“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5)

Striving to love God and our neighbor is a daily challenge. We need all the help we can get from above. As we struggle to grow in perfect love, Our Lord sends us his Spirit to help us in our spiritual journey.

All four Gospels depict the Holy Spirit as a dove descending from the heavens and resting on Jesus at his baptism in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:30-32). A voice from the heavens confirms that he is the Son of God. This account gives a clear picture of the Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Spirit — One God in three Divine Persons.

Paraclete, Advocate, Helper & Comforter

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Triune God, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. He is called the “Paraclete” (Greek: parakletos), which translates to “Advocate, Helper, Comforter” in English.1

Spirit of Love and Truth

Love and truth go hand in hand. Jesus promised to send his Spirit of Truth if we follow his commandments out of love for him.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,  the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept. (John 14:15-27).

If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

The truth liberates and empowers us. Jesus, who is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), declared:

If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32)

Through his Spirit of Truth, we are set free from the chains that bind us to darkness and are able to grow in the light of perfect love.

Perfect love casts out fear

St. John the Evangelist declares, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

After the Apostles witnessed the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, they locked themselves in the upper room and hid in fear (John 20:19-29). Once they received the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to go out into the streets and boldly proclaim the gospel of Christ (Acts 2:1-5), which is the gospel of everlasting life.

Call to Holiness

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

We are called to be holy as our Lord is holy. Holiness means to be set apart from the world by living in God’s perfect love and truth. It is about rejecting the spirit of the world and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and minds so that we conform our will to God’s will. We are called to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in holiness. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are based on an ancient prophecy from Isaiah:

But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
    and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
    a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
    a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord

Isaiah 11:1-2

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. The following definitions of the gifts are based on the Baltimore Catechism:

    1. WISDOM gives us a love for the things of God, and directs our whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory.
    2. UNDERSTANDING enables us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith.
    3. COUNSEL warns us of the deceits of the devil, and of the dangers to salvation.
    4. FORTITUDE strengthens us to do the will of God in all things.
    5. KNOWLEDGE enables us to discover the will of God in all things. 
    6. PIETY makes us love God as a Father and obey Him because we love Him.
    7. FEAR OF THE LORD fills us with a dread of sin and separation from God.
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

A tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43-45). If we strive to grow in holiness, we will bear the fruits of the spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Breath of God

While Jesus is the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is the Breath of God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Word of God and his Breath are at the origin of the being and life of every creature” (CCC 703).

The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God. Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world . . . When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him. (CCC 689)

The Soul of the Church

Just as our bodies are animated by our souls, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, is animated by the Holy Spirit. St Augustine was the first to give this analogy in the fourth century. In one of his sermons, he states:

What our spirit, i.e., our soul, is for our members, the Holy Spirit is for Christ’s members, for the Body of Christ which is the Church.  (Serm. 267, 4).

The Spirit of Truth is what animates the Mystical Body of Christ, which is “the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15),

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth.  (John 16:13)

  1. Merriam Webster Dictionary- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Paraclete