The New Saint Joseph Baltimore
Lesson 9
The Holy Spirit and Grace
Jesus invites his sheep to drink of His spirit
“I believe in the Holy Spirit…”
We read in the Holy Bible:
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 14 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.
Explanation
The Holy Spirit is “living water” to our souls
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Blessed Trinity. Jesus sends Him to us. The living water of the Holy Spirit gives life to the garden of our soul. We call this life grace. Without the living water of the Holy Spirit the garden of our soul would be dry and lifeless. King David sang, in psalm 62: “O God, you are my God Whom I seek; for You my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched (dry), lifeless, and without water.
“Come to me and drink”
Jesus invites us. We accept when we assist at mass, especially when we go to Communion, when we receive the other sacraments, when we pray, and when we desire to perform any good action.
Symbols of the Holy Spirit
Other symbols of the Holy Spirit are: (1) the dove, a symbol of love; (2) tongues of fire, also symbols of love; (3) the wind, the “breath of God,” a symbol of the unseen power of love.
Practice
Receive the sacraments often in order to increase God’s life in you.
CATECHISM
53. Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is the Love between the Father and the Son.
54. What does the Holy Spirit do for the salvation of mankind?
The Holy Spirit sanctifies souls through the gift of grace.
The Holy Spirit gives us grace, which is Christ’s life in us.
55. How many kinds of grace are there?
There are two kinds of grace: sanctifying grace and actual grace.
56. What does sanctifying grace do for us?
Sanctifying grace:
first, makes us holy and pleasing to God;
second, makes us adopted children of god;
third, makes us temples of the Holy Spirit;
fourth, gives us the right to heaven.
57. What is actual grace?
Actual grace is a supernatural help of God which enlightens our mind and strengthens our will to do good and avoid evil.
All the special helps that God gives us are actual graces. He gives us these helps when we need them and as long as we need them.
58. What are the principal ways of obtaining grace?
The principal ways of obtaining grace are prayer and the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist.
Discussion Questions
1. What is the work of the Holy Spirit?
2. How can we “come and drink” of the Holy Spirit?
3. Explain the three symbols of the Holy Spirit?
4. Why does our Lord call grace “living water?”
5. What would happen to our soul without “living water?”
True or False
1. The Holy Spirit is the first Person in the Blessed Trinity.
2. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of grace.
3. Sanctifying grace comes and goes as we need it.
4. Christ calls sanctifying grace “living water.”
5. We get this grace only by prayer.
Fill in the Blanks
1. The Holy Spirit………… Person in God.
2. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of ………….
3. Jesus called this the gift of the Holy Spirit …… ……….
4. Sanctifying grace makes us …………… of the Holy Spirit.
5. The special help God gives us when we need it is called ………… ………….
Other Readings
1. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit Acts 1: 1-12.
2. The coming of the Holy Spirit and the result Acts 2: 1-8, 38-47.
Class Liturgical Action
Learn to say (or sing) together the “Come Holy Ghost.”
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