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Your Life in the Holy Spirit: What Every Catholic Needs to Know and Experience
Your Life in the Holy Spirit offers a popular and comprehensive explanation of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. In this book, a new edition of Hearts Aflame, best-selling author Alan Schreck presents the Spirit as the ?friend closest to our heart, ? who leads us in prayer, directs our mind with truth, and makes us holy. Schreck shows how the Spirit equips us to draw others to Christ, build up the church, and generate unity among its members. Readers will learn how to renew their life in the Holy Spirit, understand and receive spiritual gifts, and grow in love, joy, peace, and other fruits that are the sign that the Spirit dwells in us.
231 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 23, 2015
Reading and writing about the Holy Spirit—for me—is rather daunting, which is why I got Your Life in the Holy Spirit in the first place. Pentecostals, and other similar Protestant traditions, know the Holy Spirit. Catholics receive the Holy Spirit in the sacraments, but then we seem to let Him fade into the background of our lives. Why is that I wondered?
In John 14:15-17, Jesus promised ‘to give another advocate to help and be with (us) forever.’ There are many reasons why Catholics (myself included) are a bit uncomfortable when it comes to talking about the Holy Spirit, but this isn’t the time or place to go into all that, however much I pondered the question while reading this book.
I didn’t read Your Life in the Holy Spirit in any particular order. In fact I read the last chapter first because it happened to be the one which interested me the most. It’s one of those books which can be read that way—in any order—something I appreciated very much. For me it means it is a book I will keep on my shelf and refer back to on many occasions, probably any time a question about the Holy Spirit comes up.
Although it doesn’t shy away from Greek and Latin terms, it’s written on a simple enough level even I had no trouble understanding the theological concepts presented. Your Life in the Holy Spirit is more accessible and better organized than either of the other books I have on the Holy Spirit.
Here are just a few of the nuggets I gleaned from it:
1. In the first chapter, WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Schreck reviews all the symbols given for the Holy Spirit (breath, wind, water, dove, fire, cloud, fire, gift, oil and the gesture of imposing hands over a person) and notes how this can contribute to misunderstanding the true nature of the Spirit and why it is so hard for many to have a personal relationship with Him. Our human imagination picturing these objects can lead to seeing Him as other than a Person, as some mysterious power or force. ‘But as the Catechism of the Catholic Church indicates these are only representative symbols and not the Holy Spirit Himself. They represent important aspects of the Spirit’s identity and work, expressing attributes of a person who does not have a face.’ The chapter goes on to introduce us to this Divine Person and teach us how to relate to Him. Sublime.
2. In Chapter 4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, we are reminded of Jesus’s words during the Last Supper when He acknowledges the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father would send in His name, would teach all things and bring to our remembrance all Jesus said. We see this later at Pentecost, in the stoning of Stephen and the testimony of the witnesses in the early church. But it didn’t end there. There is an excellent description of Cardinal Newman’s contribution in his book An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent where he distinguished between “notional assent” which we give to ideas or abstract concepts and “real assent” which involves the whole person in a choice or decision affecting his or her life.
3. Other chapters include: EVANGELIZATION: WHERE’S THE POWER, BUILDING THE CHURCH, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PRAYER, THE IMPORTANCE OF PENTECOST, and THE SPOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. But two chapters were my favorites: THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS and UNITY: THE SPIRIT’S GREATEST GIFT. The first one because it deals with the Holy Spirit’s gentle power to reveal our brokenness, that we might repent, and convert. And not just once, or twice, or even once a month or once a day, but each moment as we stand humbly yielding to the Spirit, the power of God. For we are called to freedom through love to be servants to one another. (Gal 5:13) And I loved the chapter on Unity so much because that is what I long and pray for so much that the People of God be one people in Christ as He and the Father are One in the Spirit.
Excellent book! Schreck also wrote The Holy Spirit in Catholic Tradition which I look forward to reading.
In John 14:15-17, Jesus promised ‘to give another advocate to help and be with (us) forever.’ There are many reasons why Catholics (myself included) are a bit uncomfortable when it comes to talking about the Holy Spirit, but this isn’t the time or place to go into all that, however much I pondered the question while reading this book.
I didn’t read Your Life in the Holy Spirit in any particular order. In fact I read the last chapter first because it happened to be the one which interested me the most. It’s one of those books which can be read that way—in any order—something I appreciated very much. For me it means it is a book I will keep on my shelf and refer back to on many occasions, probably any time a question about the Holy Spirit comes up.
Although it doesn’t shy away from Greek and Latin terms, it’s written on a simple enough level even I had no trouble understanding the theological concepts presented. Your Life in the Holy Spirit is more accessible and better organized than either of the other books I have on the Holy Spirit.
Here are just a few of the nuggets I gleaned from it:
1. In the first chapter, WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Schreck reviews all the symbols given for the Holy Spirit (breath, wind, water, dove, fire, cloud, fire, gift, oil and the gesture of imposing hands over a person) and notes how this can contribute to misunderstanding the true nature of the Spirit and why it is so hard for many to have a personal relationship with Him. Our human imagination picturing these objects can lead to seeing Him as other than a Person, as some mysterious power or force. ‘But as the Catechism of the Catholic Church indicates these are only representative symbols and not the Holy Spirit Himself. They represent important aspects of the Spirit’s identity and work, expressing attributes of a person who does not have a face.’ The chapter goes on to introduce us to this Divine Person and teach us how to relate to Him. Sublime.
2. In Chapter 4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, we are reminded of Jesus’s words during the Last Supper when He acknowledges the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father would send in His name, would teach all things and bring to our remembrance all Jesus said. We see this later at Pentecost, in the stoning of Stephen and the testimony of the witnesses in the early church. But it didn’t end there. There is an excellent description of Cardinal Newman’s contribution in his book An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent where he distinguished between “notional assent” which we give to ideas or abstract concepts and “real assent” which involves the whole person in a choice or decision affecting his or her life.
3. Other chapters include: EVANGELIZATION: WHERE’S THE POWER, BUILDING THE CHURCH, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PRAYER, THE IMPORTANCE OF PENTECOST, and THE SPOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. But two chapters were my favorites: THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS and UNITY: THE SPIRIT’S GREATEST GIFT. The first one because it deals with the Holy Spirit’s gentle power to reveal our brokenness, that we might repent, and convert. And not just once, or twice, or even once a month or once a day, but each moment as we stand humbly yielding to the Spirit, the power of God. For we are called to freedom through love to be servants to one another. (Gal 5:13) And I loved the chapter on Unity so much because that is what I long and pray for so much that the People of God be one people in Christ as He and the Father are One in the Spirit.
Excellent book! Schreck also wrote The Holy Spirit in Catholic Tradition which I look forward to reading.
August 4, 2014
An excellent introduction to who the Holy Spirit is and what he does in the Church. Dr. Schreck tends to repeat some themes and teaching, but that does help to refresh your memory. Not a deep theology, but a great overview that can lead you to investigate further. Dr. Schreck does an outstanding job of tying Scripture and Catholic teaching on the Holy Spirit. I was really surprised how much the writings of Pope Paul VI were useful--he's often overlooked. This is book to get you excited about the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in Christians.
June 16, 2022
While this is a well written and argued book (for which I would give it a 5), I give it a 3 because I side with more traditional Roman Catholicism in liturgical matters and not pentecostal/charismatic which I see as more Protestant influenced. Which is why I like traditional Latin masses over vernacular masses. That said I loved how the author really goes into detail about the Holy Spirit and why the Roman Catholic Church (Catholics) need him. It is a first rate book in that regard.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews