“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”
— John 14:16
Prior to his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus let his disciples know that he would “give another” who would walk with them on his behalf. He warned them that there would be a time when he would no longer walk with them on this earth. But Christ did not leave them empty handed. He would send an advocate to be with them in the most difficult of times. While this was all mysterious to the disciples at the time, they held onto this hope that an advocate would come once their beloved teacher and friend left this world.
The Holy Spirit Breathes Life
Prior to Christ’s foretelling of the Holy Spirit, this third Person of the Trinity could be found and encountered throughout scripture. One of the earliest moments we see the Holy Spirit revealed in Scripture is during the creation story. In Genesis we read of God breathing life into Adam. In the original Hebrew text of the passage, the word ruah is used to indicate that God breathed his breath or spirit into Adam.
It is this sacred breath or ruah that breathed life into all of creation and enlivened it to be all that it is – an animated, living, existence or creation of God. It is this sacred spirit that is in fact the Holy Spirit at work in the creation of all the world.
Since the Holy Spirit was first revealed in Genesis, and — being God Himself — had existed equally as God from the beginning, His existence was of course nothing new in the mind of God or in the spirit of all of the created world. Yet to the disciples, the Holy Spirit was very much new and they would encounter this third Person of the trinity like never before at the moment of Pentecost.
Pentecost: An Outpouring Of Courageous Love
Following Christ’s crucifixion, we read in scripture that the apostles hid in fear in the upper room (Acts 1). Their leader had just been put to death via a public execution and so they had received the clear message that they too would receive the same punishment if they dared to follow in Christ’s footsteps. Prior to his death, Christ instructed his apostles to go to the “ends of the earth” and baptize all in His name. Yet instead of walking in a courageous fire of love, the apostles were hiding, trembling, and far away from society. That is, until the coming of the Holy Spirit that we read about in Act chapter 2.
“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
— Acts 2:2-4
It was after the coming of the Holy Spirit, known as Pentecost, that the disciples received an outpouring of all the gifts and fruits of the spirit (which we will discuss more a few paragraphs down). Most of all, what the apostles received was a type of holy courage. We know this simply by comparing their behavior pre v. post pentecost. Where they had once been trembling in fear, they now had the courage to speak in tongues, to heal, to baptize, and to live the life Christ had called them too. Their lives radically changed after receiving the Holy Spirit.
It is for this reason that Pentecost is known as the official birthday of the Catholic Church! While Christ’s life, his ministry, and certainly his death and resurrection initiated the entire process, it was not until the coming of the Holy Spirit that the apostles truly walked in the full authority of Christ and began their God-given vocations to be priests, bishops, and living examples of Christ. It was only after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit that the apostles received the holy courage necessary to live the life waiting for them – the life that Christ had called them to live.
The Holy Spirit Emboldens
And so we see that, of all the gifts and fruits that the Holy Spirit provides, the main attribute given to the soul filled with the Holy Spirit is a holy courage to live out his or her vocation. This is because the Holy Spirit’s primary role is to sanctify, or make holy, so that the person might become more and more like Christ. The Holy Spirit literally helps us to become “mini Christs” here on earth! And so if ever we find ourselves quivering in fear or finding weakness when we need moral courage, it is an excellent opportunity to pray to God, the Holy Spirit, and ask for this type of holy courage we need to live our best lives. The Holy Spirit did this for the apostles, yes, but it is God’s perfect desire that His Spirit, or ruah be breathed into the souls of all of his children – including you and me!
Fruits And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s main role is to be the sanctifier souls – allowing all persons to become living examples of Christ here on earth. Within this primary role, the Holy Spirit endows the soul with countless fruits and gifts. These are typically received at the moment of Baptism as well as stirred up and sealed during the sacrament of Confirmation. We will unpack each of these in a later article, but here is a list of what those fruits and gifts include:
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
-Love
-Joy
-Peace
-Patience
-Kindness
-Generosity
-Faithfulness
-Gentleness
-Self-Control
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
-Wisdom
-Understanding
-Counsel
-Fortitude
-Knowledge
-Fear of the Lord
-Piety
Courage To Be Modern Day Saints
It is no accident that Pentecost is known as the birthday of the Catholic Church just as it is no accident that it is the Holy Spirit we receive at Baptism and are sealed by at our Confirmation. Just as Pentecost was a critical moment for the Catholic faith, Baptism and Confirmation are critical moments for the soul – these events are key moments in the soul that initiate the vocation and life God has for them. Just as the Holy Spirit emboldened the apostles to preach, baptize, and spread the news of Christ, even in the face of death, so too does the Holy Spirit call us to go out and courageously live the life that is waiting for us. In other words, the Holy Spirit emboldens us to be modern day saints.
The Holy Spirit emboldens the soul to put aside fear and, instead, walk in faith. He equips us with all of the fruits and gifts necessary to walk in this courage and, each step of the way, directs us in the mission of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit we are to call upon when we are weak, timid, or unsure about our life calling. It is the Holy Spirit who can and will awaken us to the fire of God’s love and is the Holy Spirit who will transform our very hearts into walking chapels and vessels for Christ and the radical power of God’s love.
Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in us the fire of your love. Fill us with all the gifts and fruits of your most holy spirit and stir within us the wonders of all that you are. Fill us with holy courage just as you did with the apostles in the upper room at pentecost. Help us to face our fears today so that we might conquer the enemies of tomorrow and walk confidently in the love of God. May we humbly embrace our cross, our vocation, and the life God has in store for us. May we do so with great joy – knowing that the life God has for us is what will truly bring us the greatest happiness. We ask this through Christ, our Lord, Amen.
