As the headline notes, this Sunday’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is the heart of our faith: Belief in One God—One Essence—yet Three Distinct Persons. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) puts it this way: “By sending His Only Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time, God has revealed His innermost secret: God Himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and has destined us to share in that exchange.”

This Sunday we shall celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, when we mark the birthday of the Church and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is sent both corporately, meaning to the whole Church and the Holy See as well as to us individually as the Paraclete and guide to all (The) Truth

In this the seventh Sunday of Easter our readings center on Glory, Prayer, and Revelation. What do these three things have to do with us today? It might seem obvious, but there is a deeper meaning than just the basic understanding of those three words. Let’s consider the following:

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear (meaning awesome respect) of the Lord, seven in total. These gifts are believed to be bestowed upon individuals to help them live out their Christian life and grow their faith. The Holy Spirit, known as the Magisterium of the Church, is also meant to guide the Church and keep her safe from error in her proclamation of the faith to the world.