Question for my Catholic Brethren: What is the role of the Holy Spirit?

[Lisa Robinson]

If grace is administered through the sacraments, and the gift of the Spirit administered through Confirmation, what role does the Holy Spirit play in the life of the believer on a daily basis?  Is it only through the administration of sacraments or other means?

How does that fit with the identifying role of the Spirit with relation to marking the believer as a child of God and the indwelling of the Spirit for empowerment?

Romans 8:9 - if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him

1 Corinthians 12:13 - for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body

Please don't construe this as setting up arguments; I'm not.  Just trying to get a better understanding as I am engaged in discussions with someone who is Catholic about the trinity.

Hit me up with some illumination, peops

[Stanmaxkolbe]

This is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church—hope it helps?

2003 Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning "favor," "gratuitous gift," "benefit."53 Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.54

2004 Among the special graces ought to be mentioned the graces of state that accompany the exercise of the responsibilities of the Christian life and of the ministries within the Church:
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.55

2005 Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except by faith. We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved.56 However, according to the Lord's words "Thus you will know them by their fruits"57 - reflection on God's blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of trustful poverty.
A pleasing illustration of this attitude is found in the reply of St. Joan of Arc to a question posed as a trap by her ecclesiastical judges: "Asked if she knew that she was in God's grace, she replied: 'If I am not, may it please God to put me in it; if I am, may it please God to keep me there.'"58
53 Cf. LG 12.
54 Cf. 1 Cor 12.
55 Rom 12:6-8.
56 Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1533-1534.
57 Mt 7:20.
58 Acts of the trial of St. Joan of Arc.

LG = Lumen gentium

[MarcoPolo]

Also

CCC#1129 "Sacramental grace" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament.

Catholics do not view sacraments as being "sacraments vs. the Holy Spirit." Sacraments are the work of the Spirit. The Spirit also works in our daily lives. The Spirit's work is vast. To study Catholic teaching, check under the Catechism index for "Holy Spirit" to see all the different understandings of the Spirits work.

[JRKH]

To add into what Max has supplied, I offer this link to a very nice and searchable Catholic Church Catechism.

The link will take you directly to the section dealing with "we believe in the Holy Spirit.." (From the Creed).

Additionally I offer this link to a catechism search result for "Holy Spirit".

These should answer most of your questions

As to what role The Holy Spirit plays in our daily lives, this would be teh same as in any Christian's life. The indwelling of God's Holy Spirit provides us with strength, guidance, even a swift kick if necessary ;-). The Holy Spirit is our personal connection to Christ and to The Father.
Least that is how I view Him.

Peace
James

[Leslie Jebaraj]

Marco, if I may ask, in your own words could you please share how the "Spirit also works in our daily lives." Thanks!


MarcoPolo said:

Also

CCC#1129 "Sacramental grace" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament.

Catholics do not view sacraments as being "sacraments vs. the Holy Spirit." Sacraments are the work of the Spirit. The Spirit also works in our daily lives. The Spirit's work is vast. To study Catholic teaching, check under the Catechism index for "Holy Spirit" to see all the different understandings of the Spirits work.

[Lisa Robinson]

Thanks guys. I will read all in detail later. But here's a couple of quick questions. Based on the 1 Cor 12:13 passage listed in the OP, the spirit is the baptizing agent that converts one into the body of Christ. Is this initial induction done exclusively through the sacraments? When is the holy spirit received?

[MarcoPolo]

The Spirit reminds me to pray, intercedes in my prayers, prompts me to do right when confronted with a moral choice, works through me to love neighbor, etc... Everything pretty much. :)

Leslie Jebaraj said:

Marco, if I may ask, in your own words could you please share how the "Spirit also works in our daily lives." Thanks!

[MarcoPolo]

The gifts given by the Spirit are varied, so it's a little unfamiliar to me to say "when" a person receives the Spirit because the Spirit provides so many varied gifts to a soul at different times and ways. The Spirit can move someone toward the faith prior to baptism...and that movement leads the person toward baptism. Through baptism then the soul dies with Christ and is born again, rising with Christ (cf. Rm 6:4), and sins are forgiven. In really brief terms, that is the particular grace of the Spirit given at baptism (cf Acts 2:38). The soul has then received the initial grace of justification and is disposed to lead a Christian life.

Lisa Robinson said:

Thanks guys. I will read all in detail later. But here's a couple of quick questions. Based on the 1 Cor 12:13 passage listed in the OP, the spirit is the baptizing agent that converts one into the body of Christ. Is this initial induction done exclusively through the sacraments? When is the holy spirit received?

[Leslie Jebaraj]

Again, thanks!

MarcoPolo said:

The Spirit reminds me to pray, intercedes in my prayers, prompts me to do right when confronted with a moral choice, works through me to love neighbor, etc... Everything pretty much. :)

Leslie Jebaraj said:

Marco, if I may ask, in your own words could you please share how the "Spirit also works in our daily lives." Thanks!

[JRKH]

The spirit is first received at baptism where grace is given and the person becomes a member of Christ's body. Of course the "level" of "Spirit" will depend on many factors, age, spiritual maturity and the "plans" God has for them :-). I mention this because in the Catholic Church, even infants are baptized in order to remove original sin and to bring them into the body of Christ in His Church. Of course the Spirit is somewhat constrained in a small child or infant who has not reached the age of reason. Older people, converts who enter the Church after reaching the age of reason are baptized and confirmed at the same time.
The Spirit is received fully and sacramentally at Confirmation, where The Bishop initiates us into the "Royal Priesthood" through the laying on of hands, just as our Lord did the Apostles and the Apostles to their successors. By this Action the Spirit is "confered" on us from God/Christ through His Church.

As for whether it occurs ONLY through the sacraments I don't really know what the Church teaches on that. I would say that through the sacraments would be the normative way. but we have to remember that there is such a thing as "baptism of desire" (catechism 1258) whereby the benefits of baptism are received without the actual sacrament.

Hope this helps some.

peace
James

Lisa Robinson said:

Thanks guys. I will read all in detail later. But here's a couple of quick questions. Based on the 1 Cor 12:13 passage listed in the OP, the spirit is the baptizing agent that converts one into the body of Christ. Is this initial induction done exclusively through the sacraments? When is the holy spirit received?

[Jennifer]

To the best of my understanding Lisa, Grace is the Holy Spirit. When you receive Grace you are receiving God.

[Lisa Robinson]

Tremendously. You guys are great. So from a Catholic perspective, the baptism of the Spirit occurs at water baptism. But the work of the Spirit as the baptizing agent is still essential for one to be identified as Christ, yes? Or is the sacrament of baptism the means through which one is considered born into the kingdom?

JRKH said:

The spirit is first received at baptism where grace is given and the person becomes a member of Christ's body. Of course the "level" of "Spirit" will depend on many factors, age, spiritual maturity and the "plans" God has for them :-). I mention this because in the Catholic Church, even infants are baptized in order to remove original sin and to bring them into the body of Christ in His Church. Of course the Spirit is somewhat constrained in a small child or infant who has not reached the age of reason. Older people, converts who enter the Church after reaching the age of reason are baptized and confirmed at the same time.
The Spirit is received fully and sacramentally at Confirmation, where The Bishop initiates us into the "Royal Priesthood" through the laying on of hands, just as our Lord did the Apostles and the Apostles to their successors. By this Action the Spirit is "confered" on us from God/Christ through His Church.

As for whether it occurs ONLY through the sacraments I don't really know what the Church teaches on that. I would say that through the sacraments would be the normative way. but we have to remember that there is such a thing as "baptism of desire" (catechism 1258) whereby the benefits of baptism are received without the actual sacrament.

Hope this helps some.

peace
James

Lisa Robinson said:

Thanks guys. I will read all in detail later. But here's a couple of quick questions. Based on the 1 Cor 12:13 passage listed in the OP, the spirit is the baptizing agent that converts one into the body of Christ. Is this initial induction done exclusively through the sacraments? When is the holy spirit received?

[JRKH]

Lisa,
I want to be careful here because I do not wish to give bad information. Once you've read the sections of the catechism provided you'll probably have a better understanding. But - I'll take a stab at a simple explanation here.
We enter the kingdom through water baptism. That is, we become members of His Body - The Church.
The "Works of the Spirit" are still essential to be identified as Christ but naturally these works will vary depending on age, particular gifts and talents and God's particular plan for each of us.

Also - and this is just how I remember it - At baptism we recieve the gift of salvation and become a child of God. At confirmation we recieve the responsibility that goes with that gift. We become (as our nun expressed it) soldiers for Christ.

Peace
James

Lisa Robinson said:

Tremendously. You guys are great. So from a Catholic perspective, the baptism of the Spirit occurs at water baptism. But the work of the Spirit as the baptizing agent is still essential for one to be identified as Christ, yes? Or is the sacrament of baptism the means through which one is considered born into the kingdom?

JRKH said:

The spirit is first received at baptism where grace is given and the person becomes a member of Christ's body. Of course the "level" of "Spirit" will depend on many factors, age, spiritual maturity and the "plans" God has for them :-). I mention this because in the Catholic Church, even infants are baptized in order to remove original sin and to bring them into the body of Christ in His Church. Of course the Spirit is somewhat constrained in a small child or infant who has not reached the age of reason. Older people, converts who enter the Church after reaching the age of reason are baptized and confirmed at the same time.
The Spirit is received fully and sacramentally at Confirmation, where The Bishop initiates us into the "Royal Priesthood" through the laying on of hands, just as our Lord did the Apostles and the Apostles to their successors. By this Action the Spirit is "confered" on us from God/Christ through His Church.

As for whether it occurs ONLY through the sacraments I don't really know what the Church teaches on that. I would say that through the sacraments would be the normative way. but we have to remember that there is such a thing as "baptism of desire" (catechism 1258) whereby the benefits of baptism are received without the actual sacrament.

Hope this helps some.

peace
James

Lisa Robinson said:

Thanks guys. I will read all in detail later. But here's a couple of quick questions. Based on the 1 Cor 12:13 passage listed in the OP, the spirit is the baptizing agent that converts one into the body of Christ. Is this initial induction done exclusively through the sacraments? When is the holy spirit received?