Holy Spirit

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The event of Pentecost

At Pentecost, the Apostles of Christ Jesus receive the Holy Spirit: “When the day of Pentecost came, at the end of the fifty days, they were gathered together. Suddenly a sound came from the sky like a violent gust of wind: the house where they sat was filled with it. Then appeared to them tongues that were said to be of fire, which were shared, and it touched one upon each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit: they began to speak in other languages, and each spoke according to the gift of the Spirit”. Ac. 2, 1-4

The Holy Spirit, a strength

Jesus promised them this spiritual strength to assist them in their mission to proclaim God’s love to every creature: “I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Defender who will always be with you, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see or know Him; you know Him, for He dwells with you, and He will be in you’’. Jn 14, 16-17

The Holy Spirit, a divine person

The Holy Spirit is the third divine person who animates us interiorly to accomplish the will of God. The Holy Spirit allows us to see as God sees, to feel as God feels. He makes communion among all men. He inspires us to do good deeds according to God’s plan.

The New Birth in the Spirit

Even today, this same Spirit of Jesus is given to all who receive Christian baptism. Speaking with Nicodemus, a notable Jew, Jesus evokes the Holy Spirit in these words: “The wind blows where it wants, you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is for those born of the breath of the Spirit.’’ Jn 3, 8.

The Holy Spirit and His Representations

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the living God himself. Being invisible, biblical writers often use symbolic images to represent Him: the wind that blows and animates the spirit, the fire that purifies and warms the soul, the water as the gushing spring that waters the heart, the dove that evokes the coming of the Holy Spirit from Heaven, to fill beings with His presence.

The place and role of the Holy Spirit for Spiritans

Jesus, first missionary

In the Gospel of Saint Luke 4:18, Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. He sent me to bring the Good News to the poor, to announce to the captives their liberation, and to the blind that they will regain their sight, to set free the oppressed”. Like Jesus, the first of the Missionaries, the Spiritan Sisters are invested in the same mission. By the strength and love of the Holy Spirit, they are sent to carry the Good News of the Gospel far away, especially to the poorest.

Consecrated to the Holy Spirit for the Mission

Thus the Congregation is especially dedicated to the Holy Spirit, author and consumer of all holiness and inspiration of the apostolic spirit.

The Holy Spirit urges us to cooperate in the salvation of the world. He himself is our missionary spirit.

A spirit of strength that makes us witnesses of the Risen Christ,

Spirit of love which brings all men together,

Spirit of “apostolic vigor and boldness to undertake anything”

Spirit of total and definitive fidelity to the mission received,

A spirit of universal brotherhood open to the diversity of nations,

A spirit of gratuitousness that desires only the good of man and the glory of God.

Spirit of the living God who fills us with joy, sign of the Kingdom that we proclaim.

Pentecost, Feast of the Congregation

Since our missionary charism is essentially linked to this abandonment to the Holy Spirit, we solemnly celebrate the feast of Pentecost, the main feast of our Congregation

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Sister Eugénie Caps

Sister Eugenie Caps, foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit, confided much to the Holy Spirit. She asked Him to guide her, to discover the will of God, in other words the path of happiness that God wanted for her, for the Congregation and for every person of goodwill.

‘‘Holy Spirit,

Spirit of the living and eternal God enlighten us.

Come with your holy lights into our souls.

We pray from our hearts,

give us the lights

to do the most holy will of God.

Holy Spirit, fill us with your spirit of love,

charity, humility, abandonment and patience.

Give us strength, light, wisdom and fear of God.

I put all my trust in you, Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, who regulates all the movements of my life,

let me put no resistance

to your holy inspirations.

Make us follow your inspirations always!

Amen!’’