Pat Arensberg: Only revealed by Jesus

“When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him.” -CCC #689

“It was the Holy Spirit who called Jesus to life in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Mt 1:18), endorsed him as God’s 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).” -YouCat #114

The mission of the Son is in fact a joint mission with the Holy Spirit. Jesus reveals the Spirit, but only slowly throughout his ministry. Only after he is glorified through his Death and Resurrection does he fully reveal the gift that is the Holy Spirit. The Son and the Spirit are in fact distinct persons, but they do share the mission of revealing the Father to the world.

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us how to pray (see Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit is also promised to us in times of persecution or other times when we are called to witness as disciples of Jesus Christ (Lk 12:12). We should be very sure that we are living in the Holy Spirit if we have been baptized. Tomorrow, we will look at the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it is important to note that not everybody manifests the gifts of the Holy Spirit in exactly the same way.