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CHAPTER: 2
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
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In what way does the Holy
Spirit enable us to profess
our faith in Jesus and the
Father?
“No one can say ‘Jesus is
Lord’ except by the Holy
Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:3.) “God
has sent the Spirit of his
son into our hearts, crying,
‘Abba! Father.” (Gal 4:6.)
This knowledge of faith is
possible only in the Holy
Spirit. To be in touch with
Christ, we must first have
been touched by the Holy
Spirit. He comes to meet us
and kindles faith in us.
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In which sacrament does
the Holy Spirit communicate
to us intimately and
personally?
By virtue of our Baptism,
the first sacrament of the
faith, the Holy Spirit in
the Church communicates to
us, intimately and
personally, the life that
originates in the Father and
is offered to us in the son.
The Sacrament of
Confirmation confirms this
reality.
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What does the sacrament
of Confirmation give to us?
The Sacrament of
Confirmation gives us the
grace of the Spirit which
enables us to live in God
the Father, through his son,
in the Holy Spirit. For
those who bear God’s spirit
are led to the Word, that
is, to the Son, and the Son
presents them to the Father,
and the Father confers
incorruptibility on them.
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What is the role of the
spirit in recognizing Jesus
as the Son of the Father?
It is impossible to see
God’s Son without the
spirit, and no one can
approach the Father without
the Son, for the knowledge
of the Father is the Son,
and the knowledge of God’s
Son is obtained through the
Holy Spirit. (St. Irenaeus,
Dem. ap.7; Sch 62, 41-42)
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What does the Holy Spirit
do, by giving us his Grace?
Through his grace, the Holy
Spirit awakens faith in us
and communicates to us the
new life, which is to ‘know
the Father and the one whom
he has sent, Jesus Christ.”
(Jn. 17:3.)
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What does it mean to
believe in the Holy Spirit?
To believe in the Holy
Spirit is to profess that
the Holy Spirit is one of
the persons of the Holy
Trinity, consubstantial with
the Father and the Son:
“with the Father and the son
he is worshipped and
glorified.”(Nicene Creed;
par. 465)
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What is the role of the
Spirit in our salvation?
The Holy Spirit is at work
with the Father and the Son
from the beginning to the
completion of God’s plan for
our salvation. But in these
“end times,” ushered in by
the Son’s redeeming
incarnation, the Spirit is
revealed, recognized and
welcomed as a person.
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Who can understand the
thoughts of God?
“No one understands the
thoughts of God except the
Spirit of God.” (1 Cor;
2:11)
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How does the spirit speak
to us?
The Spirit does not speak
for itself. The Spirit who
“has spoken through the
prophets” makes us hear the
Father’s Word. We know him
only through the changes
that are seen in the
person’s life.
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Who can really know the
Spirit?
Those who believe in Christ
know the Spirit because he
dwells with them. (Jn;
14:17)
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How does the Holy Spirit
manifest itself in the
bible?
The Holy Spirit manifests
itself in the bible
(Scripture) through the
Words written in it by the
Inspiration of the Holy
Spirit.
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How does the Holy Spirit
manifest itself in the
Church?
The Spirit manifests itself
through
a. The Traditions in the
Church which reveal the
mystery of God.
b. The Church’s magisterium
(Church Authority) which
assists in interpreting the
voice of the Spirit
c. The Sacraments which are
the visible sign of the
invisible grace of the
Spirit
d. The Holy Qurbana in which
the Spirit enables us to
enter into a communion with
God.
e. The prayer, which is the
inner Spirit crying within
us.
f. The Charisms which are
manifestations of the Spirit
in the individuals.
g. The Missionary activity,
which are prompted by the
courage and strength of the
Holy Spirit
h. The Saints, who have
witnessed to the Kingdom
under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit.
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