Holy Spirit!
by Charles Hatchko
In 1 Cor. 2:10-13, St. Paul exhorts, "God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit."
In our profession of faith in the Holy Spirit, we profess that we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. Hence, we are professing belief in the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who therefore is God himself. The acceptance of belief in the Holy Spirit is the true acceptance of his Divinity.
His work in sanctification, his magnificent gifts of faith and renewal. The Holy Spirit is eternal, omnipresent. The Holy Spirit dispenses the grace which Christ merited by the sacrifice of the cross at Calvary. Sacred Scripture gives affirmative evidence that the Holy Spirit is the creative force of life. In Genesis 1:2 Sacred Scripture gives evidence that the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. Here we can see that the Holy Spirit was active in the creative power in all life in heaven and earth.
Isaiah 11:2-3' gives evidence of the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel, the Spirit of fortitude, and of godliness, the Spirit of knowledge, the Spirit of piety, and the Spirit of fear of the Lord. The seven gifts are a necessity for salvation.
The entire mission of the Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit in the fullness of time is the anointing of the Son by the Father's Spirit since his Incarnation. Sacred Scripture gives evidence God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. In Romans 5:5, "St. Paul exhorts, God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Sacred Scripture gives affirmative evidence of the immense love of God who has poured his Holy Spirit in our hearts. In Galatians 4:6 St. Paul exhorts, "God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! In Baptism we are sealed with the great promise of the Holy Spirit."
In John 3:5 "Born of water and the Spirit" is Baptism. This was Christ's teaching taught by the apostles and early Church Fathers. Also, this was the teaching of the first 1500 years of Christianity.
In Ephesians 1:13-14 St. Paul exhorts, "In him you have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and you have believed in him, were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
The Holy Spirit influences our lives by enlightening the mind and strengthening the will. Conscience is the voice of God in our soul. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and sanctifies us. In John 16:8 Sacred Scripture gives evidence that the Holy Spirit will be sent, and when He comes he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousnes, and of judgment. The conviction of our heart regarding our actions comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Romans 8:26-27 St. Paul exhorts, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints, according to the will of God."
Galatians 5:22 gives evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.. 1. Charity - 2. Joy - 3. Peace - 4. Patience - 5. Benignity, which is gentleness - 6. Goodness - 7. Longanimity, which is perseverence in trials - 8. Mildness - 9. Faith. Modesty - 10. Continency, the repression of anger - 11. Chasity.
1 Cor. 12:7-12 gives affirmative evidence of the charismatic gifts of the spirit. St. Paul exhorts, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance 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 the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."
In John 4:23-24 Jesus exhorts, "God is Spirit and true believers must worship God in Spirit and in Truth! The Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is in Christ the head of the Church who sends forth the Holy Spirit through baptism and faith to nourish and heal and give abundant life to the members of the Church."
May God Richly Bless You! Amen! Hallelujah!
Charles Hatchko
The Catholic Legate
September 30, 2006
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This article originally appeared in The Trivia Wizard January 5, 2003