The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the last of the Persons of the Trinity to be revealed.  St. Gregory, writing in the 4^th century, explained how this revelation unfolded: “The Old Testament proclaimed the Father clearly, but the Son more obscurely.  The New Testament revealed the Son and gave us a glimpse of the divinity of the Spirit.  Now the Spirit dwells among us and grants us a clearer vision of Himself.”

The fact that the Holy Spirit is God – consubstantial, with the Father and the Son – took time to be recognized and proclaimed. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is hidden but is at work.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that, “When the Church reads the Old Testament, she searches for what the Spirit, ‘who has spoken through the prophets,’ wants to tell us about Christ.”  Both the Hebrew word and the Greek word for the Spirit originally meant “breath” or “air” or “wind.”  This is why the Spirit was understood to be the source of inspiration, life, and movement within God’s people.

The Gospels show us the dynamic action of the Holy Spirit.  “By the power of the Holy Spirit,” Jesus is conceived by Mary.  It is the Spirit, in the form of a dove, who appears at Jesus’ baptism and, after His baptism, prompts Jesus to go into the desert to face temptation before He begins his public life.

Even though the Holy Spirit is the last Person of the Trinity to be revealed, the Spirit has been, from the very beginning, a part of the plan of salvation.  The Catechism tells us that “When the Father sends his Word” – Jesus – “He always sends his Breath” – the Spirit.  “In their joint mission, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable.”

The Holy Spirit continues to give us knowledge of God, living and active in the Church.  The Catechism says that we sense His presence in several ways: when we read and study Scripture; when we allow ourselves to be motivated to holiness by the examples of the saints; when we abide by the teachings of the Magisterium; when we participate in Mass and receive the sacraments; when we pray; when we engage in service and missionary efforts; when we recognize our gifts and the gifts of others that can be used to build the Church; and when we contemplate the Tradition and history of the Church.

It is the mission of the Holy Spirit to help us draw near to God.  When the Holy Spirit is present and active in our lives, we experience the presence of God.