E
edward_george
Guest
I realized something today.
Reading over the forums, I hear about the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives. At Confirmation, we hear the words “be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” I’ve wondered how the Spirit is at work in my life.
But then I figured it out.
We hear from Our Lord in the Gospel of Matthew that
“when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.”
I often meet challenges to the Catholic faith because of the area I live in. In rural Virginia, there are many who do not have any respect for the Catholic Church, much less understanding. Day in and day out, my beliefs come under fire. Day in and day out, the faith is put on trial by those who oppose it.
I’ve long recognized the duty to defend the faith among my contemporaries. I first saw this duty when I was a freshman and my history teacher tended toward an anti-Catholic bent in his lectures. Gradually, I came to research in depth the truth of Church history and doctrine (indulgences and the Inquisition were probably the big things that got me started). Eventually, I came into possession of a copy of Karl Keating’s Catholicism and Fundamentalism and gradually figured out the arguments against the faith, and the counters to those arguments. I engaged my teacher on a misconception and proved him wrong. He never spoke ill of the Church while I was in his class from that point on. I owe this man much for allowing me a springboard of sorts for deepening my faith.
I came to learn more. Back in April, just days before the election of His Holiness, Pope Benedict, I was confirmed, hearing those words “be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” At the time, I didn’t quite realize what that meant.
As of late, I have been helping a friend who is sort of inquiring about the Church (he is a member of Church of Christ). He would ask questions of me, and I’d gladly explain what the Church believes or practices. He is coming to an appreciation of the Catholic faith. I don’t know whether or not he would convert, however I sense that he is coming to accept the faith.
He will often present me with challenges from his family and other members of his congregation–challenges to the Catholic faith. When hearing these challenges, I often find the answer coming from my mouth before I have a chance to even think about the challenge. It seems that increasingly I am able to know the answers to the questions before they’re asked. I feel that perhaps I have been gifted toward the defense of the faith.
Having said all this–pardon my longwindedness, but this realization made me sort of happy–I invite anyone who wishes to speak of their experiences with the Holy Spirit working in their lives.
Praise be forever to the Holy Spirit!
-ACEGC
Reading over the forums, I hear about the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives. At Confirmation, we hear the words “be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” I’ve wondered how the Spirit is at work in my life.
But then I figured it out.
We hear from Our Lord in the Gospel of Matthew that
“when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.”
I often meet challenges to the Catholic faith because of the area I live in. In rural Virginia, there are many who do not have any respect for the Catholic Church, much less understanding. Day in and day out, my beliefs come under fire. Day in and day out, the faith is put on trial by those who oppose it.
I’ve long recognized the duty to defend the faith among my contemporaries. I first saw this duty when I was a freshman and my history teacher tended toward an anti-Catholic bent in his lectures. Gradually, I came to research in depth the truth of Church history and doctrine (indulgences and the Inquisition were probably the big things that got me started). Eventually, I came into possession of a copy of Karl Keating’s Catholicism and Fundamentalism and gradually figured out the arguments against the faith, and the counters to those arguments. I engaged my teacher on a misconception and proved him wrong. He never spoke ill of the Church while I was in his class from that point on. I owe this man much for allowing me a springboard of sorts for deepening my faith.
I came to learn more. Back in April, just days before the election of His Holiness, Pope Benedict, I was confirmed, hearing those words “be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” At the time, I didn’t quite realize what that meant.
As of late, I have been helping a friend who is sort of inquiring about the Church (he is a member of Church of Christ). He would ask questions of me, and I’d gladly explain what the Church believes or practices. He is coming to an appreciation of the Catholic faith. I don’t know whether or not he would convert, however I sense that he is coming to accept the faith.
He will often present me with challenges from his family and other members of his congregation–challenges to the Catholic faith. When hearing these challenges, I often find the answer coming from my mouth before I have a chance to even think about the challenge. It seems that increasingly I am able to know the answers to the questions before they’re asked. I feel that perhaps I have been gifted toward the defense of the faith.
Having said all this–pardon my longwindedness, but this realization made me sort of happy–I invite anyone who wishes to speak of their experiences with the Holy Spirit working in their lives.
Praise be forever to the Holy Spirit!
-ACEGC
Nanette