Sunday was Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, commemorating the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the Church. The Holy Spirit may be the most mysterious person of the Trinity–the revealer rather than the revealed; not the Savior, but the one who brings us to the Savior; not the prime object of faith, but the creator of faith.
After the jump, what we need to believe about the Holy Spirit, and what it means.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
This is most certainly true.
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