Gifts of the Holy Spirit

[glide625]

Any suggestions as to good books or reference materials that would help understand the Holy Spirit? One of my considerations of late is that perhaps I’m not properly approaching the Holy Spirit or properly accessing the Holy Spirit.
Thanks

 

[Cajetan]

I don’t know of any specific books, but it is important to remember that the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is often extremely subtle in our experience.

Let’s say that a Catholic has committed a bunch of mortal sins over time and hasn’t gone to Confession in a long time because he hasn’t felt like it or because he’s afraid to go… then, one day, seemingly out of the blue and for no apparent reason, he wakes up and says, “You know, I could really go for Confession today. I’d like to receive the Eucharist again.” THAT is the Holy Spirit working within him. He doesn’t feel all that different, just that today he has a practical desire for reconciliation for that wasn’t there yesterday. But, in reality, this is the Holy Spirit freely bestowing upon him an insanely huge, glorious, life-saving gift. Only later will our man, hopefully, realize this, when he looks back “from above” at his previously sorrowful and desperate state. He will know then that this event, which didn’t seem very special at the time, was a God-given miracle.

 

[alpslapper]

Let’s say that a Catholic has committed a bunch of mortal sins over time and hasn’t gone to Confession in a long time because he hasn’t felt like it or because he’s afraid to go… then, one day, seemingly out of the blue and for no apparent reason, he wakes up and says, “You know, I could really go for Confession today. I’d like to receive the Eucharist again.” THAT is the Holy Spirit working within him. He doesn’t feel all that different, just that today he has a practical desire for reconciliation for that wasn’t there yesterday. But, in reality, this is the Holy Spirit freely bestowing upon him an insanely huge, glorious, life-saving gift. Only later will our man, hopefully, realize this, when he looks back “from above” at his previously sorrowful and desperate state. He will know then that this event, which didn’t seem very special at the time, was a God-given miracle.

Reading this has made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck
Yesterday for the first time in maybe 3 decades I went to Mass. But I ‘‘wanted’’ to go to a traditional latin mass - which required me to contact the local diocesan office to find out where I could attend. There is a church right at the bottom of my street but I felt the need, the urge, to go further and seek out a latin mass. Inexplicably. Now today, I’ve sought advice here on going to confession as equally I have not confessed for about the same lenght of time - some 30 years.
This has ‘‘just’’ happened - I didnt plan it - I just had this unquenchible desire to do it.

I’ll be the first to admit I have been totally lost - worse - I ignored what was before me, shut my ears and eyes, led a life of my choosing and ran the church into the ground at every opportunity.

This Easter, inexplicably, I had this need to go to mass, and now to confess.

If this is the Holy Spirit at work then yes you’re right. He is subtle, gentle, patient, but when he has a grip of you He wont go away

It’s also frightening - because sincerely, I have no idea what’s happening to me, or why, or what’s next but having found this forum, I am getting an awful lot of comfort and guideance from you all.

 

[Cajetan]

I’m glad we could be here for you, alpslapper!

In a way, I can relate to your present experience. I grew up in a secular household, and up until the age of 23 I was an atheist/agnostic – the kind that is quite anti-Christian. A very sinful life it was. Then, somewhere along the line, for no apparent reason, I was finding myself at the local libraries looking for books about Catholic Christianity. I soon had this inexplicable, all-encompassing desire to learn more about this faith, a desire which kept growing until I landed at the local Catholic parish basically telling the R.C.I.A team: “Make me Catholic.” Just a year or so prior, if you had told me that this would be happening I would have said that you were completely off your rocker. Now it’s such a part of who I am that it’s often difficult for me to identity with the man I used to be, and I’m only 26.

I have no doubt that this was God calling me out of my former life (or rather, He threw me an invitation and I accepted); I also have no doubt that this happens in the lives of people every single day.