“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
This is how Catholics begin almost everything, from meals to the Mass. The Trinity is one of the deepest mysteries of our Catholic Faith. We believe that God is one, yet also three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Many of us find God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) easier to understand than the Holy Spirit. Because the Trinity is a mystery, we have to be careful not to try to explain that mystery away. Even so, God has revealed himself to us, and in doing so, he has also revealed the Holy Spirit. So who is this Holy Spirit?
First and foremost, the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. We worship him as we do the Father and the Son, and he has existed for all time with them in an “eternal exchange of love” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 221). He acts together with the other two Persons of the Trinity; their actions cannot be separated (CCC 266-267).
Even though the Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son, he is also a distinct Person of the Trinity, which is what we mean when we say that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son” (Nicene Creed). Each Person of the Trinity is distinct because of his relationship to the other two Persons, and the Holy Spirit’s relationship is that he is eternally “sent” from the Father and the Son (see CCC 252, 254).
Simply put, the Holy Spirit is the gift of God’s own self that is given to us, especially in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. What an incredible gift!
The Catechism tells us that there are many places where we can see the work of the Holy Spirit, including the Scriptures which he inspired and the Tradition of the Church which he guides (CCC 688). Let’s take a look at a few instances of the Holy Spirit within the Scriptures and how those relate to our daily lives.
The Holy Spirit Creates and Renews
In Genesis we read that “the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). The Holy Spirit was there, creating the world, because the Holy Spirit is God. Dynamic and life-giving, he brings order where there was chaos and light where there was darkness. And it was by the Holy Spirit that Mary conceived Jesus, bringing the greatest light into the darkness of our sin (see Luke 1:35).
At your baptism, the Holy Spirit made you a new creation, a member of God’s Church. Imagine what he can do in our day-to-day lives if we ask. He can renew us, bring order into the chaos of our lives, reorient our focus back toward God, and reorganize our priorities to align with God’s will.
Even more amazing, the Holy Spirit invites us into his creative work, so that when we unite our work to him, we participate in the divine love that brought about creation at the beginning of time.
It is from the love of the Trinity that the whole world was made, including us, and we are called in a special way to participate in the love of the Trinity, to “love one another” (John 13:34). We are helpers in the mission to bring Christ’s love to the world, just as the Holy Spirit did at the Incarnation.
The Holy Spirit Empowers and Inspires
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles. In the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and Resurrection, the apostles hid in the Upper Room in fear. But when the Spirit came to them and dwelt in them, they went out and proclaimed the Good News in a miraculous way (see Acts 2). The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to overcome their worldly fears and live instead with minds fixed on the most important things: the things of heaven.
In Baptism and Confirmation, the Holy Spirit comes down upon each one of us. We are offered the same gift that the apostles were given, a gift that drew them out of fear and hiding so that they could proclaim the Gospel to all nations.
Where are we hiding in fear? Are there areas of our lives that we are afraid to bring before God? Are we ashamed of proclaiming God’s truth in the way we live our daily lives?
The Holy Spirit can help us. We can call upon his name through the Sign of the Cross, which the Catechism affirms is a proper prayer in times of difficulty and temptation (CCC 2157). Through the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, we can proclaim God’s love in all that we do.
The Holy Spirit Guides and Comforts
As Jesus prepared for his death, Resurrection, and Ascension, he promised his apostles that he would not leave them alone. He promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide and teach them in this new situation that probably felt strange, confusing, and scary (see John 14:18, 26). Throughout the apostles' missions, the Holy Spirit guided their words and actions and comforted them with the truth that God is close, even when things feel hopeless.
In all our darkest moments, in our difficult decisions, in everything we do, the Holy Spirit acts as a guide. Even when it feels like we have been abandoned, we can trust that God is with us. The Holy Spirit dwells within us always, and not as an obscure and impersonal guide. He is the gift of God’s self, which is a loving communion of Persons. We can have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Better yet, he wants to have a personal relationship with us!
Even in our loneliest moments, we not only have a God who is present intimately with us; we have a God who is our friend, who cares about every detail of our lives, and who will give us the grace to discern his will, even when it is difficult.
Boundless Love
Although it can be tricky to understand exactly who the Holy Spirit is, our Sacred Scripture and Tradition offer us a peek into his mystery.
The Holy Spirit creates, the Holy Spirit inspires, and the Holy Spirit guides. He is God, the one God who wants to have a personal, loving relationship with you. He wants to give himself to you fully and offer you the graces to love as he does.
The Holy Spirit wants to transform your life. And the beautiful truth is that because the Holy Spirit is God, he a boundless love—and someone you can get to know better throughout your entire life.
Learn more about the identity of the Holy Spirit and how he works in your life in the five-session study program, The Holy Spirit: The Lord, the Giver of Life by Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio and Dr. James Papandrea.
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