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| THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED ON PENTECOST. Image via google.com |
"And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows it.
But you know it,
because it remains with you,
and will be with you.
The advocate, the holy spirit that the Father will send in my name
- he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you."
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity who is consubstantial, that is, having one and the same substance, with and through spiration, that is, actively, the act of love or, passively, the love proceeding, proceeds from both the Father and the Son hence He has the one and the same Divine essence or nature that the Father and the Son possess. This is the dogma of the Church regarding the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,
'"No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God" [1 Corinthian 2:11]. Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own" [John 16:13]. Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him]. because it neither sees him nor hears him," while those believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them' [John 14:17] [CCC 687].
The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. The Lord Jesus Christ tells us, His disciples, not to worry when we are brought to trial for our faith for the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say at that time [see Luke 12: 11-12]. So we must not fear bearing witness to the Son for He will provide us with what to say as long as we remain faithful [see Luke 21: 12-19] for it will not be us who will be speaking but the Spirit of the Father through us [see Matthew 10:20].
As our Advocate too, He helps in our weakness and even in our prayers for many times we do not know how to pray and what to pray for so the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings [Romans 8:26].
We must also remember what the Lord told the Apostles, that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will teach us everything, that is, the complete truth [John 14: 26; 16:13], remind us of the things that the Lord had said [John 14:26], and reveal to us the things to come [John 16:13]. However, He also warned that the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit because it cannot see nor does it know Him for only those who believe possess the Holy Spirit [John 14:17].
That is why when the Church teaches, the world reacts negatively. For the world can only see what the flesh needs and wants but rejects the reality of the spirit and truth. The world seeks the satisfaction of what it can only see and know, and denies that which it doesn't want to see and know. This is a great challenge for us, Christians, to lead the world to see and know, to believe, in the Holy Spirit, for without this, it won't follow the Lord, it won't listen to His Church, which He has left to continue His saving work [Matthew 28: 18-20] and we can only truly show the world that we are sent if we love one another as He loved us [John 13: 14, 34-35; 15: 12-17].
Let us be docile enough to welcome the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in us that we may truly love and manifest to the world that we are sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim His Gospel and God's offer of salvation and friendship.
Let us ask Him for His gifts that we may also produce His fruits.
'"No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God" [1 Corinthian 2:11]. Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own" [John 16:13]. Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him]. because it neither sees him nor hears him," while those believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them' [John 14:17] [CCC 687].
The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. The Lord Jesus Christ tells us, His disciples, not to worry when we are brought to trial for our faith for the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say at that time [see Luke 12: 11-12]. So we must not fear bearing witness to the Son for He will provide us with what to say as long as we remain faithful [see Luke 21: 12-19] for it will not be us who will be speaking but the Spirit of the Father through us [see Matthew 10:20].
As our Advocate too, He helps in our weakness and even in our prayers for many times we do not know how to pray and what to pray for so the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings [Romans 8:26].
We must also remember what the Lord told the Apostles, that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will teach us everything, that is, the complete truth [John 14: 26; 16:13], remind us of the things that the Lord had said [John 14:26], and reveal to us the things to come [John 16:13]. However, He also warned that the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit because it cannot see nor does it know Him for only those who believe possess the Holy Spirit [John 14:17].
That is why when the Church teaches, the world reacts negatively. For the world can only see what the flesh needs and wants but rejects the reality of the spirit and truth. The world seeks the satisfaction of what it can only see and know, and denies that which it doesn't want to see and know. This is a great challenge for us, Christians, to lead the world to see and know, to believe, in the Holy Spirit, for without this, it won't follow the Lord, it won't listen to His Church, which He has left to continue His saving work [Matthew 28: 18-20] and we can only truly show the world that we are sent if we love one another as He loved us [John 13: 14, 34-35; 15: 12-17].
Let us be docile enough to welcome the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in us that we may truly love and manifest to the world that we are sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim His Gospel and God's offer of salvation and friendship.
Let us ask Him for His gifts that we may also produce His fruits.
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