“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
Today is Pentecost Sunday, a day on which we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary in the Upper Room. Of course, as Catholic Christians, we know that the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Holy Trinity. The fact of one God made up of three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is a basic teaching of the Christian faith, yet it’s anything but simple.
The brilliant Fr. Robert Spitzer recently joined A Closer LookTM to share a thought-provoking explanation of the Holy Trinity. He describes the Father as the lover, the Son as the beloved, and the Holy Spirit as the beloved in their union. Here’s what that means:
“What the Holy Spirit does is receive that joint love, that joint gift of self of the Father and the Son; receives it as it is being poured out to him and what does he do? He gives it back; he reflects their unified love back to them like a child loves his parents together and actually strengthens their love for one another through the self-gift that comes from them and their love,” explains Fr. Spitzer.
The Holy Spirit points us to the love of Jesus Christ and inspires us to bring the light and goodness of our faith into the world. It’s up to you to invite the Holy Spirit to work in your life. When you train yourself to see the promptings of the Holy Spirit and bravely respond to them, you will be amazed at how God can work through you. Here’s a simple prayer to pray daily as an invitation to the Holy Spirit to move and work in your life.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Listen to the full podcast with Fr. Robert Spitzer:
Tune in to A Closer LookTM weekdays at 5-6pm CT only on Relevant Radio®.
