THE HOLY THE HOLY SPIRITSPIRIT

The Third Person of the Blessed TrinityThe Third Person of the Blessed Trinity

What is the Holy What is the Holy Spirit?Spirit?

The Third Person of the Blessed Trinity (aka the Triune God)

The Holy Spirit is the very presence of the Risen Lord in the lives of Christians.

The primary mission of the Holy Spirit is to bring people to

Jesus Christ and help Christians live

authentically Christian lives.

Symbols of the Holy Symbols of the Holy SpiritSpirit

All of the following are symbols of the Holy Spirit, which appear in the Bible and in the ritual worship of the Church:1.Fire2.Wind (ruach, the Divine Wind)3.Breath4.A Dove5.Anointing with Oil6.Water7.Hands

The Holy Spirit in The Holy Spirit in ScriptureScripture

“The Holy Spirit has spoken through the prophets” (Nicene Creed)

The Holy Spirit guided the Biblical authors to reveal God’s Word.

Pentecost celebrates the Holy Spirit’s descent on Jesus’ disciples in Jerusalem, 50 days after The Resurrection

Yet Christians believe that the Holy Spirit was present before the coming of Jesus (e.g. at Creation, the burning bush)

More about More about PentecostPentecost

The Apostles, the Virgin Mary and some of the women disciples were hiding and praying in a room in Jerusalem when…

A driving wind appeared and “tongues of fire” came to rest on each of them, filling them with the Holy Spirit and enabling them to speak in different languages (tongues).

This event fulfills Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit (John 13:16-17)

And fully reveals the mystery of the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)

Holy Spirit & Holy Spirit & ChristianityChristianity

Grace: God’s gift of friendship and life that enables us to share in His life and love.

The Holy Spirit transmits and enables God’s gifts of grace in us.

The Holy Spirit gives us 3 main types of gifts that enable us to live like Jesus and build the Kingdom of God:

1. Gifts that make us holy2. Gifts that serve the

Church3. Gifts that result in

spiritual fruit for all people LOVE is the greatest gift of

the Holy Spirit.

Presence of the Holy Presence of the Holy SpiritSpirit

Catholic Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is present in:

1. Sacred Scripture (The Bible)

2. Sacred Tradition of the Church

3. The Magisterium: The Official teaching authority of the Church (Pope, Cardinals, Bishops)

4. The Sacraments5. Prayer6. The ministries of the

Church7. The Saints

The Blessed TrinityThe Blessed TrinityThe central mystery

of ChristianitySomething totally

beyond our ability to understand

God has one Divine Nature but Three Persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

The Blessed TrinityThe Blessed TrinityIt is helpful to distinguish the Persons of the

Trinity by what they do as God:God the Father = The Creator (since the Father

created the universe)God the Son = The Savior (since the Son saved

humankind from sin)God the Holy Spirit = The Sanctifier (since it is the

one that helps us and the whole world to become holy)

The Blessed Trinity has always existed for all of eternity (in other words, Son and the Holy Spirit were present with the Father during Creation).

Theology of the Theology of the Blessed TrinityBlessed Trinity

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit share the same “substance” or “essence.”

HOWEVER, they are distinct from one another. HOWEVER, they are inseparable from one

another. They are three different Persons, not three gods

or Gods, and not one God with three “jobs”

3 Leaves = Clover(St. Patrick’s example)

H20 can be LIQUID…

H20 can be SOLID…

H20 can be GAS…

But the substance (or “essence”) of H2O doesn’t change.

SEED + FRUIT + SKIN

= PEACH= PEACH

A man can be:

1.A son to his father2.A husband to his wife3.A father to his childBut he is always a man

The source of the river = The FatherThe source of the river = The FatherThe river itself = The SonThe river itself = The SonThe good effects of the river (crops The good effects of the river (crops growing, etc.) = The Holy Spiritgrowing, etc.) = The Holy Spirit

The River AnalogyThe River Analogy

The Sun AnalogyThe Sun Analogy

The Sun in the sky = The FatherThe Sun in the sky = The FatherThe Sun’s rays coming to earth = the SonThe Sun’s rays coming to earth = the SonThe Sun’s capacity to warm us = Holy SpiritThe Sun’s capacity to warm us = Holy Spirit