The Person of the Holy Spirit Rev. Fr. Lance W. Harlow May 2010 In our discussion of the Holy Spirit as a person, let us first take a look at the

definition of what a person is. The classic Catholic definition of a person, as it has been

developed by theology and philosophy, is that a person is: a substance that forms a

complete nature existing in himself and for himself, having no existence apart from

himself, and possessing a rational nature. While this definition at first glace might

appear to be a bit wordy and overly technical nonetheless it is necessary that it be

accurate. Within this definition there are three categories of persons: divine, human and

angelic. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the only divine persons. You and I

are human persons. Our guardian angels are angelic persons. Your cat however is just a

cat; not a person, no matter how much you may love your cat. There are currents of

contemporary thought that attempt to redefine what a person is in an attempt to promote a

particular ideology of its own making. An example of this would be to deny that an

unborn child is a person by arguing that he or she is just a bunch of cells. By the above

mentioned definition of person that kind of definition is a distortion of reality.

However, I want to stay focused on the Holy Spirit as a person. Many times in

charismatic and religious circles people speak about the Holy Spirit in terms of what He

can do for me. For example people say, I would like this particular gift from the Holy

Spirit or the Holy Spirit did this for me or He spoke to me. While asking the Holy Spirit

for gifts, graces and blessings is not wrong, it must be kept in perspective that asking Him

for things is secondary to our primary duty which is to worship Him. Because He is a

divine Person we ought to relate directly to Him as One who is worthy of our praise,

adoration and thanksgiving. When the Holy Spirit becomes a means of giving me what I

want, then that indicates that we have lost sight of Him as a person and either objectified

Him into a dispenser of good gifts for me or that He has become the servant and I have

become the Lord.

We know this through the recitation of the Creed when we pray the words: With

the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. His divine personhood makes

Him worthy of our worship and our rendering glory to Him. The gifts that He bestows

upon us proceeds from the overflow of His love for us. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan

Creed from 381 AD is the fruit of three hundred years of Scriptural study, living faith,

theological and philosophical precision to synthesize Gods revelation in the Old and

New Testaments that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, is God. While this may seem to

us to be self-evident, there have been heresies throughout history which have denied His

divinity. One of the most beautiful aspects of the charismatic renewal ought is the right

ordering of praise and worship directed to the Holy Spirit who is one with the Father and

the Son. Let us penetrate even more deeply into this mysterious person of the Trinity that

we may truly come to a greater desire to worship Him.

We begin by reviewing the origins of revelation about the Holy Spirit which

occur in the Old Testament where His presence is mysteriously unveiled throughout the

course of the centuries. Pope John Paul II calls this unveiling of the action of the Holy

Spirit a pedagogical process (The Revelation of the Person of the Spirit, August 22,

1990), a teaching slowly unfolded for mankind to be able to apprehend. It is also

important for us to speak about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament in the context of the

Charismatic Renewal because the experience of His presence in our lives is not an

invention or a novelty. He has always been there, since it is impossible to separate the

Trinity. In fact, He was there in the beginning.

Old Testament

The Book of Genesis Chapter 1 verse 2 speaks about the spirit of God which

swept over the waters of the primeval creation. Here and elsewhere there are pre-

announcements of the Spirits activity in mankind and in history. It is not yet the

revelation of Him as a divine Person. Throughout the Old Testament there is a vast range

of references to the Holy Spirits actions, specifically as He acts in the physical,

psychological and spiritual world of men and events. For example, the breath of God

which brings life to the universe in the act of creation. Also, in Judges 14:6 where the

author states that, The spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and although he had no

weapons, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a kid. (i.e., young lamb). In Judges 6:34

speaking of Gideons investiture, The spirit of the Lord enveloped Gideon; he blew the

horn that summoned Abiezer to follow him. In Judges 11:29, speaking of Jephthahs

victory in battle against the Ammonites, The spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.

There are other examples in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit seizes the person

bringing about prophetic ecstasy as in the case of Obadiah who is speaking to Elijah

foretelling that After I leave you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you to some place I

do not know, and when I go to inform Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me..

(1 Kings 8:12 :). The Holy Spirit even gives the charismatic power to interpret dreams

with accuracy as in the case of Joseph while in Egypt: Could we find another like him,

Pharaoh asked his officials, a man so endowed with the spirit of God? Each of these

examples demonstrates the action of the Spirit in a transitory, almost charismatic way--an

action by an individual which is for the good of the entire people. We will see this same

concept applied in the New Testament era when St. Paul speaks about the charismatic

gifts being ordered towards the building up of the Body of Christ, the Church.

As we continue to work our way through the Old Testament we see that there are

also examples of where the action of the Holy Spirit is more constant, where the sacred

authors state that the Holy Spirit rested upon an individual as was the case for Moses,

Joshua, David, Elijah and Elisha. The prophets are the best examples of those upon

whom the Holy Spirit rested. There is an inseparable connection between the prophetic

word and Gods Spirit. The great prophet Ezekiel shows that he is aware of the source of

his inspiration when he states The Spirit of the Lord came upon me and said to me:

Speak. (Ezek.) 11:5). The most important parts of the Old Testament concern those

scriptures where the prophets speak about the Spirit of the Lord which would rest upon

the Messiah, and on the messianic community and its members. This is most especially

developed in the Book of the prophet Isaiah where he speaks about the Spirit of the Lord

coming upon the shoot of Jesse which is Davids descendants and successor; then the

Spirit coming upon the Servant of the Lord. and lastly upon the so-called evangelizer

of the nations . We do not have time to read each of those references today, but you can

read them on your own. Other great prophets, besides Isaiah, such as Ezekiel, Joel and

Zechariah, speak about the Spirit of the Lord who will renew the remnant of Israel who

remains faithful to God.

I have gone through this list of Old Testament references to illustrate that there

are multiple references to the actions of the Spirit of God already in salvation history.

These actions prepare our understanding for what is going to come in the New Testament

era when the Spirit of God will be revealed as the Holy Spirit, a Person in unity with the

Father and the Son. The revelation of the Holy Spirit as a person will lead to the

understanding of three great mysteries of our Catholic faith: the Trinity, the Incarnation

of the Word, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Pope John Paul II speaks about the

development of this divine pedagogy throughout the course of Old Testament history and

theology when he states in his catechism in August 22, 1990: In the Old Testament

everything was concentrated on the truth of monotheism entrusted to Israel which always

had to be defended and consolidated in the face of the temptations to polytheism which

came from all directions.1

New Testament

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

(Mt. 28:19). In the Old Testament the Spirit of God was the manifestation o Gods

power, wisdom and holiness. Now, for the first time in the New Testament we see the

transition to the revelation of the Holy Spirit as a Person equal to the Person of the Father

and of the Son. The Holy Spirit is not an it. He is not something which is part of the

Father or part of the Son. Remember from our definition from that very beginning of this

conference, that He is a substance that exists in Himself and for Himself. Notice, in

Jesus command to baptize that the Holy Spirit is named with the same formula as the

other persons as the trinity. He is placed in an equal level with them, not a subordinate

level or as a function of one or the other. Throughout Matthews Gospel the author goes

1 The Revelation of the Person of the Spirit August 22, 1990 Quoted in The Holy Spirit in the Writings of Pope John Paul II Compiled by Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA. McKees Rocks, Pa: St. Andrews

to great pains to make clear that the Father and the Son are two distinct Persons. Jesus

calls God, his heavenly Father. (Mt 15:13); God calls Jesus his Son at the scene of

His baptism in the Jordan (Mt 3:17) and his transfiguration (Mt. 17:5) Now a third person

is identified with these two divine persons in an identical way. Notice also that formula

for baptism, as given by Jesus Himself states: in the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Pope John Paul II comments on this revelation when he

observes: In the Bible the expression in the name of is not usually used to refer to

anything other than persons. It is also noteworthy that the Gospels expression uses the

term name in the singular, even though it mentions several persons. From all of this we

have the undeniable result that the Holy Spirit is a third divine Person closely associated

to the Father and the Son in t he unity of a single divine name. Christian baptism puts us

in close personal relationship with the three divine Persons, thus introducing us into the

intimacy of the Godhead.2

Actions of the Holy Spirit

At this point we want to take a look at the actions of the Holy Spirit because in the

revelation of the New Testament, this third divine Person is depicted as one who is very

active. So, lets take a look at the Holy Spirit in terms of the following: (1) as one who is

acting; (2) as the Person who leads another to something; (3) His acting is a source of

joy; (4) He acts as the consoler and inspirer of the Church.

(1) As the one who acts. In the story of the Annunciation in Luke 1:26-38 the Holy Spirit

Productions, 2001 2 The New Testament Fully Reveals the Trinity August 29, 1990. Ibid.

manifests himself as one who acts. The angel Gabriel says to Mary: behold, you will

conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great

and will be called Son of the Most High. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the

power o the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be

called holy, The Son of God. From this revelation we see that the Holy Spirit is the

principle of action, especially in relation to the Incarnation. He is the power of acting and

the power of love. Lukes Gospel early on speaks several times about the Holy Spirit

acting. We notice this in the scene of the visitation and Simeons prophecy in the Temple

at the presentation of the child Jesus there. No other person is more directly involved

with the action of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament than the Virgin Mary who is

overshadowed by Him at the Annunciation and at Pentecost.

The action of the Holy Spirit is also expressly mentioned by Jesus who fulfills

Isaiahs prophecy when He states, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because he has

anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to

captives and recover of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a

year acceptable to the Lord, (Lk 4:18).

(2) The Holy Spirit is the Person who leads another to something. The evangelists stress

the action of the Holy Spirit on Jesus when they state: Jesus was led by the Spirit into

the desert to be tempted by the devil. (Mt 4:1 Mk 1:12). The Holy Spirit is active at the

beginning of Jesus messianic mission. The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to

begin His battle against Satan and to begin the mission of establishing the Kingdom of

God. Jesus Himself will attribute His victory to the Holy Spirit when He states in Mt.

12:28: I cast out demons by the Spirit of God.

(3) The Spirits Acting is a Source of Joy. According to the evangelists, the Holy Spirits

action is a source of great joy Jesus Himself rejoices in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke records this in Chapter 10: 21:

At that very moment He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. : Pope John Paul II commenting on this passage states: It is the Holy Spirit which also

gives the Jesus disciples not only the power of victory over evil, but also the

supernatural joy of discovering God and life in him through his Son.3

(4) The Holy Spirit is the consoler and inspirer of the Church. Another aspect of the

Person of the Holy Spirit is that He will accompany the Apostles and the disciples in the

work that they are to fulfill for Jesus. Jesus tells them, You will receive power when the

Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnessesto the ends of eh earth (AA

1:8) He also reassures them when they will meet up with difficulty and trials: You will

be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak, but the

Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Mt. 10:19-20)

Pope John Paul II commenting on this passage states: Persons alone can speak;

impersonal forces can move, push, destroy, but they cannot speak. The Spirit, on the

other hand, speaks. He is the inspirer and the consoler of the Apostles and the Church in

difficult moments. That is another characteristic of his action, another ray of light shed

3 Ibid.

upon the mystery of his Person.4

If then the evangelists and the New Testament tradition reveal to us the Person of

the Holy Spirit and His actions in the lives of the Apostles in the early Church; namely

that He is intimately involved in the lives of the disciples of Jesus Christ and frees them

from evil, He gives them strength in the struggle with the Satan, He increases the

supernatural joy of knowing God and witnessing to him even in trying times, what

conclusions can we draw from the operation of this Divine Person in our own lives ?

Practical Considerations

(1) Since we have been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the

Holy Spirit, we have been incorporated not only into the Kingdom of God but into an

intimate personal relationship with each of the Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

Therefore we can relate to each one of them individually. Many saints have attained a

mystical knowledge of each of these persons individually and that is our goal also. We

should pray for the grace to know the Person of the Holy Spirit and to love Him as much

as we love the Father and the Son So then let worship be the first personal act of my

relationship to the Holy Spirit. We should worship Him and glorify Him without the

expectation of our receiving gifts. The gifts will come from His initiative as a loving

response to our love for Him.

(2) While all of the gifts, fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit are useful and beautiful

for the building up of the Church, we look especially to the example of Jesus to see how

He related to the Holy Spirit while on earth and how He used those gifts. We have

recourse again to the scene of Jesus temptation in the desert where He is led there by the

4 Ibid.

Holy Spirit to be victorious against evil. The best gift we receive consistently from the

Holy Spirit is the grace to resist temptations and share in Jesus victory over evil. In the

resisting of temptation we become purified in order to love God better. The Holy Spirit

always grants us the grace to resist temptation. Our growth in holiness and in the life of

the Spirit is to recognize the times when we dont accept those graces of resisting

temptation. We need to recognize the excuses, rationalizations and arguments we make

for not wanting to be holy. This increasing self-knowledge is a preliminary gift for

making progress in love.

(3) The third practical conclusion drawn from our knowledge of the person of the Holy

Spirit is that He is the one who gives us joy. Just as Jesus exults in the power of the Holy

Spirit to praise the Father, just as Mary rejoices in God her Savior, so, too, do we rejoice

in the Spirit. True joy is a deep conviction of the Spirits presence in our soul, not a

transitory feeling of elation. It is this deep presence of the Holy Spirit that gives joy to

the martyrs and the saints--a joy which the worldly cannot understand and a joy which

the world cannot produce. This is also a joy which sends us out as apostles radiant with

love to share with the world Him who is the cause of our joy.

Conclusion

We have seen today that the Holy Spirit is a rational being existing independently of

others and for the sake of His own good. He is a person who loves and receives love and

who is worthy of receiving our worship and praise. The mystery of His personhood has

been slowly revealed throughout salvation history that we may come to love Him as

much as the Father and the Son love Him and each other. When we enter into the depths

of the love of Trinity, then we enter into the mystical union which is the vocation for all

believers. The love we receive from Him is active, efficacious and transforming. It is

not merely ephemeral and transitory but because He is the Lord and Giver of Life; it is

a love and joy which brings us to a depth of holiness beyond our imagining.