E X PLORE Images of the Spirit
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To help us understand the Holy Spirit, the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents a number of images of him. Reflecting on some of these images helps us think about the Holy Spirit in different ways and consider what he means to our lives.
Direct young people’s attention to the feature box. Ask: What is the Word of
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God? (Scripture; the Bible) When and where do you hear readings that proclaim the Word of God? (Accept reasonable answers.) Say: We have been talking about how the Holy Spirit is always with us and gives us the grace to be like Jesus. As a confirmed Catholic, you are called to a life of stewardship and faith, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Ask: Think about what you do when you have good news to share. Do you write an e-mail to a friend, send a text message, or post it on a blog? How do you share your good news? (Accept reasonable answers.) Say: Saint John the Evangelist recorded the message of Jesus, in the Gospel of John. John was inspired by the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News of God’s love. A common representation of the Holy Spirit is the dove. This image is taken from the Scriptures, which tell us that the Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan River. Invite a
Water signifies regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, which is necessary for Salvation. In the Holy Spirit, we are baptized into new life in Christ and become children of God the Father. (Acts of the Apostles 11:16)
Have a volunteer read aloud Daily Life. Say: Every day is an opportunity to share the Good News of God. Have another volunteer read aloud Life of Faith. Say: Much like Saint John the Evangelist, we are called to proclaim the Word of God in words and actions.
Images of the Spirit Direct young people to read silently the first paragraph. Say: You have identified many ways in which the Spirit is present, or active, in your lives. We know that the Spirit is with us. In the Bible we read about the Spirit being present in different ways. The symbols examined in this section highlight some of the Spirit’s forms.
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CONFIRMED IN THE SPIRIT
We listen to the Scriptures, the inspired Word of God. They tell us about the Father’s love for us, who sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, to save us.
Every time you listen to Scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit, God speaks to you.
Anointing Anointing with oil has become so identified with the Holy Spirit that it is almost a synonym for the coming of the Spirit. Messiah is the Hebrew word for “anointed one.” Christ is from the Greek and also means “anointed one.” Jesus is the Messiah, the one uniquely “anointed” by the Spirit. It is a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s uniting us with Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. (Acts of the Apostles 10:38; 1 John 2:20–27) Jesus pours out this same Spirit upon us, calling us to be more than we can ever hope to be through our efforts alone.
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Daily Life The Holy Spirit guides us and gives us strength throughout the day, inspiring all the good that we do.
Life of Faith Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, we are called to proclaim the Word of the Lord in word and action.
symbol CO N FI RM ED I N T H E SPI RI T
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Have young people look up the following Scripture passages: Daniel 9:24, Psalm 2:2, and 1 Samuel 2:10. When they have finished, ask what the passages have in common. (They each contain the word anointed.) After young people have answered correctly, ask: Who is the anointed or anointed one to which these passages refer? (the Messiah, Christ, Jesus, the Savior)
Invite volunteers to read aloud Water, Anointing, Fire, Dove, and Wind. [Section continues on page 7.] When you have finished reading this section, ask: What connections can you make between Confirmation and these symbols of the Spirit? Guide young people to the
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volunteer to read aloud Rite and another volunteer to read aloud Meaning. Say: God speaks to us through the Scripture, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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Encourage young people to record their insights in their journals.
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RITE Word of God The Bible is the story of God’s promise to care for us, especially through his Son, Jesus. The Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by many different authors. The Old Testament contains 46 books that tell stories about the Jewish people and their faith in God before Jesus was born. It foretells the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament contains 27 books that tell the story of Jesus’ life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension and the experiences of the early Christians. For Christians the most important books of the New Testament are the four Gospels.
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