Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Rom 8:8-17; Jn 20:19-23
As we celebrate the great grace God has given to His Church by sending the Holy Spirit, we recognize in the readings that there are two different aspects of this gift to consider. The first, as we see in both the first reading and the Gospel, is that the Holy Spirit is given for the upbuilding of the Church. We might call this the more objective aspect of this gift. The second, as we see in the second reading, is that the Holy Spirit is also given to each person individually for his or her own growth in holiness. This would be the more subjective aspect.
If we begin with the Church, the first reading explains the events of Pentecost: the sound of the driving wind, the tongues of fire, and the speaking in tongues by the Apostles. The Gospel reading tells of our Lord’s breathing on the Apostles, imparting to them the Holy Spirit, for the explicit purpose of the forgiveness of sins.
One will notice immediately that in each of these accounts the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles personally. In other words, it sounds like this should be subjective. However, any charism is given for the good of others, not for one’s self. Granted, if the person cooperates and strives to do the will of God by using this gift as God desires, the person will grow in holiness. However, charismatic gifts are not given because of the holiness of the recipient, nor are they given solely for the good of the recipient.
In the two readings we hear about the preaching of the Apostles and the ability to forgive sin. These are two aspects of the priesthood. The priesthood itself is a charismatic gift, and the graces given to preach and to forgive sins (and to offer the sacrifice of Jesus at Mass) are given, not for the priest, but for the good of the people. So, while a great gift is given to the man who is ordained, he is a priest for the Lord and for the people, thus the gift is given to him, but not merely for him. As way too many priests have demonstrated, the gift was not given because they are the best or the holiest people God could find, nor is the gift a reward for anything the man had done.
I should also mention that beyond the priesthood, any of the charismatic gifts given to individual persons, speaking in tongues, healing, prophecy, etc., are all given for the good of others, not for the good of the person to whom the gift is given. So, we can see that while the gift is given to individuals, it is given for the good of the Church, hence the idea that this is the more objective aspect of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, we see the more subjective aspect of this glorious gift of the Holy Spirit in the second reading where we hear about the Holy Spirit working in us for our own growth in holiness. St. Paul tells us that if we do not have the Spirit of Christ, then we do not belong to Jesus. Moreover, St. Paul says that if we live by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body. It is very clear from these references that this gift is about our own spiritual growth.
But St. Paul goes even further and describes the profound nature of this gift and what it means for us personally. He tells us that if we are led by the Spirit, we are sons of God who are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. In order to receive this inheritance, St. Paul says we must first suffer with Jesus in order to be glorified with Jesus. Being glorified in Heaven, or union with God, is our inheritance! There is only one way to obtain this grace: through the Holy Spirit purifying us through our sufferings to conform us to Jesus.
Elsewhere, St. Paul tells us that we have each been given gifts by the Holy Spirit for building up the Church. This means for each of us, God has given us gifts for our own growth in holiness and for the good of others. Of course, these work together because using the gifts God has given in the manner He desires will be part of our own personal growth. Therefore, it is necessary for each of us to discern which gifts we have been given and how the Lord wants us to use these gifts for our own good, for the good of others, and for His glory. This is how we will be true children of God, led by the Holy Spirit to the glory of our inheritance: God Himself!
Fr. Altier’s column appears regularly in The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly published in St. Paul, Minn. For information about subscribing to The Wanderer, please visit www.thewandererpress.com.
