The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is often the least understood Person of the Trinity. This lesson explains who
He is, what happened at Pentecost, and how He continues to guide the Church.
Who the Holy Spirit Is
94. Q. Who is the Holy Ghost?
A. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
95. Q. From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?
A. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.
96. Q. Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son?
A. The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, being the same Lord and God as
They are.
The Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost) is not a force, a feeling, or an “it.” He is a Person, and He is
fully God, equal to the Father and the Son.
The Church teaches that the Holy Spirit comes from (“proceeds from”) the Father and the
Son. One way the saints have described it: the Father and the Son love each other perfectly,
and the Holy Spirit is that eternal Love between them. We say this every Sunday in the
Creed.
Remember: The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Trinity.
Read more: Catechism of the Catholic Church §§243–248, 683–701.
Pentecost
97. Q. On what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles ten days after the Ascension of our
Lord; and the day on which He came down upon the Apostles is called Whitsunday, or
Pentecost.
98. Q. How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.
99. Q. Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles.
Ten days after the Ascension, the Apostles were praying together with Mary. Suddenly there
was a sound like a mighty wind, and tongues of fire rested on each of them (Acts 2:1–4). This
is Pentecost, fifty days after Easter. (“Whitsunday” is an old English name for it.)
The change in the Apostles was dramatic. Before, they had hidden behind locked doors out of
fear. Afterward, Peter preached boldly in public, and three thousand people were baptized
that very day. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church.
Remember: At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and turned fearful followers into bold Apostles.
Read more: Acts 2; Catechism of the Catholic Church §§731–732.
Why the Spirit Was Sent
100. Q. Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?
A. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to enlighten and strengthen the
Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.
101. Q. Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church forever?
A. The Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever, and guide it in the way of
holiness and truth.
To sanctify means to make holy. The Holy Spirit makes the Church holy, teaches it, and
gives it strength. Jesus promised that the Spirit would remain with the Church forever and
lead it into all truth (John 14:16, 16:13).
The same Spirit comes to each of us in Baptism and Confirmation. He lives in the soul of
every Christian in a state of grace. St. Paul said your body is “the temple of the Holy Ghost”
(1 Corinthians 6:19).
Remember: The Holy Spirit guides the Church forever, and lives in my soul too.
Putting It Into Practice
• Before making a decision, stop and ask the Holy Spirit for light.
• Learn the short prayer below by heart.
The Baltimore Catechism Made Simple
39
Questions to Think About
1. Where do you need courage, like the Apostles at Pentecost?
2. What would change if you really believed the Holy Spirit lives in you?
A Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy
love. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face
of the earth. Amen.