The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit
In the Gospel of Luke 24:48-49, Jesus tells the disciples: “And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4, we read: “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” These two readings beautifully illustrate for us the promise of Jesus to be present always in his church.
How is Jesus present? A week ago we reflected upon the Institution of the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit is present and active in the celebration of the Eucharist, because the priest having been ordained and marked with a special character is configured to Christ and able to act in his person, to take part in the worship of the body of Christ, not just as a member of the body, but as a member who represents the head of the body, and through whom the head acts by the grace and action of the Holy Spirit.
Christ is not only present in the Eucharist but is also present in the other sacraments of the Church. In baptism, we were sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit becoming a new creation in Christ. The book of Genesis 1:2 tells us: “a mighty wind swept over the waters.” From this we can see that the Holy Spirit is the creative power of God. The Holy Spirit is also present in the sacrament of confirmation. According to the Acts of the Apostles 8:15-17, “while there they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, they laid hands on them and they received the Spirit for it had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands upon them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
Earlier we made reference to the sacrament of Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism washes away the guilt of original sin, making us new creatures in Christ, opening to us the gift of salvation. For this reason it is clearly linked with sacrament of reconciliation (confession) which is the way in which post-baptismal sins are forgiven. According to Pope John Paul II in the document Reconciliation and Penance: “Jesus confers through the Holy Spirit upon ordinary men, themselves subject to the snare of sin, namely his apostles: receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
From our reflections, it is possible for us to realize that we are not alone in our journey of discipleship. Christ is present to us because the Holy Spirit is present and active in all areas of the life of faith and the Church, so that we as Catholic Christians can more faithfully live out our baptismal call to holiness. As we approach the end of Lent, let us thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit by asking Him for the grace to help us recognize the areas of our life that need healing. Let us also ask for the necessary graces to help us confess our sins, so that we may receive the healing love and mercy of Christ.
