The Mission of the Holy Spirit Scripture Passage It is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7) Church teaching and commentary St. Cyril of Alexandria (378-444) once wrote: “After Christ had completed His mission on earth, it still remained necessary for us to become sharers in the divine nature of the Word; i.e., we had to…
The Sending of the Holy Spirit Scripture Passages Jesus said to His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name — He will teach you…
The Breaking of Bread What does “breaking of bread” mean? According to Jewish custom, communal meals began with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God over a loaf of bread, which was then broken and given to the participants. This “breaking of bread” is a special rite with fraternal and religious significance. The Gospels tell us that Jesus “broke bread” with His disciples, especially at the Last Supper. On the night before He offered Himself as Sacrifice on the…
Understanding Faith For Christians, what is faith? Faith is a personal adherence of man to God; i.e., a person has a relationship of attachment and commitment with God. At the same time, faith is a free assent to everything that God has revealed; i.e., a person approves and agrees freely with everything that God has revealed. (cf. CCC 150) For a Christian, faith means believing in Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God — the One sent by God the…
Redemption and Salvation What is Redemption? Redemption is the act in which Jesus Christ paid the price of His own sacrificial Death on the Cross in order to free mankind from the slavery of sin. In his epistle, St. Peter told the early Christians: “You were ransomed from your futile conduct not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.” (1Peter 1:18-19) By sending His own Son in…
Step by Step in Faith Scripture Passage: Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4:5-42) Commentary A little background on John 4: Samaria was a region located between Judea in the south and Galilee in the north. In Jesus’ time, Samaria was joined to Judea under Roman rule. Travelers from Judea to Galilee and vice-versa had to pass through Samaria; otherwise, they had to make a detour through the Transjordan (region east of the Jordan River). Some Jews preferred to take…
Lessons from the Desert Scripture passage: Matthew 4:1-11 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that…