Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit

The Indwelling spirit

There is a common way in which God is present to all of creation. Saint Paul referred to this all enveloping presence of God when he quoted a Greek poet who said, “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

But there is another, entirely personal presence of God within those who love him. Jesus himself speaks of it in the Gospel of Saint John, whether he says; “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and he will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:23).

This special presence of the trinity is properly ascribed the Holy spirit, for as Saint Paul proclaims, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy spirit who has been given to us”(Rom 5:5). This presence of the spirit, god’s gift of love within you, is called the divine indwelling.

The Gifts of the Spirit

The spirit is not only intimately present within you; he is silently but actively working to transform you. If you attune yourself to his silent promptings. Than the gifts Holy Spirit become experienced realities in your life.
There are two kinds of gifts of the spirit. The gifts of the first kind are indented for the sanctification of the person who receives them. They are permanent supernatural qualities which enable the graced person to be especially in tune with the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. They are: wisdom (which helps a person value the thing of heaven),understanding (which enables the person to grasp the truths of religion), Council (which helps one see and correctly choose the best practical approach in serving God), fortitude (which steels a person’s resolve in overcoming obstacles to living the faith) Knowledge (which helps one see the path to follow and the dangers to one’s faith),piety (which fills a person with confidence in God and an eagerness to serve him),and fear of the lord (which makes a person keenly aware of God’s sovereignty and the respect due to him and his laws).

A second kind of gifts of the spirit are called charisms. They are extraordinary favors granted principally for the help of others. In (1 Cor 12:6-11), nine charisms are: the gifts of speaking with wisdom. Speaking with knowledge, faith, healing, miracle, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpreting speeches.

Other passages in Saint Paul (such as 1 Cor 12:28-31 and Rom 12:6-8) mention other charisms.