“The Third Person of the Blessed Trinity is specially designated by the name of the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit, because He proceeds from the Father and from the Son by way of spiration and of love” (Catechism of Saint Pius X, The Eighth Article of the Creed).
Now that we are in the Liturgical Season of Pentecost, Holy Mother Church calls us to a deeper contemplation of the Person and Mission of the Holy Ghost. Sadly, the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity is often neglected, misunderstood, and even forgotten. Yet, by taking some time to reflect on His role in salvation history and His relationship with the other two Divine Persons, we can become more docile to His inspirations and more effective in our evangelization efforts.
Pneumatology
Pneumatology is the branch of Theology that specifically studies the Holy Ghost. And while few of us have likely taken a class or read a book on Pneumatology, the basics should be known by all Catholics.
Of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Ghost may well be the most difficult to relate to and understand. Although God, the Father is pure spirit, He is often depicted as an elderly gentleman, with the resemblance of a grandfather. God the Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, we generally know best. He took on our human nature, walked the earth, spoke to us, and we have the pictures and stories of His life as He dwelt among us.
Yet we have no substantive visual image of the Third Divine Person. We do have symbols that are used to represent the Holy Ghost; however, they are not immensely helpful in advancing our understanding of the Holy Ghost as a Divine Person. It is rather difficult for us to relate to a dove, fire, wind, or water in any sort of personal manner. Such images can even led to erroneous understandings as I know many a young child who thinks of the Holy Ghost as a bird. Yet, we are called to be in a deep and intimate relationship with the Holy Ghost.
The Family Mirrors the Trinity
Though we are made in the image and likeness of God (Who is pure spirit),[1] we are tactile creatures who need to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear to learn and understand. Our heavenly Father understands our needs and has made it possible for us to get a glimpse of Himself and the reality of who we are as His children.
The most basic unit of society is the family. It is here that we can get the best glimpses and the best lessons in understanding the Triune God. God created Man in His image as male and female. Men and women are created to be complements; each brings their own attributes to complete what the other is missing. Every human person is made in God’s image and likeness; it is in marriage that the Image is more fully realized in the unity and complementarity of the spouses. It is the Holy Ghost through the grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony that makes this possible.
The spiration of the Holy Ghost – defined as the manner in which the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son – is the result of the complete love the Father has for the Son and that the Son has for the Father.
In a marriage, husband and wife are to love each other completely. This total exchange of love enhances the unity of the couple and may bring forth a visible sign of that love and unity, a baby. At times, one can witness a father lifting his toddler son and for a few moments they are lost in each other; the love of the father for his son and the return of that love is so very tangible that there is no doubt it is real.
Each one of us is a person unto himself, with many different roles. One can be a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, niece or nephew, husband or wife, mother or father, or any of the many various combinations of familial relationships. One acts as a father much differently than he does as a son or an uncle, or a brother to a brother or sister. One may be an older sister, which is different than being a younger sister. A mother does not cease to be a wife or a sister or a daughter. All the aspects of being a person are present in whatever “role” they may engage in at the time. The same is absolutely true of the Most Holy Trinity – though one of the Persons may be the primary actor, all are present in every action.
The Holy Ghost and the Blessed Mother
Another way to relate to the Holy Ghost is through the Blessed Mother. This method is advocated by many saints, notably St. Louis de Montfort. Our Lady has a special and unique relationship with each person of the Blessed Trinity. She is the most favored Daughter of the Father, the most beloved Mother of the Son, and the most cherished Spouse of the Holy Ghost. Each of these relationships is clearly different. In fact, they represent the three most important relationships a woman can have to a man.
Mary is the most perfect Christian and thus we should all strive to imitate Her. This includes mirroring Her relationships to the Blessed Trinity. In fact, in the spiritual life, man’s soul is always spoken of in the feminine form. One important reason for this is because in our relationship with the Trinity, God is always the Initiator and Giver, whereas man’s soul is always passive and the recipient.
Our Lady also shares the same mission as Her Divine Spouse.[2] The Holy Ghost completes the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. He sanctifies man and forms Christ within each baptized person’s soul. Our Lady is the Mediatrix of All Grace and never ceases to draw us to Her Son and to bring Her Son to us. This is a deep mystery, though we see the pattern clearly set both at the Incarnation (First Joyful Mystery – the Annunciation) and upon Calvary (Fifth Sorrowful Mystery – the Crucifixion).
St. Louis says it best in True Devotion to Mary (No. 20):
“God the Holy Ghost, who does not produce any divine person, became fruitful through Mary whom He espoused. It was with Her, in Her and of Her that He produced His Masterpiece, God-made-man, and that He produces every day until the end of the world the members of the Body of this adorable Head. For this reason the more He finds Mary His dear and inseparable Spouse in a soul the more powerful and effective He becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul and that soul in Jesus Christ.”
The Holy Ghost Works in Our Souls
“The Holy Ghost gives life to the Church by His grace and by His gifts, as the soul gives life to the body; He establishes in her the Kingdom of truth and of love; and He helps her to lead her children in safety along the way to Heaven” (Catechism of Saint Pius X, The Eighth Article of the Creed).
The Holy Ghost has been sent to us so that we can come to better know the Father and the Son. We can look to a fire to help us better understand the procedure of the spiration of the Holy Spirit. When a fire is lit, immediately there is light, heat, and smoke. The heat and light are generated by the fire (one might even say ‘begotten’). However, it is the smoke that has the greatest effect. It can be seen from a distance, it can be smelled, and it announces the presence of the fire. Similarly, it is the Holy Ghost that lets us know when the Father and Son are present.
Far from treating this knowledge of the Holy Ghost as merely intellectual, we have a responsibility to seek His inspiration. Pray to Him. He is a real Divine Person. Worship Him.
To this end, I suggest praying seven times the Gloria Patri, in honor of the Holy Ghost, the Fountain of Light and of Infallible Truth, with the desire of obtaining His Seven Gifts, for the diffusion of the Faith, and for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff. For this action, Pope Pius IX, in a rescript dated March 12, 1857, granted an indulgence of seven days to all who do so.
[1] The Scripture Commentary of Richard Challoner (published in various editions, 1749-1752) states: “This image of God in man, is not in the body, but in the soul; which is a spiritual substance, endued with understanding and free will. God speaketh here in the plural number, to insinuate the plurality of persons in the Deity.”
[2] For more on this mystery, listen to the sermon “Mission of Grace and Truth” given by Father Michael Rodríguez on May 16, 2021; and located at the St. Vincent Ferrer Foundation’s website.