The Holy Spirit

Acts 2

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit did not just appear at Pentecost!
As God, He always existed!
The Holy Spirit is truly a person not just a
magical force.
(Not a what, but a WHO, not an it, but a HE)

He is the life-giving breath of God- in Hebrew

ruah
He is Gods greatest gift to us: the gift of Himself
dwelling within us!

Why do we need the Holy Spirit?

"No one can say 'Jesus is Lord'

except by the Holy Spirit.

This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy

Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have
been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us
and kindles faith in us.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

Safeguards the church from error in matters
of faith and morals
Strengthens and matures the gifts we
received at Baptism
Acts as our Advocate and our Defender
guiding and protecting us
Gives us the light to discover the Truth
Helps us in prayer
Helps us speak Gods word with boldness

What else does the Holy Spirit

do?
Comforts and consoles us
Empowers us to overcome sin
Energizes people (Mary at the Annunciation,
Jesus at his Baptism, the disciples at Pentecost,
You doing what you know is right)
Builds up the Body of Christ, the Church, and
makes it holy

THE SPIRIT IS THE POWER OF GOD

(GOD HIMSELF) AT WORK IN US!

Titles of the Holy Spirit

Paraclete

Consoler

When he proclaims and promises the coming of the

Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the "Paraclete," literally,
"he who is called to one's side," ad_vocatus.
"Paraclete" is commonly translated as "consoler,"
and Jesus is the first consoler.
The Lord also called the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth.
Besides the proper name of "Holy Spirit," which is most
frequently used in the Acts of the Apostles and in the
Epistles, we also find in St. Paul the titles: the Spirit of the
promise, the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of Christ, the
Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirit of God - and, in St. Peter,
the Spirit of glory.

Fire
Fire symbolizes the transforming
energy of the Holy
Spirit's actions

Symbols of the Holy Spirit

The prayer of the prophet Elijah,
who "arose like fire" and whose
"word burned like a torch," brought
down fire from heaven on the
sacrifice on Mount Carmel.

Moses and the Burning Bush

Dove
Christian iconography
traditionally uses a dove to
suggest the Spirit

Noah
Christs Baptism

Anointing

The symbolism of anointing with oil also

signifies the
Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a
synonym for the Holy Spirit.
In Christian initiation, anointing is the
sacramental sign of Confirmation

Water
The symbolism of
water signifies the Holy
Spirit's action
in Baptism, since after
the invocation of the
Holy Spirit
it becomes the
efficacious
sacramental sign of
new birth.

Cloud and Light

The Holy Spirit guided the
Israelites to freedom

The Finger

God wrote the Ten

Commandments Himself!
They were inscribed with the
finger of Goda nice personal
touch!

What the Holy Spirit gives us

1. Gifts
2. Fruits
3. Charisms

The GIFTS of the Holy Spirit

WISDOM- helps us to see clearly;
helps us to see ourselves &
others as God sees us
KNOWLEDGE- ability to see how
God is in our life and world
PIETY- reverence for the Lord
and respect for others

 FORTITUTDE- (courage) helps us

give witness to our faith and stand up
for what we know is right; helps us act
on our beliefs and persevere in faith.
the strength to do the right thing
UNDERSTANDING-helps us grasp the
truth and see the world from Gods
perspective; leads us to reconciliation
and peace in times of conflict

 COUNSEL (right judgment)- helps

us act in morally good ways; often
involves asking others for help and
offering good advice to others
WONDER & AWE (fear of the
Lord)- helps us remain open to the
loving presence of God; helps us
appreciate the mystery of the Trinity

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

The fruits of the Spirit result from the Holy Spirit
living in us over time.
They are:

Patience
Kindness
Gentleness
Joy
Peace
Love
Faithfulness
Generosity
Self-control

What are charisms?

Charisms are special gifts that build up the
Church, the Body of Christ.
They are given for the benefit of the
Church community not for the individual.
Paul lists them in his first letter to the
Corinthians. They are

Charisms

Wisdom
Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miracle-Working
Prophecy
Discernment
Speaking in tongues
Interpreting tongues

The Holy Spirit in Your

Life
In what ways is the Holy Spirit present in you
and with you?
What is the Spirit calling you to do?
What aspects of nature help you glimpse the
Spirit?
How have you experienced the presence of the
Spirit during hard times and suffering?
How do you experience the work of the Spirit in
your faith community (or your school
community)?

Prayer Reflection
Holy Spirit of God
Grant us the wisdom to see what is truth.
Help us grow in understanding you, our
Creator.
Help us grow in knowledge of all your
creation.
Give us good counsel to know what is
right.
Grant us piety to adore you.
Grant us fear of the Lord to respect
ourselves.

The Holy Spirit