30 Days with the Holy Ghost - Day 3 and 4

Day # 3: Knowing the person of Jesus (Mt 8:27-30)

Jesus is very clear. He wants us to know him personally as Savior and Lord. Everyday Jesus is asking you: “who do you say that I am?” In order to receive the Holy spirit we one must exercise faith in Jesus Christ by a serious change of life. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles is a good illustration of this type of knowledge. “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”(Acts 2:37-41) We see in this text, the importance of the power of the Holy Spirit in the process of knowing and building intimacy with Jesus.

Take this day as an intimacy with Jesus: 1) Have some minutes of adoration and conversation with Jesus with or without the Blessed Sacrament. 2) Read Isaiah 11:1-2; and Galatians 5:22-23.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus the Apostle Peter professed you as the Messiah, the Son of the living God by the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt 16:16), may the same Holy Spirit, help me to know you intimately in the name of Jesus!

Father, I thank you for your word, which is the lamp to my feet and the light of my path, may you open my heart to the knowledge of Jesus, the living Word made flesh, who is my light and the Light of the world in the name of Jesus!

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator come, 
From your bright heavenly throne!
Come, take possession of our souls, 
And make them all your own.

I pray especially for you during these 30 days (Fr. Georges R. BIDZOGO SAC)

Day #4 Knowing the Holy Spirit (Acts 1; 8)

In the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus made a promise to the Apostles saying: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and then you will be my witness to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). The question we may ask ourselves is:  Is the Holy Spirit a person or a force? The Bible in 2 Corinthians 2 and in other passages of the scriptures, testifies that the Holy Spirit is a person and not impersonal energy. He is referred to in the Bible as “He or Him” and never as it. The Holy Spirit has a mind, a will, emotions, fillings, intellect, knowledge and the ability to communicate. He is the helper (John15:26) who can hear and speak the things that are to come (John 16:13). We need to understand and know the Holy Spirit as our teacher (Mt 28:19) and he is involved in creation (Genesis 1:2). We affirm that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Spirit who performs actions, speaks (John 16:13), convicts (John 16:8), strengthens (Ephesians 3:16), leads (Galatians 5:18), and appoints leaders to service (Acts 13:2, 4). Very importantly this helps us in our prayer: “the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). We can know the Holy Spirit as a friend. For St. Paul desires that we would experience “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:14). We can have intimate communion with God’s Spirit so that we can experience the world from the Holy Spirit’s perspective. Finally, the Holy Spirit works relationally with the Father and the Son in the process of making disciples (Matthew 28:19) and empowering disciples in the mission of God (Acts 1:8). Today let us learn to know, love and seek the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, Comforter, Helper, and Advocate come revive my life!

Build a relationship with the Holy Spirit!

Come Holy Spirit!
You who are called the Paraclete,
Best gift of God above,
The living spring, the living fire, 
Sweet unction, and true love!

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, fill me with your gifts.

Kindle in me Your goodness, Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, be present in my heart.

Holy Spirit, help me be patient.