessed Trinity.
As St. Augustine once said, “I believe as to understand”, therefore we must in all things pray for the gift of faith but especially in understanding the Triune God-Head referred to as the Blessed Trinity.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one,
not three distinctive deities but one Lord.
Of the same substance and very similar to the three forms of water. We know that water in its basic form is liquid but freeze it and it becomes a solid, ice, though still the substance of water. Heat up the water and it evaporates and becomes steam or a gas if you will.
Though it has changed form, the substance of steam is still water and therefore the same. So then, in grasping this holy truth through the words of St. Augustine and praying always for the increase of faith, we are to consider the Holy Spirit reverently.
What do we know about the Holy Spirit?
From the recorded history of the Church, we can know many things regarding the Holy Ghost.
For example, the Holy Spirit has appeared to many of those in tune or profound communion with God in different forms.
Recall that the Holy Spirit had come in the form of a dove at the baptism of Christ by St. John the Baptist[1]. Remember also the ‘tongues of fire’ that rested on the heads of Our Lady and the Apostles on the day of Pentacost which gave increase to their faith and boldness in preaching the Gospel[2]!
The Holy Spirit had even been given another name by which to understand who ‘He’ is, namely the Advocate or the Paraclete which means helper, comforter, or intercessor[3].
But we may all know the Holy Ghost’s famous interaction with Our Lady in which Mary became the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and therefore conceived Christ in her womb[4].
Why Did Jesus send the Holy Spirit to us?
Our Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us so that His Church may be sanctified, to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.
We, too, receive the Holy Spirit when we do as Christ asks us to for our benefit and intercession. Through the Holy Spirit, the Church is sanctified by receiving necessary graces and gifts which Christ merited for His ministers, bishops, priests, and for the souls of all those committed to their care.
Also through the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to find enlightenment through who Jesus Christ truly is and the meanings of His words and mission.
We also experience the presence of the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments.
For example, in the Sacrament of Confirmation by the authority given by Chirst to His Church, we actually receive the Holy Spirit in order to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.
It is through the Sacrament of Confirmation we obtain the effects which result in an increase in sanctyfing grace, the strengthening of our faith, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
What are the ‘Gifts’ of the Holy Spirit?
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
1) Wisdom, 2) Understanding, 3) Counsel, 4) Fortitude, 5) Knowledge, 6) Piety, and 7) Fear of the Lord. Let us also consider why we receive these gits.
We receive the gift of the Fear of the Lord so as to be filled with dread and disgust with sin that we may part ways with evil. The gift of Piety is given to us so our love for God may increase therefore increase our desire to obey Him.
The gift of Knowledge is granted to us so that we may be enabled to discover the will of God in all things. The gift of fortitude is also granted to us that we may be emboldened to do and utter the will of God without fear.
God also gives us the gift of Counsel so that our moral compass may be formed to warn us of the deceits of the devil and things dangerous to our salvation. Of the gift of Understanding, we are granted with clarity of mind so as to perceive truths in the mysteries of the faith more fully.
And finally the Holy Spirit emparts on us the gift of Wisdom so that we may relish for the things of God, and to direct out whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory!
How have I experience the Holy Spirit?
I personally have experienced the Holy Spirit in many ways. First, I experienced Him in His fullness in the Sacraments of the Church. I was Confirmed late in my life as my family was temporarily ruined by the devastation of the divorce between my mother and father.
So I did not experience Confirmation until I was an adult. However, God overflowed my cup concerning this because I was confirmed with my fiance’ who had at the time converted from Protestantism.
My joy was overflowing as I felt like I was getting married to God with my soon to be wife. This was a turning point in my life concerning my journey to increase my knowledge and faith in the Catholic Church. And of course I was also overcome with the presence of the Holy Ghost at my wedding where my wife and I incorporated the Holy Mass and received the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity with her.
The Holy Spirit also blessed our marriage with children in which I was joyfully surprised and blessed! I also experience His loving embrace through the Sacrament of Reconcilliation when I, with true contrition, confess my errors and anxieties to a good Catholic priest and confessor.
I am opened to His mercies through my obedience to His Church and His ways of healing which far surpass any poor rememdy this world could ever produce. And finally, I am guided by Him when I pray or be still to contemplate His love and mightiness over me, my family, and all over the world.
I experience Him in the quiet of my mind, in the hustle of life and work, whether inside or outside, I know He is near. In the reading of Sacred Scripture, in praying the Holy Rosary, in resting, in labors, in the eyes of my children and the embrace of my wife, I feel His presence and His eternal love for me.
And as long as I seek Him in how He has prescribed to do so, I will never lose His presence over me and all that I hold dear.Amen. 1.Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32 2.Acts Of Apostles 2:3 3.John (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) 4. Luke 1:35
Jesus Bless You All
Nicola
