Day 98: The Son and the Spirit

The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God. Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and indivisible, the Church's faith also professes the distinction of persons. 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

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of how "when the Son and the Holy Spirit act, they act together" (p. 200). The Catechism Companion, Vol I says this in a good way:

A beautifully poetic way of describing this is that the Father is like the speaker, the Son is the Word, and the Spirit is the breath that accompanies the Word... Every time we confess Christ's lordship, it is always by the power of the Holy Spirit. (p. 200)

When we see Jesus, we also see the Holy Spirit, and vice versa. They are inseparable and work together in harmony for one purpose: the glory of God the Father and for us, the fulfillment of our hopes in salvation. As the Catechism Compendium puts this:

In the indivisible Trinity, the Son and the Spirit are distinct but inseparable. From the very beginning until the end of time, when the Father sends his Son he also sends his Spirit who unites us to Christ in faith so that as adopted sons we can call God “Father” (Romans 8:15). The Spirit is invisible but we know him through his actions, when he reveals the Word to us and when he acts in the Church. (#137)

He has many titles, the best in my view, is Paraclete or Consoler. The Holy Spirit is there for us always to motivate and guide us towards the truth, and to console us during our trials as Jesus told the Apostles in John 16:4-15.

“The Holy Spirit” is the proper name of the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus also called him the Paraclete (Consoler or Advocate) and the Spirit of Truth. The New Testament also refers to him as the Spirit of Christ, of the Lord, of God - the Spirit of Glory and the Spirit of the Promise. (#138)

Day 97: Introduction to the Holy Spirit

"No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit."1 "God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!"'2 This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindles faith in us. By virtue of our Baptism, the first sacrament of the faith, the Holy Spirit in the Church communicates to us, intimately and personally, the life that originates in the Father and is offered to us in the Son. CCC 683

In today's reading, the Catechism gives us an intro to the Holy Spirit, but more one "in the divine 'economy'" than "in the context of Trinitarian 'theology'" (CCC 685). The latter was covered earlier. Together with the Father & Jesus the Holy Spirit is inescapable for us as believers. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:

If we have come to know Jesus, it has always been by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the sacraments, it is the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit that takes what Jesus did and brings it to us right now in this present moment. (p. 198)

Inspired by the saints? It is through what we see in their lives that the Holy Spirit has given them. Even in our prayer and any good works we may do, the power of the Holy Spirit and His grace shines through. He gets overlooked sometimes when it comes to "credit" but the Holy Spirit is very much at the heart of our faith.

The Catechism closes today's reading with this list of some of what the Holy Spirit does:

The Church, a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the place where we know the Holy Spirit:

- in the Scriptures he inspired;

- in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses;

- in the Church's Magisterium, which he assists;

- in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ;

- in prayer, wherein he intercedes for us;

- in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up;

- in the signs of apostolic and missionary life;

- in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation. (CCC 688)

Day 96: The Church's Ultimate Trial

Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. the supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh. CCC 675

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of the End Times, which, given that we do not know exactly when this will happen, it's safer to say are soon rather than not. The Antichrist will deceive many, within and outside the Church. The evil powers will have one last go at challenging God in trying to break His Church, which ultimately will fail. Some misguided souls believe in a rapture, during which the righteous of God will be removed from the earth in the blink of an eye to not suffer through such times. Yet such is not in accordance with Scripture nor the examples given to us by Christ Himself, the Apostles, and many Christians throughout the last 2,000 years. We are called to be His witnesses and as such "should expect to follow our Lord in his death, in being misunderstood, rejected, hated, and killed" (p. 196). Or to put it another way, we are to "take up [our] cross" and if we lose our lives for His sake, will find it again (Matt 16:24-26).

Yet it is not just the Antichrist himself we should turn away from, but the evil that he can try and sow within our hearts. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:

Humanity can be tempted to glorify itself - and put education, politics, good deeds, technology, science, or other people in place of God. While such things can be good, every time we replace God with them, we are turning away from him. This is idolatry. (p. 196)

Christ will judge all of us at the end of our lives and at the end of time, as "the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light" (CCC 678). The Catechism closes today's reading, except for a couple of "In Brief" points, in part with this sobering reminder that puts into words what the unrepentant sinner should feel looking at Michelangelo's fresco below: 

By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one's works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love. CCC 679

The Last Judgment by Michelangelo (1536-41), Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

Christ came first in humility and meekness, but at the end of time, he will come in glory and splendor to judge the living and the dead. (p. 197)

Day 95: Christ's Reign on Earth

"Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." Christ's Ascension into heaven signifies his participation, in his humanity, in God's power and authority. Jesus Christ is Lord: he possesses all power in heaven and on earth. He is "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion", for the Father "has put all things under his feet." Christ is Lord of the cosmos and of history. In him, human history and indeed all creation are "set forth" and transcendently fulfilled. CCC 668

In today's reading, the Catechism gives us an intro of sorts into the next line of the Nicene Creed: "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end." Christ's kingdom is real and was established through the Church. Contrary to what some have claimed we Catholics believe, "As Lord, Christ is also head of the Church, which is his Body." The Pope and the bishops in communion with him are His vicars only here on earth, not the head of the Church. We don't know when precisely He will return, and those making sensational predictions through some number scheme or whatever else are false prophets, but we are called to live each day as His witnesses as if He will return at that moment. The Church on earth though is under siege, as it has been since Day One, not only from "evil spirits" and misguided souls outside of Christ's Body (Eph 6:12), but from those within. The day has not yet arrived when the wheat will be separated from the chaff (Matt 3:12). I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:

The kingdom of Christ on earth is still under attack today. We are called the Church militant, the Church that continues to fight in the name of Jesus Christ against the powers of evil. Though Jesus is with us, we await his return with power and great glory at the end of time. (p. 194)

Christ has already defeated death and won the battle against evil, but we must cling to Him till the end. Maranatha! 

Day 94: Christ's Ascension into Heaven

After forty days during which Jesus showed himself to the apostles with ordinary human features which veiled his glory as the Risen One, Christ ascended into heaven and was seated at the right hand of the Father. He is the Lord who now in his humanity reigns in the everlasting glory of the Son of God and constantly intercedes for us before the Father. He sends us his Spirit and he gives us the hope of one day reaching the place he has prepared for us. (Catechism Compendium #132)

The Catechism discusses Christ's ascension into heaven in today's reading. Given the very deep material covered, I used the summary from the Catechism Compendium to quote above. Today's reading is one reason I'm glad I decided to re-read the Catechism and use the Ascension Press program. I had forgotten some things, or at least the importance of some, as I learned today. For example, the Catechism Companion, Vol I speaks of what this means for us:

In his ascension, Jesus unites humanity to divinity. The ascension completes his saving work. Humanity on its own cannot enter heaven. It is Jesus who unlocks the gates of heaven. He brought our humanity to heaven, so we can now come to the Father. (p. 192)

That part I had remembered the gist of, but not all the details (there's more in the Catechism itself).  Jesus is the high priest, offering Himself to the Father on our behalf, which I remembered from reading St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, and even that the priest at Mass was acting in persona Christi with all this tied together with Ascension and more. As the Catechism Companion puts it: 

With the ascension, there is a new reality introduced into the life of the Trinity where the Son of God, who has always been offering himself to the Father in love, is also offering humanity to the Father through his one eternal sacrifice on the cross... When we participate in the Mass, we are tapping into that once-for-all sacrifice - not only what happened at Calvary and at the Last Supper, but what is constantly, permanently happening in heaven. (p. 192)

Ascension of Christ, Rabbula Gospels, 6th century

Day 93: The Meaning of the Resurrection

Christ's Resurrection is the fulfillment of the promises both of the Old Testament and of Jesus himself during his earthly life. The phrase "in accordance with the Scriptures" indicates that Christ's Resurrection fulfilled these predictions. CCC 652

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks about what the reality of Christ's Resurrection means for us. Besides giving us proof of the fulfillment of all promises made in both the Old and New Testaments, "Christ liberates us from sin" and "he opens for us the way to a new life" which "reinstates us in God's grace" (CCC 654). Furthermore, by Christ's Passion, we have become sons and daughters of God through His grace. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I explains:

Filial adoption is a technical term that basically means that we are adopted as sons and daughters of God the Father. Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we now are capable of having God as our Father and also Jesus as our brother. (p. 190)

A short one today, but packed with deep meaning for us. One other thing I liked from the Catechism Companion in today's reading was this:

Reading the Catechism is not merely about transfer of information but about transformation. (p. 190)

Amen.

Day 92: The Man of Heaven

The Resurrection of Christ was not a return to earthly life. His risen body is that which was crucified and bears the marks of his passion. However,, it also participates in the divine life, with the characteristics of a glorified body. Because of this, the risen Jesus was utterly free to appear to his disciples how and where he wished and under various aspects. (Catechism Compendium #129)

In today's reading, Catechism speaks about the human body of Jesus, which was resurrected. Again, I used a summary of this section from the Catechism Compendium to quote rather than from the Catechism itself due to the length. His disciples didn't quite understand the Resurrection, fearing that Jesus they were seeing was a ghost, a fear that He allayed by eating a piece of fish in front of them (Lk 24:36-43). He was truly risen from the dead bodily, not as a ghost or in spirit. This means that he could still do things like eat. He still bore all the marks of the Passion, as St. Thomas learned (Jn 20:24-29). Yet it was a glorified body He had after the Resurrection. Everyone Jesus had miraculously raised from the dead, such as Lazarus (Jn 11:38-44), returned to their earthly lives and eventually died again for the final time. Jesus will not. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I explains:

When Jesus rose, he had a different condition, "beyond time and space." The risen glorious body of Jesus is "filled with the power of the Holy Spirit" and will never die... Christ emptied himself and took on human nature, but then he did not abandon it in his resurrection. Instead, he took humanity to himself. (p. 188)

In a mystery I will never fully understand, when Christ was raised from the dead, the Father by "doing so perfectly introduced his Son's humanity, including his body, into the Trinity" (CCC 648). Extraordinary! Christ united humanity and divinity in Himself!

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio, c. 1602