To Whom Does God the Father Give His Spirit?
Today’s session will focus on a simple but fundamental dimension of the Christian faith, the Holy Spirit. And there are two dimensions of that presence we want to focus our attention; one is the communal and historical dimension while the other is personal.
We are going to arrive at the communal and historical dimensions by asking a simple question, To whom does God the Father give his Spirit? Before reading further, you might want to write down your answer. The words that you actual choose matter, for they reveal something of who you are and the world in which you live.
“Catholic” Responses that reveal the Communal and Historical Dimension
Dionzio: I always interpreted it as being when you received Holy Communion.
Rosemarie: One of the ways of receiving the Holy Spirit, I believe, is to become confirmed in Christ and receive the gifts of the Spirit and become the Temple in your soul and body.
Roseann: Well when we first get the Holy Spirit is when we have our babies baptized. And that’s when the Holy Spirit is in you as a baby. And then in Confirmation you reaffirm that. You dedicated yourself to Christ. You reaffirm your faith and the Spirit is reaffirmed in you.
Tim: I guess the people who receive the Holy Spirit now are supposed to be when you receive Confirmation. But back then it was when the tongues of fire came down from heaven on the Apostles, and the disciples in the room.
Fivepin: Isn’t it at baptism? At Confirmation, aren’t you just renewing what you are accepting?
Dick:
If you listen carefully, pay attention to the actual words, it is possible for the whole world, a world with a traditions shared by many, to come to light. For me then a number of features of the Catholic world come to light. First, there is the sacramental world of the Catholic, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. This shared language is one of the sources of the life of the community. Secondly, a family bringing their infant child to be baptism reveals a faith that has a tradition and, therefore, a history.
We can change the word Catholic, to Christian, to Jew, to Muslim, to Hindu, etc., in other words one’s tradition, history makes an enormous difference. It also very important to keep in mind that no human being chooses their parents, their sex, their country of origin, the year of their birth, etc.; all of the most formative aspects of everyone’s life is merely given, a gift. This leaves us with another question, if all these formative aspects of our life are a gift, is there a Giver?
Conditional Responses
Annette: Anybody who asks.
Carol: Those who open their hearts and accept what Jesus has to offer them as the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Dick
These responses raise another, and in some ways deeper, question, if one “asks,” if one “open your heart and accept” what role does the Holy Spirit play in those actions. Can we ask, can we open our heart, without the prior gift of God’s Spirit? How would you answer this question?
Universal Response
Michael: Everyone
Dick
Michael with a single word response raises the discussion to a meaningfully different level and that from two different aspects. Is his answer correct, true? And, if it is, what are the implications for how everyone understands everyone else?
The Issue of Truth in a Modern Pluralistic Society
We have seen that there is a range of opinions which is pretty normal in any gathering of adults. But on the assumption that individuals will hold different opinions, especially on substantive issues, here are a few more questions to ponder.
Is there a difference between opinion and truth? Yes? No? I don’t know? What are the reasons for your answer?
How is truth to be governed in a modern pluralistic society? Who decides what is true? Is truth a matter of a majority rule? What are some of the strongly held issues in our society that are rooted in truth claims? How is the Spirit of God manifested in the concrete events of these truth claims?
It might prove interesting to talk with your friends about this statement: Truth without love becomes a weapon and love without truth is false.
An Existential Response Reveals the Personal Dimension
Mary: I just . . . I guess I have the Holy Spirit. But I always thought in the back of my head that it was going to be like this lightening strike or something. I’m not a good Catholic person because I don’t feel like I have the Holy Spirit. I try to live my life, you know, to be good to others, to be a good wife and a mother. And, you know, do unto to others as you want them to do to you. But I don’t know if that’s the Holy Spirit? I think that is one of the reasons I’m here. I was brought up in the Catholic faith. I was baptized, receive First Communion, Confirmation. Did the marriage prep and all that stuff. And, you know . . . Do I have the Holy Spirit?
I would like to think I do. But it’s not like something I feel. I believe in God. He helped me through some really crisis in my life. It was the only thing that would have gotten me through; the faith that He gives me, the faith and courage and the wisdom to get through that. But what the Holy Spirit is, I don’t know.
Dick
Mary’s comments open up an existential question, a personal question. Even if the “church” teaches that we receive the Holy Spirit, how do I know? In the question is a searching, a wanting to know. Have you ever asked a similar question? Like Mary, how would you talk about your circumstances?
Discerning the presence of the Spirit within us is a delicate matter. I would suggest that we first turn to a passage that Paul wrote to the Galatians who may very well have been feeling the very feelings that Sarah expressed.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Gal. 5:22
Each of Paul’s words deserves our attention. He begins by identifying each of them as a “fruit,” that is, what is present within us as from the Holy Spirit. Each is not what we achieve, they are what is given. Let me take one example, peace. This is the peace that the “world” cannot give. It is a peace that is present even when we fail, fall short, are overcome with sorrow, grief; is more determinate than the Holy Spirit.
Your comments are welcomed.