Blessed Trinity
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 (emphasis added)
Though the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, the reality of the threefold nature of God is revealed throughout Scripture, beginning with the very first verses of the very first book, Genesis 1: 1-3. Each Divine Person is made distinct at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21-22), in the Great Commandment (Matthew 28:19), and in the close of 2 Corinthians: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Our “Spirit Chamber”
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
Genesis 1:26 (emphasis added)
As we were created in the image of God, we too could be said to be trinitarian in nature. The Apostle Paul defines this human trinity as “spirit, soul, and body” in 1 Thessalonians 5: 23. In chapter 7 of his book Rightly Dividing the Word, Clarence Larkin calls the former our “spirit chamber,” a God-shaped vacuum which we as humans too often try to fill or dull with worldly things like money, power, pleasure, and honor. God gave us all things to enjoy, but our “spirit chamber” was meant to be a dwelling place for God Himself, and only when we invite Him in will we ever live our life to its true potential.
Dwelling Place
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (emphasis added)
In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle was built to be the earthly dwelling place for God among His people. Like the Temple that came later, both reflected the Blessed Trinity. It consisted of an outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. At specific times, God would come to “dwell” in the inner sanctuary. So it is with His disciples!
Be Filled with the Spirit
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:52
Like fueling our bodies or our cars, being “filled with the Spirit” is not a one-time event. The Apostle Paul gives us some specific ways to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” in Ephesians 5 and 6. Read it and meditate on it. He tells us first to “walk in love,” and to avoid “immorality and all impurity or covetousness,” perhaps as a way of sweeping out our “spirit chamber” to welcome its Intended Occupant. Paul goes on to encourage us to make “melody to the Lord with all your heart,” to sing psalms and hymns of gratitude and praise; to love one another, to gather with fellow believers, to read Scripture, and to “pray at all times in the Spirit.” As Catholics, we also have the grace of the Sacraments, and by frequent confession and reception of the Eucharist we humbly invite, receive, and welcome God to dwell within us and fill us with His Divine Spirit. We no longer go to the Tabernacle to worship. Instead, if we worship with a humble and contrite heart, we bring the Tabernacle with us. How awesome is that!
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
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