St. Paul's image of the Church as the "Body of Christ" provides context for his teaching on the "gifts of the Holy Spirit," or charisms.  Every member of the Body of Christ is given these charisms to build up or edify the Church and to serve with love its mission in the world.  Dr. Schreck talks about St. Paul and his First Letter to the Corinthians, listing some of these charisms, describing their importance, and how they are to be exercised.

After reviewing the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and to confer God's forgiveness, Dr. Schreck focuses on how, through dwelling in us and in the Church, the Holy Spirit frees us from "the law of sin and death," empowering us to overcome sin and be transformed into new creations in Jesus Christ.  The outward manifestation of this spirit of holiness is living a life of love and service, exhibiting the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22,23).

Dr. Schreck reviews the theme of the Holy Spirit and prayer in the life and teachings of Jesus and the Church in the Acts of the Apostles.  He then focuses on St. Paul's experiences and writings on how the Holy Spirit enables us to pray. He also shares Pope St. John Paul II's testimony and teachings on this theme.

In the writings of St. Paul, the Holy Spirit is the "guarantee" and "first fruits" of the life of heaven for those sealed with the Holy Spirit in Baptism. Based on these writings, Dr. Schreck explains how Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa and Pope St. John Paul II also see the Holy Spirit as the source of Christian hope, which we are called to share with others.

Dr. Schreck reviews how St. Luke, a companion of St. Paul, describes Paul's experience of the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles, which is important in understanding how Paul presents the Spirit in his letters.  In those letters, Paul says the Holy Spirit manifests himself in the lives of the baptized in many ways: in moral and spiritual transformation, in prayer, and as a foretaste of the resurrected life.

The climax of the Bible's revelation of the Holy Spirit as a Divine Person is found in the latter chapters of the Gospel of John. There, Jesus promises he and the Father will send "another counselor/advocate" to always be with his followers. This "Spirit of Truth" will convict the world of sin, call to mind all that Jesus has taught, and guide the Church into all truth.

The Gospel of John, the last Gospel written, presents the Holy Spirit as the source of new birth—the "life-giving Spirit"—and the one who enables true worship "in Spirit and truth" (Jn. 4:23–24).

Beginning with St. Paul's conversion in the Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Schreck explores how the apostles' mission in proclaiming the Gospel and carrying on Jesus' ministry is guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  He highlights how St. Peter is guided by the Spirit to bring Gentiles into the Church, how the Spirit guides the Church's leaders at the Council of Jerusalem, and how St. Paul prays over disciples of John the Baptist to receive the Spirit.

Dr. Schreck explores how the mission of the Church, in the power of the Holy Spirit, is described in Acts of the Apostles after Pentecost. Acts 4 describes a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in response to the Church's prayer that they would proclaim the word of God with boldness, even amid persecution. The Holy Spirit comes upon the first deacons in Acts 6, including St. Stephen, who is martyred for his bold proclamation. The Spirit also guides and empowers the apostles Peter, John, and Philip to carry out the Church's mission.

Each of the Synoptic Gospels describes Jesus' commission, immediately before his Ascension, to preach the Gospel to the nations. St. Luke stresses this cannot be accomplished until Jesus' disciples receive the "promise of the Father," the Holy Spirit. Dr. Schreck shows how, in Acts 1 and 2, this promise is repeated and fulfilled with the sending of the Spirit on Pentecost. The Church is born and begins to carry out her mission when the Holy Spirit comes into power. 

Dr. Schreck discusses some of the distinctive themes in the Gospel of St. Luke, especially as a "Gospel of mission" addressed to a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience. St. Luke highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in this mission, providing both guidance and power. This explains the desire of "the heavenly Father [to] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Lk 11:13).

The Synoptic Gospels' testimony to the Holy Spirit is very similar from Jesus' baptism through his temptations in the desert.  Dr. Schreck examines the distinctive emphasis on the Holy Spirit in Jesus' life and teaching in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew.  He also shows how Jesus is anointed by the Spirit as priest, prophet, and king, and how his followers today share in this anointing for mission through baptism and confirmation.

What happened at Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan?  Dr. Schreck talks about how Jesus' baptism was not only a revelation of his communion with the Father and Holy Spirit—a Trinitarian theophany—but also an anointing.  It was an empowerment of Jesus in his humanity, equipping him to carry out his mission as "the Christ" (or Anointed One) in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Dr. Schreck also explains Jesus' teaching on "blasphemy against the Spirit" (Mt. 12:31; Mk. 3:29).

In all four Gospels, John the Baptist prophesies that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and, in Matthew and Luke, with fire. Dr. Schreck discusses the meaning of this prophecy and how and when it was fulfilled. When Jesus submits to be baptized by John, the Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove and the voice of the Father is heard, providing a revelation/theophany of the Blessed Trinity.   Listen to more The Spirit and The Bride episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

Dr. Schreck examines the revelation of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament at the chronological beginning of this revelation: when angels announce the conception of John the Baptist and Jesus.  In the announcements to Mary and Joseph, it's clear the Holy Spirit is distinct from the "Son of God" (Lk. 1:35) or "the Son of the Most High" (Lk. 1:32), who is conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit.  Here is an important step in the fuller revelation of the Spirit's work and identity.  St. Luke also begins his association of the Holy Spirit with "power" (Lk. 1:35).

As Dr. Schreck begins to explore the fuller revelation of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, he starts with a fundamental question: Can we, or do we, believe that how the Holy Spirit is revealed in the New Testament is what God desires to do in the Church today?  Dr. Schreck responds to the view that the Holy Spirit's action recorded in the New Testament was a unique grace for the first Christians but not for the Church today. And does the Church rely on the Holy Spirit to carry out her mission, especially to "make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28:19)?   Listen to more The Spirit and The Bride episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason. 

Dr. Schreck talks about how Haggai, Zechariah, and Nehemiah encouraged the people to rely on the power of the Spirit to rebuild the temple after their return from exile in Babylon.  He also explores how apocalyptic writings speak of God's plan and the Spirit's work in the "last days."  With the decline of prophecy, rabbis in the late Old Testament and in the time of Christ viewed the Spirit as speaking definitively through the Torah and, for some, in the writings of past prophets.

Among the later writings of the Old Testament are the Wisdom books, including Proverbs, Job, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and the book of Wisdom. In this episode, Dr. Schreck discusses how the Spirit is presented in these writings.

Dr. Schreck continues looking at the spirit in the Old Testament with the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  Although Jeremiah has a negative view of prophecy because of false prophets' claims, he himself prophesies God establishing a "new covenant."  Ezekiel speaks frequently and positively about the spirit of God and also prophesies a "new covenant," which includes a "new spirit" that will awaken the hopes and lives of God's people in exile, who are pictured as "dry bones."  Ezekiel is given a vision of a river of life-giving water, which in the New Testament is revealed as the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Schreck explores how the spirit is an attribute of the servant of God in the messianic texts of the prophet Isaiah, where people can even "grieve" the spirit by rejecting his work.  The Psalms also speak of the work of God's spirit and appeal to God not to hide his face nor remove his spirit but to send forth the spirit to "renew the face of the earth" (Ps. 104) and to restore "the joy of...salvation" (Ps. 51).