Day 104: The Holy Spirit and the Church (737-747)

• It’s Day 104!!

• We are trucking right along!!

• In The Bible in a Year Day 100 was John Ch 6 in our FIRST Messianic Checkpoint

• So we don’t do checkpoints in Catechism in a Year

• BUT…

• We are taking the next step tomorrow when we start ARTICLE 9: I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH

• There are going to be some pretty remarkable things we learn

• What does the Church teach about the Church?

• Today we are concluding the section on the Holy Spirit

• The Holy Spirit is the SOUL AND HEART of the Church

• He is what ANIMATES the Church

• We will not stop talking about the Holy Spirit just like we did not stop talking about God the Father or Jesus

• BUT…

• As we talk about the Church over the next number of days, today’s focus is THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH

• Fr. Mike is now recapping yesterday etc…

• The Church keeps reiterating that the mission of the Holy Spirit and the mission of Jesus Christ ARE THE SAME MISSION

• THEY ARE INSEPARABLE!!

• Paragraph 737 says, “The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.”

• THAT IS A BIG STATEMENT!!

• IT IS A TRUE STATEMENT!!

• The mission of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit is made present, active, and effective in the life of the Church

• We say the Church is the SACRAMENT of the mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit

• THE CHURCH IS A SACRAMENT IN A UNIQUE WAY

• We already have the SEVEN SACRAMENTS

• What do the Sacraments do?

• The Sacraments are a sacred sign instituted by Christ that give Grace

• Well…

• The Church is a SACRED BODY instituted by Jesus when Jesus said to Peter, “On this Rock, I will build my Church.”

• What does the Church do?

• IT COMMUNICATES GOD’S GRACE!!

• In a unique way the Church is a SACRAMENT

• We will talk more about this as the days unfold

• There are FOUR THINGS the Holy Spirit does in the Church

• The Spirit PREPARES US to go out with his grace in order to draw other people to Jesus

• The Spirit MANIFESTS THE RISEN LORD to them

• The Spirit MAKES PRESENT the mystery of Christ, especially in the Eucharist

• What Jesus makes POSSIBLE the Holy Spirit makes ACTUAL

• The Spirit BRINGS MEN AND WOMEN INTO COMMUNION WITH GOD so that they can bear much fruit

• OH MAN!!

• IT IS SO INCREDIBLE!!

• The Holy Spirit CONTINUES to animate the Church

• So we call on the Holy Spirit now!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Come Holy Spirit. Teach us how to pray. In Jesus’ name, come Holy Spirit teach us how to pray. Father, in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, send your Holy Spirit that we can learn how to pray, that we know how to live, and have the strength to live as you are calling us to live, that we can know you more deeply and actually learn how to love even more. Your working in your Church and the Temple of the Holy Spirit that is tangible in this world, it isn’t just spiritual, but is visible in this world in the Holy Catholic Church, we ask that you please open our eyes to be able to see that and open our hearts to receive this gift that you have given to us because your Church, which is divine, is also human. And as human it is broken. And as human it is full of sinners like myself. And so Father, in the name of your Son Jesus, send your Holy Spirit, the Soul of your Church, to us that we can receive your Body, we can serve your Body on Earth, and that we can be part of your mission to the world. Help us to be true witnesses of your Life, Death, and Resurrection. True witnesses of your Grace, Mercy, and Power and Love to this world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”

• There we have it!!

• OH MY GOSH!!

• The Church is the EXTENSION of the joint mission of Son and Spirit

• The authority of Christ and the Holy Spirit are also EXTENDED TO THE CHURCH

• WHICH IS JUST REMARKABLE!!

• Paragraph 737 says, “The Spirit prepares men [and women] and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ.”

• So the Spirit GETS US READY

• From the VERY BEGINNING OF TIME the Spirit was present at Creation and was preparing the Jewish people of God to receive Christ

• Paragraph 737 continues, “The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection.”

• This was part of what happened in the Early Church with the original Apostles and disciples

• The Holy Spirit continues to work NOW

• THe Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us

• Paragraph 737 continues, “[The Holy Spirit] makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may ‘bear much fruit.’”

• Think about this…

• THIS IS AMAZING!!

• All of the Sacraments are POSSIBLE because of the working of the Holy Spirit

• Paragraph 738 says, “Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity…”

• THIS IS JUST REMARKABLE!!

• The Holy Spirit fills the minds of those who teach and preach

• The Holy Spirit guides the teaching of the Church

• BUT…

• It is not just that

• It’s not enough to hear about Jesus, God, and His saving work

• We also have to make present and give access

• That is what the Holy Spirit does through the Church

• BRINGS US INTO COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY TRINITY!!

• Dr. Michael Barber wrote a book on the topic of Salvation

• One quote struck Fr. Mike as REVOLUTIONARY

• “Jesus didn’t just come to save us from Hell. He came to save us from being UNCHRISTLIKE.”

• We are born into Original Sin

• We are born out of this whole relationship with the Lord

• We are born broken

• Salvation is not just salvation from eternal separation from God, although that is a big deal

• It is salvation from being unchristlike

• It is salvation from not living in communion with the Father

• It is salvation from not being the people that we were created to be

• The Church is meant to not just teach the truth, although we are supposed to teach the truth

• The Church is meant to not just live the truth, although we are supposed to live the truth

• But also to bring this new life to people and bring people to this new life

• Why?

• Because that is what Jesus did

• He didn’t just teach

• He healed

• He reconciled

• He drove out demons

• And above all He gave us access to the Father

• If that was the mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit…

• THAT IS OUR MISSION TOO!!

• That is the mission of every single person who belongs to the Church

• Because that is the mission of the Church

• IN FACT…

• Paragraph 739 says, “[Christ] pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world.”

• THIS IS AMAZING!!

• Because YOU have been given the Holy Spirit and are part of the Church, not only have you be commissioned in this unique way in Christ and in the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit…

• TO BRING LIFE

• TO BEAR WITNESS

• AND…

• TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SELF-OFFERING OF THE SON TO THE FATHER AND TO INTERCEDE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD

• That is part of the privilege and responsibility every one of us has been given

• Paragraph 739 talks about the Sacraments which is Part 2 of the Catechism

• The Holy Spirit makes these ACTUAL

• Paragraph 740 talks about the MIGHTY WORKS OF GOD 

• We get to actually LIVE A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST which is the Moral Life which is Part 3 of the Catechism

• Paragraph 741 talks about how the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know how to pray as we ought

• Paragraph 741 says, “The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God’s works, is the master of prayer.” and this will be Part 4 of the Catechism

• Pillar 2: The Sacraments

• Pillar 3: The Moral Life

• Pillar 4: How We Pray 

• These are all made ACTUAL by the Holy Spirit working, animating, and suffusing the Church

• SUPER GOOD!!

• Tomorrow we start ARTICLE 9: I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH

• So if you are not Catholic this could be a REALLY REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY

• To learn more about what does the Church believe about the Church

• If you ARE Catholic it is also a great opportunity

• There might be a lot of misconceptions we have about what we believe about God

• GOD THE FATHER

• GOD THE SON

• GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

• Now we are going to talk about what we believe about the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ, the Church of the living God here on Earth

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!