Call the Spirit in Every Parish!

by Letters Editor · October 17, 2022

Stephen Selbourne, Cape Town – The article on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by Fr Ralph de Hahn in your June 2022 issue was inspiring.

I would like to see in the Catholic Church a permanent presence of the Charismatic Renewal and at least one Charismatic Mass every weekend in every parish.

I believe as a Church, we are neglecting the awesome, powerful and miraculous presence of the Holy Spirit as is recorded in the Book of Acts. The Holy Spirit will radically transform people from fear to faith, from death to life, from breakdown to breakthrough, and from being lukewarm to superhot.

In the Church there are people who are helpless, hopeless, sick, stressed, depressed. Many of them find life and going to church meaningless. Jesus promised the Father would send his Holy Spirit precisely to empower us (John 14:16). Receiving the Holy Spirit is not like being awarded a certificate; it is a miraculous encounter and a beautiful, life-changing impartation of the third Person of the Trinity.

Peter and John — “filled with the Holy Spirit”, “empowered by the Holy Spirit” and speaking with all boldness in the Holy Spirit — went to the Temple, as was their custom. There they met a lame man begging for alms. They looked at him and commanded him to “rise and walk” in the miraculous name of Jesus. He did and went “jumping and leaping and praising God” (Acts 3:1-11). That is what happens when one is “under the influence” — that of the Holy Spirit.

The Charismatic Renewal is a life-changing, dynamic and enthusiastic presence in the life of the Church. They are bold in asking: “Can I pray for you”? The Holy Spirit will revive, restore and renew every heart that surrenders to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

This letter was published in the July 2022 issue of The Southern Cross magazine