1. Gratitude:
We give thanks to God for his merciful love. By his grace, we are able to once
again reflect on a major aspect of our faith as Catholic Christians, – namely, The
Holy Spirit. To God be all glory and never-ending praise forever. Again, we are
ever grateful to you my dear family of God in the Archdiocese of Onitsha and all
men and women of goodwill for the joyful reception which my past Pastoral
Letters have enjoyed among you. May the contents of these letters continue to
draw us closer to God and aid our journey through time to our true home in God’s
kingdom.
2. NOTION AND IDENTITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Person or identity of the Holy Spirit remains an enigma, thereby difficult to
understand. In the Bible, many symbols and images are used to describe the Holy
Spirit. These images include: wind, fire, cloud, water, oil, breath and light. Such
may explain why some think of the Holy Spirit as a powerful influence available
for our use at various times, or a power we plug into when we are in need or more
still, a power we invoke against our enemies. For example, “Holy Ghost…
!..Fire!” has become a popular slogan inviting the Holy Spirit to destroy one’s
enemies. But the Holy Spirit is not a mere power or influence. It is not a negative
force nor a weapon against our enemies.
In fact, the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, the third person of the Most Blessed
Trinity. He is worthy of our filial trust. He deserves to receive our love, adoration
and worship just like Jesus and God the Father. He is the Paraclete (that is a
helper) and the advocate (that is one who pleads the cause of another before a
tribunal or a judicial court), the one promised by Jesus whom the Father will send
to us. Hence, He says, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another
‘advocate’ to help you and be with you forever…” (John 14: 16-17).
3. Consequently, the Holy Spirit is a person whom we can trust. He is a friend,
a helper, a defender. He may not be clear in our mental picture/mental concept
like God the Son whom we know through the incarnation or God the Father whom
we know through the concept of human Fatherhood. Nevertheless, when we begin
to see the Holy Spirit as a person in his own right who wants to be in relationship
with us the process of transforming our lives can begin. (cf. Charles Whitehead,
An Invitation to the Spirit, p. 21).4. In the Nicene Creed we pray, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver
of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the
Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets”. All these
show that the Holy Spirit has an identity, he is a person like the Father and the
Son. Like them He is worshipped and glorified. But God the Holy Spirit does not
seem so much like a person to us. When the New Testament depicts him as a dove
that descended from heaven during Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:16) or as tongues of
fire resting on the disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1- 4), these images
make it more difficult for us to understand and relate with the Holy Spirit as a
Divine Person, the way we relate with the Father and the Son.
Before we can have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, we need first of
all to know the Holy Spirit. A frequent source of error about the work of the Holy
Spirit is the attempt to study and understand his work without first of all knowing
him as a person. It is important from the standpoint of worship that we decide
whether the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, worthy to receive our adoration, our
faith, our love and our filial surrender or whether it is simply an influence
emanating from God or a power or an illumination that God imparts upon us. If
the Holy Spirit is a Divine Being and we do not know him as such, then we are
robbing a Divine being of the worship due to him.
Given that many have only theoretical knowledge without personal relationship
with the Holy Spirit, the aim of this pastoral letter is to offer reflections that will
foster deeper understanding and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
5. MOTIVATION AND CHOICE OF TOPIC:
The office of a Bishop places a great responsibility on the recipients, which is at
once ennobling, demanding, edifying, also involving sacrifices and consolations.
Reflecting on the mystery of this sacrament and the eternal realities associated
with the office, I come to the inescapable and irrevocable conclusion that it is the
grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit truly at work. The more I think
about this ministry, the clearer the ever-present assistance of the Holy Spirit
looms large, both in the background and in the foreground.
6. Therefore, in this 20th year of our Episcopacy, as we carry on the ministry of
teaching, leading and sanctifying the people of God entrusted to our pastoral care,
we have found it necessary to reflect on the Holy Spirit. Given that the Holy Spirit
is the principal agent of evangelization and the power for ministry, we humbly
recognize his role as we appreciate the fact that our ministry has been unfolding
in His power as the Uncreated Grace. It is a recognition that our ministrycontinues to unfold in the power of grace. The emphasis on the primacy of grace
in our ministry inspires and motivates us to remind our faithful that Christian life
becomes a mirage outside the power of the Holy Spirit. In truth, there is
practically no authentic Christianity outside the grace of God.
The Choice of the topic stems more from the realization that the entire Christian
life is driven by the Holy Spirit added to the recognition of man’s absolute
dependance on the power of God’s grace.
It is my burning desire to reflect on this topic, to eliminate some mistaken notions
of the Spirit, clarify his indisputable role in salvation history so that the faithful
can develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, who, as a person, is
“Man’s Helper and Friend”.CHAPTER ONE
THE NAME AND PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
7. The Scripture is sufficiently clear with the revelation that the Holy Spirit is a
person with an individuality of his own. In our search for an adequate
understanding of the identity and person of the Holy Spirit, it is good to start with
his name.
In many cultures, among the ancients not excluding the biblical world, a name
reveals something about the person who bears it. When parents choose a name
for their new born child, they are usually trying to communicate something. The
names people choose during confirmation or religious professions are similarly
revealing. It is human nature to invest names with symbolic meaning. Think of
when a man is elected the Pope of the universal Church, he often chooses a name
that will set an agenda for his Papacy. People generally choose names because
they want to identify themselves with the virtues or strengths associated with a
certain saint or mentor who had that name.
8. However, the above is not the case with the name “Holy Spirit”. The name
presents us with special challenge because it suggests no human analogy, as
Father and Son do. This makes the name more revealing. The name Holy Spirit
teaches us that God is more unlike us than like us, and that human analogies (like
Father or Son), cannot fully explain the nature of God. God is a mystery. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “Holy Spirt” is the proper name
of the third person of the Blessed Trinity. Scripture informs us of other “titles”
and images of the Spirit, but “Holy Spirit” is the name by which God has revealed
and disclosed the third person of the Trinity. However, the words “Holy” and
“Spirit” do not seem to distinguish the third person from the other two persons of
the Trinity. This is because, both the Father and the Son are also “Holy” and
“Spirit”. The terms “Holy” and “Spirit” are attributes that all three persons of the
Trinity hold in common. St. Augustine however offers this lucid explanation:
“Because the third person of the Trinity is the one who is common between both,
his own name is what they have in common” (cf. St. Augustine, on the Trinity,
15.37). Pope Benedict XVI, further offers a clearer explanation when he says,
unlike ‘‘Father “and “Son”, the name of the third Divine Person is not the
expression of something specific. It designates that which is common in the
Godhead. But it reveals the proper character of the third person: He is that which
is common, the unity of the Father and the Son, the unity in person. The Father
and the Son are one with each other by going out beyond themselves; it is in the
third person, in the fruitfulness of their act of giving that they are one”. (cf.
Benedict XVI, “The Holy Spirit as Communion” in Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith:The Church as Communion, 46 – 50). According to Cardinal Cantalamessa, the
Holy Spirit is the spiritual space, the life sustaining ambiance in which we are
able to be in touch with God and with Christ. (cf. Raniero Cantalamessa, Come,
Creator Spirit, p.8).
9. To the question, who is the Holy Spirit? We can respond in very simple terms
that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit is
the subject to whom the divine worship is addressed together with the Father and
the Son. He is the Spirit of Creation as well as the Spirit of Redemption, the Spirit
of Mission and the Spirit of Sanctification. He is the Spirit that brought order
(cosmos) out of the primeval chaos. He is the same Spirit at work at the birth of
Christ as well as at the birth of the Church on Pentecost day. This Spirit generates
spiritual life in us and becomes the substance of Godly life in us. He is the
protological Spirit of the beginning and the eschatological Spirit of the End. The
Spirit brings about the life of God in us and continues to care for it, intensifying
such life until he leads us back to God in Christ. The Holy Spirit is a mystery.CHAPTER TWO
THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
10. The Holy Spirit is one person of the Triune God, besides God the Father and
God the Son. He is not just an impersonal force but a fully Divine Person. In the
Bible, all the distinctive characteristics of a personality are ascribed to the Holy
Spirit.
When we say that the Holy Spirit is a person, there are those who understand it
to mean that the Holy Spirit has hands, feet, eyes, ears, mouth and so on, but these
are not the characteristics of a personality but of corporeity. He is not a human
being but a person.
We cannot fully appreciate the work of the Holy Spirit nor relate well with him
without first of all recognizing the fact of his personality. Note that, a person is
one, who possesses life, thought, volition, action, individuality, character and
influence. These characteristics pertain to God the Father. He lives, He thinks, He
wills and He acts. He has a separate individuality. He has a particular character
and He possesses influence. These characteristics also pertain to God the Son.
And, the same characteristics pertain to God the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit
is a divine person, he has all the attributes of God. There is nothing that God has
which the Holy Spirit does not have. Some characteristics of God which the Holy
Spirit has include: Omnipresence, Omniscience and Omnipotence.
11. Omnipresence: The Holy Spirit is everywhere at the same time. This explains
why the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:7 “where can I go from your Spirit or where
can I flee from your presence?” Nothing and nowhere hides from the Holy Spirit
because He is everywhere at the same time.
12. Omniscience: From the Scripture, we are told that the Holy Spirit is all –
knowing. Not only that He knows us more than we know ourselves but He knows
even the deep things of God which He reveals to those who believes in Him. (cf.
1 Corinthians 2;10 -11). He has perfect knowledge of everything.
13. Omnipotence: The omnipotence of the Holy Spirit can be seen in his
involvement in the creation of the entire universe. The Holy Spirit was active with
the Father and the Word during the creation of the Universe (cf. Genesis 1:2).
The Holy Spirit was also active at the incarnation (Luke 1:35) and in the
resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Peter 3: 18).
14. Divine Personality: The doctrine of Divine Personality of the Holy Spirit is
of the highest importance especially to those of us who are Christians. This isparticularly in the areas of our spirituality like worship, praise and personal
experience.
15. Worship: If the Holy Spirit is a divine person, and He is, then we need to
worship him. We do not have to think of him as a force, an attribute or an
impersonal influence. We owe him confidence, love, worship and surrender
which rightly belong to Him as God.
16. Praise: In the doxology, we praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We confidently thank the Father and the Son for God’s goodness and miracles in
our lives but often we do not thank the Holy Spirit since we do not recognize him
as a person. We will not have difficulty praising the Holy Spirit if we are
conscious of his divine personality.
17. Personal Relationship with the Holy Spirit: If we think of the Holy Spirit
as a mere influence or power, then our thought will be: How can I get hold of that
power and use it. Such leads to selfishness and self-exaltation. But if we are
conscious of the Holy Spirit as a Divine Person, then our thought will be, How
can I enter into a relationship with him, how can the Holy Spirit get hold of me
to lead and guide me. Thinking of Him as a person leads to self- renunciation,
self- surrender and divine intimacy.
18. SOME ATTRIBUTES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A person is not synonymous with a body. It is not necessary that we should touch
a person in order to be assured of his personality. A person is a being who knows,
feels and wills. There are so many places in the Scripture where personal
attributes and characteristics are ascribed to the Holy Spirit. We shall examine
only a few of them.
19. KNOWLEDGE: In the Scriptures knowledge is ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
For example, in 1 Corinthians 2: 10 -11, we read, “But to us, though, God has
given revelation through the Spirit, for the Spirit knows the depths of everything
even the depths of God. After all, is there anyone who knows the qualities of
anyone except his own spirit within him; and in the same way, nobody knows the
qualities of God except the Spirit of God”. Here not only that knowledge is
ascribed to the Holy Spirit but we are taught that the Holy Spirit as a Being knows
everything even the deep things of God.
20. WILL: The Holy Spirit accomplishes different tasks according to his divine
will. In 1 Cor 12: 11, we read, “But at work in all these is one and the same Spirit,
distributing them at will to each individual”. Here “will” is ascribed to the Spiritand we are taught that the Holy Spirit is not a power at our disposal which we can
get hold of and use according to our will but a person of sovereign majesty, who
uses us according to His will. This distinction is of fundamental importance in
our getting into the right relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is at this very point
that many people go astray. They struggle to get possession of some mysterious
and mighty power which they can make use of in their work according to their
own will. The Holy Spirit cannot be used according to our will rather He uses us
to accomplish his divine will.
21. MIND: The Holy Spirit as a person has a mind of his own. Hence, we read
in Romans 8:27, “and he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the
Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God”
.
In this passage “mind” is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated
mind is a comprehensive word, including the ideas of thought, feeling and
purpose. So then, in this passage, we have this special and distinctive mark of
personality ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
22. LOVE: We find the personality of the Holy Spirit brought out in a most
touching and suggestive way in Romans 15: 30. We read, “Meanwhile I urge
you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Love of the Spirit, that in your
prayers to God for me you exert yourselves to help me”. Here we have love
ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The words “the love of the Spirit” show that the Spirit
is a personality who can love and be loved. We often dwell upon the love of God
the Father and God the Son but hardly dwell upon the love of God the Holy Spirit.
Now, with this awareness we need to develop special love for God the Holy Spirit.
We need to thank the infinite and eternal spirit of God for his love.
23. There are many other attributes of a person which the Scripture ascribed to
the Holy Spirit. We may not treat them in details but we may mention some of
them.
The Holy Spirit Hears: The Scripture testifies that the Spirit hears as we read in
John 16:13, “whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and he will show you
things to come”.
The Holy Spirit Speaks: “then the Spirit said to Philip, go near and join thyself to
this chariot” (Acts 8: 29). While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to
him, “Behold three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down and go with
them doubting nothing: for I have sent them” (Acts 10:19- 20).
24. The Holy Spirit Prays: “Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for
when we do not know what we should pray for as we ought: the Spirit Himselfmakes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans
8:26).
The Holy Spirit Teaches: For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hours
what ye ought to say (Luke 12:12). “But the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrances whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
25. The Holy Spirit Guides: “When he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide
you unto all the truth” (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit Comforts: “The Churches throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria
were now left in peace, building themselves up and living in the fear of the Lord;
comforted by the Holy Spirit, they continued to grow” (Acts 9: 31).
These are only a few of the personal attributes of the Holy Spirit as recorded in
the Scriptures. We shall now mention briefly some individual relationships with
the Holy Spirit as recorded in the Scripture.
The Bible is replete with different types of relationships which existed between
people and the Holy Spirit both in the Old and New Testaments. We saw how the
Spirit came down on David and began to use him to do mighty works (cf. 1 Sam
16). We also saw how the Spirit of God departed from Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 16:
14). We shall see further some ways people related with the Holy Spirit in the
New Testament.
26. SOME WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Scripture testifies that the Apostles were all transformed on the day of
Pentecost because “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves” (Acts
2:4). The Apostles were open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit who
made them witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the power of
the Holy Spirit, the apostles created a new human community.
Another good examples of one filled with the Holy Spirit is the Deacon, Stephen.
The Bible describes Stephen as “a man full of the Holy Spirit”. In Acts 6: 8, we
read that Stephen became a mighty preacher and performed miracles in the name
of the Lord. Then “Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand” (Act 7: 55). We can see
that Stephen did great wonders and miraculous signs by the power of the Spirit.
He was the channel, and through him flowed the power of God. It is evident that
wherever there is a man full of the Holy Spirit, the same thing will happen. The
power of God will be at work in such a person. Wherever a spirit-filled Christianworks, lives will be touched, souls will be saved and miracles will be performed
for God the Holy Spirit works through human channels.
27. On the other hand, people can sometimes displease the Holy Spirit. The
scripture records that some have lied to the Holy Spirit as did Ananias and the
wife. Hence Peter asked, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the
Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” (cf. Acts 5:3). Here
we have the Holy Spirit represented as one who can be lied to. This goes further
to show that he is a person.
28. Again, people can grieve the Holy Spirit. Such made Paul to warn the
Ephesians, “and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto
the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4: 30). Grieving the Holy Spirit means to make
him sad or sorrowful. It follows that in our personal relationship with the Holy
Spirit, we have to avoid thoughts, words, or actions that can sadden the Holy One
dwelling within us.
29. In addition, the Scripture warns that some can quench the Holy Spirit and
some can resist him. In Paul’s letter (1 Thessalonians 5:19) we read, “do not
quench the Spirit”. Quenching suggests extinguishing like fire. Again, Stephen
warned (Acts 7: 51), “you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! you
always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you”. These words of
Stephen the martyr to the unbelieving Sanhedrin shortly before his death show
that some may know the truth yet refuse to accept it. Such would be resisting the
Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth.
Further some can displease the Holy Spirit through blasphemy. Our Lord Jesus
Christ warns, therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven
but the blasphemy against the Spirit not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word
against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the
Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
(Matthew 12: 31-32). This is the most serious offense against the Holy Spirit. We
should always avoid such.
THE HOLY SPIRIT; THE ADVOCATE
30. The Lord Jesus gives an office to the Holy Spirit. He says, “I will ask the
Father and he will give you another advocate, to be with you forever, even the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor
knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be with you” (John
14: 16 – 17). An advocate is a person who can defend and guide another. Recall
that our Lord Jesus Christ had announced to the disciples that he was about toleave them. An awful sense of desolation took possession of them. Sorrow filled
their hearts (John 16:6). It was at this point that Jesus assured them that they shall
not be left alone. He was going to the Father and would pray the Father to send
them another advocate – the Holy Spirit. This promise has been kept. It has been
fulfilled. And, the major duty or office of the Holy Spirit is that of an advocate.
He is therefore our defender, our helper and our friend.CHAPTER THREE
BIBLICAL IMAGES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
31. HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The chief source of information regarding the Spirit of God is the Hebrew Bible,
otherwise known as the Old Testament by the Christians. The work of the Holy
Spirit as a Divine Person was very much known in the Old Testament. The
Spirit’s activity was inseparable from the work of God. There are copious
references to the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Elohim with the designation Ruach,
wind or breath in the Old Testament. Through this Ruach, the Spirit of God is
alive and active. The Spirit hovered over the formless void and brought order into
existence, (cf. Genesis 1:2); the Spirit breathed into Adam and made him a living
man, (cf. Genesis 2:7). Again, the spirit of Yahweh is involved both in the
anointing of David and withdrawal of favour from Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 16: 13-14).
The Spirit of the Lord was the active agent in the institution of public offices
among the people of God. He was in a significant way active in the establishment
of the offices of the Judges and Kings. He inspired and led the prophets. The Holy
Spirit was the spirit that restored life to the dry bones in the prophecy of Ezekiel.
The Spirit experienced and hoped for by the people of God, was later promised
to all mankind.
32. We can see that throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was active as
the Spirit of God. While hovering over the face of the waters, (Genesis 1:2) the
Spirit was preparing for the creative word of God to shape the world. Thus, the
Holy Spirit was involved in creation, in bringing order to the created world, and
preventing chaos. Again, the Old Testament presents the Holy Spirit as the
principle of life. When God created Adam, he breathed into him “the breath of
life” (Genesis 2: 7), and man became a living being. Cardinal Wuerl teaches that
even though the animals have respiratory systems, even though they have lungs
and they breathe, they do not have God’s breath, the Holy Spirit. Yet that eternal
“breath of life” is precisely what God breathed into Adam. Thus, God created
Adam. Thus, God created Adam with the capacity for divine life and love then
gave him his spirit to fulfill this remarkable capacity, (cf. Cardinal Donald Wuerl,
Open to the Holy Spirit, p. 21). Similarly, in the famous dry bones account as
recorded in the book of Ezekiel already mentioned, it was God’s Spirit that
breathed into the dead and dry bones the “breath of life” and they became “a great
and immense army” (cf. Ezekiel 37: 1-9)
33. The Spirit communicates God’s will and word through the prophets. The
Spirit equips craftsmen and artisans (Such as Bezalel in Exodus 31: 3; 35: 30-35and the skillful women who made priestly garments in exodus 38:3). The Spirit
brings or inspires wisdom for leadership (cf. Number 11), equips for service (1
Samuel 16: 13 -14; Numbers 11: 24 -30), and brings good insight (Isaiah 11; 1-
5: 42; 1-4). The Spirit further protects God’s people through feats of strength that
can hardly be imagined. It was the great wind of the Spirit that divided the Red
Sea and dried the land (Exodus 14: 21). The wind of God (the Spirit) came with
force and power. In Judges, the Spirit “took possession” of Gideon and used him
to deliver Israel from the Amalekites (cf. Judge 3: 10 and 11:29). It was the Spirit
that granted Samson extraordinary strength (Judges 14:6) and overwhelms Saul
(1 Samuel 10: 5- 11; 19: 18-24)
34. The Old Testament presents the power of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit as
sovereign. It was the Spirit who compelled the reluctant Prophet Ballam to bless
God’s people because the Spirit forbade him from cursing them. (cf Numbers 22-
24). In the book of Samuel, we read that “Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed
David, surrounded by his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord seized on David
from that day onward” (1 Sam 16:13). It was thus in the power of the Spirit that
David challenged and killed Goliath. Thus, the Spirit of the Lord empowered the
leadership of God’s people in the Old Testament. Moses as a leader was so filled
with the Spirit of God that he shared God’s feelings with the people when they
go against God. When Moses through the advise of Jethro, his father- in – law,
chose seventy elders to assist him lead the people of Israel. God took part of the
Spirit in Moses and put it on them (Number 11; 16-17).
35. One remarkable aspect of the work of the Spirit in the Old Testament is its
special connection with the Prophecy of the Messiah (the Anointed One). In the
prophecy of Isaiah, the Spirit anoints the Servant of God (Isaiah 11: 1-5: 61; 1-
4). The seven-fold Spirit speaks of a complete and unlimited giving of the Spirit.
This anointing leads to the fulfillment of the new covenant, the restoration of
God’s people, and judgement on the unbeliever (cf. Isaiah 42: 1-9). But, all of
these only point the way to when God will bring a new heart to a revived people
of God (Ezekiel 36:26, 27: 37;14); a time when “Old men will see visions, and
young men will dream dreams”, and the Spirit will be poured out upon ‘all
people” (Joel 2:28). This is an indication of the universal nature of God’s
salvation.
In all these, the Holy Spirit was not yet fully revealed as a person in the Old
Testament. He was only known as the Spirit and power of God. The personhood
and the divinity of the Holy Spirit was clearly and gradually revealed in the New
Testament.36. HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The ultimate act of God’s love was manifested when “in the fulness of time, God
sent his own Son born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4) conceived by the power of
the Holy Spirit. It is therefore very essential that Christians should know the
important role played by the Holy Spirit in the redemption of the world.
The conception, baptism, public ministry and resurrection of Christ all happened
by the power of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist, the prophet who links the Old
and New Testaments says, ‘He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew
3:11, 12; Mark 1:7,8; Luke 3: 15-18). Salvation has come. The Spirit as a dove,
descends. What is predicted in the Old is now fulfilled in the New. Good to note
that before the birth of Christ, the Holy Spirit had prepared for Christ a forerunner
in the person of John the Baptist. The Scripture predicts that John “shall be filled
with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1: 15).
37. At the beginning of Christ’s public ministry, he affirmed that he has been
anointed by the Holy Spirit. He states, “the Spirit of the Lord is on me because
he has anointed me to proclaim Goodnews to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed
free” (Luke 4:18). The New Testament presents the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of
Truth” who makes known the things of God and glorifies Jesus, who teaches us
of God and convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). The Spirit regenerates human
souls giving new birth to man (John 3:5-6), leads to true worship as worshippers
must worship in the Spirit and truth (John 4:24-26). The Spirit gives life, the flesh
counts for nothing (John 6: 63-70), and the Spirit promises greater things to come
(John 7: 38-39), for “whoever believes in me …rivers of living water will flow
within them, by this he meant the Spirit…” In John 14:26 we read: “the Holy
Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything”. John
15:26 says, “when the Holy Spirit comes, whom I shall send to you from the
Father, he will be my witness”, and will “abide with you and be in you” (John
14:17-18). In the same vein, the New Testament described the Holy Spirit as the
advocate per excellence. He is presented as a Senior Advocate in Heaven
shielding us from malicious accusations of our enemy, the devil. He is the
Advocate sent to be with us on earth so that Christ will not leave us as orphans.
The Holy Spirit teaches us, prays for us and defends us. He defends and pleads
on our behalf before the Divine Court of God the Father and God the Son. In all,
the New Testament presents the Holy Spirit as man’s helper and best friend.THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BLESSED TRINITY
38. The triadic nature of God is chiefly manifest in the New Testament. One of
the most revelatory words about the Trinity as well as distinct personhood of the
three persons came from Christ. In the great missionary mandate Christ ordered
his apostles to make disciples of all nations, to further baptize them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This shows each person unique
and distinct.
39. There is evidence of intimate relationship between the three divine persons.
For example, at the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him after
His baptism, like a dove and the voice of the Father came from heaven, to
proclaim Christ as the beloved Son. All the Gospels testify to the presence of the
Trinity in this event. This shows love and unity of purpose. Commenting on this,
Chromatius a fourth century Bishop of Aquileia says, that just as our first creation
is the work of the Trinity, so our second creation is the work of the Trinity. The
Father does nothing without the Son or the Holy Spirit, because the Father’s work
is also the Son’s and the Son’s work is also the Holy Spirit’s. There is but one
and same grace of the Trinity. Thus we are saved by the Trinity, since in the
beginning we were created by the Trinity alone (cf. Chromatius, Homily on
Baptism and the Holy Spirit, 18A).
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God. They play their different
roles in full cooperation with each other. The Church acknowledges and professes
her belief in one God, the Blessed Trinity, who are worshipped together and
glorified.
HOLY SPIRIT AND IMAGES IN THE BIBLE
40. There are manifestations of divine presence and power through different
images in the Bible. These images are not God but they are symbols and signs
through which God performs specific roles among his children. The Biblical
images of the Holy Spirit as Wind, Oil, Water, Fire, Dove and Tongue are familiar
to us.
These images only communicate some of the actions or specific functions of the
Spirit at a particular time. They do not in any way reduce the Holy Spirit to an
image, a thing, an influence or power. We shall comment briefly on these images41. WIND
Scripture paints a picture of what happened on the day of Pentecost. And,
“Suddenly there came from Heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it
filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1). It is to be noted that
the text speaks of the Spirit as being like a mighty rushing wind. It does not say
that the Holy Spirit is a mighty rushing wind. The Holy Spirit is a person. He can
decide to manifest in any form. Just as the Spirit of God gave life to Adam at
creation, so at Pentecost the Spirit of God constituted a new family of God.
42. OIL
Oil was a primary product to ancient societies, including the Jews. In biblical
times, Olives were one of the main sources of oil for the Hebrews. In
Deuteronomy 8:8, Olive oil is included in the list of blessings offered by the land
of Canaan. With time oil gained several figurative meanings. Priests, prophets
and kings were anointed with oil on assumption of office. The anointing of oil
then became a symbol of consecration and conferring of authority. Anointing was
supposed to confer holiness, inviolability and special relationship with God.
Recall that Samuel anointed Saul (1 Samuel 10:1), the elders of Israel anointed
David (2 Samuel 5:3), Zadok anointed Solomon (1Kings 1:39), Elijah anointed
Jehu as King (2 kings 11:12), as well as Elisha as prophet (1 Kings 19:16).
Anointing with oil became a very important element in religious ceremonies and
assumption of offices.
In some way, the anointing with oil and the Spirit of God were associated by the
Jews after the anointing of Saul by Samuel. After anointing the future first king
of Israel (1 Samuel 10:1), Samuel announced that the Spirit of the Lord will come
upon Saul, he will enjoy special powers from God including ability to prophesy.
He will be transformed into a changed man (cf. I Samuel 10:6). In the same day
these prophesies were fulfilled after Saul was anointed. However, when Saul
defaulted the Spirit left him and David was anointed by Samuel. When David was
anointed, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Samuel 16:13).
This shows the relevance of anointing in the Scripture as well as the link between
anointing, the Spirit of God and success.
Later, the New Testament introduces the idea of direct anointing by the Spirit
with the Spirit. Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1-2. “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because
he has anointed me to preach Goodnews to the poor”. Jesus applies the concept
to his experience (Luke 4:18-21). It follows that, in Jesus consciousness, he is the
eschatological figure of the prophet Isaiah’s description, that is, the speaker and
the messenger of Goodnews at the same time. As the Messiah, the “anointed one”Jesus will promote liberation of all “exiles” of the unjust system of Satan. If
important Priestly, Royal and Prophetic figures were anointed with oil by
humans, he is anointed with the Spirit directly by God, as his mission is greater
than theirs. It is not surprising, therefore, that the early believers referred to the
anointing of Jesus as a key element for his healings and powerful acts, (Acts
10:38). By indicating the fulfillment of the prophecy “today” (Luke 4:21) in
Nazareth, Jesus did not mean that the prophecy was exhausted on that particular
day, but rather that the time had now come of which Isaiah Spoke. In a sense, the
fulfillment of the Messianic anointing continues in Jesus’ achievements and in
the derived anointings of the believers. A true believer should be able to say, “The
Lord has anointed me with his Spirit to preach Goodnews and minister freedom”
.
We can say, therefore, that the anointing oil is a strong symbol of the Holy Spirit.
It reminds us of the internal transformative power of the Spirit.
43. WATER
Jesus often used water as an image of the Spirit. One major example is seen in
this passage: On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a
loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes
in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By
this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been
glorified” (John 7:37-39). The Fathers of the Church also see water as a fitting
image for the Holy Spirit. St. Irenaeus says like dry flour, which cannot become
one lump of dough, one loaf of bread, without moisture, we who are many could
not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven.
And like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we
who were once like a waterless tree could never have lived and borne fruit without
this abundant rainfall from above. Through the baptism that liberates us from
decay we have become one in body; through the Spirit we have become one in
soul… if we are not to be scorched and made unfruitful, we need the dew of God
(cf. St. Irenaeus, Against the Heresies Lib 3, 17. 1-3)
44. St. Cyril of Jerusalem has an explanation of why Christ called the grace of the
Spirit water. This is because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals
have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although
it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm
tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not
come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially
the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it. In the same
way, the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible,apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots
when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it
worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects
of his action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and
marvelous. The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another
to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to
interpret Holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man’s self-control, shows
another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of ascetism,
makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom.
His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the
same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular
way for the common good. (cf. Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. 16, De Spiritu Sancto i,
11 – 12.16). From both Irenaeus and Cyril, we can see how water is a good image
of the Holy Spirit.
45. FIRE
In the Pentecost episode, the Scripture says, “And tongues, like flames of fire that
were divided, appeared to them and rested on each of them” (Acts 2:3). Note that
the Bible did not say, “Tongues of fire” but “tongues like flames of fire”. This is
not physical fire. Again, the Bible often speaks of God as fire. We saw this in the
book of Exodus where God encountered Moses. Moses experienced God as a
burning bush (Exodus 3:2), though the bush was not burnt showing it was not
physical fire. We read also that Moses went up onto a fiery mount. Sinai where
God was. Psalm 97:1-6 presents a strong image of God involving fire. “The Lord
reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the many coastlands be glad. Clouds and thick
darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his
throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries round about. His
lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like
wax before the Lord; before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his
righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory”. Note that the fire of God
gives light. It induces fear of God, love of God and change of heart. It does not
literally burn. Fear and trembling suggest awe, admiration and reverence at the
majesty of God. Scripture calls God a consuming fire (cf. Hebrew 12:29) and a
refining fire (cf. Isaiah 48:10; Jeremiah 9:7; Zechariah 13:19; Malachi 3:3). It
follows that our God who is a Holy Fire is not physical fire. He comes to dwell
in us through his Holy Spirit. As a Holy Fire, he refines us by burning away our
sins and purifying us. The Holy Spirit as fire changes everything He encounters.
Nothing goes away from fire unchanged; it may be converted, purified, warmed,
mollified, steeled or consumed. In the same way, nothing goes away unchanged
after proper contact with fire of the Spirit.Thus, God the Holy Spirit, like a Holy Fire, is within us. He is changing and
transforming us, burning away sin, refining us, enlightening us, stirring the flame
of God’s love in us, and bringing us up to the temperature of God’s glory. He is
kindling in us the fire of divine love that gives light and warmth in our darkest
and coldest moments. Little by little we become a burning furnace of God’s love,
and we give warmth, joy and peace to those around us. Thus, we are set afire by
God’s love. The Holy Spirit sets us on fire to make us glow with the light of love,
inspiring those around us with the nobility of our lives. The Spirit purifies and
prepares us to meet Him one day, to meet Him who is the Holy Fire and Eternal
Love. The Fire of the Holy Spirit is the Fire of Divine Love.
46. DOVE
On the day of His Baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a
dove. The Scripture says, “and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form
like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “you are my son, whom I love; with
you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). It is important to re-emphasize that the Holy
Spirit is not a bird or a body of any sort. Rather, He is seen physically as being
like a dove. The Holy Spirit is God; He is the third person of the Holy Trinity.
The image of the Holy Spirit as a dove is reminiscent of the story of Noah. The
dove which Noah sent out from the ark (at the third attempt) returned to him in
the evening with an olive leaf, (cf. Genesis. 8: 6-11). For Noah, it was a sign that
the bitterness and death which overwhelming sin had brought was then over. The
dove brought Noah a sign of peace and a sign that the promise of God to cleanse
the world was now fulfilled. Noah having passed through the flood within the
safety of God’s ark, may walk in newness of life. This is what the Holy Spirit
does for us.
In the Holy Spirit we find peace, Shalom. When the Holy Spirit descends upon
us, the long reign of sin is ended, and grace is now available to us. We having
passed through the waters of baptism and the grace of forgiveness through the
sacraments, may walk in newness of life. The Holy Spirit descends on us like a
dove, (but not a dove), bringing peace, promise and every good news.
47. TONGUES
The Holy Spirit was also presented on the day of Pentecost in the form of tongues
of fire. The Holy Spirit is not a tongue. It is not physical fire either. However,
through this we learn that one of the chief fruits of the Holy Spirit is to help us
speak the truth and witness to others. A witness is one who speaks of what he has
seen, heard, and experienced.Of this need to witness, the Lord said, “you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). St Luke
further records, “you are witnesses to these things. I am going to send you what
my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with
power from on high” (Luke 24:48-49).
St. John also added a confirmation of this fact saying, “When the Advocate
comes, whom I will send to you from the Father- the Spirit of Truth who goes out
from the Father-he will testify about me. And you also must testify for you have
been with me from the beginning (John 15: 26-27).
The Holy Spirit comes as tongues in order to strengthen us for our mission, for
witness. The tongues of fire remind us that God wants bold, faith-filled and fiery
Christians who are courageous witnesses in a doubting, deceitful and scoffing
world. This image is a call to mission.
There are many other images and symbols of the Holy Spirit but we have chosen
these to explain that the Holy Spirit is a person and not an image, or one of the
many images.CHAPTER FOUR
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SALVATION HISTORY
48. From the Scriptures, we can discern that the Holy Spirit has been deeply
involved in the history of man’s salvation.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST
Every major event in the ministry and life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible
involved the Holy Spirit. A contemporary theologian, Anne Hunt, has this to say
about the Spirit and the entire life and mission of Christ Jesus.
Jesus is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:18;
Lk 1:35). The Spirit is communicated at Jesus Baptism (Mk
1:8; Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16), after which the Spirit leads Jesus into
the desert (Mk 1:12).
The Spirit accompanies and guides Jesus through his life and
death. Finally, the Son sends the Spirit from the Father to the
community (Jn 15:26; 16:7; 20:22). The Father sends the
Spirit in the name of the Son (Jn 14:26).
He is the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead
(Rom 8:11). The Spirit is the Spirit of the Father (Jn 14:16; Lk
11:13; Mt 10:20) and of the Son (Rom 8:9; Gal 4:6, Phil 1:19).
The Spirit is the one who identifies and confirms Jesus’
identity. ‘No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy
Spirit’ (1 Cor 12:3).
The Spirit’s mission is to mediate the presence of the risen
Christ, to interiorize the redemption wrought by Christ, and to
animate the ecclesial structures established by Christ. It is to
complete what was established by Christ. Ultimately, the
Spirit’s mission is the incorporation of all humanity, and
indeed the whole cosmos, in Christ and through Christ, to the
Father (1 Cor 15: 28; Eph 1: 10; Col 1:19-20).
(A. Hunt, Trinity, Christology and Pneumatology, p.367)
49. It follows that from the conception, birth and baptism of Christ to his ministry,
death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit was actively involved. He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit, anointed and fitted for ministry by the Holy
Spirit, raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and after his
resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit through the Father to his apostles. The entire
life and ministry of Christ was like a manifestation of the work of the Holy Spirit.50. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTLES AND
THE EARLY CHURCH
The day of Pentecost was unique in the life of the Apostles. Few days before the
ascension of Jesus, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles through
the Father (cf. Acts 1:8). Ten days after the ascension of Jesus, God fulfilled this
promise in a most spectacular way (cf. Acts 2: 1-4). The Apostles were filled with
the Holy Spirit and in the power of the Spirit they went public, preached to the
crowd without fear and that very day, about three thousand converts were added
to their number. The events of that day explain why the Pentecost is often called
or referred to as the birthday of the Church.
The Ministry of the Apostles: After the Pentecost, the ministry of the Apostles as
recorded in the Scriptures is like a history of the works of the Holy Spirit. God
revealed to the Apostles, the mystery unknown to humans for generations.
According to the Apostle Paul, “This mystery, as it is now revealed in the Spirit
to his holy Apostles and Prophets, was unknown to humanity in previous
generations” (Eph 3:3-5). It was through the Holy Spirit that the grace of God the
Father revealed these mysteries to the Apostles. A careful re-reading of the Acts
of the Apostles shows that we can comfortably refer to that book that chronicled
the life of the early Church as acts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the
Apostles developed the Church of Christ according to the will of the Father. The
Apostles were initially a bunch of timid, fearful men of their time, except for the
spiritual enablement of the Holy Spirit. Without his presence and outside his
power the Apostles could have been without fruits and impacts. But the Spirit
turned their little into much and thus built the Church of God.
51. All service to God, immediately after the Pentecost, is ultimately dependent
upon the gift of the Spirit. For example, those seven men chosen by the Jerusalem
Church to serve the congregation, perhaps the beginning of the office of deacon,
are described as men “full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:3).
God blesses significantly the witness of the Church because of the ministry of
these men (Acts 6:7). When Stephen defends the Gospel and proclaims his special
insights into its meaning and application, he is described as one full of the Holy
Spirit. This fact enabled him to see the beatific vision (Acts 7:5). The Holy Spirit
sends Philip to meet the Ethiopian in the desert, and subsequently the Spirit sends
him off to other places of service (Acts 9: 29, 39). Saul of Tarsus, one time
persecutor of the Church got converted to Christ, becomes a proclaimer of the
faith he formally wasted; his qualification for service is that he has received theHoly Spirit (Acts 9:17). Barnabas is sent by the Jerusalem believers to Antioch
to determine the validity of the work there and to do whatever is necessary in that
delicate and important situation because he is a man “full of the Holy Spirit and
faith” (Acts 11:24). The Holy Spirit separates Barnabas and Saul for the work to
which he calls them, and the mission to the Gentiles is launched (Acts 13:2- 4).
The Holy Spirit guides his missionaries, opening doors and closing doors (Acts
16:17).
52. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH
The communion between the Holy Spirit and the Church is so much that the two
cannot be separated from each other. The Holy Spirit was first manifest in power
at the moment the Church was born. Thus, by the continued presence of the Holy
Spirit, the Church not only lives but acts. The Holy Spirit sustains the Church and
is also the source of its life. The Holy Spirit is also the impetus and the power
behind the Church’s missionary work today. It is through the Church that the
Holy Spirit reaches the world. The Holy Spirit gives Christians the boldness to
enter places where the light of Christ has not reached. It is the Spirit that gives
these Christians the words which open the minds and hearts of those who have
not believed in Christ. The Holy Spirit today still hovers over the waters, waiting
for the new children of God to be born to eternity from the baptismal font.
Just as on the day of the first Christian Pentecost, so today, the Catholic Church
is alive with manifestations and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Through the more than
two millennia of the Church’s history, there has never been a single moment the
Holy Spirit abandoned the Church. This is why in the Apostles creed, the Church
professes her faith saying, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic
Church…” The Holy Spirit is that promise of Christ to the Church and the divine
guarantee that the Church will remain true to the end of time.
53. The axiom of St. Irenaeus is as valid today as it was during the Patristic time,
namely: “where the Church is, there too is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit
of God is, there too is the Church”. (Raniero Cantalamessa, Come, Creator Spirit,
p.142).
And, in the words of St. Augustine, “the Spirit is to the Church what the human
soul is to the body. The Spirit is the principle that moves and inspires the whole”.
(R. Cantalamessa, Come, Creator Spirit, p.140).
54. The Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, while commenting on this unique
relationship affirms that the Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. Without the
Holy Spirit the Church would be reduced to a great historical movement or a kind
of humanitarian agency. But the Church is truly a living presence, unceasinglyformed and guided by the Spirit of the Lord. It is a living body whose vitality is
precisely the invisible divine spirit (cf. Benedict XVI, Regina Caeli Message,
May 31, 2009).
Pope Saint Paul VI, reminds us that the Holy Spirit animates and sanctifies the
Church. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity,
the inner source of her light and strength. He is her support and consoler, her
source of charisms and songs, her peace and her joy, her pledge and prelude to
blessed and eternal life. (cf. E. O’Connor, Pope Paul VI and the Spirit, p.183).
We can conclude that the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit has been
with the Apostles and with the Church from the day of the Pentecost till today.CHAPTER FIVE
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
55. The Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and
entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us (CCC 1331).
Every Sacrament is performed in the name of Jesus Christ, who in the power of
the Holy Spirit acts upon us through sacramental signs. The Holy Spirit is the
chief agent of transformation in each of the sacraments. The matter of the
Sacrament is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. He works both
objectively on the elements to transform them to Sacraments and subjectively
works in the souls of the recipients, and in communion with Christ, to transform
and give the desired effect. Central to all Sacramental celebrations is epiclesis
which is the invocation of the Holy Spirit. The Church invokes the presence and
power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of sanctification.
56. BAPTISM AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
In the Sacrament of Initiation, the Holy Spirit is the transformative power that
sanctifies the human person at the baptismal font, making them sons and
daughters of God; the chosen people of God. The Holy Spirit assures the
regeneration and the radical renewal of the baptized. He gives the justification
and freedom from sin. Thus, He gives the new life which is the life of Christ. The
Spirit incorporates the believer into Christ and in the Church. In baptism, the
Spirit “christifies” the person and configures the candidate to Christ. The baptized
therefore receives an indelible spiritual mark called character which cannot be
wiped away. The Spirit makes the baptized children of God whom He brings into
communion with God and with one another.
57. CONFIRMATION AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Through the laying on of hands, the Holy Spirit is invoked upon the candidate for
Confirmation. The Spirit informs the words, enlivens them as he remains the very
gift that is being imparted on the recipient. The prayer of the Bishop or his
delegate during confirmation brings out clearly the role of the Holy Spirit. He
prays, “All- powerful God, send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their Helper
and Guide. Give them the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of right
judgement and courage, the Spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the
Spirit of wonder and awe in your presence…” This prayer is followed by the
anointing with chrism.
While anointing the forehead, the Bishop prays, “N…, be sealed with the gift of
the Holy Spirit”. The anointing with chrism and the accompanying words express
the effects of giving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit conforms believers moreperfectly to Christ and strengthens them to bear witness to Christ before the entire
world. He helps the Christian to grow in Christ as he grants his seven gifts. The
Spirit makes the recipient an adult Christian and ensures an effective integration
of the candidate into Christ and the Church.
58. THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Whenever the Holy Eucharist is celebrated, the Eucharistic elements are
transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ by the power of the Holy
Spirit. During the epiclesis, the priest lays his hands over the gifts and says: “Let
your spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for
us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ”. Going further in the Eucharistic
prayer, the priest continues: “May all of us who share in the body and blood of
Christ, be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit” (Eucharistic Prayer II).
The Holy Spirit makes Christ present. He makes the Paschal Mystery actual. He
goes full circle impacting through the minister, the elements and the faithful.
Firstly, he transforms the minister into another Christ and makes Christ present
in the words and actions of the minister. Having transformed the elements into
the body and blood of Christ by the first epiclesis, by the second epiclesis he
transforms the community of faith into the mystical body of Christ. Note that we
have two epiclesis in the Eucharistic prayers 2 to 4 and have it implicit in the
Roman Canon. The Christ who gathers his Church in the Eucharistic celebration
is the risen Christ and we cannot speak of the Lord in glory without the Holy
Spirit. When the word of God is proclaimed in the Eucharistic assembly, it is the
Spirit who makes the word living and life-giving. When the priest presides in the
person of Christ (in persona Christi capitis), the ministry is animated by the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit transforms and sanctifies and gives a foretaste of the future
kingdom. It is the power of the resurrection.
59. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
In the Sacrament of Penance, the Holy Spirit is the one who moves the sinner to
continued conversion. He gives the pardon for sins and ensures the reconciliation
with God and the Church. Through the sacrament, we receive new life in Christ.
However, when we sin, we stain the image of God in us and disfigure his likeness.
But, through the salvific work of Christ, we are reconciled, healed and restored
by Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of
reconciliation. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and prevents us from despairing
by leading us to a deeper appreciation of the salvation in Christ. He moves our
hearts towards the journey back to the Father’s embrace, like the prodigal son.
Then, at the sacrament of reconciliation, by the power and overshadowingpresence of the Holy Spirit, we are absolved of our sins and reconciled with the
Father by the Son.
The Holy Spirit has the power to forgive sins and given to the Apostles as seen
in John 20:22ff. “Receive the Holy Spirit, for those whose sins you forgive, they
are forgiven”.
60. ANOINTING OF THE SICK AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
This sacrament is called sacrament of healing, a name it shares with the sacrament
of reconciliation or penance because they impart healing, forgiveness and
strength. While anointing the sick, the priest says, “Through this holy anointing
may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit”.
The word anointing means in itself the gift of the Spirit and his power. The role
of the Spirit is to sanctify the sick person for his recovery, imparting healing,
forgiveness and strength. It is an eschatological gift, for the salvation of the whole
person. The Holy Spirit does not act as a medicine rather it touches the roots of
the sickness and comforts the person. The action may have some influence on the
physical strength of the faithful if God wills.
The Spirit encourages trust in God who can do all things including healing and
physical recovery. In addition, the Spirit gives strength to resist the temptations
of the Evil one and anxiety about death. Thus, through the grace of this sacrament,
the sick person is able to face his suffering with courage and faith in God.
61. HOLY ORDERS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
In this sacrament of Holy Orders, the Holy Spirit transforms a baptized Christian
man into another Christ. He makes him a ministerial priest, sharing in the
priesthood of Christ, empowered to participate in the prolongation of the ministry
of Christ.
Holy Orders include: Diaconate, Priesthood and Episcopate. A brief look at the
prayers of consecration will help us discover the role of the Holy Spirit.
For the Deacons, the Church prays, “Lord, send forth upon them, the Holy Spirit,
that they may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace to carry out
faithfully the work of the ministry”.
62. For the Priests, the Church prays, “Almighty Father, grant to these servants
of yours the dignity of the priesthood. Renew within them the Spirit of
holiness…”
For the Bishops, the Church prays, “Pour out the power that comes from you, that
of the sovereign Spirit, that which you gave to your beloved Son Jesus Christ andwhich he granted to his holy apostles, who constituted the Church in various
places as your sanctuary to the praise and glory of your name”.
In these prayers, the Holy Spirit is asked for and invoked as a Spirit of holiness
and grace. The Spirit consecrates the candidate, he entrusts to this ordained
minister the Church of God, assigns to him the ministry, and involves him wholly
in the service of the apostolate. The Spirit consecrates a Christian man and makes
him a sacrament of salvation. The ordained minister is configured to Christ by
the power of the Spirit and he becomes a servant of all the faithful for their
salvation. In all the ordained minister, like Christ, is anointed with the Spirit.
63. SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
In the Sacrament of Matrimony, the Holy Spirit makes the two Christians to share
in the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and his
Church (cf. Ephesians. 5:32). The Christian marriage is a vocation to be a
sacrament of communion between Christ and His Church. It is a communion
between the couple’s matrimony and divine patrimony made effective by the
Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit unites the married couple with each other, helps them attain
holiness in their married life, assists them in the rearing and education of their
children. Christ through his Spirit raised this union to the dignity of a sacrament
so that it might more clearly recall and more easily reflect his own unbreakable
union with his Church. Christian marriage is a communion of life and love and
the Holy Spirit is invoked to be the strength of the spouses.
64. We recall that the sacraments are actions of Christ who is the source and
foundation of the sacraments. But Christ acts in the sacraments through the Holy
Spirit for the Church. It follows that the Holy Spirit has a major role in all the
sacraments. Each sacrament goes with the conversion which leads to salvation.
The Spirit assists our on-going conversion.CHAPTER SIX
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
65. The Church teaches us that there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit namely;
Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Strength, Knowledge, Fear of the Lord and
Piety. There are nine fruits of the Holy Spirit as given by St. Paul, they are Love,
Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-
Control (Galatians 5: 22-23).
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit according to Catholic Tradition, are heroic
character traits that Jesus Christ exhibited in their plenitude which the Holy Spirit
freely shares with the members of Christ’s mystical body, the Church. These traits
are infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at his baptism,
nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues, and sealed in the sacrament of
confirmation.
66. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the gifts of the Holy Spirit as
“permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of
the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1830). They are also known as the sanctifying gifts of the
Spirit, because they serve the purpose of rendering their recipients open and
obedient to the movements of the Holy Spirit in their lives, helping them to grow
in holiness and making them fit for heaven.
All the seven gifts are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, but they are
available to all Christians who are in a state of grace. Whenever we receive the
sacraments worthily, we receive the seven gifts of the Spirit. “They complete and
perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in
readily obeying divine inspiration” (CCC 1831).
67. WISDOM
The gift of wisdom which is considered as the first and highest gift of the Holy
Spirit is the perfection of faith and charity. It is a habit infused by God which
makes a person responsive to the Holy Spirit. Through wisdom, we come to value
properly those things which we believe through faith. The truths of Christian
belief are more important than the things of this world, and wisdom helps us to
order our relationship to the created world properly, loving creation for the sake
of God, rather than for its own sake.
Wisdom is the perfection of faith which manifests in acts of charity. Where faith
is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief, wisdom goes on to a
certain divine penetration of the truths themselves. The better we understandthose truths, the more we value them properly. Thus, wisdom assists us by
detaching us from the world and making us love the things of heaven. Through
wisdom, we judge the things of this world in light of the highest end of man,
namely, the contemplation of God.
68. Such detachment, however, is not the same as renunciation of the world.
Wisdom helps us to love the world properly, as the creation of God. The material
world, though fallen as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, is still worthy of our
love, we simply need to see it in the proper light. Wisdom allows us to do so.
Knowing the proper ordering of the material and spiritual worlds through
wisdom, we can more easily bear the burdens of this life and respond to our fellow
men with charity and patience.
69. UNDERSTANDING
The gift of understanding is a supernatural enlightenment given to man by God
in the form of a habit whereby he grasps revealed truths easily and intimately. It
is the second gift of the Holy Spirit and people sometimes have a hard time
distinguishing it from wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the
things of God, understanding allows us grasp, at least in a limited way, the very
essence of the truths of the Catholic faith. Through understanding, we gain a
certitude about our belief that moves beyond faith. It helps one see things through
God’s eyes as far as that is possible. Through understanding, the Holy Spirit
enlightens the mind with intuitive insights into life’s deepest mysteries and
toughest questions. It differs from wisdom in that wisdom is the desire to
contemplate the things of God, while understanding allows us to penetrate to the
very core of revealed truths. This does not mean that we can come to understand,
for example, the mystery of the Trinity the way we might understand a
mathematical equation, but that we become certain of the truth of the doctrine of
the Trinity. Such certitude moves beyond faith, which “merely assents to what
God has revealed”.
70. When we are convinced through understanding about the truths of our faith,
we can also draw conclusions from those truths and arrive at a further
understanding of man’s relationship with God. Understanding rises above natural
reason, which is concerned only with the things we can sense, see and touch in
the world around us. Thus, understanding is both speculative (that is concerned
with intellectual knowledge) and practical because it can help us to order our
actions towards our final end, which is God.71. COUNSEL
The gift of counsel enables man to judge and command individual acts. It aids
and perfects the virtue of prudence. Counsel which is the third gift of the Holy
Spirit, enables man to judge wisely. While prudence can be practiced by anyone,
counsel is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge
how best to act almost by intuition. Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need
not fear to stand up for the truths of the Faith, because the Holy Spirit will guide
us in defending those truths. When prudence is assisted by sanctifying grace it
becomes counsel. Counsel goes beyond prudence. Counsel builds on both
wisdom and understanding to give us supernatural intuition. Building on wisdom,
which allows us to judge the things of this world in the light of our final end and
understanding which helps us to penetrate the very core of the mysteries of our
faith, we have the perfection of prudence which is counsel.
With the gift of counsel, the Holy Spirit speaks, as it were, to the heart and in an
instant enlightens a person on what to do. Through the gift of counsel, the
Christian can act correctly in times of trial, speak without fear in defense of the
Christian faith and choose correctly what will be most to the glory of God and
man’s salvation.
72. FORTITUDE
The gift of fortitude gives the human person spiritual strength to resist evil. It is
ranked as the fourth gift of the Holy Spirit. Fortitude gives us the strength to
follow through on the actions suggested by the gift of counsel. While fortitude is
sometimes called courage, it goes beyond what we normally think of as courage.
Fortitude is the virtue of the Martyrs that allows them to suffer death rather than
to renounce the Christian Faith.
Fortitude can be practiced by anyone, since, unlike the theological virtues, the
cardinal virtues are not, in themselves, the gifts of God through grace but the
outgrowth of habit. Fortitude is more than mere courage; it is always reasoned
and reasonable. The person exercising fortitude is willing to put himself in
danger, if necessary, but he does not seek danger for danger’s sake. St. Thomas
Aquinas ranked fortitude as the third of the cardinal virtues, because it serves
prudence and justice the higher virtues. Fortitude is the virtue that allows us to
overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles. Prudence
and justice are the virtues through which we decide what needs to be done,
fortitude gives us the strength to do it. Fortitude is not foolhardiness or rashness,
“rushing in where angels fear to tread”. Indeed, part of the virtue of fortitude isthe “curbing of recklessness”. Putting our bodies or lives in danger when it is not
necessary is not fortitude but foolishness.
Fortitude as a gift of the Holy Spirit, also allows us to cope with poverty and loss,
and to cultivate the Christian virtues which allow us rise above the basic
requirements of Christianity.
The saints in their love for God and their fellow humans, as well as their
determination to do what is right, exhibit fortitude as a supernatural gift of the
Holy Spirit, not merely as a cardinal virtue.
73. KNOWLEDGE
The gift of knowledge (often called the science of the saints) enables man through
some form of spiritual warmth of charity to judge everything in its relationship to
his supernatural end. It is the fifth gift of the Holy Spirit. Many times, knowledge
is confused with both wisdom and understanding. Like wisdom, knowledge is a
perfection of faith, but whereas wisdom gives us the desire to judge all things
according to the truths of the Catholic Faith, knowledge is the actual ability to do
so. Like counsel, it is aimed at our actions in this life. In a limited way, knowledge
allows us to see the circumstances of our life the way God sees them. Through
this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can determine God’s purpose for our lives and live
them accordingly. Knowledge enables those who have the gift to discern easily
and effectively between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace.
It is rightly called the science of the saints.
74. PIETY
The gift of piety considered as the sixth gift of the Holy Spirit enables man to
show reverence both for God as a most loving Father and for men as the children
of God. It is the perfection of the virtue of religion.
While we tend to think of religion today as the external elements of our faith, it
really means the willingness to worship and serve God. Piety takes that
willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God, to serve
Him out of love, the way we desire to honor our parents and do their wish.
Perhaps in none of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is this instinctual response more
obvious than in piety. While wisdom and knowledge perfect the theological
virtue of faith, piety is the moral virtue which a person is disposed to render to
God the worship and service he deserves. It is instinctive affection to worship
God arising from supernatural communication conferred by the Holy Spirit.75. FEAR OF THE LORD
The gift of the Fear of the Lord urges man to have a profound respect for the
majesty of God. It aids and perfects the virtue of hope. This gift which is the
seventh gift of the Holy Spirit is often misunderstood. Many people think of fear
and hope as opposites, but the fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of
hope. This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God, as well as
the certainty that God will supply us the grace we need in order to keep from
offending him. The fear of God arises out of love. The gift of the fear of the Lord
confirms hope as it is not fear of punishment but the desire not to offend and the
confidence that God will grant the grace. It is called the beginning of wisdom
because it is founded on filial respect based on love of God. All the gifts of the
Holy Spirit draw us closer to the Blessed Trinity and assist us to live happy,
fulfilled lives on earth.CHAPTER SEVEN
THE HOLY SPIRIT: MAN’S HELPER AND FRIEND
76. Every year during the Holy Week, the Church prays God as she blesses the
“oil of the sick”, to send the Holy Spirit, “man’s helper and friend” upon the oil,
to transform the oil, giving it healing powers.
From our investigation so far, we can say without fear of contradiction that the
Holy Spirit is not only a member of the Blessed Trinity but He is also our helper,
advocate, guide and special friend. He helps us to know the Father and the Son,
helps us to pray and transforms our weakness into strength. In addition, He is
always there to defend us and sustain us with his gifts and fruits.
The Holy Spirit, as a member of the Trinitarian Family, is a divine person, though
united in essence with the Father and the Son, is distinct in his personhood. He
enters into affective and transformative relationship with us. To gain from such a
relationship, knowing correct propositions or theoretical knowledge about him is
certainly insufficient. A true Christian is supposed to have a transformative
personal relationship with the Holy Spirit expressed in his life experience.
77. More than our human friends, the Holy Spirit is the comforter of the afflicted,
counsellor, paraclete and friend. The Holy Spirit is a true spiritual friend with
whom there is no fear, guile or disappointment. The Spirit, which is the greatest
gift to the Church, is the audacity of God’s people in the world. He equips God’s
people with gifts and charisms that help them, beginning from faith, hope and
love. He helps us live like children of God, sons and daughters in the estate of
their heavenly Father. He is our strength in weakness, our health in sickness, our
comfort in sorrow and we ought to invoke him at the beginning, during and at the
end of any major task or project. We call on the Holy Spirit to inspire, direct and
perfect our projects.
He empowers us with courage to confront the potentates of this world and enables
us to defeat principalities and powers that pose challenge to our progress by
making us the principalities and embodiment of Godly powers that defeat forces
of darkness and evil. He is the Spirit of holiness who anoints us with the oil of
gladness, grace and victory over material and negative spiritual forces. He makes
life in Christ Jesus real, inward and personal.
78. As our advocate, friend and helper, Christians invoke the Holy Spirit as succor
in weakness. We recall that the Spirit of God at the incipient moment of creation,
changed chaos into cosmos. But the Spirit continues to create today by inspiring
and enlightening scientists, discoverers and scholars to bring about new prodigiesin the world. He continues creating, recreating and renewing creation and at the
same time filling hearts with heavenly grace. Hence, daily we invoke the Holy
Spirit to come and renew the face of the earth.
“Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of the faithful
And enkindle in them the fire of your love
Send forth thy Spirit and they shall be created
And thou shall renew the face of the earth…”
79. The Holy Spirit frees us from sins, leads us to repentance and teaches us to
make our lives gifts for the health and wholeness of others. As the embodiment
of love, the Holy Spirit turns our lives into sweetness with healing effects, he
makes us radiate new fragrance of love and anointing. He empowers us to break
new grounds of success in advancement of the Kingdom of God.
We shall now discuss further, the role of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives as
our helper and friend.
➢ 80. The Holy Spirit helps Man to know God the Father
In the teachings of St. Paul, the pivotal reality of Christian life is the work that
the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the depth of human heart when the Spirit leads
man to discover that God is his own Father and that he is a child of God. St. Paul
made this point clear when he declared: “God has sent into our hearts the Spirit
of his Son crying, “Abba, Father” and so you are no longer a slave, but a son, and
if a son, then an heir, by God’s own act” (Galatians 4:6).
When the Holy Spirit comes into our life, He makes us see God in a different
way. He shows us the true face of God. The Holy Spirit leads us to discover the
love of God who is both a friend and father, who, for our sake “did not withhold
his own Son”. In fact, the Holy Spirit makes us see God as a truly loving Father.
When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, the true childlike attitude blossoms
in us and we spontaneously give expression to it in the cry “Abba, Father!” The
Holy Spirit turns one who was a slave before into the child of the family as he
turns fear into love. This is exactly what happens in a real, personal and existential
manner in those who are “born in the Spirit”. It is the Holy Spirit who pours the
love of God into our hearts. He gives us not just an abstract knowledge of that
love but makes us feel it in reality and live it in practice. In all, the Holy Spirit
makes us know the will of God and helps us know God as our Father.➢ 81. The Holy Spirit helps Man to know God the Son
In the Sacred Scripture, the Holy Spirit never puts himself forward but he always
proclaims the Father and the Son. Indeed, the Holy Spirit reveals himself by
making the other two persons of the Blessed Trinity known. The Spirit makes
everything known without projecting himself. In this, we see how the symbols of
wind and light are peculiarly apt as expressions of the characteristics of the Holy
Spirit. We cannot see the wind itself but we see what it does.
The Holy Spirit is the principle, the source of our knowledge of Jesus Christ. For
instance, it was when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost that the
meaning of the whole life and work of Jesus Christ became clear in such a way
that Peter was able to convincingly proclaim that Jesus is both the Lord and
Messiah (cf. Acts 2:36). St. Paul says that no one is able to say that Jesus is Lord
except by the inward enlightening of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13).
82. Further, in his prayer for the Ephesians, St. Paul clearly brings out the work
of the Holy Spirit in our knowledge of the mysteries of Christ: “ In the abundance
of His glory may He through his Spirit, enable you to grow firm in power with
regard to your inner self, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and
then, planted in love and built on love, with all God’s holy people you will have
the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and depth; so that,
knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with
the utter fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
In the Gospel of John, Jesus himself says that the Holy Spirit will take what
belongs to him and proclaim it to the disciples. The Spirit will also remind the
disciples all that Jesus has taught them. The Spirit will lead them into the fullness
of truth concerning who the Father is and who the Son is. Indeed, the Holy Spirit
will bear witness to Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ and
make him real in the daily life of every Christian.
83. The Spirit not only empowers us to proclaim Jesus to the world but testifies
to us about Jesus for our relationship with him (John 16: 12-15) also (Ephesians
2: 18, 3:16).
The Spirit will take the things of Jesus and reveal them to us, glorifying Jesus as
Jesus himself glorified the Father, (John 16: 14-15; 7: 18, 39; 17:4). Note that as
soon as he returned to his followers after the resurrection, Jesus gave them the
Holy Spirit so that they would continue to know him (John 16:16; 20:20-22).➢ 84. The Holy Spirit helps Man in Prayer
This is an area where the help of the Spirit is very crucial. The Holy Spirit
intercedes for us. He helps in our prayers by amplifying, clarifying and
facilitating our communications with God the Father through God the Son. St.
Paul writes, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests” (Ephesians 6:18). In Romans 8:26, the Apostle Paul says: “Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words”.
This means that it is the Holy Spirit who helps Christians to come boldly to the
throne of Grace, reminding us that through our union with Christ, we are indeed
the children of God and joint heirs with Christ. Therefore, when we cry out,
“Abba, Father”, we are heard by a gracious, loving Father. The Holy Spirit, then,
helps us in prayer to recall who we are and to comprehend the grace of the Lord
to whom we are praying. When believers pray in the Spirit, they are being led,
instructed and moved with the Spirit’s powerful enabling. We need to ask the
Lord to help us always to pray in the Spirit with praises, confessions, thanksgiving
and supplications.
85. The Holy Spirit also helps us to pray for one another, using numerous
Christian links uniting us as one family in Christ to pray for one another. Paul
writes, “with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints”
(Ephesians 6: 18). We should always ask the Holy Spirit to help us find at least a
parish or community with whom we can pray for our spiritual growth and
advancement. Jesus said, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about
anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where
two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18: 19-
20).
➢ 86. The Holy Spirit helps Man in his Spiritual Battle
The same Holy Spirit who led Jesus during his battle with the devil in the
wilderness is available to lead all believers in their spiritual battles. It was the
Spirit who took Jesus into the wilderness and gave him the power to triumph over
the tempter. The same Spirit is our companion today training “my hands for war
and my fingers for battle” (Psalms 144:1).
87. St. Peter tells us that “the enemy is moving around like a roaring lion looking
for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This word “enemy is not just a figurative
expression of difficulties and challenges of life but “an evil one and his demons”
which the Scripture keeps warning us about. St. Paul made his warning very loudas he says, “For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle but
against the principalities and the ruling forces who are the masters of darkness in
this world and the spirits of evil in the heavens. That is why you must take up all
God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance on the evil day, or
stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full” (Ephesians 6:12).
Jesus went into the wilderness in obedience to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Having triumphed over the devil, “Jesus filled with the power of the Holy Spirit,
returned to Galilee” (Luke 4:14). When Christ was accused of casting out devils
by the power of the prince of demons, He made this solemn declaration: “If it is
through the Spirit of God that I cast out devils, know that the Kingdom of God
has overtaken you” (Matthew 12:28).
88. This is a clear indication that Jesus himself was deeply convinced that his
victory over the devil is from the operations of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy
Spirit equips man (the followers of Jesus) with all the spiritual weapons of
warfare. He teaches us the truth that we need to be protected from the false
accusations of the devil. Truth is essential if we are going to be exposed to all
kinds of attacks from the world, the flesh and the devil.
The Holy Spirit teaches us all the truth we need to know. It is the Holy Spirit that
increases the quality and quantity of our Faith with which we can extinguish all
the flaming arrows of the enemy. St. Paul says that we should always carry “the
shield of faith so that you can use it to quench the burning arrows of the evil one”
(Ephesians 6:16). The Holy Spirit gives this faith to those who have trusted him
and he uses them in ways that cannot be done through human strength. Further,
St. Paul enjoined all Christians to “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. The word of God is a deadly weapon against our spiritual enemies
for the Scripture confirms that “the word of God is like a fire and a hammer”
(Jeremiah 23:29).
➢ 89. The Human Body as Temple of the Holy Spirit
The Scripture does not see the human body as an insignificant adjunct to the
human person, rather as integral to our reality as persons. The human body was
created by God himself, made and shaped by his own hands. In the incarnation,
the human body was personally united with the Divine Word and in baptism, the
human body has been sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the human body,
as the Scripture says, is in truth “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians
3:16; 1 Cor 6:19).Some erroneous teachings present the body and the Holy Spirit as enemies. This
is very wrong. It is precisely in our body, which is the element that links us
directly and intimately to the world, that the Holy Spirit dwells. Thus, Christians
are called to give glory to God in their body. It is therefore, the work of the Holy
Spirit to sanctify the body and to enable it achieve its purpose. St. John
Chrysostom described the relationship this way: “He gives us the body so that, as
we together become one with him, we may have a share in the Holy Spirit. For in
fact, the reason why the word of God came to us in the body and as the Gospel
says, was made flesh was that, since we were not able to have a share in him as
word, we might be one with him as flesh…. This communion with the Spirit of
Christ is the reason why we treat our bodies in an honorable way, as holy” (Easter
Homily of St. John Chrysostom, sch 36, p.91).
90. The body of every Christian should radiate the glory of God just as the face
of Moses radiated the glory of God after being with God on the mountain. Moses
spent only 40 days with God on the mountain but Christians carry the glory of
God who dwells in them forever. They should radiate more glory than Moses
whose glory faded with time.
It is the Holy Spirit that rejuvenates the human body, giving it new strength and
new energy daily. The Spirit also heals our bodies. This is the faith the Church
expresses in the sacrament of anointing of the sick. This sacrament is no longer
withheld until the moment of death but is conferred whenever someone is
seriously sick. Thus, in this sacrament, we not only expect that the sins of the
individual will be forgiven but also that “the prayer of faith will save the sick
person and the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:15).
➢ 91. The Holy Spirit helps Man to discern the Signs of the Time
St. Paul mentions a specific gift of the Holy Spirit which he described as
discernment (cf. 1 Cor 12:10). Discernment consists in putting every spirit to the
test. St. John advised, “Do not believe in every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God” (1 John 4: 1).
The Venerable Fathers of Vatican II emphasized the importance of discernment
when they said that, “the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs
of the times, and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. Thus, in a
language intelligible to each generation she can respond to the perennial questions
which men ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the
relationship of the one to the other. We must therefore recognize and understandthe world in which we live, its explanations, its longings and its often-dramatic
characteristics” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 4).
92. Through the gift of discernment, the Holy Spirit helps man to evaluate
situations and to direct his choices, not only on the basis of human wisdom and
prudence, but also in the light of the supernatural principles of faith. Christians
should therefore entrust themselves in every way and for everything to the inner
guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must walk with the light of the Holy Spirit, just
like the Israelites who at every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose
from their dwelling, the Israelites would resume their march (to the land of
promise). If the cloud did not rise, they would not resume their march until the
day it did rise” (cf. Exodus 40: 36-37).
THE HOLY SPIRIT MAN’S BEST FRIEND
93. The Church invokes the Holy Spirit as man’s helper and friend. We have
mentioned in this write-up, how the Holy Spirit is our helper. But the Holy Spirit
is more than our crisis-manager and productivity officer. The Spirit wants a
relationship with us, He wants to be our friend. The Bible says that, “A man who
has friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend who sticks closer
than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Sometimes, people complain that they do not
have friends. It may be simply because they are not friendly themselves. Be
friendly and you will have friends. It is consoling to know that the Holy Spirit is
available for our friendship. There is no human being on earth whose friendship
can compare with that of the Holy Spirit. He understands us, He is the Spirit of
God who knows and sees every part of us. He is a faithful friend who loves us in
spite of our inadequacies. He looks at us in the light of the blood of Jesus. He
knows who we are as the redeemed children of God. He therefore defends us as
our advocate, gives us his gifts and sustains us with his fruits.
➢ The Holy Spirit: Our Advocate
94. In the Gospel, we see Jesus refer to the Holy Spirit as the Advocate. Some
other translations of the Bible render this word as Counselor, Consoler, or
Comforter. The question that comes to mind is, why so many different
translations of the same word? The word in question is “Paraclitus”. It is full of
meaning, very difficult to translate, and these are all acceptable translations of
this profound word. Each of these other words gives us an idea of who the Holy
Spirit is and what he does for man.
In many languages, the word ‘advocate’ is the same as the word for a lawyer. So,
like an attorney in court, the Holy Spirit represents and defends us before God.But, unlike a lawyer in court, the Holy Spirit does not stand beside us but instead
dwells inside of us, appealing to the Father on our behalf from within our souls.
In total contrast to the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Bible speaks also of the
Devil as our accuser, “the accuser who night and day accuses us before God”
(Revelation. 12:10).
You can imagine a courtroom scene where you are the defendant, the Holy Spirit
is your attorney, and the prosecutor is Satan. After all the accusations, evidences
and perhaps lies from Satan, the Holy Spirit defends not on grounds of your merits
alone (If you have any) but on grounds of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross by which
he has won for us the atonement for our sins and the mercy of God our heavenly
Father.
95. The Holy Spirit acts as our advocate not only by securing us a place in the
world to come but also directing us in this world. As a faithful friend, He is always
near us to guide, lead and provide.
The Holy Spirit travels with us in the journey of life. He works through our
consciences, (provided they have been formed) convicting us of sin and urging
us to follow the law of the Lord. When we are in doubt, unsure of what path to
follow, the Spirit guides with the light of truth. He is always there for us as a true
friend.
96. From the name we know, the Holy Spirit is a comforter, He is a consoler.
Only a true friend can console and comfort you. In the ups and downs of life, in
this world called “valley of tears”, we certainly need consolation. The Holy Spirit
consoles us with peace that comes from a clean conscience not with false or
transitory pleasures that may come from evil. He consoles us with holiness and
friendship with God.
➢ The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with love
97. The Church describes the Holy Spirit as the fruit of the love between the
Father and the Son. If the Holy Spirit is nothing but the love of God personified,
it means that when someone is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is invariably filled
with love. This was what happened to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. When
the Bible reports that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, it means nothing
else than they were all filled with God’s love. Thus, the Pentecost was an
experience, a shift from the slave-heart full of fear to the filial-heart full of love
and courage. It was an experience filled with overwhelming intensity of God’s
love for the Apostles. One can say that the Apostles were literally “baptized in
love”. That was what moved them so much that some people thought they weredrunk (cf Acts 2:13). The sudden change in the lives of the Apostles can only be
explained by the fire of divine love which was at work in them. Indeed, every
time someone has a genuine, strong experience of the Holy Spirit, the most vivid
memory of the moment that the person retains is of an intense perception of the
Father’s love.
This is the most beautiful experience of any person’s life, that is to know that one
is loved personally by God. It is to feel oneself lifted by the love of the Trinity
and to find oneself in the flood of love that flows between the Father and the Son,
enfolded in their love. This is what the Holy Spirit accomplishes in our life.
➢ The Holy Spirit bears fruits in us
98. St. Paul enunciated the fruits which the Holy Spirit bears in the life of
Christians. He says, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5: 22-23). Each of
these fruits is produced by the Holy Spirit’s active presence in our daily activities.
We shall look at these fruits individually and find out the extent they are in our
lives.
99. Love: Love here refers to the unconditional goodwill towards others. It is
agape, the deliberate attitude to do good to others whether they deserve it or not.
100. Joy: This is gladness that is completely independent of the good or bad
things that happen around us. It is supernatural gladness given by God’s Spirit. It
is not dependent on material comfort or mundane successes.
101. Peace: This is the peace that comes from grace. It is not the absence of
turmoil but the presence of tranquility even while in a place of chaos. It is a sense
of completeness and wholeness that comes from faith in God. It is the “peace that
passes all comprehension” (Philippians 4: 6-7).
102. Patience: This is maturity at its peak. Other words which describe the
meaning of this word include: long-suffering, lenience, forbearance,
perseverance and steadfastness. It is the ability to endure ill treatment from life
or at the hands of others without lashing it out or paying back with the same ill
attitude. It is the ability to reach the breaking point without being broken.
103. Kindness: This is goodness which anticipates the needs of others. When
kindness is at work in a person’s life, the person looks for ways to adapt to meet
the needs of others even before they plead for help. It is a moral goodness that
overflows, it is also the absence of malice.104. Goodness: Goodness reflects the character of God. When goodness is at
work, goodness in you desires to see goodness in others. It may sometimes
demand confronting or rebuking others to bring out goodness in them as Jesus
did to the money changers in the temple.
105. Faithfulness: A faithful person is one with integrity. He is a stable,
responsible and reliable character. Such a person is one to whom others look at
as an example, someone who is truly devoted to others and to God. Our natural
tendency is to be selfish, to be in-charge or dominate. But the spirit-controlled
faithfulness shows itself in the life of one who always seeks the good of others
and the glory of God.
106. Gentleness: Gentleness is meekness, it is not weakness. Gentleness is not
without power. It just chooses to defer to others. It forgives others, corrects with
kindness and lives in tranquility.
107. Self-Control: Self-control is choosing to be controlled by the Spirit of God.
Our sensual desires, Scripture tells us, are continually at odds with God’s Spirit
and always want to be in-charge. Self-control is saying no to the flesh and yes to
the Spirit, allowing the Spirit to be in-charge.
➢ The Promise of the Holy Spirit
108. In the words of St. Peter on the day of the Pentecost, Peter said to the crowd,
“The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who
are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself” (Acts
2:39). Therefore, all we need to do is to be fully convinced that this promise of
the Holy Spirit made by Jesus is also meant for us.
As we conclude this chapter, based on our reflection so far, we can say with every
conviction that the Holy Spirit is our helper and friend. With his sevenfold gifts
and superabundant fruits, He provides for us what ordinary friends cannot provide
and does for us what many other friends cannot do. He is indeed our greatest
helper and best friend.CHAPTER EIGHT
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
109. St. Paul tells us that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). The essence of the spiritual
life in this regard is what we can call the “take over” of our hearts by an infinitely
superior power, namely, the Holy Spirit. In the life of Mary, we can see total
cooperation and willing abandonment to the Spirit. Mary preeminently
exemplifies this “take over” by the Spirit. Before the birth of Christ, the Holy
Spirit overshadowed her and she conceived. Thus, from the beginning of Christ
earthly life, the Spirit was always present to Him and his mother. We shall look
at some of these encounters.
• The Immaculate Conception
110. The dogma of Immaculate Conception was promulgated formally by Pope
Pius IX with the Papal Bull Ineffabilis Deus. He wrote that “the Most Blessed
Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception by a singular grace
and privilege of the Almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ,
savior of the human race, preserved from all stain of original sin”. This act of
preservation from original sin was done in and by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit
fashioned Mary to become the Mother of God. The life of Mary is a typical
example of the type of transformation the Spirit can bring in our lives.
• The Annunciation (Lk 1:26-36)
111. In biblical terms, overshadowing indicates the presence of God. We see this
overshadowing throughout the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 40:34-38,
‘then the cloud covered the tent of meeting’. Again, in 1 Kings 8:9-11, the cloud
rests upon the temple when the Ark was placed within it.
The overshadowing cloud of the Holy Spirit indicates the presence of God. The
cloud has no definitive shape, it is shapeless and therefore boundless. It is the
same with the Holy Spirit. The Christian tradition puts forward many symbols for
understanding the Spirit. These symbols do not tell us what the Spirit is, because
we know the Spirit is God. Our symbols for the Spirit tell us about what the Spirit
does. Our symbols for the Spirit help us to understand the acts, works and power
of the Spirit in the life of the Church and every Christian. Hence, we can look at
the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was made holy not by a man willing it, but by
God willing it. The cloud rested upon the Ark. The language and symbolic ideas
are used in the scene of the Annunciation. Christ is the New Covenant betweenGod and man, the lasting covenant for all time, and Mary the one who bore him
in her womb, is the Ark. She is the Ark of the New Covenant, through the cloud
of the Spirit resting upon her making the conception of Christ possible. The Spirit
makes life possible, if we are open to His presence. He is the Lord and giver of
life, “Dominus et vivificantem”. Mary is the preeminent witness to this truth about
the Holy Spirit.
• The Visitation (Luke 1:39-42)
112. The Gospel according to St. Luke shows us that Mary is fully alive in the
power of the Holy Spirit, for when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth there is a
veritable explosion of Holy Spirit power at the very sound of Mary’s voice (cf.
Luke 1:39-56). Everything in Mary’s life is taking place under the guidance and
power of the Holy Spirit. Mary, out of love for her family, goes to be with her
cousin. Love does not isolate a person but pushes the person to go out and share
love. Through the presence of Mary, we see the love given to her by the Spirit,
Jesus Christ, being shared with Elizabeth. The love of the Spirit knows no bounds,
because even the unborn child, John the Baptist, responded with joy and leapt in
his mother’s womb because he experienced the divine love of the Spirit. The
community being formed now in the house of Zechariah, is one of joy and love,
with its foundation being the life given by the Spirit.
• The Pentecost
113. Mary is always included among the first community of believers in
Jerusalem according to the recordings of St. Luke. She is among the central
characters that formed the bridge between the story of Jesus and the path of the
Church. The account from Acts 1:14 is a summary that corresponds to the most
ancient tradition of the Church of Jerusalem and that included one of the Church’s
first affirmations regarding Mary. She is presented as “the Mother of Jesus”. As
an irreplaceable witness of the birth and hidden life of Jesus, Mary guarantees the
true humanity of the Son of God, who by the power of the Holy Spirit was made
flesh in her flesh.
Pope John Paul II states, “In the nascent Church, Mary passes on to the disciples
her memories of the incarnation, the infancy, the hidden life and the mission of
her divine Son as a priceless treasure, thus helping to make Jesus known and to
strengthen the faith of believers” (Papal Audience, May 28,1997).114. Mary has already experienced the working of the Holy Spirit. It was through
his creative power that she could become a virgin-mother. But, “it was
appropriate that the first outpouring of the Spirit upon her, which had happened
in view of her divine motherhood, should be repeated and reinforced. Indeed, at
the foot of the cross, Mary was entrusted with a new motherhood, which
concerned Jesus’ disciples. It was precisely this mission that demanded a renewed
gift of the Spirit. The Blessed Virgin therefore wanted it for the fruitfulness of
her spiritual motherhood” (John Paul II, Papal Audience, May 28, 1997).
Similarly, reflecting on this, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, has affirmed that
“there is no Church without Pentecost and no Pentecost without the Virgin Mary”
(Regina Caeli, May 23,2010). In fact, in her profound humility and virginal love,
Mary has become the spouse of the Holy Spirit. By her faith, hope and charity,
Mary is a prototype of the Church. She is so emptied of herself and so full of love
for God’s will, that the Holy Spirit is pleased to continuously pour out Graces on
her soul and attend to her prayers for the early Church.
However, this experience of prayer with Mary, to invoke the Holy Spirit, is not
something that belongs to the past. Pope Benedict said that “wherever Christians
gather in prayer with Mary, the Lord gives His Spirit” (Regina Caeli, May 23,
2010). At Pentecost, Mary prayed with the disciples and the Lord sent the Holy
Spirit.
• The Assumption (Rev 12:1)
115. The old catechism says this about the Assumption that, “Mary experiences
immediately what we all will experience eventually, a bodily resurrection like
Christ’s own”. It is through the Holy Spirit that the resurrection occurs. Love
conquers death, a key aspect of the resurrection. The Holy Spirit as St. Augustine
teaches, is the love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father, poured
forth for all of us. Divine love personified is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the unique
relationship of Mary to the Spirit is yet again expressed through her assumption.
Her life shows us how the Spirit makes it possible that we will be made anew.
The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of the resurrection which Christ calls all to, at
the end of time.
Like Mary, we are called to be like Jesus, which is done in and through the Spirit,
who fashions and shapes us. Since the Spirit is fashioning and making us into His
holy temple (1 Corinthians. 3:16-17). The final work of the Spirit in our lives willbe manifested in our bodily resurrection from the dead. The Assumption of Mary
not only witnesses to this reality but helps to strengthen our hope in it.
• The Holy Spirit and the Spiritual Motherhood of Mary
116. According to Pope Paul VI, the Assumption did not put an end to Mary’s
mission as an associate to the Spirit of Christ in the mystery of salvation. Even
though she is now absorbed in joyful contemplation of the Blessed Trinity, she
continues to be spiritually present to all her redeemed children, being constantly
inspired in this noble function by the uncreated love which is the soul of the
mystical body and its ultimate source of life (cf. Paul VI, Letter: The Holy Spirit
and Mary, May13, 1975).
The Fathers of the Vatican Council II explained the motherhood of Mary when
they said that, “this maternity of Mary in the order of Grace began with the
consent which she gave in faith at the Annunciation and which she sustained
without wavering beneath the cross, and lasts until the eternal fulfilment of all the
elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this salvific duty, but by her
constant intercession continued to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. By her
maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her son, who still journey on earth
surrounded by dangers and cultics, until they are led into the happiness of their
true home” (Lumen Gentium, 62).
117. Pope Francis described Mary as the Mother of evangelization saying that
“with the Holy Spirit, Mary is always present in the midst of the people, she
joined the disciples in praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14) and
thus made possible the missionary outburst which took place at Pentecost. She is
the mother of the Church which evangelizes, and without her, we could never
truly understand the Spirit of the new evangelization. As a true mother, She walks
at our side, she shares our struggles and She constantly surrounds us with God’s
love” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium no.284).
The Blessed Virgin Mary is therefore our spiritual mother and model. She has
trodden the straight and narrow path which leads to sanctity; before us She has
carried the cross, before us She has known the ascents of the Spirit through
suffering. Sometimes, perhaps, we do not dare to look at Jesus the God-Man, who
because of his divinity seems too far above us; but near him is Mary, His Mother
and our Mother, a privileged creature surely, yet a creature like ourselves, and
therefore a model more accessible for our weakness. Mary comes to meet us, to
take us by the hand, to initiate us into the secret of her interior life, which must
become the model and norm for us.CHAPTER NINE
CONCLUSION
Having known that the Holy Spirit is our helper and friend, what can we do to
benefit from this relationship?
• Devotion to the Holy Spirit
118. We need to be more devoted to the Holy Spirit. Devotion is defined as the
deep disposition of the will to do promptly what concerns the worship and service
of God. Essential to devotion is readiness to do whatever gives honor to God and
enhances our relationship with him. Devotion to the Holy Spirit brings us ever
closer to the heart of God the Father and God the Son.
We can practice this devotion by constant invocation of the Holy Spirit in our
private and public prayers. The traditional prayer of the Church invoking the Holy
Spirit should be known, internalized and used always to invite the loving presence
and sanctifying action of the Spirit in our lives. The prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your divine love”,
“Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created” “And you shall renew the face
of the earth”.
“O God, who did instruct the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant us that we might be truly wise and always rejoice in His consolation,
through Christ our Lord”, Amen.
The need to always say this prayer at all times cannot be over emphasized.
• Making the Sign of the Cross
119. Making the sign of the cross with devotion brings us closer to the Blessed
Trinity especially the Holy Spirit who enjoys from us equal reverence with the
Father and the Son whenever we make the sign of the cross. The fatherly love of
the Blessed Trinity accompanies us and we become the temple of the Trinity.
• Walking in the Spirit
120. Walking in the Spirit is being conscious of the presence of the Spirit of God
in our lives. St. Paul teaches us to walk in the Spirit by putting to death the deeds
of the flesh. The Holy Spirit creates in us a desire to be like Christ.• Novena to the Holy Spirit
121. The Novena to the Holy Spirit is the prototype of all novenas because, in a
sense, it was instituted by Christ himself when he sent his apostles back to
Jerusalem to wait in prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit. We may always
remember that Mary, the Apostles and the Disciples spent nine days between our
Lord’s Ascension into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost in “constant prayer” (Acts 1:12-14).
Some see this as the model not only for the novena to the Holy Spirit but for all
other novenas as well. The novena is a prayer of hope that God will intervene
with his divine power. It is also a prayer of faith that God will keep his fatherly
promises as he did by sending the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ.
122. The Fire of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the fire of love. He is the fire of holiness, He is the fire of truth
and justice. The Holy Spirit consumes evil and strengthens goodness, not with
physical fire. True devotion to the Holy Spirit transforms us into agents of divine
love and true sons and daughters of God.CHAPTER TEN
PRAYER
123. Almighty and ever-living God, you fulfilled the Easter promise by sending
us your Holy Spirit. May that Spirit unite the races and nations on earth to
proclaim your glory.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son. Amen.
(From the Collect of the Vigil Mass for Pentecost)
Given in Onitsha, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, on 2nd
March, Ash Wednesday, in the year of our Lord 2022
MOST REV. VALERIAN M. OKEKE
Archbishop of OnitshaArchbishop Valerian Okeke Pastoral Letter Series:
1. That they may have Life (2004)
2. The Measure of Love (2005)
3. Our Glorious Heritage (2005)
4. If only you have Faith (2006)
5. Go Make Disciple of All Nations (2006)
6. You and the Common Good (2007)
7. The Family and Human Life (2008)
8. Our Greatest Legacy (2009)
9. The Splendour of Prayer (2010)
10. Gratitude (2011)
11. The Dignity of Labour (2012)
12. Living Hope (2013)
13. Catholic Education and National Development (2014)
14. Democracy and Christian Values (2015)
15. Blessed are the Merciful (2016)
16. Blessed are the Peacemakers (2017)
17. Mary Our Mother (2018)
18. The Holy Eucharist: Our Strength (2019)
19. The Sacraments: Our Treasure (2020)
20. The Priesthood: Gift and Sacrifice (2021)
21. Holy Spirit: Man’s Helper and Friend (2022)
To read online visit www.archbishopvalokeke.org/my-pastoral-letters/