First Way the Holy Spirit Guides and Influences the Church

In the magisterium- "the official teaching authority of the Church. Jesus bestowed the power to teach in his name to Peter and the rest of the Apostles and their successors. The magisterium is the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter (the pope)." (Jesus and the Church 28)

85 "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome. 86 "Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith." 87 Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles: "He who hears you, hears me", the faithful receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors give them in different forms. (CCC 85-87)

"And the apostles and ancients assembled to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter, rising up, said to them: Men, brethren, you know, that in former days God made choice among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, who knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them the Holy Ghost, as well as to us" (Acts 15:6-8.)

"The Magisterium is the Church’s teaching office established by Jesus Christ to “guard what has been entrusted” (1 Tim. 6:20). The Magisterium, in service to the Word of God, authentically interprets the Word, whether in Scripture or in the form of Tradition. The Magisterium is exercised by the Pope and the bishops in union with him. Because Christ has instituted the Magisterium to communicate His saving truth, the faithful should respond in docility and joy to the Church’s teaching out of love for Christ. Infallibility is a charism whereby the Holy Spirit protects the Magisterium from teaching error on matters of faith and morals. The Church exercises this charism when she teaches definitively, whether in a solemn manner (i.e., through the extraordinary Magisterium) or through the ordinary and universal Magisterium." (CUF)

Second Way the Holy Spirit Guides and Influences the Church

"The Liturgy is the customary public worship performed by a religious group, according to its particular beliefs, customs and traditions." (Jesus and the Church 28)

"1091 In the liturgy the Holy Spirit is teacher of the faith of the People of God and artisan of "God's masterpieces," the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the risen Christ. When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith which he has aroused in us, he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the liturgy becomes the common work of the Holy Spirit and the Church. 1092 In this sacramental dispensation of Christ's mystery the Holy Spirit acts in the same way as at other times in the economy of salvation: he prepares the Church to encounter her Lord; he recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly. By his transforming power, he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now. Finally the Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ." (CCC)

"Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:1-4)

"At Sunday Mass, Catholics proclaim their belief in the third person of the Trinity in the words of the Nicene Creed: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified." (The Holy Spirit and the Liturgy)

Three Contemporary Examples of The Holy's Spirits Presence in the Church

1. When the pope speaks ex cathedra. Ex cathedra is a Latin phrase which means "from the chair." It refers to binding and infallible papal teachings which are promulgated by the pope when he officially teaches in his capacity of the universal shepherd of the Church a doctrine on a matter of faith or morals and addresses it to the entire world.

2. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and make important decisions in our life. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

3. The Holy Spirit helps us during tough times when we pray to God. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (Romans 8:26)

Origins of the Holy Sprit and the Events of Pentecost

Jesus’ earthly life and ministry were over, but his work of Redemption would continue through his followers in the Church. Jesus’ promise was to send the Holy Spirit to direct and guide their work. He fulfilled this promise on Pentecost.

Pentecost was a traditional Jewish harvest feast that took place fifty days after Passover. The Acts of the Apostles records that the Apostles, Mary, Jesus’ Mother, and some other disciples were gathered in prayer and waiting in an upper room in Jerusalem. This was the same place where Jesus had shared his Last Supper. Acts describes how the Holy Spirit descended on those in the room in the form of “tongues of fire.” Immediately, being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Act 2:4), the Apostles, and especially Peter, began speaking about Jesus to all the Jews who were in the city from many regions of the Roman Empire. Even though the pilgrims spoke in several different languages, they understood what the Apostles were saying. ” The inspired preaching of St. Peter on Pentecost began a flurry of activity and growth in the early Church. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he and the other Apostles set out to proclaim the kerygma, or essential teaching about Christ, that is: God loves the world and became incarnate. Jesus suffered for the sins of humankind, rose from the dead, and is alive. Jesus is Savior and Redeemer.

You can compare these events to modern day church members preaching to crowds about the Gospels, our faith, and how we can understand it.

Personal Reflection

With all the research I have conducted for this project, I've learned that all people have a gift to minister to others as members of the Church. Through God, I and other individuals can ask for guidance to help show others the Catholic faith. I can conclude that the Holy Spirit helps guide our religious leaders like priests, bishops, and the pope whenever we are worshipping or discussing the faith.