The Holy Spirit and the Bible.
By John W. Galten, MI USA National President
Dear Knights of the Immaculata,
Maria!
I write this January editorial on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and shortly after the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Two great days, which celebrate not only the Immaculata but also the power of the Holy Spirit to effect two splendorous actions: Mary’s conception not only free from original sin but also full of grace. It also makes real the role of Mary as part of the New Evangelization. Of course, the middle term of these two events is none other than the event of all events: the Incarnation. God becomes man and enters our history with the gift of salvation. We have seen in the Old Testament how the seeds of the Spirit’s identity were planted, scattered here and there in the history of Israel.
Now, in the opening pages of the New Testament, the full blooming of these seeds begins to be revealed in Luke 1:33-35. We hear the simple, but extraordinary revelation of the Holy Spirit in response to Mary’s question: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, Son of God.” In this action by the Holy Spirit, His most stupendous action, He conceives the thrice-holy Son of God, from the holy flesh of the Immaculata. This conception takes place from the inmost depth of Divine Love, the very heart of the Trinity. No wonder, then, that this Child is the Holy One of Israel. We see more clearly now a number of things about the Holy Spirit. First, that He is a Person, a Divine Person, who not only has the power to create be-ing but to create the holiest of beings: the Immaculate Virgin Mother and the thrice-holy Son of God. Third, whatever He creates is created from love as He is the Divine Love of the Father and the Son. His love is creative in the deepest possible manner.
Now we begin to see dimly, but growing ever more clearly, in the Gospels the outlines of His Person and work. We shall see His task to reveal Jesus and to draw all humanity to Him in collaboration with His mystical spouse, the Immaculata. We shall see unfolding in the New Testament this work revealed in history with the founding of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit and given Mary as Mother, model and conduit of all grace. It is upon this foundation that all of human history is built, directed and given a new meaning—a meaning so rich in depth that St. Paul calls it a New Creation. The bright light of this new dawn in time is called Christ and its horizon is called hope, for sin and death have been vanquished and we have been redeemed.
And who facilitated this miracle of miracles? The Holy Spirit and the Bride. He by making holy and she by her perfect, faithful response, by bearing the Son of the Most High and by becoming the Mother of all mankind. In this knowledge, how can we not respond with the words of the hymn, “How can I keep from sing?” Indeed, “I will be singing all the days of my life.” Until next month, “Arise, let us be on our way.”
John W. Galten MI USA National President
The Mission of the Immaculata Issue 39 January 2020