I've said it before, but when I was young, I wasn't very impressed by the Holy Spirit. Whether as a fluffy dove, or as someone that I had to "leave room for" on the dance floor, He didn't really inspire me as God. He was an add-on, really. And therefore kind of unnecessary.
I voiced these wrong-headed opinions when I was in grad school. My professor, Barbara Morgan, a giant in the field of Catechetics, was talking about how the Holy Spirit was necessary, in fact, in the Father's plan for us. And I, in sum, said that "Why do we need Him if we are already saved by the Cross of Jesus Christ?"
Barbara said that was quite a Protestant thing to say in a Catholic classroom.
I was perturbed by that comment. I never thought of myself as protesting against a teaching of the Catholic Church. When it came to morality and the "sexual," hot-button teachings, I was on board. How could it be that my problem was with something involving... the Creed?
Barbara walked me through things for a moment. She said...
How were you baptized? In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the... Holy Spirit. -- And then how does the priest confect the Eucharist? By the power of the... Holy Spirit. -- And when sins are forgiven in the confessional, do not the words of absolution say how the Father has reconciled the world to Himself and... poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins? -- And how were the Sacred Scriptures inspired? ... by the Holy Spirit. -- And how was Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, made incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary? ... by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.
And you are going to tell me that He is an add-on?
This shook me terribly. I had gone to Catholic grade school and Catholic high school -- and why hadn't I learned this? I didn't have a relationship with the Holy Spirit...
I actually started to weep at the end of that class session. And not simply of because what I saw was lacking in my life -- but more because I didn't understand. I immediately believed that the Holy Spirit was important (thank you, Barbara), but I still could not wrap my head around how it worked. I was convinced, but I couldn't see.
I wanted to know the spiritual physics.
The a-ha moment came weeks later in the same class when we were discussing the Ascension. Here again, I was hit with something I did not understand. I saw the Ascension as a kind of farewell; Jesus is leaving us, going to heaven. I kind of felt like that person in the movie "Elf": Bye, Buddy! Hope you find your daa-aad.
What was I missing?
Barbara said that one of the great ways to understand a doctrine of the Creed is to imagine a world had that doctrine never happened nor been taught. So, in this case, imagine what things would be like had Jesus not ascended.
For me, that was easy: if Jesus did not ascend, then He would be walking around the Earth somewhere. Probably Jerusalem, I thought.
So, how would you have a personal relationship with Him? .... I guess I would have to fly to Jerusalem and would have to push through the crowd. That would be annoying.
And what about His command that you must eat His flesh and drink His blood? (John 6:48-58).
Suddenly, I realized this would be quite odd. I wouldn't be able to actually eat His flesh or drink His blood. (I mean, I could, but I didn't want to have to bite Him on His arm or something).
And I also realized that when He said "Remain in me," that this is different than "Remain with me." (see here). And, well, I wouldn't be able to actually do that. I could imagine; I could make-believe; but I couldn't actually do. ....
The Ascension provides the "space" for what the Holy Spirit, the Love of the Father and the Son, will do. That is, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will come down upon men, the Apostles, and they will now have the power of God (for the Holy Spirit is God), to change bread and wine into Jesus. They will have the power to be God's instrument for His forgiveness of sins. They will be able to actually teach in His name such that whoever hears them, hears Jesus.
In a word, it is the Holy Spirit that is able to take the personal, individual, geographical presence of Jesus and universalize that presence such that He can dwell not only in Jerusalem, but in every tabernacle and in every confessional in every town, city, and village in-between. Even here in Chesterfield. Jesus is actually here.
And not simply spiritually. Jesus' physical presence is not taken away ("I will be with you always" He promises), nor is it diminished. We can actually say that Jesus' physical presence has been increased and enhanced. We call it His Sacramental Presence.
Sacramental does not mean simply spiritual. Nor does it mean diminished. It is actually a heightening. He is here. This is what the Holy Spirit does. And the Holy Spirit has the power to do that. After all, it was the Holy Spirit that brought Jesus and made Him incarnate in the womb of Mary. It is the Holy Spirit that makes Him "incarnate" in the Eucharist.
In sum, and here is the kicker: Without the Holy Spirit, we do not have access to Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is essential!
Without Him, the Church is just a group of men with pointy hats; the Truth would not be known; Scripture would not be authentic; Sacraments would be symbols; and I ... would be selling shoes somewhere.
Jesus says on several occasions that He "must go to my Father." He also says that we will do great things "because I am going to the Father." Do you hear the Ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit there? I must go because then I can give you the next installation of grace: God the Holy Spirit Himself!
The rest of the Easter Season is very much analogous to the Season of Advent. In Advent, we prepared and awaiting the coming of the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. In Easter, we continue to prepare and await (all while celebrating) the coming of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity: the Holy Spirit.
Pentecost is not simply a nice add-on at the end of the Easter Season. It is essential and beautiful.
You will hear me hearken back to these themes again in the coming days.
For now, I ask you: do you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit?
And do you realize that, in the end, the Father doesn't only want to save you, but make you holy?
Let us pray that in these coming weeks, the doors of our hearts and minds may be open to the truly awesome gifts God the Father has ready for us. Come, Holy Spirit!
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