The Holy Spirit speaks to us the truth about God and shows us the love of the Father and the self-giving of the Son. For him it is the only reality. JOHN 14: 15– 20. It marked a turning point in the early church. The Holy Spirit brings spiritual freedom no matter what. 1904 epér x omai (from 1909 /epí, "on, fitting" and 2064/er x omai, "come") – properly, come upon, i.e. Moved by the Spirit, he recognized the promised Messiah. Today we are celebrating the fact that the coming of the Holy Spirit is a daily event in the life of the Christian and of the church. "The Coming of The Holy Spirit." He will begin to deal with the sins in our life and help us overcome them. Among their characteristics I would include the following: In a word, they are the true charismatics. As mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, outpourings of the Holy Spirit can include healing, prophecy, exorcism, and speaking in tongues. Anything less than this dishonours Him and exhibits an heart of unbelief which comes under His condemnation. They can see Christ, hear him, and touch him in their family and community. The inner life of a human being, however, is complicated. The change involved a purgation of all false illusions about themselves, a death to self in order to come alive to Christ. The Holy Spirit never permanently indwelt believers prior to the Day of Pentecost. Quick Facts . [2], Jesus loved Peter in a special way, and was preparing him for an extraordinary role in the future mission of his Church. The Coming of the Spirit. We'll look more at the Holy Spirit’s dealing with the disciples in future studies. So, he was surprised and hurt at the words of Jesus. When Peter and the disciples reached the third stage of the journey to God, they became conscious of the mirror of Christ within. The disciples began to row ashore rapidly. Those who have reached the third stage of the journey to God are more open to the movements of the spirit within. The Holy Spirit is the name of the third person in the Trinity, sometimes called the Holy Ghost.Jesus promised the Apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit after his crucifixion and resurrection: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. [1] Peter's surprise came not because he learned that he would deny Jesus. A There is one God manifested in three … God's approach to us initially is through the senses. It becomes part of the condition of that growth. The Kingdom was at hand (Matthew 3:2) 2. … He brings them back to that journey to the Father and the Father's house. We must, therefore, pass from this world into the next to attain that loving union with God. The Holy Spirit, He taught them would come alongside them. He is bringing those we love alive in us in ways that they were never alive before, in ways that they never would come alive within us as long as we have their external presence. The Apostles were out on the sea fishing when they saw a solitary figure standing on the shore. The Holy Spirit came to the earth to begin a new ministry on the Day of Pentecost (Acts Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:17; Acts 11:15). Through the external presence and actions of Jesus outside, God begins to effect changes in our inner life. Learn more about the importance of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. [13]. During the forty days following the resurrection, Christ appeared many times to his disciples. So they started asking, "What is happening?" After Jesus rose from the dead, He told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they received power when the Holy Spirit came on them. xvi. He was experiencing in that part of himself the living Christ within. They find it easy to live in harmony with the moral demands of Christ's message. 1. Imagine if one were to pursue the issue further by challenging Peter. No longer the Jesus who magisterially preached to the thousands and dominated the minds of his enemies. He could legitimately point out that during the previous three years he was the most outspoken in his defense of Jesus. Saint Luke tells us that when he saw the young Jewish woman, infant in arms, enter the temple, he knew immediately. The Coming of the Holy Spirit Acts 2. Type of Feast: Solemnity. Then God will forgive your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 1 When a the Day of Pentecost had fully come, b they were all 1 with one accord in one place. Like the prodigal son eating the food of the animals in his charge, they remember "even the servants in their father's house live better than they do." Part of the divine plan is that our first contact with reality takes place through the senses. He told the crowd that they were not drunk, but that what the prophet Joel had said would happen was happening. Coming of the Holy Spirit “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. The Holy Spirit would bring that power (Acts 1:8) 4. In Christian theology, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events, a foundation of the Christian faith, and commemorated by Easter. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. Peter would have been partially correct. Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus promised us: “And, behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:12).Now, all manner of signs of His return have appeared, and many brothers and sisters have had premonitions that the day of the Lord is near. He flatly denies having anything to do with him. Only these are the people who seek the true way, only they are the ones who know the work of the Holy Spirit. Luke 15:11-20. he thinks of them (the things he hears) in the manner of those who are wont to hear proverbs: as not understanding them.". [6] These words seem similar to those spoken by Peter at the Last Supper when he professed his love for Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit was also sign to show that the Messiah had not only come, but was now ruling on the throne in heaven. Seizing the moment, the Apostle Peter stood and addressed the crowd gathered that day. Baptism, in the Gospels Shoes Sending Of The Holy Spirit Unworthiness Sandals The Holy Spirit, And Sanctification The Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. This newly enlightened Peter could finally say with Saint Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Kevin Wall, O.P. Then they saw something that looked like flames of fire that separated and stood over each of them. And so he turned to Peter and said, "This very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Father Antoninus Wall, O.P., a native of San Francisco, is the son of Irish-born parents, and the brother of the late Fr. Entering the Dominican Order, he pursued his sacred studies at St. Albert's College in Oakland and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. [13] For the parable of the prodigal son, cf. . The Christians listened to what the apostles taught, shared what they had, ate the Lord's Supper together, and prayed together. He currently resides at St. Albert's Priory in Oakland, California. As long as we possess loved ones outside us, our love for them tends to remain imperfect. He finds a beautiful example in the different ways in which God led the shepherds, the wise men, and Simeon to the discovery of Christ. July 28, 2019. Basil de Sp. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 3 Then there appeared to them 2 divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. Wall has had a career rich in pastoral and academic experiences. This is the first of several teachings on the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room Discourse. But he failed to recognize that the source of these sterling qualities in him came from Christ alive in him. Peter then flees from the courtyard, weeping bitter tears. The Holy Spirit coming in power shows that this too is the day the Kingdom is established 1. The majority of us probably belong to this category. Peter, honest person that he was, would probably have acknowledged that there were such moments. [16]. When a person believes in Jesus, repents of his sins, and is baptized into Jesus, then God saves him. This is the first of several teachings on the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room Discourse. Unlike the shepherds and the Magi, Simeon was a man of the spirit. They now mean, "You know I love you because you, yourself, put this love back in me after I had killed it by my denial of you." He spoke of One coming who would "baptize you with the Holy Spirit" - Mt 3:11; Mk 1:7-8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:33 2. The Holy Spirit joins together every regenerated member of the Church to the Head to create a complete body. Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles. Peter's second response is followed by the command, "Tend my sheep," and the third by the command, "Feed my sheep." Love is in its most intense, deepest, and least selfish form at funeral Masses. People who slavishly follow letters and doctrines are those who have been eliminated by the work of the Holy Spirit. They had to experience who and what they truly were without Christ alive in them. Fear then overwhelms the vestiges of faith and courage in Peter. We need to know who the Spirit is, what He does, and how He does it. Christ in the external world has brought us much consolation and life. But God had known that this would happen so He raised Jesus from the dead. It came rather from the thought that Jesus did not really know him, that Jesus could think him capable of such an action. 1 When a the Day of Pentecost had fully come, b they were all 1 with one accord in one place. What we see, hear, feel, taste, and smell in the world outside us are the most evident and definite. The coming of the Holy Spirit means the continuance of the presence of Christ in us as he promised. From the Gospel accounts, though, it is clear that they still had a long road of spiritual growth ahead. Suddenly the Holy Spirit comes upon the apostles. The ----- is the Church's official summary and profession of faith in the chief mysteries revealed by God through Jesus. It is everyone who is truly a Christian. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 assures again that the Holy Spirit is fully God, but Paul goes onto say that wherever the Holy Spirit is, there is freedom. Indeed, their faith seems to be strong. A second person makes the same accusation, with the same denial coming from Peter. While he himself administered a baptism in water, there was One coming who would be the administrator of a baptism with the Holy Spirit 3. Yet they are entirely different words coming from a profoundly changed Peter. The story of the coming of the Holy Spirit in an almost visible form – a form that was perceived by the senses – is one of the most dramatic stories in the New Testament. a 2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, * and it filled the entire house in which they were. [15] Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, Third Part, Q36. Surely there were times when you wavered, when you experienced doubts about Jesus' mission, when you experienced fear coming from your association with him? Jesus teaches so much about the Holy Spirit because apart from the Spirit of God we cannot live the Christian life God calls us to in His Word. The Church is the organic completion of the united body to the Head – Jesus Christ. They still had not reached the face-to-face encounter with God. THE TRINITY. Peter heard with amazement at the Last Supper Our Lord's words "Truly, truly I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times." Ten days later, when the apostles were all gather together in one room, the Holy Spirit came on them like Jesus had said. When God asks us to surrender to him the life of one we love, he is not quashing in us our love for that person. By Xin jie. Jesus' statement that he must withdraw from his followers raises many questions. Forty days after Jesus rose, he went back to be with God the Father. Christ’s cause on the earth is advanced through the Spirit, through individuals who are indwelt by the Spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can walk into a new feeling of freedom no matter what the situation past, present or future. What are some of the characteristics by which we can identify such persons? [3] Peter, once again, flatly denied the possibility. . Every person heard the apostles praising God in their own language. Now He had gone up into heaven to sit at the right side of God. Luke 11:22 V-APA-NMS GRK: ἰσχυρότερος αὐτοῦ ἐπελθὼν νικήσῃ αὐτόν NAS: someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers KJV: than he shall come upon him, and overcome Then Our Lord said to him, "Feed my lambs." If they had come from such love, he would have returned to the courtyard and acknowledged to all that he was indeed the companion of Jesus. [12] Cf. It is, of course, the loyal, courageous Peter. “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13-14). It is God's way of bringing our love for that person to the relative level of perfection we imperfect lovers are capable of. They heard a noise from the sky like a strong wind blowing. We don’t have to search the Scriptures very far to see that just as Jesus was foreshadowed and prophesied in the Old Testament, so was the Holy Spirit’s coming. When this stage has been reached, the continued presence of the external support system can become an obstacle to our growing awareness of the new life within us. Conversely, in the book of Acts, it is evidently presented that the Holy Spirit was initially granted to the disciples, later transferred to the early Jewish believers and ultimately to the Gentiles. Jesus said that it is only when the birthing is over and the woman sees the baby, that the travail of the birth is forgotten. There is need for every individual Christian to understand the importance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. How Muhammad could be “in” the disciples stretches all credibility. The power came as did the Holy Spirit … But he would have gone out bringing to others the illusions of Peter rather than the reality of Christ. Peter preached to them some more. And God adds everyone who He saves to His church. How could you have doubted me?". The Holy Spirit is God. and instructor of truth. “…will teach you everything…” I read book after book on the teachings of the Church, Scripture, theology, and Church history but the one book I pick up the least is the Bible. So Peter uttered those confident words, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." I have met charismatic Catholics who, I have no doubt, have reached the third stage in the journey to God. By the operation ofthe Holy Spirit, not only was the conception of Christ accomplished, but alsothe sanctification of His soul, which, in Holy Scripture, is called His"anointing" (Acts x., 38). Jesus came and died to save you. To prove this point, Peter quotes David again, this time from Psalm 110, to show again that David was not speaking about himself ascending to the throne, but of the Messiah. These inner movements of the spirit are not independent of, nor in opposition to, the external mirrors of nature and Christ in his Mystical Body. 3 Then there appeared to them 2 divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. [12] No, the perfection of love is only achieved when the beloved comes to full life within the lover. We have seen that the disciples had come through Jesus' eyes to see that nature reflected the Father's presence. We have in Peter, then, a clear illustration of how one passes from the first and second stage of the journey to God, to the third stage in which one experiences the mirror of Christ within. What had to happen to them to remove the final barrier that kept them from that immediate encounter? 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and c it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Holy Spirit. This new Peter, unlike the old, knew that what he was experiencing within was not himself but Christ. They start life growing up in a loving Catholic family. It is in faith that all those who believe posses the Holy Spirit tha… Father Antoninus Wall, O.P. Father Wall is the author of The Journey to God. Spiritual authors also speak of the dark night of the soul. Death is the door to such a union. The resurrected, fully reconstituted Christ appeared to Peter after those three days. Wall attended St. Ignatius prep in the Bay City and St. Mary's College of California. If Christ had sent Peter out before he had reached this third stage of his journey to God, Peter would have gone out with the enthusiasm typical of his personality. The Spirit can certainly not be called the Son of man; only the flesh of God incarnate can be called the Son of man who, like the Lord Jesus, is flesh born of man, both tangible and visible. The holy spirit is God’s power in action, his active force. Only when the beloved is no longer present to us outside can he or she come to fullness of presence within us. Divine providence adapts to this human condition. This third denial takes place at the first light of dawn, as the cock crows in the distance. Happiness is pursued primarily in that world of outer reality and not in the world within. Peter responded, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." a 2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, * and it filled the entire house in which they were. After all, this is a love he created in us in the first place. The Coming of the Spirit. But it is a faith like Peter's, which is ten percent within and ninety percent sustained by their experience of Christ's external presence in others outside them. Jesus looks at Peter, and Peter looks into Jesus' eyes. Then they leave the loving family and go off to the secular world of business or the university. Jesus said "you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. Many Christians view the Holy Spirit’s existence and works as just an occurrence that was left to the past and may not be present in contemporary world. This time Peter was a purified person, humbled, free of any inflated self-illusions. The answer is clear. Without the external, living presence of the deceased in the coffin, the mourners experience for the first time how radically impoverished their life has become. Imagine what would happen if one were to take Peter aside at that moment and ask him how he could be so certain of his loyalty? Holy Spirit, in Christian belief, the third person of the Trinity. The Spirit is the active person that came to reside within the followers of Jesus Christ after Jesus had been crucified on the cross, and rose from the dead. In fact, the Greek word of “advocate” means “one who comes alongside another.” Jesus made it clear to them, and to us, that the Holy Spirit would not only walk alongside but dwell within us. You too can be saved by Jesus and belong to His church. When the people heard this, they were very, very sorry. He takes his sword in hand and cuts off the ear of one of the servants taking hold of Jesus. Take for example the prophecy of Jeremiah, in chapter 31. And every day more and more people became Christians. Peter is seeing a bound, beaten, helpless, impotent, ineffective Jesus. But whether He will or not is up to you. 2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. The lambs and sheep of Christ would have gone hungry. We are not angels, but embodied spirits. Wherefore, both in Holy Scripture and inthe writings of the fathers, men are styled regenerated, new creatures,partakers of the Divine Nature, children of God, god-like, and similar epithets.Now these great blessings are justly attributed as especially belonging to theHoly Ghost. Father Wall may be reached by phone at 510-596-1800 or by email at antwall@hotmail.com, © 1996-2019 Catholic Education Resource Center | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap. Again, we find Peter present, loyal to the end. And it’s the Holy Spirit that enables that relationship and empowers us for mission. The world of inner consciousness is not the primary focus of our attention. This reference of being “in” the disciples clearly is a reference to the Holy Spirit’s role of dwelling inside believers as the context of John (John 14:16-26) and the rest of the New Testament (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) indicates. This law is true of our relations with Christ. They feel stirrings of hunger for the peace of soul they once knew. The Holy Spirit is a person, and is one of the three in the trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul tells us that the face to face encounter will not happen to anyone while he still exists in this world. He lives inside them. ----- is the special feast recalling the coming of the holy Spirit upon Mary and the disciples fifty days after Easter. From the time of his evangelical conversion in 1738, Wesley became a tireless exponent of the evangelical message of salvation by faith alone, which emphasizes the person and work of the Holy Spirit at each stage in the process of salvation. Peter could not wait for the boat to land. 91. The Coming of the Spirit. Wherefore all His actions were"performed in the Holy Ghost" (St. In an extraordinary scene, they found the resurrected Jesus preparing a meal for them so that he might do what he enjoyed doing most, breaking bread in fellowship with those whom he loved. Later in the evening, when Jesus is seized in the garden, who springs to his defense? For three days Peter, stripped of illusion, communed with this new revelation of himself. By the Spirit. word, they are entirely different words coming from Peter impotent. 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