Overcoming the Holy Spirit’s PR Problem

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Does it seem to you like the Holy Spirit has PR problem in the Bible?

I mean, the Father gets the whole Old Testament.

The Son gets a body.

But the Holy Spirit? He’s a blowing wind, a tongue of fire or a holy bird. That’s kind of hard to wrap your head around.

Either you don’t see him or he’s not a person. He doesn’t even have a speaking role!

However, you can learn a lot about the Holy Spirit from some key Bible stories–especially Pentecost.

The active force at Pentecost

Pentecost is all Holy Spirit! You don’t see him but he’s the active force in this event.

Jesus said at the Last Supper he would send the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4) to the apostles. They had to wait in the Jerusalem. Then they would receive power to become witnesses.

What happened? A rushing wind, fire comes down on them and they’re changed. Before they were timid, now they’re bold, fearless, audacious!

They preach and convert 3,000! They stand up to the Sanhedrin, the same men that killed Jesus a week earlier. They are joyful to be whipped for the sake of the kingdom.

They are different! They are transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit.

And of our spiritual lives as well

The spiritual life is all Holy Spirit as well. He’s the active force there too!

You don’t see the wind but you feel it’s effects. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. He’s kind of hidden but he’s the one who’s moving in your spiritual life.

What happens when fire touches paper? It burns it, consumes it. Fire transforms unto itself.

At Pentecost, the fire of the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles and changed them. The same thing happens when the Holy Spirit is in your soul. Like fire, he transforms you unto himself.

The Holy Spirit is the Interior Teacher

CCC 1995 says, “The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life.”

The Holy Spirit:

  • helps you pray
  • is active in your soul sanctifying you.
  • helps you follow God’s will.
  • prompts you to do holy things.
  • assists you in attaining virtue.

The Holy Spirit is continuously moving in your soul. Prompting you to do good, choose God, give of yourself and make sacrifices. When you make the choice to act on his prompting, you are moved closer to God and holiness.

You’ve had the experience of having a thought or idea–perhaps at just the right moment. It seems to come from outside you, but once you act on it, it’s yours. All artistic inspiration is kind of like this.

That’s the way the Holy Spirit works.

Catechetical takeaway

It’s not the Holy Spirit’s job to be seen or heard. His job is to speak what Jesus has said (John 15:26) and to guide the Church into the truth (John 16:3).

The Holy Spirit doesn’t say anything on his own. He calls to mind all Jesus has spoken, makes that teaching clear and gives further insight into Jesus’ teaching.

The Holy Spirit is teaching you about Jesus.

  • You don’t see him–you see Jesus.
  • You don’t hear him–you hear Jesus.
  • However, he is the one that is teaching you!

The Holy Spirit is kind of hard to understand. He’s kind of hidden in the Bible. We don’t see him but we see the effect of his action. We don’t hear him but he’s everywhere.

The Holy Spirit is the interior Teacher. If you learn to listen to his still, small, hidden voice, you can learn to make choices that will transform you into his image of holiness.

Photo credit: JDB1961

About the author 

Marc Cardaronella

I'm passionate about the most effective ways to transmit the Catholic Faith and spread the Gospel to the world. Join me? You can find me on Facebook, Twitter for the catechetical ramblings of the day.

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  1. I tell the kids that the the Holy Spirit “fired up” the apostles on Pentecost so they’d be fearless evangelizers instead of Keystone Kops bumping into each other in the dark at Gethsemane.

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