The Sanctifier, the Paraclete, the Finger of God, the Interior Master, the Gift of Gifts, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the bond of Love uniting the Father and Son, the Helper, the Advocate, the Secret Friend— these are titles given to the Third Person of the most Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
As Saint Paul came to Ephesus on a missionary journey, he asked some of the people there if they had received the Holy Spirit. Their response could easily be seen in the light of the present situation with respect to the lack of knowledge of the faith, and the lack of knowledge of the Holy Spirit in general: “We did not even know that there was a Holy Spirit.” (Acts 19: 1-8)
We have never lived in a world with so much information. However, at the same time, we have never lived in a world with so much widespread confusion—the effect of sin and the Tower of Babel!
Therefore, we would like to offer a short essay on how we can grow in our knowledge, love and friendship with the Holy Spirit, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls Him— “The Gift of Gifts!” Let us freely receive this Gift into the depths of our hearts, minds, souls, understandings and allow Him to permeate us with His Presence and take total possession of our lives. A gift is a gift and it can be freely received or freely rejected. Let us open our entire beings to receive this greatest Gift, God Himself!
Hopefully, these short suggestions can be of great help to unite you more closely to the Holy Spirit. Be ready and willing to share the knowledge that you have received freely. If we have received freely, then we should give freely! The following are ten short points or ideas to enhance your knowledge, love and docility to the Holy Spirit.
1. Prayer
Never allow a day to pass without saying at least a short prayer to the Holy Spirit. Here is a short one that can be memorized easily: “Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary.” Say this prayer often and with great faith and love. Consequently, the Holy Spirit will be more active in your life.
2. Acts of the Apostle
Read through the book in the Bible that follows the Gospel of St. John attributed to Saint Luke, the Acts of the Apostles. This book has been called “The Gospel of the Holy Spirit.” Be keenly observant of how many times the Holy Spirit is mentioned in this spiritual masterpiece.
See also the different ways that the Holy Spirit works in the primitive Church. You might even underline with your pencil the number of times the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Allow the Holy Spirit to enter more fully into your life by meditating on the Word of God.
3. Novena
Get into the habit of making novenas. One of the most powerful novenas in the history of the world was precisely the novena in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit that first Pentecost. The Apostles prayed and fasted nine days and nights in union with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Then an extraordinary phenomenon occurred: a powerful wind, and then fire descended upon the heads of the Apostles, transforming them into fiery lovers of Jesus, ready to shed their blood for the sake of His name! (Read Acts chapter 2)
4. Symbols
Get to know the various symbols that the Church has given to know the Holy Spirit better. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives several of them: Fire, a Cloud, the Dove, Wind, Water, Oil, the Seal, a Finger, a Lamp. Symbols are physical realities that point to a more profound spiritual reality. (CCC 694-701)
5. Reading on the Holy Spirit
One of the books that I highly recommend is “In the School of the Holy Spirit” written by Jacques Philippe. A short but superb masterpiece on the topic of the Holy Spirit, Philippe invites us to pursue the path of holiness by the simple path of being docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, wants to make us saints, if we will only allow Him to operate freely in our lives.
6. Gifts of the Spirit
At the moment of Baptism, we receive the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit; then the Sacrament of Confirmation fortifies these wonderful gifts. Get to know them; pray that they become more operative in your life; your sanctification and salvation depend on this deep union with the Holy Spirit and His Gifts.
7. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
If you are floundering in “no-man’s-land” as to what the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are, the following is your cheat sheet. Try to memorize them: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, Wisdom is the greatest of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and can be defined as relishing the things of God. If you like, the Psalmist sums up wisdom in these concise words: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 34:8)
8. Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Traditionally the fruits of the Holy Spirit are twelve, even though Saint Thomas Aquinas says these are not all inclusive. The following are the traditional twelve: charity ( or love), joy, peace, patience, benignity (or kindness), goodness, longanimity (or long suffering), mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity.
Saint Thomas states that when we are corresponding to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and carrying out God’s will in our lives then we experience this interior sweetness in our soul; these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
9. Recovery of the Person of the Holy Spirit
A moral tragedy could occur in our lives: falling into mortal sin! If you have fallen into the mud of mortal sin, never give into despair, but trust God all the more fully. By committing a mortal sin, we willingly expel the Holy Spirit from our soul. However, the Good News is this: Confession. By making a good sacramental confession to the priest, not only does God’s grace return to our soul, but also the Holy Spirit returns as the Sweet Guest of our soul.
10. Our Lady & the Holy Spirit
Mary had the deepest and closest relationship to the Holy Spirit after Jesus Himself. The Immaculate Conception, in which Our Lady was preserved from the stain of Original Sin, was the work of the Holy Spirit. The Virginal Conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary was due to the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.
The birthday of the Church on that first Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in tongues of fire came about in the presence of Our Lady. Her powerful prayers facilitated the coming of the Holy Spirit and the advent of the missionary Church. Our Lady has a deep and intimate relationship to the Blessed Trinity. She is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and she is the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
For this reason, Saint Louis de Montfort expresses in his words of great enthusiasm: “Those who love Mary, the Holy Spirit flings Himself into those souls.” May Our Lady attain for you a renewed Pentecost and a powerful infusion of the Holy Spirit. “Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary.”
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image: Fresco of angels and the Holy Spirit in Chiesa del Santissimo Corpo di Cristo by Paolo da Caylina il Vecchio (Brescia) by Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com
