The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
The Person of the Holy Spirit
- Truly God, equal to the Father and Son in all perfections: eternity, power, majesty, glory, goodness, beauty, truth.
- Truly a person, just as the Father and the Son are persons.
- Different from the Father and the Son in relationship:
- The Father alone has no origin and is the origin of all other persons.
- The Son is from the Father.
- The Spirit is from the father and from the Son (the "filioque" clause). The Holy Spirit is (like us!) a person-from-two-persons. He is "the personification of the love between the Father and the Son." This is not just an abstract thought (the way that we use "personification" in poetry) but a reality: the Spirit is the Person who in His own Person represents (re-presents) the Father and the Son. He is one Person of the Blessed Trinity--truly a Person, in and of Himself--but He is from the Person of the Father and from the Person of the Son.
- Where God is, the Spirit is; where the Spirit is, God is. Each Person of the Trinity always is united with the other Two; the Father and Son act only with, in, and through the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit is a "being in love"--a real being brought forth by the love of the Father for the Son and the love of the Son for the Father. When we fall in love (with God, with Jesus, with another human being), we taste some of the joys of God's own inner life.
- He is not a thing ("The Force be with you") but a Person: companion, friend, advocate, help in time of trouble.
- It is easy to "picture" the Father and the Son. The Spirit is associated with images of forces at work: breath, wind, fire, feelings, intuitions, inner awareness, quickening, development, growth, understanding, compassion, insight, intuitions, promptings, leadings. The gift of the Spirit was symbolized by anointing with oil; Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit Himself when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
- Oil sinks in, penetrates, combines with what is oiled; it changes the look and feel of things.
- The Spirit light: "Women Aglow" (Women's Aglow Fellowship-->Aglow International). Halos, radiance, warmth, consolation, comfort.
- When Spirit acts within us, we often feel happiness, joy, excitement, wonder, enthusiasm, laughter.
- The Holy Spirit is POWER AT WORK. Miracles, signs, wonders--see lists of gifts below.
- The Spirit is "The Gift Who gives all gifts."
- People are "moved by the Spirit," "led by the Spirit," "inspired by the Spirit": prophets, wonder-workers, authors of Scripture, the pastors of the Church.
- Titles: Teacher, Paraclete (Counselor, Advocate, Guide "Lawyer"), Gift, Wisdom, "Lord and Giver of Life."
- "He has spoken through the prophets." The Scriptures are all inspired by the Holy Spirit.
- The Spirit is closer to us than we are to ourselves. He is present and active in our human nature, providing the light of the intellect; He is given to us in the sacraments and dwells within us. We are "temples of the Holy Spirit"--His favorite dwelling-place on earth (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
- Unfortunate images (CSL): fog, air, haze, jello (blancmange), electricity. These images, although they represent some aspects of "spirit," fail to communicate the whole reality of the Third Person of the Trinity.
The Work of the Spirit
Lists of Gifts
Seven Gifts (Old Testament; traditional)
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel (Right Judgment--prudence)
- Fortitude (Courage)
- Knowledge
- Piety ["fear of the Lord" in Isaiah]
- Fear of the Lord
Isaiah 11:1-3: "But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD."
| Traditional list | Isaiah | Associated cardinal or theological virtue |
|---|---|---|
| Wisdom | wisdom | prudence, faith |
| Understanding | understanding | prudence, faith |
| Counsel | counsel | prudence, justice, faith |
| Fortitude | strength | fortitude (patient endurance), hope, love |
| Knowledge | knowledge | faith |
| Piety | fear of the LORD | faith, love |
| Fear of the Lord | fear of the LORD | faith, love |
Seven Virtues (philosophy & scripture)
Cardinal Virtues (Aristotle & Aquinas)
| Prudence | Know-how; practical wisdom; applying principles to circumstances |
|---|---|
| Justice | Giving to each person what that person deserves. |
| Temperance | "Moderation in all things except sin." Self-control. |
| Fortitude | Patient endurance. Courage. Persistence. |
Supernatural Virtues: 1 Cor 13:13
| Faith | Assenting to all that God has revealed. |
|---|---|
| Hope | Trusting in God's promises and providence. |
| Love | Choosing God in all things. |
"Faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13).
"Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams" (Fr. Zosima in The Brothers Karamazov, often quoted by Dorothy Day.
Pentecostal gifts (1 Cor 12:7-11)
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
- wisdom
- knowledge
- faith
- gifts of healing
- mighty deeds
- prophecy
- discernment of spirits
- varieties of tongues
- interpretation of tongues
Pastoral gifts (Eph 4:11-16)--"Living the truth in love"
And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love.
- apostles
- prophets
- evangelists
- pastors
- teachers
Seven Keys to Success (Mark Kelso)
- Faith: cross (foundation stone).
- Strength in adversity: training weight.
- Patience: fishing pole.
- Show up: lunch box.
- Loyalty: light saber.
- Reverence: report card.
- Servant leadership: tray.
Fruits of the Spirit--Gal 5:22-23
"In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
- love
- joy
- peace
- patience
- kindness
- generosity
- faithfulness
- gentleness
- self-control
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness
"In the same way, the Spirit, too, comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because [the Spirit] intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will" (Rom 8:26-27).
Etcetera
Romans 5
"We even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Rom 5:3-5).
- Affliction produces endurance.
- Endurance produces proven character.
- Proven character produces hope.
- Hope does not disappoint us because we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
- Conviction of sin and effective repentance.
Romans 6:18
Freedom from sin.
Romans 8:13
A new, interior law
Romans 7
Acts 15
Gal 3:2
"Abba, Father!"
Rom 8:14, 26-27
Personal inspiration
Follow the promptings of the Spirit (Gal 5:25).
All Christians are Pentecostals
The Church was founded by Pentecostals.
Without the aid of the Spirit, the apostles could not preach the gospel effectively. Jesus told them to wait until they received the Holy Spirit (Lk 24).
Mary is a Pentecostal. She was with the disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). She was "full of grace" and conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 2).
We receive the Holy Spirit in all of the sacraments, but especially in Baptism and Confirmation.
The excesses and sins of Pentecostals
Some Pentecostals give Pentecostalism a bad name.