“Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
We celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Holy Apostles on that first Christian Pentecost nearly two thousand years ago. He is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the love shared between Father and Son. He is a Divine Person, distinct from God the Father and God the Son.
He is the Divine distributor of gifts by Whom we are infused with Sanctifying Grace and the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Without the Holy Spirit, we would not come to new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit sets us apart for holiness, protects us, teaches us, forms us in wisdom and understanding, corrects and comforts us.
St. Paul speaks of the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to each of the Faithful as He wills. We can read about them in 1 Corinthians 12. We also traditionally speak of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit that we receive in the Sacrament of Confirmation. These are described in Isaiah 11 as:
• wisdom,
• understanding,
• counsel,
• fortitude,
• knowledge,
• piety,
• and fear of the Lord.
The Church also teaches that in addition to the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to us, we are also formed by the Spirit, “The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory” (CCC ¶1832). Derived from Galatians 5, the traditional list of these fruits includes:
• charity,
• joy,
• peace,
• patience,
• kindness,
• goodness,
• generosity,
• gentleness,
• faithfulness,
• modesty,
• self-control, and
• chastity.
Set the World on Fire!
If you have found that your Christian Faith is weak and not growing, you need to call upon the Holy Spirit. Whether it is a life-changing moment, or simply an ordinary moment when you need assistance, the Holy Spirit is there for you.
At that first Christian Pentecost, The Holy Spirit transformed uncertain, frightened, weak apostles and reconstituted the Twelve Tribes of the New Israel in the New Covenant. The flames that were unleashed that day continue to burn throughout the world in our day. The Holy Spirit can transform you too.
Jesus said, “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49).
Do you want to show God you love Him, not just tell Him?
Are you ready to be on fire for Christ?
Have you surrendered to Christ so that the Holy Spirit can transform your life to set the world ablaze?
Pray each day…
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
(V) Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
(R) And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation this past Saturday. I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that morning. I try to go every six weeks or so, but this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this Sacrament.
Purest Gold: God's Refining Fire in our Lives »
After salvation, many young Christians wonder if there's anything more to their newfound faith than just the security blanket of "being a Christian." Time and time again, God shows himself as a "refiner," and our lives are as gold. God started leading me in this study to understand what He was doing in my life, as well as in the lives of others.
Picking up my pen to write this column, I couldn’t imagine how time flies. Since the last publication of this column I have gone through a lot, especially the loss of my dear mother to whom I dedicate this article. Not only her, but seems I lost a whole generation of my close family.
How to Achieve Business Excellence »
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29
Spiritual Development for our Youth »
Most of us youth in today's fast moving world are easily thrown off by difficulties and worries.
The theme of conversion is a thread that runs all through Lent, but conversion takes on different aspects throughout the phases of Lent. The first two and a half weeks focused on the interior turning of hearts; the liturgy urges the faithful to reflect and examine consciences thoroughly.
Saint Josephine Bakhita »
Feast Day: February 8
Patron Saint Of: Sudan
Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering.
Catholics Must Fast More Intensely This Lent»
The Norbertine Canons of St. Michael's Abbey have created this digital Lenten retreat so that you can journey through this holy season alongside them. If you want to have one of your best Lenten seasons yet, join us in our Lenten Program "The Great Fast" - https://theabbotscircle.com/the-great-fast-join
When Your Faith Is Put to the Test - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon»
Friends, we come now to the Second Sunday of Lent, and we’re on both dangerous and very holy ground with the first reading from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. The ancient Israelites referred to it as the “Akedah,” which means the “binding”: Abraham binds and is ready to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command.
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