Catholic Word of the Day: INDWELLING, 08-29-12

CatholicReference.net ^ | 08-29-12 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

Featured Term (selected at random):

INDWELLING

Presence of the Holy Spirit in a person who is in the state of grace. He is present not only by means of the created gifts of grace, which he dispenses, but by his uncreated divine nature. This personal indwelling does not produce a substantial but only an accidental union with the souls of the just. As the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is an operation of God outside himself and as all activity of God outside the Trinity is common to the three persons, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit implies the indwelling of the three divine persons. This indwelling as a manifestation of the love of God, the personal love of the Father and the Son, is appropriated to the Holy Spirit. St. Paul speaks of the third person: "Know you not that you are the temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you" (I Corinthians 3:16). But he also says: "You are the temple of the living God" (I Corinthians 6:16), and Christ declares: "If any one loves me, he will keep my word. And my father will love him; and we will come to him and will make our abode with him" (John 14:23).

The immediate effect of the divine indwelling is sanctifying grace, which is the created result of the uncreated grace of God's presence. Its effect on the person is an experience that spiritual writers compare to a foretaste of the beatific vision; the mind is able to understand something of the mystery of God and the will is enamored of his goodness beyond anything possible by the light of reason or the natural affective powers of humans.

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day Ping!

 

Fides Ecclesiastica	Society for the Propagation of the Faith	Anointing
Penitent	Doctrinal Dissent	Destiny
Miriam	Postulation	True Cross
Help of the Sick Scapular	Sarai	Segnatura Apostolica
Capital Punishment	Idol	Propagation of the Faith
Actual Intention	Ten Tribes	Passiontide
God the Holy Spirit	Indwelling

If you aren’t on this Catholic Word of the Day Ping list and would like to be, please send me a FReepmail.

[Buckeye McFrog]

If the Catholic Church wants to change hearts and win souls, they really need to begin speaking English (or whatever the native language is where they happen to be).

[boatbums]

I think the "native" language is Latin. It is a "dead" language - one that is no longer spoken by people in normal conversation. One of the reasons why the Catholic Church says it prefers it is because the words are not changing anymore, unlike words in other languages that can mean one thing and a generation later it can mean the opposite. It also tends to make those who use it sound, oh so intellectual and above all us mortals.

As to the INDWELLING Holy Spirit, we know from Scripture that it is God the Holy Spirit who takes up residence within our soul and spirit - creating a NEW nature where the righteousness of God enfolds us. In Ephesians 1, Paul the Apostle says that the Holy Spirit:

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

So, like a down payment on a house you sign a contract to buy, God indwells His own who have received Christ through faith and we are "sealed" as the verse says.

So we are indwelled with the very Spirit of God, who is given to us for a promise of our assurance that God WILL bring us all the way to Heaven and we are given a "seal", or a pledge, from God Himself that we ARE His and will always BE His.

In the Old Testament times, men of God were indwelled with the same Holy Spirit - to be prophets of God, to do certain acts in God's name, to be God's voice to the people - but, that Spirit was not guaranteed to always BE there within them. King David prayed that God would not take His Spirit from him - the Spirit could leave and often did. But after Christ came, he sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, teacher and, also, our promise of eternal life. He will NEVER leave us or forsake us. That seal cannot be broken, will not be broken until we are IN Heaven with Almighty God. God is true and faithful and He WILL keep ALL His promises. That is how we can KNOW that we have everlasting life, because we have the very Spirit of God within us.

The Jews have a saying (z) that "the seal of the blessed God is truth". The Arabic version renders it, "he is already sealed, because God is true"; and the Ethiopic version, "God hath sealed him, because he is true"; namely, with his holy Spirit; see 2 Corinthians 1:22.

(z) T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 18. 1. & T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 64. 1. & Yoma, fol. 69. 2.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 says:

For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us. Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God; Who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.