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Index > Interconfessional Dialogues > M-RC > Paris (Singapore) Rep. 1991 | CONT. > Part One
 
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II. Spirit and Church

   22. In the New Testament the action of the sovereign and life-giving Spirit is closely related to the action of the Word. What God does through the Word is done in the Spirit, so that the same effect can often be attributed to the Word, or to the Spirit, or to both. It is God's action that is perceived in all cases.

    23. Thus the Spirit appears in the New Testament narrative as early as the Annunciation: the angel assures Mary that "the Holy Spirit will come" upon her and "the power of the Most High will overshadow" her (Lk 1:35). Therefore her Son will be called Son of the Most High and will be recognized by the prophet Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, as the one through whom God has prepared his salvation (2:30).

    24. As Jesus's ministry begins at his baptism by John, the Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove, and leads him to the desert where he rejects the temptation from the Evil one to carry out this ministry in ways disobedient to the will of the Father (Mk 1:10, Mt 3:16). At Nazareth, Jesus affirms that the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2 ("The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...") is now fulfilled in him (Lk 4:18-21). At the heart of Jesus's ministry Luke places the promise of an outpouring of the Spirit (Lk 11:13).

   25. The Gospel of John emphasizes particularly the promise and presence of the Spirit. The Baptist identifies Jesus as one who "baptizes in the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:33). True worship will be "in Spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:23). The promised Spirit is the Paraclete (Advocate), and the Spirit of truth (14:15-17; 15:26). This promise is fulfilled when Jesus is glorified on the Cross (7:37-39).

    26. The outpouring of the Spirit is presented in several ways in the New Testament. For John, the Spirit is given by the risen Christ on the evening of the Resurrection and empowers the disciples to forgive and to retain sins (20:22-23). For Luke in Acts (2:1-11), the Spirit is given on the day of Pentecost, and the Spirit's presence is manifested in extraordinary ways. In Acts, the manifestation of the Spirit is seen as a proof that baptism has been received: those who have been baptized must receive the Spirit (the sealing). The Spirit is received by all those who "hear the Word", both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 10:45). The Spirit leads Paul in his missionary journeys (Acts 13:2-5).

    27. The Spirit distributes gifts to all for the good of the koinonia (1 Cor 12:1-11). The Spirit is the inner power of the new life in Christ. Because the faithful are in Christ and with Christ, they receive the Spirit and are in the Spirit. There is a diversity of gifts, yet these are united in their source, the one Spirit, and in their purpose, the koinonia. Ye the Spirit "blows where it wills", and the faithful cannot put limits to the Spirit's action in humankind.

   28. The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, acts, not as an impersonal force, but personally inspires and guides those who come to believe. The Spirit seeks the unbelievers and reaches them in ways that are often mysterious, transforming their hearts. The Holy Spirit prepares the way for the preaching of the Word to those who do not believe, enabling them to respond in faith and to know the saving grace of God. The Spirit thus creates and maintains the oneness of the Church, bringing the many into unity and joining to their Head the members of the Body of Christ. Believers recognize one another as members of the Body, share in one ministry of word and sacrament, and partake of the eucharistic meal, where, through and with Christ, in the Spirit, they offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to the Father.

    29. As the Spirit abides in the community where the faith is confessed in fidelity to Christ, the Spirit makes the faithful aware of the presence among them and within them of Christ and of the Father. God dwells in the faithful, and they dwell in God, in whom they "live and move and have their being". This spiritual presence is pure, unmerited gift. It calls the faithful to holiness, brings them to and keeps them in the justice that is of Christ, sets them on the way to perfection and empowers them to act through the Spirit's many gifts. As the faithful use their gifts of the Spirit for the good of the community and the spread of the Gospel, they also receive the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), which build up the life of the Church in peace and joy.

    30. Yet the gifts can be neglected and abused. In their sinfulness, the believers can resist and grieve the Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is also the Paraclete or Advocate, who pleads for them, and brings about repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

    31. The Holy Spirit reminds the disciples of the message and words of the Lord, and enables them to participate in the saving events of the life, death and rising of Christ. The Holy Spirit is invoked in the Supper of the Lord; and, in preaching and proclamation, it is the Spirit, moving the hearts and minds of the hearers, who leads them into the fullness of truth. The Spirit's abiding presence in the Church through the ages is enlivened by moments of abundant outpouring, times when the faithful have the impression of living through "a new Pentecost". Thus the Spirit guides the Church in recognizing the Word in the Scriptures, so that they become the document and charter of its life. The Spirit enables the people of God and their ministers to understand and interpret the Word in the Scriptures, to transmit and explain it verbally, to hear it and receive it with faith. When it becomes necessary, the same Spirit leads the Church to self-criticism and so to reform and renewal, in greater fidelity to its memory of Christ. The Spirit thus writes the Gospel in the hearts of the faithful, and this Gospel in the heart inspires the members of the koinonia to let the Word which they believe give form to their prayer of praise and thanksgiving. In all these ways the Spirit continues to shape and enrich the memory of the community.

    32. The power and presence of the Spirit lead the faithful from grace to grace. As the Holy Spirit leads them to reflect on their memory of Christ, to partake of his memorial, and to experience Christ as a present reality, they are opened to God's purpose both for themselves and for the whole of creation. The Spirit inspires them to pray and strive for the welfare of all of God's creatures, and so to protect and promote the habitat that God has given them. In ways that are known to God alone, the Spirit is also present and active among those who have not heard the Gospel or have not believed it. The Christian believers trust in God's hidden action transforming the world according to God's ultimate purpose. They seek to discern God's saving power at work. The Spirit makes them eager to see the fulfilment of all of God's promises and to pray for the coming of God's Kingdom. The same Spirit gives them the certainty that the obstacles and evils that are symbolized in "the world, the flesh, and the Devil" will be overcome by God's power in God's own time. But the Christian hope, that is nurtured by the Spirit, also looks further than this earth and the present life. It looks forward to the eternal Kingdom, where God reigns among the saints of all ages and nations and tongues. In this final transformation the Spirit will bring to an end the trials of the Church on earth, the sufferings of the saints, and will bring the elect into the glory that the Father has reserved for those who love him (1 Cor 2:9).

 
 

 
 
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