|
Baptism
in the Holy Spirit
What
happens when a person is baptized
in
the Holy Spirit?
The person gains a fresh awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit
originally received in the sacrament of Baptism. That awareness stirs up
and releases the power of the Holy Spirit's action in his or her life.
The experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit is something that
affects the whole person - intellect and will, as well as the body and
emotions. It is an experience of God as a person, touching us as
persons, revealing himself to us, calling us to himself.
Baptism
in the Holy Spirit produces good
fruit.
It
releases joy and gratitude in our hearts, and gives us the desire to
praise and worship the Lord. It helps us to grow in love for Jesus and
the sacraments. Our love for Jesus promotes hunger for Scripture as we
seek to know him on a deeper level. We hear God speak to us through His
Word and in our hearts.
Baptism
in the Holy Spirit continues the miracle of Pentecost in the world
today.
It integrates our faith with our daily life and makes our faith more
relevant in all areas of our lives. We are able to draw on the power of
the Holy Spirit to help us meet the challenges that we encounter. It
strengthens us to resist temptations and to live holy lives.
As
love for Jesus grows, our love for others will grow. We become more
compassionate to the needs of others. The Holy Spirit gives us the words
to comfort and to encourage others and to bring them to greater faith as
well.
As
we yield to the Holy Spirit's action we receive peace in our hearts, and
healing. All are healed in some way - spiritual, emotional, mental or
physical. In many cases the healing is of the dramatic nature.
Pope
John Paul 11 said in 1979,
"I am convinced that this movement is a sign of the Holy Spirit's
action...a very important component of this entire renewal of the
Church, this spiritual renewal of the Church."
Testimonies:
Some people have described the effects of baptism in the Holy Spirit
this way:
"I
received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit many years ago, and it has
affected my whole life. It changed my life forever. I felt so happy that
I was laughing and dancing for joy. I just couldn't get enough of the
Bible; I'd sit and read Scripture for hours at a time. I grew so much
from the Word of God. He continues to reveal himself to me in new ways.
I have life abundantly."
"I
had a strong faith, but as I recovered from a long and serious illness,
I felt that I'd lost touch with Jesus. At a seminar presented at my
parish I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and was filled with such joy at
the presence of the Holy Spirit in my heart. It was as if I'd been under
a dark cloud and now was standing in warm sunshine. Words of Scripture
came to life and jumped off the page at me. I drew strength and healing
from the Holy Spirit. Jesus is always with me in a very real way. he
enables me to reach out to others, and to do things I never thought I
could. Life is exciting living in the power of the Holy Spirit."
|