INTERIOR REVELATION AS
A FRUIT OF BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT
By Fr. Francis Martin

Mother of God Prayer Meeting
November 10, 2002
 

Definition

If we were to sum up… we could say that the grace of baptism in the Holy Spirit is twofold: it is first and foremost a coming to a living awareness of the true reality of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God who loved us and gave himself up for us, who is the risen Lord and Head of his Body. Secondly, as a result of this grace, there is an increased docility to the Holy Spirit and his power and gifts (from the booklet, Baptism in the Holy Spirit).

Episcopal Assessment

“As experienced in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal baptism in the Holy Spirit makes Jesus Christ known and loved as Lord and Savior, establishes or reestablishes an immediacy of relationship with all those persons of the Trinity, and through inner transformation affects the whole of the Christian’s life. There is new life and a new conscious awareness of God’s power and presence. It is a grace experience which touches every dimension of the Church’s life: worship, preaching, teaching, ministry, evangelism, prayer and spirituality, service in community. Because of this, it is our conviction that baptism in the Holy Spirit, understood as the reawakening in Christian experience of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit given in Christian initiation, and manifested in a broad range of charisms, including those closely associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, is part of the normal Christian life.” (Grace for the New Springtime. A Statement of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, March 6, 1997)