Paraclete
Catechism of the Catholic Church
According to the Catechism, the Holy Spirit is one of the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial to the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit is the first to awaken our faith and in arousing the new life that consists in knowing the Father and the one who sent, Jesus Christ.
The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are permanent dispositions that make man docile to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
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Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, even among believers, is the great unknown; however, without Him it is not possible to obtain faith, hope and charity. It is He who acts in the hearts and transforms the life of every devotee. It is He who pushes us to love and encourages acts of courage. It is He who gives us the wings of the search and knowledge of God. Alone we cannot understand the truth of the word of God, because one of his main tasks is precisely to interpret the word of God for us. Christian life cannot exist without Him being there to support it.
It is the Holy Spirit who makes the words of Jesus echo within us: he reminds us of them when we need them and, in this way, helps us understand what to say, what to do, how to interpret the reality that lies before us. He is beside us, helps us, consoles us, defends us and teaches us everything, guides us to the truth, announces future events and helps us understand that Jesus is the Lord of our life.
«If you love me, you will keep my commandments; and I will pray to the Father and he will give you another Comforter so that he may remain with you forever [...]. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything that I have told you"
(Jn 14:16-26).
Jesus himself therefore assured us that the Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Prayer is the main way to listen to him: his voice does not pass through our ears, but through spiritual hearing. How then can those who have set their minds on the things of the flesh hope to hear its voice?
When the mind is controlled by the desires of the flesh, pride, selfishness, greed, lust, anger, revenge begin to prevail; all these passions darken the soul and are opposed to our good. However, when the mind is controlled by the spirit, we can reap the fruits of the spirit, which are the ability to love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, meekness, purity. The spirit-oriented mind is a mind that always turns towards the good.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, says: «walk according to the spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh; for the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit lusts against the flesh, and these things are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would"
(Gal 5:16-17).
The Spirit is the source of every gift, therefore also of life, of grace, of charity; and invites those who invoke him to follow the great Christian ideals and to have prophetic dreams at the same time. It is the Spirit that allows us to have an interpersonal relationship with God and allows us to reach the transcendent heights of God.
If we listen to the Holy Spirit and trust in his guidance, He will manifest in us his gifts which are: wisdom, intellect, advice, fortitude, science, piety and the fear of God; and these gifts are indispensable to obtain the virtues: faith, hope and charity, together with prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.
As a similarity, the Holy Spirit could be compared to a good professor of theory and practice: he is available to all students, however it will depend on the will of each student to want to listen to him and be guided in putting his teachings into practice. Going to the "school" of the Holy Spirit will depend solely on our will: if we desire his gifts, we must pray for him to grant them to us.
The first step on the ladder of Christian perfection is the gift of the "fear of God", which has its summit in the gift of wisdom. This gift makes us understand that life is not solitude and silence, but continuous communion with God. Fear is not to be confused with fright, but is a feeling imbued with gratitude in being able to enjoy His constant closeness, with reverence in contemplating His immense greatness and loving submission in the awareness of being enveloped by His paternal embrace. Fear is that trepidation of those who entrust themselves, with the awareness of their own weaknesses, to the One who can do everything and is also a test of humility towards the mercy of God.
It is the Holy Spirit who enlightens us and allows us to scrutinize the depths of God, communicating to our heart a particular participation in divine knowledge and the secrets of the world. Alone, with our own strength alone, we cannot avoid falling into sin and it is only the Holy Spirit who can give us the strength to resist and to always walk with Him, inflamed by the love of God, on the only path that leads to final victory.
We renew the invitation
If your heart is eager to do something for your brothers and sisters who are gripped by suffering or loneliness, you can earnestly plead with the Lord. Prayer is one of the highest forms of charity.
If you are also looking for other wonderful brothers who can join you in prayer in one heart, then visit the site of the Invisible Monastery. There you will find a family willing to welcome you with open arms.
If you wish to accept Jesus' invitation, or simply want to try praying from your home, click here and you will find many wonderful brothers willing to join spiritually in a great and heartfelt prayer of intercession.
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