This past Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Pentecost, the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus.
But who is the Holy Spirit really? We know that the Holy Spirit is one of the three divine persons of the Holy Trinity, but it can be difficult to grasp how the Holy Spirit works within our lives and within our faith.
As shared by Catholic Answers, “Scripture refers to the Holy Spirit as a Paraclete (Greek parakletos; see John 14:26; cf. 15:26, 16:7–8). This term, often translated as “Comforter,” “Counselor,” or “Advocate,” refers to a person who is called to aid one, especially in legal settings. Scripture also speaks of Jesus, who is unmistakably a person, as a Paraclete (1 John 2:1).”
To learn more about the person of the Holy Spirit, explore these 5 quotes about the Paraclete!
“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God: The Father is your table, the Son is your food, and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes His dwelling in you.” -- St. Catherine of Siena
“Those whose hearts are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit.” -- St. Lucy
Love has two terms: He who loves and he who is loved. In love the two are reciprocal. I love and I am loved. Between me and the one I love there is a bond. It is not my love, it is not his love, it is our love—the mysterious resultant of two affections, a bond, which enchains and an embrace wherein two hearts leap with but a single joy. The Father loves the Son, the Image of His Perfection, and the Son loves the Father. Love is not only in the Father. Love is not only in the Son. There is something between them, as it were. The Father loves the Son, whom He engenders. The Son loves the Father, who engendered Him.
“They contemplate each other, love each other, unite in a love so powerful, so strong, and so perfect, that it forms between them a living bond. They give themselves in a love so infinite that, like the truth, which expresses itself only in the giving of a whole personality, their love can express itself in nothing less than a Person, who is Love.” – Venerable Fulton Sheen
“As the soul is the life of the body, so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.” -- St. Peter Damian
If we want to grow in fidelity to the constant motions and inspirations of the Holy Spirit in our soul, we can fix our attention on three fundamental points: docility, life of prayer and union with the Cross.
First of all docility, because it is the Holy Spirit who, through his inspirations, gives a supernatural tone to our thoughts, desires and actions. It is He who leads us to be receptive to Christ’s teaching and to assimilate it in a profound way. It is He who gives us the light by which we perceive our personal calling and the strength to carry out all that God expects of us (St. Josemaria, Christ is Passing By, 135).
We hope that these quotes from the saints help you to turn to the Holy Spirit as your personal advocate and comforter.
For more on the Holy Spirit, check out these titles:
