Understanding the Holy Spirit
Summary
TLDRIn this Word on Fire episode, host Brandon Vaught discusses the Holy Spirit with Bishop Robert Barron, emphasizing its personal nature as the love shared between the Father and the Son in the Trinity. They explore the Spirit's role in the sacraments, particularly Confirmation, and how it empowers Christians through gifts and fruits. The conversation also highlights the release of a new book on St. Catherine of Siena and the upcoming Word on Fire Bible, fostering a deeper understanding of spiritual life and devotion.
Takeaways
- π The Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal energy or force, and is described as the love shared by the Father and the Son in the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
- π Father Paul Marie has written a new book titled 'St. Catherine of Siena: Mystic, Fire Preacher of Freedom,' which explores the life and spiritual teachings of St. Catherine from a theological perspective.
- π Bishop Robert Barron discusses the importance of the Holy Spirit in Catholic theology, emphasizing that the Holy Spirit is often overlooked but is essential to understanding the fullness of the Christian God.
- π The Holy Spirit is seen as the divine power that brings the work of the Son to individuals, interpreting the word and applying the power of the cross and resurrection to individual hearts.
- π The act of praying is likened to listening in on the conversation between the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit being the space in which this conversation occurs.
- π Bishop Barron suggests setting up a personal devotional area in one's home with items like icons of saints, relics, and a crucifix to create a prayerful atmosphere.
- π₯ The Holy Spirit is associated with love, joy, and the fruits of the Spirit as described in Galatians chapter five, and is particularly evident in acts of genuine love and forgiveness.
- π The sacrament of Confirmation is described as a strengthening of the gifts of the Holy Spirit received at Baptism, with the bishop playing a significant role in this sacrament.
- π The Word on Fire Institute has published the book 'St. Catherine of Siena' as part of their series, highlighting the connection between St. Catherine and the theological tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas.
- π The Word on Fire show is working on a new Bible project, with the first volume containing the four Gospels set to release in June, and people can sign up for updates on their website.
- π The show offers a special deal where purchasing the book 'St. Catherine of Siena' comes with four free digital access codes to the 'Pivotal Players' episode on St. Catherine.
Q & A
What is the main theme discussed in the 'Word on Fire' show with Bishop Robert Barron?
-The main theme discussed in the show is the concept of the Holy Spirit within the context of the Trinity, its role in the divine essence, and its importance in Christian theology and spirituality.
Who is the author of the book 'St. Catherine of Siena: Mystic, Fire Preacher of Freedom'?
-The book is authored by Father Paul Marie, a Dominican priest and a leading spiritual writer.
What is the significance of the book 'St. Catherine of Siena: Mystic, Fire Preacher of Freedom' in the context of the show?
-The book is significant as it explores St. Catherine of Siena's spiritual and theological insights, her connection to St. Thomas Aquinas, and her influence on contemporary spiritual writers like Father Paul Marie.
What is the relationship between Father Paul Marie and Bishop Robert Barron?
-Father Paul Marie and Bishop Robert Barron have been friends for about 20 years, and Father Paul contributes to the series of books that Bishop Barron's organization, Word on Fire, publishes.
Why does Bishop Barron believe the Holy Spirit is often overlooked in Western Christianity?
-Bishop Barron suggests that Western Christianity has a tendency to be Christocentric, focusing primarily on Jesus Christ, which may inadvertently lead to the Holy Spirit being somewhat neglected or underplayed in comparison.
What does Bishop Barron suggest is a common mistake in understanding the Holy Trinity?
-A common mistake is viewing the Holy Trinity as three separate beings or entities, which contradicts the concept of one God in three persons, or considering the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force rather than a person.
What is the role of the Holy Spirit according to the teachings discussed in the show?
-The Holy Spirit is described as the love shared by the Father and the Son, the divine power that brings the Son to us, interprets the word, and applies the power of the cross and resurrection to individual hearts.
How does Bishop Barron describe the Holy Spirit in relation to the divine essence?
-Bishop Barron describes the Holy Spirit as a person who shares in the one divine essence, which is the unconditioned reality, and is personal just as the Father and the Son are personal.
What is the sacrament that Bishop Barron refers to as the sacrament of the Holy Spirit?
-Confirmation is referred to as the sacrament of the Holy Spirit, as it strengthens the presence of the Holy Spirit's gifts in the individual, which were initially received at baptism.
How can one foster a deeper connection with the Holy Spirit according to the show?
-One can foster a deeper connection with the Holy Spirit by participating in the sacraments, particularly confirmation, and by consciously begging for the Holy Spirit in prayer, listening in on the conversation between the Father and the Son.
What is the significance of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation?
-In the sacrament of confirmation, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in stirring up and strengthening the gifts received at baptism, enabling the individual to claim these gifts as their own and to live a life guided by the Holy Spirit.
Outlines
π Introduction to St. Catherine of Siena's Book and Trinity Discussion
The script begins with a discussion on the nature of God and the Holy Spirit, introducing the new book 'St. Catherine of Siena' by Father Paul Marie, a prominent spiritual writer. Bishop Robert Barron and host Brandon Vaught delve into the divine essence and the personal nature of the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity. They explore the concept of the Holy Spirit as the love shared between the Father and the Son, emphasizing the Spirit's role in interpreting the divine word and applying the power of the cross and resurrection to individual hearts.
π₯ The Holy Spirit as the Love Connecting the Trinity
This paragraph delves deeper into the Holy Spirit's role as the love that binds the Father and the Son within the Holy Trinity. Bishop Barron explains the concept of the Holy Spirit as the shared love between the Father and the Son, using the analogy of the Holy Spirit as a 'sigh' of love between them. He clarifies misconceptions about the Holy Spirit being an impersonal force, affirming the Spirit's personhood and divine essence. The discussion highlights the Spirit's importance in maintaining the unity of the Trinity and the theological implications of viewing the Holy Spirit as an addendum rather than an integral part of the divine relationship.
π The Holy Spirit's Personhood and the Trinity's Dynamic
The conversation continues with a clarification of the Holy Spirit's personhood and the intricacies of the Trinity's relationships. Bishop Barron discusses the concept of the Holy Spirit as a person who shares in the divine essence, differentiating between the unconditioned reality of God and conditioned, contingent realities. He addresses the theological challenge of understanding the Trinity as three distinct persons without falling into tritheism or modalism. The bishop explains the term 'subsistent relations' to describe the unique relationships within the Trinity, emphasizing the Holy Spirit's role as actively and passively proceeding from the Father and the Son.
π The Role of the Holy Spirit in Sacraments and Spiritual Life
Bishop Barron discusses the Holy Spirit's involvement in all sacraments, particularly in the sacrament of Confirmation, which is described as a means to strengthen the gifts of the Spirit received at Baptism. He explains the biblical basis for the connection between Baptism and Confirmation, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in embracing the world and including it within the divine love that unites the Father and the Son. The bishop encourages Catholics to participate in sacraments to fully receive the Holy Spirit's gifts and to actively seek the Spirit's presence in their lives through prayer and spiritual practices.
π Invoking the Holy Spirit in Prayer and Spiritual Direction
In this paragraph, the focus shifts to personal practices for invoking the Holy Spirit. Bishop Barron suggests that prayer should be an act of 'begging' for the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the importance of listening and being present in the space of the Holy Spirit. He reflects on the spiritual direction process, encouraging individuals to identify moments of love and forgiveness in their lives as signs of the Holy Spirit's action. The bishop also mentions the joy that accompanies the Holy Spirit's presence, citing G.K. Chesterton as an example of someone filled with the Spirit's joy and providing a method for spiritual reflection on the Spirit's influence in one's life.
π Creating a Personal Devotional Space
The final paragraph addresses a listener's question about setting up a personal devotional space at home. Bishop Barron shares his insights, suggesting the use of icons, relics, and the lighting of a candle as meaningful gestures to signal a transition into prayer. He emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that helps the body and soul recognize the act of prayer and devotion. The bishop's recommendations aim to foster a deeper connection with the divine through tangible and symbolic elements in one's personal prayer space.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Trinity
π‘Holy Spirit
π‘Divine Essence
π‘St. Catherine of Siena
π‘Spiritual Theology
π‘Confirmation
π‘Sacraments
π‘Spiritual Gifts
π‘Word on Fire Institute
π‘Divine Love
π‘Spiritual Direction
Highlights
Discussion on the nature of God as perfect, personal reality and the concept of the Holy Spirit as a person sharing in the divine essence.
Introduction of the book 'St. Catherine of Siena' by Father Paul Marie, exploring her spiritual and theological contributions.
Bishop Robert Barron's relationship with Father Paul and the significance of the book in the Word on Fire series.
Catherine of Siena's connection to St. Thomas Aquinas and her influence on the thought of the Dominican tradition.
The importance of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity and the tendency to neglect the Holy Spirit in Western Christianity.
The Holy Spirit as the love that connects the Father and the Son, and its role in the divine mission.
Bishop Barron's work on the Creed and the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the Church and individual believers.
The Holy Spirit as the most available of the Trinity due to its role in interpreting the Word and applying the power of the cross.
The concept of the Holy Spirit as not merely an impersonal energy or force, but a person with a distinct role in the Godhead.
The sacrament of Confirmation as a means to strengthen the gifts of the Holy Spirit received at Baptism.
The importance of the sacraments in receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Church's role in spiritual life.
Personal practices for inviting and recognizing the Holy Spirit's presence in daily life.
Bishop Barron's reflections on the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in acts of love and forgiveness.
The announcement of the Word on Fire Bible project and its upcoming release.
Advice on setting up a personal chapel or devotional area in the home for spiritual practice.
The significance of using icons, relics, and candles in creating a conducive environment for prayer and reflection.
Transcripts
but God is if soon sa God is the shear
active to be itself therefore God is
utterly perfect and personal in his
reality now who's the Holy Spirit the
Holy Spirit is a person who shares in
the one divine essence that one divine
essence is the unconditioned reality
I've just been talking about therefore
of course the Holy Spirit is personal as
the son is personal as the father is
personal
welcome back to the word on fire show
I'm the host Brandon Vaught the content
director at word on fire joining us from
Santa Barbara is Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop Baron good to see you hey Brandon
good to see you as always
hey one of the most exciting new books
that we've released just came out a
couple weeks ago and I know it's it's
very special to you given your
connection to the author you know is a
book titled st. Catherine of Siena and
it's by father Paul Marie talked a
little bit about the new book
and your relationship to father Paul
yeah we've been friends for about 20
years now and father Paul teaches
spirituality at the angelicum the great
Dominican University in Rome and I think
one of the really leading spiritual
writers in the world today so we were
delighted that he was some you know
willing to contribute to this series of
ours and it's a book on st. Catherine
who was one of his great mentors and
heroes and it's a really penetrating
interesting study of st. Catherine of
Siena from a spiritual theological
standpoint Catherine of course as a
Dominican was very indebted not so much
in the high academic sense but she was
indebted to abstain Thomas Aquinas and
his vision of things of the God world
relationship of sin and grace etc and
that comes through and father Paul also
links her to some other interesting
figures in the history of thought so the
book I think is is terrific so yeah I'm
real pleased about that and this is the
first book that we've published through
the word on fire Institute which makes
it doubly exciting it's kind of a more
serious look at Katherine there's
footnotes and endnotes but I don't think
it's to scholarly that it would put off
say the average lay reader so if you
want to learn more about Kathy and I
highly suggest checking it out you can
find it at word on fire show.com slash
katharine again the book is titled st.
Catherine of Siena mystic a fire
preacher of freedom it's by father Paul
Marie a great Dominican and one of our
fellows of the word on fire Institute so
you could find it again at word on fire
show.com slash Catherine well bishop
some years back another book came out it
was by an evangelist
preacher named Francis Chan and it's old
I don't know million copies a mega
popular book and it had a very
intriguing title and Alan I don't want
to talk about the book I want to focus
on the title and what it suggests it was
called forgotten God reversing our
tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit and
that phrase has always stuck with me
forgotten God that if we believe in one
God in three persons we talk often about
the Father we pray often to the son but
in many circles the Holy Spirit sort of
gets short shrift I mean do you find
that the case in the Catholic Church
today outside of maybe more of
charismatic circles circles that invoke
and pray often to the Holy Spirit that
by and large the Holy Spirit seems to
sort of be third on the totem pole when
it comes to the Trinity yeah there's
some truth to it I think maybe we in the
West should take our lumps a little bit
on this because Eastern Christianity for
centuries now has been criticizing the
West just for that a kind of neglect of
the Holy Spirit it's probably fair to
say that in the theology and
spirituality of the Eastern Christian
Church there's a greater stress on the
spirit years ago a colleague of mine
used the phrase I've always liked he
said we are Christocentric and indeed
that's one of our principles of the word
on fire Institute where Christocentric
but we shouldn't be crystal monist
and what he meant was a sort of
reduction of everything to the second
person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit in
a way it's funny Brandon because the
Holy Spirit should be the most available
if you want of a three persons because
the Spirit is if you want the divine
power bringing to bear the Sun upon us
he's the one who interprets the word the
one who applies to individual hearts the
power of the cross and resurrection so
in a way the spirit is the one that
we're most directly in contact with you
might say but I think in our theology in
spirituality we've tended a bit to
underplay the spirit now I know you've
mentioned a few times that during this
coronavirus pandemic
one of the goods that's come out of it
despite all the tragic suffering of
course is that a lot of your events have
been canceled a lot of your trips have
been canceled
so you've gotten to spend a lot more
time at home and one of the things
you've done is significant work on this
new book you've been writing on
the Creed and I know you just wrapped up
the section on the Holy Spirit so I
thought maybe even good time to ask you
what are the basics that Catholics need
to know about the Holy Spirit who is the
Holy Spirit maybe the first thing you
just implied it there in your question
is who so we might have a tendency to
say well what is the Holy Spirit and the
Holy Spirit is just some sort of
impersonal energy or force the Holy
Spirit is a who as a person here's the
way to state it classically the Holy
Spirit is the love shared by the father
and the son so from all eternity the
father you might say the father I always
loved about German phrase the old coins
he's the he's the fundamental source of
the divine life the Father Knows himself
in this great act of self-knowledge
notΓcias soui san agustin called it's
self-knowledge the Sun emerges if you
want the Sun is begotten we say of the
father so the son is the logos the word
the interior word by which the Father
Knows himself
now since the father and son share
everything except paternity and
filiation those are unique to each one
but they share the same divine essence
that means that when the father looks at
the son he sees utter perfection and
when the son who's endowed with mine and
will etc looks back at the father he
sees utter perfection and so the two of
them fall in love with each other
I've always loved our friend Fulton
Sheen's great line that they they sigh
their love for each other and that sigh
of course the spiritus Sanctus the the
holy breath shared by the father and son
is the Holy Spirit and now you see that
the brilliance of st. Augustine's image
that you see how this doesn't split God
into three there aren't three gods or
three things rather one God in these
three subsistent relations of eternity
filiation and
we call it technically spy raishin which
means mutual breathing forth the spirit
is that third person of the Trinity the
shared love a father and son I think for
a lot of Catholics the Holy Spirit feels
like an addendum to the father and the
son and a lot of people wonder why is
the Holy Spirit even necessary what does
the Holy Spirit provide that say we
don't get from the father or the son
well maybe let's go back because I've
been doing more hi Phil esophageal
language let's go back to the scriptural
source so we say that the father sent
the son how far well into our humanity
how far well into our death how far all
the way to the limit of God forsaken us
the father sends the son out why so is
to embrace all the world that had run
away from God right now in this great
image the father and the son kind of
stretched to the limit what is it that
keeps them from snapping apart well it's
the Holy Spirit because it's the love
that connects them the love in which the
son was sent the love by which the son
accepted his mission now watch as the
Sun returns to the father so we say
Christ risen from the dead now returns
the father was he bring with him in
principle everyone that he's embraced
therefore the whole world in principle
has been included within the Holy Spirit
within the love that connects the father
and the son
that's why hardly an addendum the Holy
Spirit in a way is the whole operation
think of this - Brandon whenever we do
this little gesture right and we say in
the name of the Father we begin with the
unoriginal source of divinity and then
of the son this is meant to imitate the
downward trajectory of the Son of God
the Son though he was in the form of God
did not deem equality with God a thing
to be grasped but rather emptied himself
when all the way down and then the Holy
Spirit is the gathering of the world
into the love that connects the father
in the son and that's why the Spirit
hardly an addendum in some ways is
is the whole story the point of the
story that's why we have a spiritual
life because we've been gathered into
the love that connects the father and
the son I've seen some people maybe
ill-advisedly compare the holy spirit to
say the force in Star Wars and then here
you know we've been using analogies that
aren't perfect but analogies
nevertheless that compare the Holy
Spirit to love or to the divine breath
but for a lot of people I think all of
these are sort of lifeless energy forms
you know they're abstract things but we
describe the Holy Spirit as a person
what does it mean to say that the Holy
Spirit is the love between the father
and the son but that the Holy Spirit is
a person what marks it as a person we
got me a couple moves one is when we
accept that God is the unconditioned
source of existence itself that means
that God is utterly fulfilled in his
being there's no potentiality in God God
is
Octus purest as Thomas Aquinas said it
means like pure actualization pure
energy well that means that there can't
be any lack in God the minute you say oh
gods like the force in Star Wars you
mean some kind of grand all-enveloping
thing that doesn't really have mind will
and personality well then you've said if
so facto conditioned contingent reality
that's not God Thomas would have called
that by the way ends commune a like
being in general but God is if soon si
God as the sheer act of to be itself
therefore God is utterly perfect and
personal in his reality now who's the
Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is a person
who shares in the one divine essence
that one divine essence is the
unconditioned reality I've just been
talking about therefore of course the
Holy Spirit is personal as the son is
personal as the father is personal so
none of the three persons of the Trinity
should be compared to like a Star Wars
force they're all personal in that sense
now maybe we'll get to this we also use
person in a kind of derivative way too
when talking about the personhood of the
Holy Spirit but you're getting at this
more fundamental sense that in the
measure that all three person
share the one divine essence they can't
be less than personal let's go into that
other sense of personhood because again
I think this is troubling to a lot of
people they envision the Trinity as
three different persons and to them they
think this means they're like three
different people with unique intellects
unique wills they're kind of going in
three different directions
maybe they're part of the same family so
they share some common mission but
they're really three distinct beings if
you will right what do we mean when we
use the word personhood visa via the
Trinity we're getting the deep waters of
course but you know the famous icon by
roubloff that is one of my favorites of
its the three angels visiting Abraham
but it's meant to be a picture of the
Trinity as well and you have these three
figures around a table and they're
raised in such a clever way I can't go
into the details but but roubloff is
signaling the different relationships
within the Trinity the trouble is we
tend to think of it that way like oh
there's the father and then there's the
sanno and there's the Holy Spirit these
three as you say beings around a table
well that can't be right because that's
traicee ism that would compromise the
divine unity you can't speak of the
unconditioned reality as somehow
breaking into three beings right so
that's one extreme try theism however we
can't go to the other extreme and say
that the Trinitarian persons well that's
just a way of talking about the three
modes by which God manifested himself so
in the old testament 'is manifested his
father then in Jesus oh now he's
manifested as the son and now on the
life of the church he's manifested as
the Holy Spirit
that's called modalism or sub alien ISM
after its founders Sebelius the idea
there is that God is one supremely but
then God can wear three different masks
or have have three modes of appearance
well to that the church also said no so
no to try theism no to modalism and one
way Brandon to read all of the history
of Trinitarian theology is how do you
navigate the narrow space between try
theism and modalism
and the way the church resolved that is
with our great Trinitarian theology and
now I'm getting to your question which
is what do you mean when you say
a the Father Son and spirit are persons
you mean something very real so we're
not talking about modalism at the same
time you're not talking about splitting
God into three things you're talking
about I'll use Thomas's language now
you're talking about three subsistent
relations that obtain within the unity
of God what do I mean I mean the father
this or groans this primordial source
the divine life as I say giving rise to
the son therefore the father has a
relation of paternity visa vie the son
not let me correct myself because I said
it wrong you shouldn't say the father
has a relation of paternity rather the
father is a relation of paternity to the
son the son having been begotten by the
father is a relationship of filiation
visa vie the father the Holy Spirit now
breathed forth by the father and the son
is a relationship of active spy raishin
that's the father and son in relation to
the spirit and is passive spy raishin
that's his own relationship visa vie
that that is the relationship he is Visa
be the father and son and see what I'm
tripping up we always do it because our
own language is so conditioned by things
that have relationships but when Thomas
says the Trinitarian persons are
subsistent relations
he's breaking that way of thinking right
within the unity of God there are these
three subsisting modes of relationality
that we call father son and spirit now I
love this how come we call them persons
because I mean let's admit it when you
say three persons it does sound like
Rudolph's icon right it's this person
that person the third person how come we
call persons here's the gustin's answer
so we have something to say when people
ask us what they are
you see his point is what we call them
essences or substances or suppose it's
or
but but all those terms are problematic
is person problematic mm-hmm but it's
just so we have something to say when
people ask us what are these three
things what we'll call them persons for
want of a better term I love how it is a
descendant of Agustin st. Anselm of
Canterbury refer to the three persons as
Trez natio quid which means literally in
latin 3 i don't know what's messy oh
quit I don't know what they are because
we don't have subsistent relations
within our normal range of experience
right we have things like you and I are
two separate substances who right now
are having a relation we're talking to
each other right or I have a relation
now to this camera over here I'm in
front of it etc so it's substance with a
relation the Trinitarian persons aren't
like that they are subsistent relations
and see that's why they don't violate
the integrity of the divine unity
well let's talk about one of the unique
and great joys I know you have as a
bishop and that's to do confirmation so
you knew thousands of them every single
year unfortunately now with the
coronavirus academic they've been
temporarily delayed but confirmations
often described as the sacrament of the
Holy Spirit it's like the one sacrament
where the Holy Spirit is especially
emphasized but I know a lot of people
think well hey I thought when I'm
baptized I received the Holy Spirit why
do I need confirmation or what does
confirmation do you've preached often on
confirmation every confirmation you've
been to so maybe give us a little
overview of confirmation the Holy Spirit
what happens there during this sacrament
yeah good I mean the Holy Spirit's
involved in all the sacraments
necessarily because the Holy Spirit is
that as I say by which the the
accomplishment of the son is applied to
our lives so the spirits involved in
every sacrament you're quite right in
saying baptism we are given the gifts of
the Holy Spirit
confirmation stirs it up
confirmation as the name suggests
confirm are a means to strengthen right
it's strengthens the presence of these
gifts of the Spirit in us so
that at this moment a little later in
life were able to court of claim them as
our own so there's a tight link between
Baptism and Confirmation you know in the
ex the Apostles that great scene where
they they discover that here's a group
that had been baptized but they haven't
yet received the spirit and so they say
oh let's let's get our heavy weights
let's get John and Peter to come down
from Jerusalem and let's have them you
know address these people and then
through them the Holy Spirit comes upon
them well that's the biblical ground for
the relation between Baptism and
Confirmation which is why it's not an
absolute necessity but typically the
church brings in the heavyweights
it brings in the bishops to preside over
confirmation because they're the
successors of Peter and John right who
presided and those in that early
ceremony so I put it that way Brandon
the confirmation is they confirming and
stirring up of the gifts of the Spirit
given at baptism well as you say along
with the Holy Spirit comes these gifts
that the Holy Spirit brings to every
Christian and I'm reminded of that other
colorful episode in the book of Acts
where Simon Magus is a magician
asks how do I get the Holy Spirit can I
buy it from right offers to exchange
money for the Holy Spirit it leads to a
natural question if the Holy Spirit is
so wonderful we want him to invade our
lives our hearts and bring with him all
these great gifts how do we receive the
Holy Spirit and all these gifts well I
would say you know in a Catholic context
that's why we we attend and receive the
sacraments the sacraments are the
ordinary means by which God gives us the
gifts of the Spirit so don't stay away
from the sacraments if you want the
gifts of the Spirit the ordinary means
that Christ established is his church
and and the church's sacraments so it's
not a matter of triviality or
indifference that so many Catholics stay
away from the sacraments and why am I
not you know being stirred up by the
Holy Spirit well are you going to wear
the Holy Spirit's on offer you know so I
think that's how you do it but you also
Brandon more generally you beg for the
Holy Spirit you a lot of my prayer think
of it that way is begging for the Holy
Spirit
that's what you do when you pray
I remember years ago a spiritual teacher
said to me when you pray you listen in
as the father and son are speaking about
you think about that for a second
so we were using all this - psychical
language but the father and the son
aren't like just up out there someplace
but they're there in us right we talk
about the the the the indwelling of the
Trinity in us so when I pray I listen in
in a very conscious focused way as the
father and son speak about me they in
other words I'm now in the space of the
Holy Spirit and I'm I'm listening well
in that space all right Lord send your
spirit
give me your spirit stir up your spirit
in me that's that's what you asked for
when you pray that's what you listen in
to hear when you pray can you think
bishop of some time in your life where
you've seen the undeniable action or
voice of the Holy Spirit when you've
sensed the Holy Spirit in a profound way
oh gosh you know wait Brandon see it's
your whole spiritual life is like that
and and not typically in a spectacular
way
but if what's the Holy Spirit's name his
spirit is is loved right he's the love
between the father and the son he's
called the vinculum
amaura sometimes which means the chain
of love right the chain that connects
father and son he's also called in
Aquinas and the great tradition donum
day he's the gift of God okay whenever
they're for real love breaks out and you
and I've talked about this real love is
not just the own having a nice feeling
about somebody it's not just you know
generosity love is to will the good of
the other when that breaks out we say
there there it is there's the Holy
Spirit there's the Holy Spirit when
forgiveness is is clearly evident that's
the Holy Spirit right so think of those
moments in your life when real love we
forgiveness especially forgiveness of
enemies is on display that's the
unmistakable mark of the Holy Spirit you
know one way to Brandon when I was doing
spiritual direction with people that's
one way to do it is just say okay what
was the spirit up to in your life this
past you know two weeks or past month
what were the occasions and
opportunities for love when did the
spirit open a path for you to deeper
love tell me about that tell me how you
cooperated with it tell me how you
resisted it tell me how you ignored it
tell me how you you benefited from it
that there's spiritual direction if you
want in a nutshell those are all the
signs I think of a spirit go back to
Galatians five right and you got the
gifts of the Spirit and the signs of the
Spirit
one of which is joy is when people
that's our friend Chesterton to me is
such a great model of someone filled
with the Holy Spirit because it's the
joyfulness and I sense that in people I
consider really holy that's one of the
great marks is their joyfulness
[Music]
well time now for a question from one of
our listeners if you have one we'd love
to hear it just send it in via ask
Bishop Baron comm that's the website you
want to go to and from there you can
record your question on any device today
we have one from Franco in New York and
he's asking about how to arrange a
personal chapel or a personal devotional
area so you're just busting greetings
bishop bang my name's Franco and I live
in New York State drawing some
inspiration from your private chapel I
was wondering what type of things or
what type of items would belong in a
home devotional corner hmm thank you
very much have a great day good you know
I have a privilege as a bishop to have
the Blessed Sacrament in my Chapel now
that's a that's a rare thing and the
church doesn't give that permission you
know to anybody just have the Blessed
Sacrament but shy event you know icons
are their icons of saints that mean a
lot to you even like a little candle III
like when you enter into prayer that
there's some gesture that you perform
that signals to your body and your soul
that we're doing something different and
that can be like for example the
lighting of a candle in front of a icon
so I think the pictures of the saints I
go back to this is years ago my thesis
director Michel Corbin the great Jesuit
scholar and I just begun work on my
doctoral paper and he said Hova you know
you you have to you have to do something
and and I thought he was gonna refer to
some book I had to get and he said you
have to get an icon and put it next to
your computer and I I did it in Paris
I've done it to this day I have an icon
next to my computer so when I write I'm
doing it in a prayerful spirit so I
would get it get a couple icons of your
favorite Saints you can find a relic of
a saint and you can come across those in
different ways maybe put a relic of a
saint up in that corner but something
that signals to your body and your soul
that we're doing something different now
little crucifix or something and maybe
the lighting of the candle
that's a good thing well thanks for the
question Franco and thanks all of you
for listening a couple of bits of
exciting news first of all for the last
four years we've been secretly working
on an extraordinary new project it's
called the word on fire Bible and we're
about to release the first volume of
this Bible which contains the four
Gospels now I'm not going to give any
more details than that right now more
will be rolling out here in the coming
weeks I'm sure we'll do at least a whole
episode or two on this extraordinary
project but for now
visit the website word on fire dot org
slash Bible word on fire dot org slash
Bible you can enter your email address
on there and we'll send you all sorts of
updates as the Bible gets ready to roll
out it'll debut in the middle of June so
not too far from here but you're gonna
want to see this you're gonna want to be
a part of it it's truly I think one of
the most extraordinary initiatives we've
ever released that word on fire and
second just as a reminder check out our
new book st. Catherine of Siena mystic a
fire preacher of freedom it's by the
great Dominican poet and theologian
father Paul Marie who is a fellow of our
word on fire Institute you can find that
both again at word on fire show.com
slash Catherine we have a great special
deal running where if you buy the book
you get four free digital access to our
Saint Catherine of Siena pivotal players
episode which you can watch on any
device as well so check it out word on
fire show.com slash Catherine thanks so
much for tuning in and we'll see you
next week on the word on fire show
thanks so much for watching if you
enjoyed this video I encourage you to
share it and be sure to subscribe to my
youtube channel
[Music]
you
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