Michael Brooks
The Holy Spirit is a person, a member of the Holy Trinity, and is believed to be a powerful force from God. Catholics receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Initiation, during baptism, to be adopted into God's family. The Holy Spirit is also received through the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Holy Spirit is believed to be a guiding force that has kept the Catholic Church alive and well for thousands of years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to receive the Holy Spirit | Through baptism, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, and we are called temples of the Holy Spirit |
| Who is the Holy Spirit | A divine person, a member of the Holy Trinity, who exists as the communication and personification of the relationship of love and unity between God the Father and God the Son |
| What is the Holy Spirit | The Holy Spirit is love, the Holy Breath of God, the Holy Spirit is also a powerful force from God |
| Holy Spirit in Liturgy | The Holy Spirit is present in the Most Holy Eucharist, where there is a unity of Heaven and Earth, and God comes to meet and descend to us |
| Holy Spirit in Confirmation | Confirmation completes the grace we receive at baptism, and we receive a "special strength of the Holy Spirit" |
| Holy Spirit in Conversion | The Holy Spirit remakes us in the likeness of God and gives us the power to live in accordance with this new life in Christ |
| Holy Spirit in Fruit | The fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholics receive the Holy Spirit during the Sacrament of Baptism
- The Holy Spirit is received through the Most Holy Eucharist
- The Holy Spirit is the Holy Breath of God
- The Holy Spirit is received through the Sacrament of Confirmation
- The Holy Spirit is received through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Catholics receive the Holy Spirit during the Sacrament of Baptism
The Catholic Church teaches that the Sacrament of Baptism is when Catholics first receive the Holy Spirit. This is when the Holy Spirit dwells within the person being baptised. However, some Catholics also undergo a ""baptism in the Holy Spirit", which is not a sacrament, but a sovereign action of God. This occurs when a Catholic with a disposition of surrender and docility prays for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
In the Catholic Church, those being received who have never been baptised make a profession of faith before they receive the sacrament. This is not unlike the Baptist "believer's baptism".
The predominant theological interpretation of "baptism in the Holy Spirit" is that it unleashes the Holy Spirit that is already present within us, by revitalizing the graces we received in the Sacrament of Baptism. This is also referred to as a new Pentecost.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the foundation of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which has touched the lives of over 120 million Catholics in more than 200 countries. It can give you a love for the Word of God, a desire to meet with other Catholic Charismatics for fellowship and support, and a willingness to receive and exercise spiritual gifts. It can also propel you to be involved in witness and evangelism, and lead you into a deeper and richer experience of your Christian life.
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The Holy Spirit is received through the Most Holy Eucharist
The Holy Spirit is a divine person and a member of the Holy Trinity. Catholics receive the Holy Spirit during the Sacrament of Initiation, which includes baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation.
The Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life." It is a profound mystery in which Christ is truly present. In the Eucharist, we have a unity of Heaven and Earth. God comes to meet us, to descend to us, and we encounter Him. This is done by an action of the Holy Spirit alive within the Church. It is a joint action of the Church and the Holy Spirit, and this mutual activity brings forth the very real presence of Christ our Lord.
Through the Eucharist, Jesus has established a way to remain with us in a profoundly tangible way, accessible to our senses. In the Mass, Christ is made present to us under the form of bread and wine. Through the prayer of the priest, "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ" becomes "truly, really, and substantially present."
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist, Jesus has put into place a means by which he can truly remain with us, at all times, in all places, until he comes again. Through our faith and acceptance of the Gospel, we are filled with divine life and enabled to live in newness. We have the opportunity and privilege of carrying the presence of God into the world, to our families, neighborhoods, and workplaces.
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The Holy Spirit is the Holy Breath of God
The Holy Spirit is a person of the Holy Trinity, alongside God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is God and is not bound by any sacrament, but it does work through them. The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove, and it is said that when we are baptised in the Holy Spirit, it is God breathing on us.
The Hebrew word for spirit is 'ruach', which means "air in motion", the same word for "breath", and also "life". In the Gospel of John, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Peace to you! As the Father sent me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit' ".
The Holy Spirit is the agent of the "breath of life", as described in Genesis, where God breathed life into Adam. The Holy Spirit is also present in the Old Testament, where biblical authors were "carried along by the Holy Spirit".
The Holy Spirit is a gift, and it is said that when we are baptised, the Holy Spirit descends upon us and makes a home inside our souls. This is a continuous process and not a one-time event. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit at any time in our lives, and it is a lifelong event that sanctifies us.
The Holy Spirit is also a teacher, guiding and protecting the members and leaders of the Catholic Church from straying from the teachings of Jesus Christ. It serves as an inspiration to spread the truth to as many people as possible.
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The Holy Spirit is received through the Sacrament of Confirmation
Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation and is intended to be given to every baptised Christian. It is the bestowal of Pentecost into the soul of every baptised Christian and is the final sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit is received through the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is a sacrament of anointing by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and is the comforter and helper that Jesus promised to send to his Apostles, who came to them on the day of Pentecost.
During the Rite of Confirmation, the bishop or priest who administers the sacrament lays their hands upon those who are to be confirmed. The bishop says an introductory prayer and asks all to join him in praying for the candidates. The candidates are then presented by coming forward, with their sponsor placing their right hand on the candidate's right shoulder. The bishop then makes the sign of the cross on their forehead with holy chrism oil and says, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit". The confirmed reply, "Amen". The bishop then says, "Peace be with you", and the recipients respond with, "And with your spirit".
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Fortitude
- Knowledge
- Piety
- Fear of the Lord
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The Holy Spirit is received through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Catholics receive the Holy Spirit through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are special graces bestowed by the Holy Spirit to help Catholics respond to God's call to holiness. They are first mentioned in the Old Testament, where the prophet Isaiah describes the ideal Davidic king as possessing these attributes of the "spirit of the Lord" in their perfect fullness.
The seven gifts are:
- Wisdom: the ability to judge and direct human affairs according to divine truth and see the world through God's eyes.
- Understanding: the ability to see God and attain a knowledge that could not be attained alone.
- Counsel: the gift of right judgement, which helps in decision-making and allows one to be directed by God in matters pertaining to salvation.
- Fortitude: firmness of mind in doing good and avoiding evil, and the courage to overcome obstacles.
- Knowledge: the desire for the infinite, which helps one to know God, value things correctly, and understand the meaning and purpose God has in their life.
- Piety: true loyalty to God, which helps one maintain reverence for God, obey out of love, and live a life of continual conversion with God.
- Fear of the Lord: not a fear of pain, but a filial fear of reverence, awe, and obedience, filled with immense wonder for God.
These gifts are infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at baptism and are nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues, which in turn produce the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.
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Frequently asked questions
The Holy Spirit is a Person, a member of the Holy Trinity. It is the Holy Breath of God, a powerful force from God.
Catholics receive the Holy Spirit through baptism, one of the Sacraments of Initiation.
When Catholics receive the Holy Spirit, they are adopted into God's family. The Holy Spirit makes a home in their soul, and they are endowed with His grace.
The Holy Spirit bestows upon the baptized person the gifts of faith, hope, and charity, as well as the seven gifts of wisdom, fortitude, knowledge, fear of the Lord, understanding, right counsel, and piety.
