Athens at that time was full of philosophical schools, but utterly devoted to idolatry. Paul saw it and began to talk to them about the given situation. The city’s inhabitants were curious about his teachings, so they introduced him to the audience so that they could listen to his new teachings. He started tactically: „Athens, I can see that you are unusually religious. For when I was walking and looking at your sanctuaries, I also found an altar with the inscription: » To the unknown God«. So what you worship, even though you don’t know it, I preach to you…“ (Acts 17, 22 – 23). And he started telling them about God, „who created the world and everything in it because he is Lord of heaven and earth…“ (Acts 17, 24).
No, the Holy Spirit is a great unknown, even among us, even when we confess in the Confession of Faith that we believe „ in the Holy Spirit, Lord and animator, who comes from the Father and the Son?“ „ The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and the Christian life. It is the secret of God as he is in himself. This mystery is therefore the source of all other mysteries of faith and the light that illuminates them. It is the most basic and essential teaching in the »hierarchy of truth« faith. »The entire history of salvation is the history of the journey and how the true and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to people…«“ (KKC, 234).
Catechism of the Catholic Church explains on its pages how the mystery of the Holy Trinity (I.) was revealed, how the Church formulated the teaching about this mystery (II.), and finally, as God the Father, with the divine missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit, he carried out his „ benevolent plan“ of creation, redemption and sanctification (III. – cf. KKC, 235). The Old Testament did not know the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and therefore of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third divine person, is indicated in the Old Testament only as a preparation for the revelation of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The profound teaching about the mystery of God’s Trinity was not revealed to the Israelites, that is, not even God’s Spirit, much less the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is understood here as God’s power, which works and bestows supernatural life, and not as a divine person, different from the Father and the Son.
Gospels, especially the Gospel of St. Luke, often mention the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit as a divine person is represented by St. Luke in the account of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and especially in the order of Jesus Christ, that the apostles baptize all nations „ in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit“ (Mt 28, 19). This baptismal formula, spoken by Jesus Christ, proclaims the perfect divinity of the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son.
The Holy Spirit works with the Father and the Son from the beginning until the completion of the plan of salvation (compare KKC, 686). The Catholic Church’s Catechism lists the Holy Spirit’s four works (compare KKC, 737): Preparing people for Christ. Since the beginning of creation, he has lived as a life-giving Spirit in all creatures; in the long history of the Old Testament, he prepares the chosen nation for the coming of the Messiah. He is the Spirit of Advent (compare KKC, 702-716). Even today, it opens the hearts of believers for Christ (KKC, 1098). Reveals Christ: “…nobody can say: »Jesus is Lord,“ only if in the Holy Spirit«“ (1 Cor 12, 3; CCC, 683). The Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. It reminds the Church of everything that Christ said. „ The Holy Spirit is the living memory of the Church“ (KKC, 1099).
She is present in Christ. In the life of the Church, he not only reminds Jesus, but the Risen One is present in his word, in „the least of my brothers“, in the sacraments. The special presence of Christ in the Eucharistic ways is transformed into his body and blood by the action of the Holy Spirit (compare KKC, 1107). He connects with Christ. Just as the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and the Son, it unites all in whom it works with Christ. „ The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father’s vine, which bears fruit on the branches“ (KKC, 1108). He is the „inner Teacher of life according to Christ, a kind guest and friend who stimulates, directs, rectifies and strengthens this life“ (KKC, 1697).
The hero in the fight against the Turks was the Albanian duke and national hero Scanderbeg (1405 – 1468). He waved his sword with such force that under his blows the heads of the enemy fell one after the other. That is why Sultan Muhammad once told him he would like to see his sword. So Scanderbeg sent his sword to the Sultan. But neither the sultan nor one of his soldiers knew how to handle this sword. So he sent a sword with the message that it could not be the sword he waved so vigorously in the battles. Scanderbeg answered the Sultan: „ I sent you a sword, but I did not send you my arms!“
Alls weapon for the contemporary Christian is the Holy Spirit, who can work through us only when we open ourselves entirely to him. Otherwise, we make it a dead force, similar to the sultan who possessed a sword without Scanderbeg’s arms. We live in the time of the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter who will stay with us forever (compare Jon 14, 16). Therefore, we should fervently beg daily: „Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who fills everywhere and everything…, come and dwell in us…, and salvation, Beneficent, our souls.“
Hello. And Bye.