The Holy Spirit (The Creed)

"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets."

After ascending into heaven, Christ did not leave us alone in this world of troubles. He did not allow us to remain bereft of His love. Before He returned to His Father, Jesus told His disciples "you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence" (Acts 1:5), "I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you" (John 14:18). In the hope of this promise, the disciples remained in Jerusalem, despite the persecution that they thus risked. And their hope was not in vain.

"And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming.... And there appeared to them parted tongues as if of fire.... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:1-3).

It is impossible to speak of the Church without mentioning the Holy Spirit. That is because, through Pentecost, the Church has been imbued with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the hardest Person of the Trinity to comprehend. We are familiar with the idea of a father and a son, but an incorporeal spirit? This is a hard teaching indeed. 

We must remember a few essential aspects of the Holy Spirit, in order to better understand this teaching of the Church. First, the Holy Spirit is distinct from but one with the Father and the Son. Secondly, the Spirit is the Author of Scripture: "who has spoken through the prophets." And finally, the Holy Spirit is "the giver of life."

The Holy Spirit is "distinct but inseparable" (CCC 689) from the Father and the Son. This is key to our understanding of the Spirit. The best way that I have ever heard this concept explained is that the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the love between the Father and the Son. Thus, though the Holy Spirit is unquestionably unique in the Trinity, he cannot be imagined outside of it.

Next, the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word. The Catechism tells us that one of the places in which we know the Spirit is "in the Scriptures he inspired" (CCC 688). The Holy Spirit gave us the Word through the prophets. Isaiah wrote "the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me" (Isaiah 61:1). Even the early Church acknowledged this truth. Paul said to the Jews of Rome: "well did the Holy Spirit speak to our fathers by Isaiah the prophet" (Acts 28:25). Sacred Scripture is not the outdated work of  a few backward Jews and Christians. It is the LIVING work of God. It is not something merely to be studied, but listened to and lived. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word.

And finally, the Holy Spirit is "the giver of life." He is active in our hearts. Once they received the Holy Spirit, the disciples immediately began speaking in tongues. They were granted the courage necessary to stand before the throng of Jerusalem and preach the Word, though it might have meant (and eventually did for all but John) their own deaths. I do not believe they could have spoken otherwise, for the Holy Spirit is "the spirit of truth" (John 14:17). They could not help but speak the Truth when filled with the "spirit of truth." We know of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the boons we receive through grace. These fruits prepare us to live and spread the Word.

This discussion of the Holy Spirit would be remiss if I did not also write about the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Holy Spirit is of course involved in every Sacrament, but is featured especially prominent in the last Sacrament of Initiation. Confirmation has its origins in Pentecost when the Church first received the Holy Spirit. We see this Sacrament in action later in the book of Acts when after being baptized, the people of Samaria called upon Peter and John who came and "laid their hands upon them: and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:17). And indeed, another name for this Sacrament is the laying on of hands.

In the Early Church, the three Sacraments of Initiation were all celebrated simultaneously, a practice that continues in the Eastern Church. Baptism was separated during the reign of Constantine when he made Christianity the religion of Rome. Confirmation was likewise celebrated apart from the Eucharist beginning in the Middle Ages. And I think that during this time, we really solidified our understanding of the Sacrament.

The concepts of knighthood became intertwined with Confirmation. Confirmation was not influenced by the historical phenomenon of knighthood. Rather, chivalry was an expression of the values of Confirmation. Sometimes this expression was more worldly than spiritual. But we find the perfect expression of this in St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He wrote "In Praise of the New Knighthood" for Hugh de Paynes, the founding Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Now, the historical reality of the Templar Order has been distorted by popular culture. They were not a secret society or anti-Christian cult. In truth, they were a group of warrior monks sanctioned by the Pope and committed to defending Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land, a place that was equally if not more violent and hostile to Christians than the modern Middle East. They were the embodiment of Christian knighthood and thus St. Bernard's "Praise" is key to this discussion of Confirmation. These knights are disciplined and focused. They are fierce in battle, but "there is no distinction of persons among them." He extorted them to "go forth confidently then, you knights, and repel the foes of the Cross of Christ with a stalwart heart."

Of course Confirmation should not be seen as a preparation for a physical warfare, as was necessary in the times of the Templars. Today, we fight against "foes of the Cross" who instead of steel carry blogs and Twitter validations, signs and a false sense of advocacy. And this sense of Confirmation preparing us for spiritual warfare can be found throughout Tradition. Pope Melchiades, pontiff during the reign of Constantine, wrote that "in Baptism, man is enlisted into the service, in Confirmation, he is equipped for battle." The Roman Catechism, product of the Council of Trent during the Catholic Reformation, calls those who receive the Sacrament of Confirmation "a valiant combatant."

Confirmation is rightly a Sacrament of Initiation, for it girds Christians with abundant grace and prepares them for living in the world. In the book of Revelation, we read about the "mark" of the beast which identifies his slaves in sin. Confirmation is the counter to that sign. Pope Pius X wrote that "Confirmation is a sacrament which gives us the Holy Ghost, imprints on our souls the mark of a soldier of Christ, and makes us perfect Christians," perfect of course, not in immunity from sin, but rather in fulfillment of grace.

The mark of Confirmation is divisive. The bishop marks the heads of the Confirmandi with chrism as a proud standard for them to wear as they venture out into the battlefield of life. It is a sign of our soldier-hood for Christ. In Confirmation, we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit. We receive the graces and gifts of the Spirit. The Spirit is thus our Paraclete, our Advocate, "the giver of life."

If you want to learn more about the Holy Spirit and the Sacrament of Confirmation, go here and watch this excellent podcast by Rise Up Jerusalem on how Protestant baptism relates to the Sacrament of Confirmation. The host of Rise Up Jerusalem, happens to be, not just my cousin, but a close friend and an excellent voice of young Catholicism. Check out the rest of his videos to be inspired by his ministry and passion for Christ.

I leave you with these words from the advocate of Christian knighthood. Truly we have cause for joy for we are visited with the graces of the Holy Spirit, our comfort.

"Rejoice Jerusalem, and recognize now the time in which you are visited! Be glad and give praise together, wastes of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people." - St. Bernard of Clairvaux

DEUS VOLT!

The Second Coming (The Creed)

As I emphasized in my last post, our faith is not dead or stagnant. It is effective and alive. Christianity did not end with the Resurrection any more than it ends with the Passion. After Christ revealed Himself to His disciples on multiple occasions, He ascended into Heaven. Unlike the false prophets of paganism or even the Jewish prophets appointed by God, Jesus did not succumb to the decay of a final death. Instead, he rose into the Heavens after rising from the grave. God-made-Man returned to the bosom of His Heavenly Father.

This must have been difficult for the disciples. They were scattered and in hiding when they saw the proofs of the Resurrection. And now Jesus was gone again. Many men might have simply returned to the comfort of the shadows and anonymity. The Roman sword still hung over their heads and the Pharisees wanted to tear them apart. I think that it would have been understandable if, even with the hope of the Resurrection, the disciples had gone back into hiding and spread the message of the Gospel in secret to a chosen and trusted few.

But this is not what happened. In fact, the disciples did quite the opposite. They went out among the throng of Jerusalem. They did not speak in whispers. "Peter standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke to them: 'Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words" (Acts 2:14). These are not the words of a fearful man. These are the words filled with the courage and strength of the Lord.

And yet let us remember who this is that speaks so boldly. This is Peter, the same disciple who during the Last Supper rashly proclaimed that "although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee" (Mark 14:31), only to deny the Lord not once, not twice, but three times on Good Friday. The question we must ask ourselves is what changed? What happened to the disciples so that instead of running away, they proclaimed the Gospel to the nations?

There are two answers to this question. The first is the descent of the Holy Spirit which is the subject of my next post. The other reason for their courage is found in the promise that came with the Ascension. After Jesus was raised up into the clouds, two angels appeared to the disciples and said to them "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven. The disciples received the promise of the Second Coming of Christ.

The Ascension was not Jesus' last farewell to Earth. He is coming back.

We read extensively of this promise in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Jesus warns us of the tribulation and confusion that will abound in the end times, for truly the Second Coming represents the end of the world as we know it. In those times, "many false prophets will rise and shall seduce many" (Matthew 24:11). The Ancient Fathers of the Church long believed this to mean that the antichrist would present himself, the great deceiver and servant of Satan. It is said that he will "make war with the saints" and "all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life" (Revelation 13:7-8).

True believers and followers of the word "shall be hated by all for my name's sake" (Matthew 24:9). "And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death" (Luke 21:16). In the book of Revelation, we read of the "great harlot" of idolatry "with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication," and that she is "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (Revelation 17:1-2,6).

Truly these will not be tame times. These will be days marked by chaos and persecution.

It is important to remember, however, that it is vain to try to predict when the last days will come. Christ tells us that "of that day and hour no one knoweth: no, not the angels in heaven, but the Father alone" (Matthew 24:36).

These signs and predictions might seem disheartening. Why did it fill the apostles with such strength?

It is because of what follows these sufferings which are merely "the sign of thy coming and the consummation of the world" (Matthew 24:3). The Enemy will not prevail. He has already been defeated. Our ultimate victory is in the Cross. These times will merely be the last "hurrah," the vain though potent charge of Satan's Light Brigade. There is no question about the outcome. When these slight afflictions pass away, "then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven" (Matthew 24:30), "then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory" (Mark 13:26). Christ shall return from His Heavenly throne to establish His new Kingdom. He "shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1). And though the beast should rise from the abyss to devour true Christians, "the Lamb shall overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14).

All of this around you, all of the kingdoms of the earth, the laws of men, the institutions of sin, all of this shall pass away and be forgotten. "Vanities of vanity, and all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer" (Revelation 2:10) for they will be washed away in the blood of the Lamb.

This is why the apostles were able to disregard the threat of death at the hands of the Jews and the Romans. They stood before the crowds of Jerusalem and proclaimed the glory of the Resurrection and message of the Gospel. The apostles suffered torture and martyrdom in the expectation and hope of the Second Coming in Christ, knowing that "he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved" (Mark 13:13), "he that shall overcome shall not be hurt by the second death" (Revelation 2:11).

We must try to live in the hope of the Second Coming. Christians must toil upon the earth so that when He comes, the Lord might say to us "well done, good and faithful servant.... Enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21). The Lord amply rewards those who follow his word: "be thou faithful unto death: and I will give thee the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). It is impossible for us even to imagine a fraction of the joy that is waiting for us in heaven. Therefore, live with the love of God as the disciples so that when you meet the Lord, whether in death or in His coming, "your redemption is at hand" (Luke 21:28).

"Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not when the time is" (Mark 13:13).


DEUS VULT!

The Glory of the Resurrection (The Creed)

And rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Ours would be a grim faith indeed if the Gospels ended with the Crucifixion. We might be as grave as the Muslims or as morbid as the Stoics. And I think that it can be all to easy to do just that - to end with the Passion, to end with the suffering of Christ while neglecting what happened three days later. It can be all too easy to focus on the magnitude of sin and suffering in the world and forget the significance of the Passion which was made manifest in the rolling away of the stone. It is easy to hold up a sign saying that "The End is Nigh" or to complain about the state of the world. It is much harder to embrace your brother with love.

Jesus died and rose again!

The God-made man has conquered the grave!

"He is not here, for He is risen" (Matthew 28:6).

Brothers and sisters, how can we not rise up with joy in the truth of our faith? How can we keep from singing? The depths of the grave have no power over our Lord, "O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). The Resurrection is the validation of the Cross. The Cross would not make sense without the glory of Easter. We can have confidence in the necessity of our own suffering because the story did not end on Calvary.

How many false prophets have been silenced by death? When Socrates was poisoned with hemlock, did he teach beyond the grave? Did Mohammed share his revelations after death? Was Buddha able to share his message post-mortem? Who else has a Lord who rose from the grave?

The world hates this Truth. It tries to tell us that it is impossible, that no man can conquer death. Our age fears the grave because it has rejected and spat upon what lies beyond it. The world turns to its fatalistic hedonism, the danse macabre, the self-deluding, insane, urgent dance of those yet untouched by death. It drinks to forget its own mortality, seeks meaningless lusts in a desperate frenzy, masks its age in layer upon layer of beauty products. All to stave off the cold embrace of the grave for one moment longer.

But no Christian need fear death. We need not live under the shadow of the tomb. "Now we are loosed from the law of death" (Romans 7:6). Christ "hath destroyed death and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall not fear" (Psalm 23:4). Having full confidence in God's mercy and the absolution of our sins through sacramental Confession, the sting of death is nullified by the love of Christ. Death means nothing to the saints and the martyrs of God.

We believe that Jesus rose from the death, that he invaded the pit of hell and thrust open the gates of heaven. That is why Easter is a time for rejoicing and feasting. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote: "there are only two philosophies of life: the Christian, which says first the fast, then the feast; and the pagan, which says first the feast, then the headache." Our fasting should not be tainted with sorrow for we know what lies at the end of the road. Sadness profits us nothing, "for of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength" (Sirach 38:19).

On Good Friday, the Temple veil was torn. On Easter Sunday, the tombstone was cast aside and the vice-hold of death broken.

Do not weep, rejoice! Christ is no longer dead but alive!

DEUS VULT!