But why is the Holy Spirit important? Who is he and what does he do? In the Apostles creed, we say we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. The Holy Spirit is the one who animates all these and brings the will of the Father to fulfillment. He animates the early Catholic Church as we read in the Acts of the Apostles. Since he is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow, he is moving and will continue to move in the Church. He works in the sacraments of the Church. All the sacraments are acts of Jesus done in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit unites all the members of the triumphant Church in heaven, the repentant Church in purgatory and the militant Church on earth. We also believe in the forgiveness of sins. The Father is the one who forgives our sins through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave the apostles and their successors the power to forgive sins only after he breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. The Church then has the authority to forgive sins by the power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus has said. We believe in the resurrection of the body. St Paul says in his letter to the Romans, If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you. Just as he raised Jesus, we too, if we live in Jesus will also rise up by the power of the Spirit. We believe in life everlasting. The Spirit is the one who will lead us to eternal life. He is the one who gives us the power to live our lives according to the plan of the Father to praise the glory of his grace. |
