Getting to know the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is easily the most misunderstood Person in the Trinity. That’s partly because He is self-effacing and humble in His relationship with the world at large.

The Catechism tells us (s.687) that we don’t hear the Holy Spirit Himself speaking to us – He has no voice of His own, so to speak. Instead, He reveals the word of the Father to us, and unveils Jesus to us. 

Because He proceeds from the Father and the Son, He lives in perfect harmony with them. He would never reveal anything that was contrary to their will. 

Which is why He is also tremendously busy! There are eight places where you can easily find and know the Holy Spirit if you want to (and I’d encourage you to do this). 

The first and most obvious place is in the Scriptures, which He inspired. You will also find Him in the sacred tradition of the Church, throughout the writings of all the Church Fathers (and Mothers).

You will find Him every single time you take part in the sacraments, which is where the Holy Spirit works to put us in communion with Jesus Christ. 

You will find him in your prayer life. Every time you pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for you with the Father and the Son. We literally can’t pray without Him. How about that?

You will find him in the charisms and ministries that build up the Church. A ‘charism’ is any gift that God gives you to help build up the Church. 

Being ‘charismatic’ isn’t always about extraordinary signs and wonders. It can be a very ordinary case of you exercising a God-given gift in the service of the Church to the best of your ability. 

The Holy Spirit will show you how to use your gifts. You may not even notice Him helping you – but you might notice that your work thrives in unexpected ways. 

You will also find the Holy Spirit in the signs of apostolic and missionary life in the Church. Wherever there are people spreading the Gospel – at work, at home, or overseas – the Holy Spirit is there to guide them and help them. 

Finally, you will find the Holy Spirit at work in the witness given to us by the saints. All the saints in the Church have shown us the holiness of God through their lives lived in the company of the Holy Spirit. 

They’ve all done it in different ways, because saints are individual and come in all shapes and sizes. The Holy Spirit wants you to become a you-shaped saint, and you absolutely have the capacity to do it with His help. 

You can start by finding him in all these places and asking Him to help you. One of His names is ‘Paraclete’, which translates as ‘counsellor’, ‘helper’, and ‘really good lawyer’.

He is the best of all possible helpers (and lawyers). He can untangle knots, point out hidden paths, reveal secrets, and stir up your courage to become the saint God wants you to be.