My Dear Friends, 

We can gain much by considering who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit can accomplish in our world, in our lives and in the church today. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II considered knowledge of the Blessed Trinity so important that he first released a document on God the Father as a God of mercy. Subsequently, he wrote of the Son, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. On May 18, 1986, after having spoken of the Father and the Son, he speaks to us of the Holy Spirit, Who is revealed to us by Jesus Himself, Who is equal to the Father and the Spirit. 

"No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him" (Jn 1:18). Scripture presents Jesus to us not only as the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Friend, but also as a great Teacher Who reveals the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through Jesus God has revealed to us His profound secrets; The Trinity, the Incarnation, the Redemption. He has shared with us many other secrets of which we have never seen nor dreamed and which we have now come to understand in the light of faith. Ponder, for example, the great gift of the Holy Eucharist. That's something! Consider the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. Our finite minds can never fully comprehend the infinite love of God for mankind through such a sublime sacrifice. 

As the feast of Pentecost approaches, let us consider the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Bible and of His vicars on earth, the recent popes, as they have explained the role of the Holy Spirit in the church and in us as individuals. Unfortunately there is a great lack of knowledge of Who the Holy Spirit is and how the Spirit works in us. Having read Pope John Paul II's document on the Holy Spirit, I learned 150 insights about Who the Holy Spirit is and what He can do. I recommend that you get a copy and read it. Pope John Paul begins by saying the church professes faith in the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit clearly is the Lord. This is an article of faith professed in the Nicene Creed which we pray at Mass and which was given to us in the year 325. 

Who is Jesus? "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Since it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ was conceived we must consider that the Holy Spirit is a very important person of the Blessed Trinity. Inasmuch as you love Jesus; inasmuch as you accept the salvation brought by Jesus Christ; that He is the one who came to save us; that He came through the power of the Holy Spirit; then we must know that the Holy Spirit is very important even in the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. 

What else do we see in the Creed? In the year 381 additions were made to the Nicene Creed and we now call the Holy Spirit, "Lord". The word "Lord" is most appropriate. It is equivalent to the word, "Master." Think of the hymn we sing on festive occasions, "Glory to God in the Highest". We say that the Father is Lord and we speak of Jesus as Lord. Is it not proper, then, to say that the Holy Spirit is Lord? If you want to hear how that sounds in your ears, you could say, "My Lord, the Holy Spirit." I think that we have to ask ourselves, "Is it true that the Holy Spirit is my master? Is it true? Do I rely on the Holy Spirit as the one who really will make a tremendous difference in whatever happens to me." Spiritually, He is my master. When we say that the Holy Spirit is the Lord we are saying a profound truth.

The Holy Father begins his document on the Holy Spirit: "The church professes faith in the Holy Spirit as the Lord and the giver of life." We have to realize that when God created the world, He created Adam and Eve with human life; but when Jesus Christ came He instituted the Sacrament of Baptism, giving us divine life. He says that He wants us to have life in abundance. This rich divine abundant life comes to us through the working of the Holy Spirit. In the third Eucharistic prayer at Mass we say, "All life, all holiness comes from you through the working of the Holy Spirit.." 

Following that we proclaim that "the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son". This is an interesting dimension because the Father loves His Son and the Son loves His Father. The love between the two is really what the Holy Spirit is about. So the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is really the great protection on the Father and the Son. The greatest thing resulting from the relationship, the love, and the union of the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. 

The Creed continues: "Together with the Father and the Son He is worshipped." We worship the Holy Spirit! When we say that we worship the Holy Spirit what we're saying is that the Holy Spirit is part of the treasure that we have. When we think of God we adore God. We adore the Father; we adore the Son; we adore the Holy Spirit. Together with the Father and the Son He is adored; He is worshipped. That's what it means. Think of the Holy Spirit often and say, "Holy Spirit, I adore you! Holy Spirit, I adore you! Holy Spirit, I adore you!" In so doing, we acknowledge the Holy Spirit as God and we develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit as a person worthy of adoration and Who is the Lord and giver of life. 

We say that the Holy Spirit is glorified as we pray "Glory be to the Father and Glory be to the Son, and Glory be to the Holy Spirit." Glorify the Lord with me! Let us proclaim His name! Let us tell the world how great our God really is! 

There is an internal and an external glory of the Holy Spirit. Inside of Himself the Holy Spirit is really totally complete. Not one of us can improve that condition; however, the Holy Spirit is incomplete in the hearts and minds of mankind. So that's where we can do something. Let us resolve to know and understand the Holy Spirit better than we now understand and know Him so that He may be glorified in us. We must understand Him better, love Him more, and be more open to His activity in us. Team up with Him, accept His suggestions and His promptings so that the Holy Spirit in His external glory can be glorified in us. 

The Holy Spirit is the one Who has spoken through the prophets. All the good inspirations and prophesies we have received must be credited to the Holy Spirit. The Creed teaches us much about the Holy Spirit. He is Lord; He is Giver of Life; He proceeds from the Father and the Son; together with the Father and the Son He is worshipped; He is glorified; and He has spoken through the prophets. 

John Paul II reminds us that while there has been uninterrupted faith in the Holy Spirit throughout the history of the church since the day of Pentecost, there is a constant need for that faith to be reawakened and deepened. You know how easy it is for us to take things for granted. We hear something and then we kind of lose sight of it. There has been a reawakening, a new openness, a search for the Holy Spirit and for this we are certainly very grateful and blessed. Looking back over the history of the church during the last century, we find events occurring which remind us of, reawaken in us, and deepen within us an understanding of the Holy Spirit. Pope Leo XIII in 1897 preached understanding the place of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the world. In the document on the Mystical Body Pius XII in 1943 spoke of the Holy Spirit being the vital principle of the life of the church. Pope Paul VI, in 1973, reflecting on what the Vatican Council had done, mentioned that there is a need in our world for a new study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and at the same time, a need for a new devotion to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Lord has supplied our need, for if we reflect on events occurring in the church today, we will discover that the Lord has brought a new understanding of the Holy Spirit in the minds of the faithful around the world. We thank God for the Vatican Council because of the tremendous number of references to the Holy Spirit in its documents. We are grateful that Pope John XXIII invited us day after day to pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this our own day. Pope Paul VI is reported to have said that to understand the Holy Spirit and have a new devotion to the Holy Spirit is really an indispensable complement to the teaching of Vatican II. There has been much discussion about the Vatican Council during the last twenty years. It seems to me that some individuals have had misgivings and have blamed the Council for certain misinterpretations without really knowing what the Vatican Council is or what it has accomplished. The truth is that the Vatican Council invites us to really rediscover the Holy Spirit and to open our lives to the action of the Holy Spirit within us. 

In 1981 Pope John Paul counseled us to reexamine the sixteenth century statements of the Council of Constantinople with a view of deepening our realization that we need constantly to look again at what has happened in history so that we build on yesterday; that we keep moving ahead. There is no limit to what the Lord wants to do in each and every one of us and because of that we want to keep saying "yes" to God. 

Our tremendous model certainly is Mary. She said "yes" to God unconditionally. What a source of inspiration for each of us! Look to Mary and follow her example in being totally open to what the Holy Spirit has to offer each of us. We need to comply with Pope John Paul's request that we work more intently with the Holy Spirit every day until the year 2000 and beyond. His document on the Holy Spirit stated: "the purpose is to develop an awareness in the church that we are compelled by the Holy Spirit to do our part in the full realization of the will of God, who established Christ as the source of salvation for the whole world". Realize that the Holy Spirit is present and wants to work in us. The Holy Spirit comes in a new way in our time from the heart of the Vatican Council heritage. We must be open to the Holy Spirit so that we may be moved to penetrate the divine mystery of the gospel, the teachings of the Early Fathers of the church, and the celebration of the Mass and in our daily prayers. 

I find it fascinating that as people open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, they are brought to a deep understanding of Jesus Who brings them to the Father. They go to the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who opens his life to the Holy Spirit experiences a much better rounded understanding of God as Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Be aware of this tremendous richness. Know that as you open up to the Holy Spirit He is the witness of Jesus Christ. As you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, He is going to bring you to the Father. What an encouragement!

The Holy Father wrote the document to respond to the deep desire in the hearts of many people who are hungry for God, hungry for the word of God. This deep hunger is the work of the Holy Spirit. In writing his document about the Holy Spirit the Holy Father wanted to give all the hungry people answers and he did it very well. I am so pleased in what the Holy Father has written that I wanted to take time and share it with you. I hope that it will be for you a fresh discovery of God as an infinite spirit.

As we consider the place and the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must go to Scripture and to the words of Jesus Christ. At the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river, John testified "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'" (Jn 1:32-33) 

We must not form vague concepts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove at the baptism of Jesus. While we may discover in Scripture and through the history of the Church various concepts of the Holy Spirit, we must always be aware that our God is an infinite spirit. Jesus Christ teaches us that the Father is looking for worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth. This must be the goal of our worship. We do this certainly with confidence because we hope to find in the Holy Spirit the secret of love. There are many people craving for love and have not found it; have tried in so many ways to love; to accept love and to give love without success. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of love and He has the secret of love. In Him we can find it. Look to Jesus Christ and know that He sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes with new power, so much power that He is going to produce a new creation in this world. God the Father created the world but with the coming of the Holy Spirit, it's a brand new creation. If we open up to the Holy Spirit He will give us life, Godly life, divine life, eternal life. That's what He has to offer!

The thinking of Jesus regarding the Holy Spirit is probably seen more clearly in the following Scripture passage than is seen anywhere else. "On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, 'Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: "Rivers of living water will flow from within him." ' He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified." (Jn 7:37-39) 

There was a custom in Jerusalem that once a year the priest would go down the hill in the Kidron Valley to the Guillon Spring where they would take some fresh water from the bubbling spring, come up the temple and then have a special ceremony. This was important because there was at the time no running water in most places in the Holy Land. Jesus had observed this procession coming up, the priest carrying the jugs of water. When Jesus said: "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: 'Rivers of living water will flow from within him' " He was referring to the spirit whom those who came to believe in Him were to receive. There was, of course, no spirit as yet since Jesus had not yet been glorified. A new word is used here to signify the spirit: "water". We have heard of the Holy Spirit being represented as a dove. Now we have another word, "water". Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is like water. He invites those who are thirsty to come to Him and then He announces that He will give them rivers of living water so that the life of God, that divine life, that life in abundance, that Jesus Christ should just come out of us forever bubbling. 

A Christian should be someone who is bubbling with divine life, not a person who is dragging; not a person who has difficulties trying to cope with life; but a person bubbling with life. That's the kind of Christian that Jesus Christ announced; that's the kind of person we need to see around us. The word "rivers" indicates abundance, no limit, constantly flowing. If we accept this idea we will see that the Holy Spirit will forever be flowing within us. We would never run dry, but continually be receiving abundantly from the Holy Spirit. 

In the Catholic church our faith has its source in the Bible, comes out of Scripture and is therefore rooted in God. As Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well He says, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (Jn 4:10) "Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Jn 4:14) We hear Jesus referring to the Holy Spirit as a fountain, a spring of water. Springs just bubble out. We must have within us fountains leaping up to provide eternal life. This is the promise Jesus Christ made to the Samaritan woman--a lot of water, a lot of bubbling. She would bubble with enough living water. She would bubble to bring her to heaven, into everlasting life. 

In John's gospel we read that Jesus was talking to Nicodemus and He said, " 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?' Jesus answered, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of Spirit is Spirit." (Jn 3:3-6) And how are we begotten from above? Well, it's through water and the spirit, through Baptism. At the moment that we are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit we receive the spirit of God. So you can see how important these texts are in helping us to understand the Holy Spirit as flowing water, as fountains of water, as gushing fountains so that the life we receive from God, from the Holy Spirit is gushing with such tremendous force that there's enough to bring us to heaven. That's what we have to understand. 

In summary, we acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is the Lord, the master of our spiritual growth and our destiny. It's been entrusted in the hands of the Holy Spirit to make saints of us. The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. It is from Him that we receive this divine life that Jesus Christ brought into the world. The Holy Spirit has spoken through the prophets and He keeps talking. He wants to speak to us; wants to reveal to us the things we need to know. The Holy Spirit is the one who will quench our thirst and you know how thirsty, how hungry we are. Jesus said that they who hunger and thirst for holiness are blessed. Well, it's the Holy Spirit Who can satisfy that thirst because He brings rivers of living water. What kind? Well, it's like a spring of water that's going to well up even to eternal life. The Holy Spirit brings birth, a birth of water and the spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One in whom our God communicates Himself to us. Isn't that interesting? We could say that in past history the Father spoke to Adam and Eve and to Abraham. We could say that in the fullness of time (Hebrew 1) God sent His Son and spoke through His Son. Since then, however, the Father and the Son have been communicating with us through the Holy Spirit. Isn't that interesting? In my lifetime I have heard so many people speak as though God doesn't talk to them. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II says that God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. We must be open to the action of the Holy Spirit because it is through the Holy Spirit that God, the Father and the Son communicate Themselves to us. God shares His Spirit with us so that we might have eternal life. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us, supply all our needs to merit heaven. What's so amazing is that our salvation is the great desire of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit plays an important role in the life of the church as well as in the lives of individuals within the church. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II challenges us to become aware of this truth as he writes in the document on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Father writes that the Holy Spirit is the vital principle of the church. At His death, Christ left us His church which He Himself had instituted. He left a living organism, a community of believers alive and energized with the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit received by the members of the early church strengthened them to endure even the persecution of the first centuries. Clearly, the spiritual life that Jesus brought into the world comes to us through the working of the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, the living principle of the church. 

The Holy Spirit comes as the Spirit of unity and could be considered as the soul of the Mystical Body. "I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:1-6) 

So we could look at the Mystical Body, the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, the church, and realize that there is only one spirit, the Holy Spirit. The body of Christ, the church, numbers many Christians throughout the world, but we must view it in its brokenness caused by so many divisions. There are divisions among Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants, Orthodox, Methodists and Lutherans. In spite of all these divisions there is only one Spirit of God. The Spirit has not been broken. How challenging it has become for us to discover the Holy Spirit and to realize that it is in the Holy Spirit that we have life. Inasmuch as we discover the Holy Spirit we will also discover unity. The Holy Spirit is the one who will point the way leading to the unity of Christians. 

A close analysis of the official prayers of the church will reveal petitions for unity. The Holy Spirit brings unity even in the Trinity, unity between the Father and the Son. The Father and the Son are one with the Holy Spirit, Who is the love of the Father for the Son and the love of the Son for the Father. The Holy Spirit brings that closeness between the two, pulling them together, uniting them. In the same way the Holy Spirit brings us to God and brings us closer to one another. That's what it's all about. Consider the Holy Spirit as the supreme source of unity and pray frequently for the Holy Spirit to make us one. He is the one who will do that. He alone can heal our brokenness and heal us of all division. In the words of St. Paul the Holy Spirit brings unity and works in an orderly fashion. "Indeed, the spirits of prophets are under the prophet's control, since he is not the God of disorder but of peace." (1 Cor 14:32-33) And again-"So (my) brothers, strive eagerly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but everything must be done properly and in order." (1 Cor 14:39-40) It is the Holy Spirit Who will lead us to become one. We need to first remember that He is the source of unity. This is why the Holy Father was able to say that the Holy Spirit is the one who will point the way which will lead to the union of Christians.

If we were aware of how broken the Body of Christ is and how divided we are, then we would open ourselves to the Holy Spirit and pray that He heal our brokenness and division. Today, there are 600 different kinds of Protestants, not considering the little groups that split when one dissatisfied individual forms his own group and has a small following. I am considering the sizable groups that have been recognized. If you cut a piece of paper into 600 pieces, you might compare it to the brokenness of the Body of Christ. 

How we need the Holy Spirit! So many Christians are unaware of the degree of brokenness of the Mystical Body of Christ; unaware of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church! It's no wonder that we are as broken as we now are. Let us all invoke the Holy Spirit for unity! He is the principle of unity and can mend our wounds. 

In addition to referring to the Holy Spirit as a dove or living water, as the principle of life, as the One who brings new birth, as a communicator, as a source of eternal life, we can now also call Him the Unifier. 

One day, the word "fellowship" entered my mind. I asked , myself what it meant. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." (2 Cor 13:13) This is one of the greetings or opening prayers at Mass. What does it mean to you? What does this "fellowship" mean? In colleges and universities if someone is a fellow or has a fellowship there is a special close relationship between the parties. What do we mean when we speak of the "fellowship" of the Holy Spirit? We're certainly talking of union. We're talking of communion. We're saying that you and I should come into a relationship with the Holy Spirit. We should become friends of the Holy Spirit, the best of friends! Jesus says, "I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father." (Jn 15:15) Look again at this meaning of "fellowship" so that it rings another bell in your heart; that it tells you something else about the kind of God that we have. You and I have received from God the Holy Spirit Who wants to establish a tremendous relationship between each and everyone of us and with God. 

Let's consider another dimension of the Holy Spirit by returning to the Creed. "The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son." That idea comes to us from the very words of Jesus Christ just before He died. "When the advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning." (Jn 15:26-27) The Holy Spirit comes from the Father and yet Jesus is going to send Him from the Father so the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and He proceeds from the Son. The Son asks the Father and the Son sends us the Spirit through the Father. 

If you are interested in the Holy Spirit you must also be interested in the Son because He asks for and sends from the Father the Holy Spirit. You must likewise be interested in the Father because the spirit of truth comes from the Father. That is the reason we pray "that the Holy Spirit together with the Father and the Son is adored". I would like you to be able to say, "Father Ray, I adore the Holy Spirit." It would sound so good. It would sound as if you've discovered that the Holy Spirit is God; that the Holy Spirit is really a divine person. Reflect often as you pray the Creed the meaning of the words "that the Holy Spirit is adored and glorified." We're saying that the Holy Spirit is a divine person. Jesus Christ brought into the world a whole new understanding of God that was unheard of in the Old Testament. Pope John Paul says that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are clearly called persons. The first distinct from the second and the second distinct from the third and each of them distinct from one another. This is our faith. We believe in the Father as a person. We believe in the Son as a person. We believe in the Holy Spirit as a third person of the Trinity and because of that we are invited to enter into a triple relationship with God. Our God is one God, yet three distinct persons. We can relate to God as a Father; to the Son as the Redeemer and our Brother; to the Holy Spirit as the giver of life. Remember that the Holy Spirit is a person as is the Father and as is the Son. What is your relationship to that person? 

Suppose you're an employee and I ask, "What's your relationship with your boss?" If you are married I ask, "What's your relationship with your wife?" "Your husband?" "Your children?" "Your father?" "Your mother?" I ask you now, "What's your relationship with the Holy Spirit?" He is a person, a divine person. We so often pray as we make the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." I've discovered that unfortunately many have a sizable relationship with Jesus as the Son, a very limited relationship with God as the Father, and a skimpy relationship with the person of the Holy Spirit. Yet the three are adored and glorified. The three are equal. The three have the same Glory; to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit. Not one of the persons of the Blessed Trinity should have a back seat. We are then challenged to discover our relationship with that divine person called the Holy Spirit. 

We must consider more deeply this idea that the Holy Spirit is really at the center of our Christian faith. Why is He in the center? We could say that He is the soul of the body. I think St. Augustine is the first one who brought that word to our attention through St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians. "I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one body and one spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph 4: 1-6) 

After Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the apostles were scared and had locked themselves up. In spite of Jesus' promise to be with them until the end of time and even if Jesus had said that they should wait, that they would receive power from on high, they were still afraid and had locked themselves up. After the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost they were like new people. They had a great deal to say and were able to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. They were able to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and proclaimed to them, 'You, who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: It will come to pass in the last days, God says, that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh...' " (Acts 2:14-17) People listened carefully to what Peter had to say and thousands became followers. It was a great day but they would not have had the courage to do that the day before. After the Holy Spirit came they were able to hit the trail. They died in love of Jesus, died as witnesses of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a divine person and is the source of the dynamic power that we find in the renewal of the church. 

If I were to ask, "What kind of Christian are you?" and you would answer, hesitatingly, "Well, you know how it is..." or "Well, I used to...", then you need to change and become a person with dynamic power. Jesus says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) The Holy Spirit brings power which our Holy Father, John Paul II displays in his document declaring that the Holy Spirit is the center of our Christian faith and the source of the dynamic power of the Church's renewal. 

We should forever find in the church that spiritual power which renews us constantly until we come face to face with God. Think of marriage. Suppose that a man is deeply, madly in love with a girl and finally gets married. He then starts to take her for granted. You know that things are not going to work. A man that gets married has to constantly act in such a way that he keeps earning the love of his wife, keeps developing that loving relationship. The same thing applies to a woman who gets married. She has to constantly present herself as the most beautiful person in the eyes of that man. She is attracting him to a point that he is not attracted by anyone else. She continues to be all that he can dream of. In the same way the Holy Spirit must be there constantly renewing us, constantly giving us this dynamic power of renewal. It comes from Him. Think seriously of the Holy Spirit as a person and ask yourself, "How do I relate with that person, the Holy Spirit?" Then go on from there realizing that inasmuch as you go on in life constantly striving at a deeper discovery of the third person of the Blessed Trinity, the divine person called the Holy Spirit, you will see your life really bubbling. You will see that you have the source of power and you are constantly renewed. 

Heavenly Father, we need to know that the Holy Spirit is a divine person and that there is so much that He wants to do for us. We ask for this understanding in Jesus' name. We also ask you to help us to understand who the Holy Spirit is so that we can truthfully say that He is our Lord. We thank you for wanting to share your Holy Spirit with us; for the faith of the church that has always believed in the Holy Spirit; for renewing and reawakening the Holy Spirit in us; for deepening in us the knowledge, understanding and openness to the Holy Spirit. 

When we realize that you love us so much that not only did you send your Son, but you sent the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, to be with us every day until the end of time, then we begin to understand the importance and the place of the Holy Spirit in us and in the church. Help us to follow the example of Mary and say "Yes", "letting it be done to us according to thy word." 

Father, we really need the Holy Spirit because we are so divided in this world. Help us to understand that the Holy Spirit is a unifier. He is the friend who brings us into one. We need that. Help us to know that the Holy Spirit is a divine person and that there is so much that He wants to do for us.