The third person of the Holy Trinity is a REAL PERSON! He does exist! Do you believe this?
As clear as He was to see in the flames of the Burning Bush by Moses, so He was clearly seen as a waterfall coming down from Heaven and resting upon Jesus when everyone heard the voice of the Father state:
This is my beloved Son, with You I am well Pleased!
In our second reading from Acts, it is clear that the Holy Spirit is directly linked to the life and mission of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is always with Jesus, and never leaves his side.
We as fellow Christians experience the reality of the Holy Spirit in four distinct ways: God’s Love, New Life, Justice, and Holiness.
God’s Love
When you truly love another, don’t you feel the bond between you as being more than human interaction and/or contact? The relationships that we value, honor, treasure, etc. — don’t we give ourselves over to feeling God’s unconditional and all-powerful love in our hearts?
New Life
In the Nicene Creed that we pray each weekend, it states:
We profess the Holy Spirit to be the Lord, the giver of life.
When we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives, we experience a profound newness of life — a vitality, an improved relationship with God, a new sense of direction, and simply being at peace.
Justice
When we are open to the Holy Spirit in our lives, we feel compelled to work for the sake of others. We gain courage to do what is right on the behalf of others.
Holiness
The Holy Spirit gives us the gifts we need to respond to the gifts that we received at our baptism. The more that we know God, the more we seem to need Him in our lives.
You are probably wondering how to get close to the Holy Spirit? The answer is pretty simple, just ask Him!
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Pour out the love of God into my broken heart; I need it.
Pour out mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness, and help me hear the words:
You are my beloved child.
Eric Wight writes the following joke, (and I won’t be surprised if no one gets it):
One winter morning, an employee explained why he had shown up for work 45 minutes late.
It was so slippery out that for every step I took ahead, I slipped back two.
The boss eyed him suspiciously.
Oh yeah? Then how did you ever get here?
He said,
I finally gave up, and started for home.
Sometimes our lives can feel the same way, no matter how good our intentions are, we seem to struggle to move forward. No matter what our situations may be, I encourage you to simply ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and the grace to move forward. God calls us to be renewed in his very own life. Let us together approach the Altar of the Lord.