Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

To help us on the way to the Father, Jesus bequeaths us with a precious gift, a new garment that descends on us from high. This garment is the Holy Spirit. After the Fall, Adam and Eve dressed themselves with leaves, the things of the earth. We all cover ourselves with the things of the earth. We dress ourselves with our successes, the way we look, our talents, our public image. These are just ways to cover the vulnerability and poverty that all of us feel. When we are clothed with the Holy Spirit, by contrast, we are clothed with the knowledge that God loves us and that everything is taken care of by his wonderful providence.

The term “Paraclete” signifies the one who stands close to us and gives us counsel. In order to have the Holy Spirit close to us, we must adhere to the words of Jesus. This is the kind of relationship that the Lord wants to have with us! If we love someone, we cherish and contemplate their words. How can we say we love Jesus if we do not treasure and esteem his words, bringing them to fruition in our lives? Once we adhere to the words of Jesus, then God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell with us. In the Old Testament God was present in the Temple. Now, through the Holy Spirit, he wishes to take up residence in our hearts, in the profoundest core of our being. But how can God dwell in our hearts if we are not adhering to his words and cherishing them.