What role does the Holy Spirit play in the life of Jesus? // Under what signs and names does the Holy Spirit appear? What role does the Holy Spirit play in the life of Jesus? Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand Jesus. In his life the presence of Gods Spirit, whom we call the Holy Spirit, was manifest in a unique way. It was the Holy Spirit who called Jesus to life in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Mt 1:18), endorsed him as Gods beloved Son (Lk 4:16-19), guided him (Mk 1:12) and enlivened him to the end (Jn 19:30). On the Cross, Jesus breathed out his Spirit. After his Resurrection, he bestowed the Holy Spirit on his disciples (Jn 20:22). At that the Spirit of Jesus went over to his Church: As the Father has sent me, even so I send you (Jn 20:21). Under what names and signs does the Holy Spirit appear? The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove. The first Christians experience the Holy Spirit as a healing ointment, living water, a raging storm, or a flaming fire. Jesus Christ himself speaks about the Counselor, Comforter, Teacher, and Spirit of Truth. In the sacraments of the Church, the Holy Spirit is bestowed through the imposition of hands and anointing with oil. The peace that God established in his covenant with mankind after the flood was indicated to Noah through the appearance of a dove. Pagan antiquity, too, considered the dove to be a symbol of love. And so the early Christians understood immediately why the Holy Spirit, the love of God in person, came down in the form of a dove when Jesus allowed himself to be baptized in the Jordan. Today the dove is recognized worldwide as the sign of peace and as one of the great symbols for the reconciliation of man with God (cf. Gen 8:10-11).
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 17:42:38 +0000
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