How to Use this Guide
Each of the following reflections presents the major elements of the Church’s teaching on the Holy Spirit as developed in the Catechism. They are meant to help families and other small groups reflect prayerfully on the significance of the Holy Spirit and his mission, in preparation for the millennium. Try to set aside an hour each week to go through the Catechism and the corresponding scriptural references, discussing them among your families or in small groups from your parish. For each section do the following:
Read the selections from the Catechism seeking to understand the main points of consideration. Read the synopsis, which is mean to highlight certain aspects of the doctrine. Discuss what is most important about this doctrine and why.
Look up the Scripture references. Consider how they help illustrate the doctrinal teaching. Notice how Catholic doctrine is a further development of the biblical witness.
Beginning with the discussion questions, consider how the doctrinal teaching relates to your own life and what you need to do to engage this teaching in a more fruitful way.
Using the Scriptures for further reflection, spend the remainder of your week reflecting on this aspect of the Church’s doctrine, not just as an isolated teaching, but as it relates to the whole of the Catholic faith.
From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has called for a “new evangelization”: An evangelization not new in content, but new in terms of expression, ardor, and methods. Centered on Jesus Christ, this evangelization is directed toward those who have never heard the Christian message, but also to those who, once instructed in the faith, need to regain a living sense of that faith. Along with a new evangelization, the pope has called the Church to prepare for the coming millennium through an “unfolding of Christian faith in word and sacrament.”
The year 1998 is set aside for reflection on the role of “the Holy Spirit and his sanctifying presence within the community of Christ’s disciples.” It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Incarnation was brought about, inaugurating the climax of salvation history. John Paul points out that it is only in the Spirit that the Church can prepare for the millennium, because “what was accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit ‘in the fullness of time’ can only through the Spirit’s power now emerge from the memory of the Church.” Thus, there needs to be a “renewed appreciation of the presence and activity of the Spirit, who acts within the Church both in the sacraments . . . and in the variety of charisms, roles, and ministries which he inspires for the good of the Church.”
Catholic thought is notable for its interplay between Spirit and institution. These two aspects cannot rightly be regarded apart from each other. Without the Holy Spirit, the Church would be a skeleton, lacking any vital force. Without some form of institutional or incarnational embodiment, the Spirit would be attenuated, vague, ambiguous, and indefinite. The Spirit works from within to give life to an institution.
The Catechism develops its portrait of the Holy Spirit by emphasizing the joint mission of the Son and the Spirit. The work of the Spirit is primarily the Church, which can be considered an incarnation of the Holy Spirit; that is, the Church makes visible the work of the Holy Spirit, who continues the mission and ministry of Jesus. The identity between the Church and the Spirit should not, however, be understood in the same way as the unity between the Son and his incarnate humanity. While faith perceives the life of the Holy Spirit within the Church, it also recognizes the reality and persistence of human sin. Christ was sinless in his human incarnation; the Church is not, and hence is always in need of reform. The Holy Spirit is the principle of this reform, making the Church holy by inculcating within her the life of the Trinity.
Week One
I believe in the Holy Spirit
- Read §§ 683-688
No one can proclaim Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit awakens our faith by illuminating our minds with the truth of Christ’s divinity. This awakening of the Spirit in the heart of the believer is the recognition that one has been made a son or daughter of God, and henceforth can cry with Jesus, “Abba, Father.”
The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the believer into contact with the mystery of Christ. As the Catechism states, “to be in touch with Christ we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is the sacramental gift of faith and the Holy Spirit, and is not a singular event but an ongoing experience of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who “unveils Christ to us.” This experience of indwelling is not an isolated one, but takes its place within the living communion of the Church, her Scriptures and tradition, her liturgy and sacraments, and the lives of her members.
Scripture
- 1 Cor. 2:11—No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit.
- John 14:26—The Spirit will instruct you in everything.
Discussion
- What are ways in which faith is awakened?
- How can the Spirit be said to be active in this awakening?
Further Reflection
- Matt. 10:16-20
- John 14:16-18
- Cor. 12:3
Week 2
The Joint mission of the Son and the Spirit
- Read §§ 689-690
The Catechism clearly states that the acts of the Son and the Holy Spirit have joint missions which, though distinct, are inseparable. The Spirit can be considered both within the Trinitarian mystery and within salvation history. Within the Trinity, the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son in an eternal way. Within history, however, the Spirit precedes the Son as the principle by which the Son is incarnated, and overshadows the Virgin Mary in order that the Son may assume human nature. It is through this anointing in the Spirit that the Son brings about salvation. Once the work of redemption is complete and the Son is glorified, he then bestows the Spirit on the Church.
The primary mission of the Son and the Spirit is to unite man with God—to establish communion. The Spirit unites us with Christ in order to unite us with the Father. In other words, Christ gives the Spirit in baptism so that the Spirit can unite and incorporate the Christian with Christ in his body, the Church. Thus united with Christ in the Spirit, the Christian is united with the Father.
Scripture
- Matt. 12:18-21—Here is the one endowed with my Spirit.
- Luke 4:18-19—The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
Discussion
- What are some aspects of the common mission of the Son and the Spirit?
- How do the distinct roles of the Son and Spirit work together?
Further Reflection
- John 4:21-24
- Mark 1:10
- John 20:19-23
Week 3
Titles of the Holy Spirit
- Read §§ 691-693
The Catechism points out that the proper name of the one who is worshipped with the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. The term “Spirit” translates the Old Testament concepts of breath, air, and wind. In the account of the creation of man, the Lord breathed into the clay the breath of life, and it became a living being. God’s life-giving breath prefigures the Spirit of God who gives new life. But this Spirit is also called Holy, for as the Father and Son are holy, so too is the Spirit, who then sanctifies the Christian by setting him apart and consecrating him to the Lord.
Scripture
- Titus 3:4-7—God saved us through renewal in the Spirit.
- Acts 1:4-5—Wait for the Father’s promise.
Discussion
- How does the Spirit make someone holy?
- What is the significance of the title “Spirit of truth”?
Further Reflection
- John 14:16-27
- Gal. 3:14
- Rom. 8:15
Week 4
Symbols of the Holy Spirit
- Read §§ 694-701
The various symbols of the Holy Spirit are a valuable resource for opening our minds to meditate on the rich work of the Spirit. Fire, for example, calls to mind light, heat, purgation, and transformation, while water calls to mind life, death, cleansing, and thirst. These are some of the ways in which the Spirit works within the life of the Christian. The biblical image of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the desert reminds us that our lives are to be led by the Spirit. The tongues of fire that descended upon the disciples reminds us that Jesus promised that the Spirit will give us the words to speak. If we allow them to, the biblical images of the Spirit can gently lead us to an awareness of the life-transforming aspects of that Spirit. As the sacraments take up material elements and transform them by the power of the Word, so the material symbols of everyday life are taken up by the Spirit in order to communicate the truth of his work.
Scripture
- John 7:37-39—Rivers of living water.
- Acts 2:1-12—The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Discussion
- How does symbolic language such as fire, water, and light help us to understand the work of the Spirit?
- What are various ways in which you have experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit?
Further Reflection
- Luke 3:16
- John 1:32-33
- Cor. 1:21-22
Week 5
The Spirit in the Old Testament
- Read §§ 702-716
The Old Testament was the time of promises, pointing toward a fuller expression and completion found in the New Testament. God’s Word and Spirit prepare for the coming of the Messiah, but in a more hidden way. As man was created in the image and likeness of God, the Catechism—following the prevailing exegesis of the early Church fathers—states that man, disfigured by sin, remains in the images of God and the Son, but loses the likeness of God which is equated with his glory. The Son restores man in God’s likeness by bestowing on human nature God’s glory: his Holy Spirit. Thus the Old Testament promise of redemption includes the outpouring of God’s Spirit, fulfilled by the Spirit’s indwelling in the life of the Christian.
Scripture
- Ezek. 36:25-30—I will place my spirit within you.
- Joel 3:1-5—I will pour out my spirit on all mankind.
Discussion
- What foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit do you find in the Old Testament?
- How does this foreshadowing enable us to understand the work of the Spirit?
Further Reflection
- Psalm 51:12-13
- Gen. 2:7
- Num. 27:18
Week 6
The Spirit in the Gospels (John the Baptist and Mary)
- Read §§ 717-726
The Spirit of promise in the Old Testament gives rise to those who in “the fullness of time” await this redemption, beginning with John the Baptist and Mary. This will find its perfect completion in Jesus the Messiah, the one who is anointed with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist prepares the people of God for the divine visitation of the one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit. In Mary, the Holy Spirit prepares a dwelling place for the Son of God by preparing her to be the mother of Christ. By her openness to the Spirit and her response of faith, she became the dwelling place of Christ and the Spirit, fulfilling the Father’s plan. In the same way the Church, symbolized by Mary, is prepared as a dwelling place for Christ.
Scripture
- Luke 1:13-17—John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in his mother’s womb.
- Luke 1:26-38—The Annunciation to Mary.
Discussion
- In what ways does the Holy Spirit prepare Mary to receive Jesus?
- How can one be receptive to the Spirit’s work?
Further Reflection
- Luke 1:39-45
- Matt. 1:20-24
- John 4:11-16
Week 7
The Spirit in the Life of Christ
- Read §§ 727-730
Jesus is the Messiah precisely because he is anointed by the Holy Spirit. This messianic consecration as priest, prophet, and king is revealed at the moment of his baptism by John in the Jordan. Having treated the role of the Spirit more fully in the Christological section of the Catechism, this section in the Catechism focuses on the fuller revelation of the Spirit as the one who glorifies Christ in his death and resurrection. Once glorified, Christ fully reveals the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Father’s promise, the one who will bear witness to Christ and call to mind all that he has said.
Scripture
- Matt. 3:13-17—The baptism of Jesus.
- John 20:22-23—Receive the Holy Spirit.
Discussion
- In what ways does the Spirit empower Jesus?
- How does the Spirit glorify Christ?
Further Reflection
- Luke 4:14
- Matt. 12:28
- Luke 10:21-22
Week 8
- The Spirit and the Church
- Read §§ 737-741
The fullness of the Holy Spirit is revealed on Pentecost, when the Lord pours out the Spirit in abundance on the early Church. The Church is the primary work of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit is the first fruits of the Church’s inheritance, which is life in the Trinity. The Spirit establishes the Church by creating a space in which the Word comes to fruition. The Spirit manifests the risen Christ and makes him present in the Eucharist, which the Church celebrates. This establishes the Church as a communion, both vertically with God and horizontally with all members of the body of Christ.
Scripture
- 1 Cor. 12:1-11—The unity and variety of the gifts of the Spirit.
- Gal. 5:22-26—Fruits of the Spirit.
Discussion
- How does the Spirit establish unity among the diverse elements of the Church?
- How does the Spirit unite the Church through his gifts?
Further Reflection
- Luke 11:13
- John 3:8
- John 16:13