Bread of Life Voice

In the liturgy the Holy Spirit is teacher of the faith of the People of God and artisan of “God’s masterpieces,” the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the risen Christ.

When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith which he has aroused in us, he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the liturgy becomes the common work of the Holy Spirit and the Church.

Specifically, the mission of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy of the Church is as follows:

1) To prepare the assembly to encounter Christ.

The liturgical assembly derives its unity from the “communion of the Holy Spirit” who gathers the children of God into the Body of Christ.

2) To recall and manifest Christ to the faith of the assembly.

The Spirit first recalls the meaning of salvation event to the liturgical assembly by given life to the Word of God, which is proclaimed so that it may be received and lived.

3) To make the saving work of Christ present and active by his transforming power.

Christian liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present. The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery

4) To make the gift of communion bear fruit in the Church.

The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father’s vine which bears fruit on its branches. In the epiclesis, the church asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to make the lives of the faithful a living sacrifice to God by their spiritual transformation into the image of Christ, by concern for the Church’s unity, and by taking part in her mission through the witness and service of charity.

Reference: CCC 1112, 1109, 1108, 1104, 1100, 1097, 1091.