In the first month of his pontificate, Leo XIV demonstrated his calm and balanced nature, ability to build bridges, and focused vision needed to determine his direction.


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.“
The rivalry of the Roman citizen was to appeal the dispute to the emperor in Rome. Paul uses this right (Acts 25:11) to avoid Jewish judgment. His future is sealed; he will go to the emperor (Acts 25,12). In today’s reading, we have a relatively long speech by Paul’s new captor, the Roman procurator Festus, who informs King Agrippa, currently present in Caesarea, about Paul’s case. It is gently reminiscent of the scene and figures from the Passion in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 23); also, Jesus was interrogated by the Roman procurator (Pilate) and consulted the king (Herodes) on the matter. Moreover, the author shows that, in both cases, the competent authorities find the defendant innocent.
Fest‘s speech in today’s reading is a preparation for a process to solve a serious problem; there is some „prisoner without guilt“, and it would be foolish to send him to the emperor, when a formulated accusation is missing (Acts 25, 26 27). We have the irony of power outlined here: even though the prosecutor can release Paul, he does not do it because he wants to thank the Jews (Acts 25,9). Considerations bind him, and he fears that he will lose his power. He is strong on the outside, but bound on the inside. Anyone who clings to his power, position, or authority is the same. He who is like Paul can serve the truth and build the common good; outwardly perhaps bound, but inwardly free.
Vesta‘s words reflect how someone from the outside looks at the Christian. He may be embarrassed (v. 20) because he is not interested in religious topics. But paradoxically, he can briefly and clearly describe what is at stake in the Christian faith; that Jesus died and lives (v. 19). In conclusion, let’s say that neither the council in Jerusalem, nor the emperor in Rome to whom Paul is sent, nor any other instance in the world can solve whether Jesus is dead or alive. Let’s raise this question in others with our good lives and show an answer that will bring joy and hope.
1. First in the world, he created creation. The Holy Spirit works from the beginning: “If you send your Spirit, they are created”, we pray in Psalm 104,30. He is the creator spirit (comp. vol. Augustine, In PS., XXXII,2,2), Creator Spirit: that’s why the Church has been invoking him for centuries. But we may ask: What does the Spirit do in the world’s creation? If everything comes from the Father, if everything is created through the Son, what is the specific role of the Spirit? The great church father, Saint Basil, wrote: “If you try to remove the Spirit from creation, all things will be mixed up and their lives will be shown without law, without order”. This is the role of the Spirit: he who at the beginning and in all times brings created realities from disorder into order, distraction into cohesion, confusion into harmony. We can always see this way of working in the church’s life. He gives harmony to the world in a word; thus, “he directs the passage of time and renews the face of the earth” (Gaudium et spes, 26; Ps 104,30). He restores the earth, but beware: not by changing reality, but by harmonizing it; that is his style, for he is harmony in himself: Ipse harmonic est (compare. vol. Basil, In PS, 29.1), says the Church Father.
There is so much discord in the world today, so much division. We are all connected, yet we find ourselves separated from each other, mortified by indifference and oppressed by loneliness. So many wars – think of wars! So many conflicts seem incredible, how much evil a person can do! In reality, however, our hostility is fueled by a spirit of division, the devil, whose name means “divider”. Yes, our evil, our schism, is preceded by an evil spirit that “seduces the whole earth” (Revel 12,9). He revels in antagonisms, injustice, slander: that is his pleasure. And in the face of evil schism, our efforts to build harmony are insufficient. And so the Lord at the top of his Passover, at the top of salvation, pours out his good Spirit, the Holy Spirit, on the created world, who opposes the spirit of division, because he is harmony, the Spirit of unity, which brings peace. Let us summon him daily to our world, our lives, and in the face of any division!
2. In addition to creation, we also see him work in the church, starting from the day of Pentecost. Note, however, that the Spirit does not begin the church by giving instructions and rules to the community, but by descending on each apostle: each receives special graces and various charisms. All this plurality of different gifts could confuse, but the Spirit, as in creation, likes to create harmony out of plurality. His harmony is not an imposed and standardized order; in the church, an order is “ordered according to the diversity of the gifts of the Spirit”. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends in fiery tongues: He allows everyone to speak other tongues (compare. 2,4) and hear their spoken language (compare. Acts 2,6.11). So, it does not create one language for all; it does not blur the differences and cultures, but it harmonizes everything without homogenizing or uniformizing. And this must make us think at this time when the temptation of regressiveness seeks to homogenize everything according to regulations, but only externally, without substance. Let us stick with this aspect, with the Spirit, which does not begin with a structured project, as we would, who then often get lost in our programs; no, He starts with it, that he bestows free and over-rich gifts. As the text states at Pentecost, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2,4). All fulfilled – this is how the church’s life begins: not based on a precise and articulated plan, but based on experience with the same love of God. The Holy Spirit thus creates harmony and invites us to experience wonder at his love and the gifts present in others. As Saint Paul told us, “There are many different charisms, but only one Spirit […] We have all been baptized by one Spirit into one body’ (1 Cor 12,4.13). To see every brother and sister in faith as part of the same body to which I belong is the harmonious view of the Spirit, the path he shows us!
And the present Synod is – and must be – the path according to the Spirit: not a Parliament that claims rights and needs according to the worldly agenda, not an opportunity to go where the wind blows us, but a chance to be obedient to the breath of the Spirit. Because on the sea of history the church sails only with him, who is the “soul of the church” (sv. Paul VI, address to the Sacred College on the occasion of name days, June 21, 1976), at the heart of synodalism, the driver of evangelization. Without Him, the church is indifferent, faith is a mere doctrine, morality a mere duty, pastoral care a mere work. And so often we hear so many so-called thinkers, theologians who present us with cold doctrines, they seem to be mathematical because they lack that Spirit within. With him, on the other hand, faith is life, the love of God wins us, and hope is born again. Let us return the Holy Spirit to the center of the church, otherwise our hearts will not burn with love for Jesus, but for ourselves. Let’s put the Spirit at the beginning and center of the synod’s work. Because “above all, the church needs Him today! So let’s call him every day: Come!”. And let us walk together, for the Spirit, as at Pentecost, likes to descend when “all are together” (compare Acts 2,1). To show himself to the world, he chose the time and place when everyone is together. To be filled with the Spirit, God’s people must therefore walk together and form a synod. Thus, harmony is renewed in the church: by wandering together with the Spirit in the middle. Brothers and sisters, let us build harmony in the church!
3. Finally, the Spirit creates harmony in our hearts. We see this in the Gospel, where Jesus breathes on the disciples on Easter evening and says: “Accept the Holy Spirit” (J 20,22). He gives it with a precise goal: to forgive sins, that is, to reconcile souls, to harmonize hearts torn by evil, shattered by wounds, broken by guilt. Only the Spirit brings harmony to the heart, creating “confidentiality with God”. If we want harmony, let us seek Him, not worldly substitutes. Let us call upon the Holy Spirit every day, let us begin every day with prayer to him, let us become submissive to him!
And today, on the day of his feast, let us ask ourselves: Am I yielding to the harmony of the Spirit? Or do I follow my plans and ideas without letting myself be shaped or changed by them? Is my way of experiencing faith submissive to the Spirit, or is it stubborn? Stubborn is compliant and stubborn in adherence to so-called teachings, but which are only a cold reflection of life? I’m hasty in judging, pointing fingers, and slamming the door in the face of others. Do I consider myself a victim of everyone and everything? Or do I accept his harmonious creative power, the “grace of the whole” that he instills in me, his forgiveness that gives peace? And do I forgive, too? Forgiveness is the creation of space for the coming of the Spirit… Do I support reconciliation and create community, or am I still searching, sniffing to find a problem, to slander, to divide, to destroy? Do I forgive, support reconciliation, and create community? If the world is divided, the church is polarized, and the heart is fragmented, let us not waste time criticizing others and being angry with ourselves, but let us invoke the Spirit: He can solve these things.
To the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus and the Father, inexhaustible from the source of harmony, we entrust the world to you, we consecrate the church and our hearts to you. Come, Spirit Creator, harmony of mankind, renew the face of the earth. Come, Gift of gifts, unity of the church, unite us with you. Come, Spirit of forgiveness, harmony of heart, transform us, as You alone can, through Mary.
Position: |
Archbishop and Martyr OSB |
Deaths: |
754 |
Patron: |
of Germany, especially the dioceses of Fulda and Thuringia; brewers, tailors, and booksellers |
Attributes: |
Bishop, reprimands, raven, book, fox, sword, spring, axe, tree |
BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION
GREAT APOSTLE OF GERMANY