The seventh article of the Apostles’ Creed is: “from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.” Father John Hardon, SJ, in his Catholic Catechist’s Manual, pointed out the two key words for this article are “time” and “eternity.”

“We are to serve God by living up to His demands on our will here in time,” he writes, then adds, “But we believe that Christ will come to judge us the moment we enter eternity.”

We will explore this seventh article more when we discuss the four last things to be ever remembered.

The eighth article is: “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Father Hardon pointed out that this article “is the second turning point in the Apostles’ Creed. The first was in the second article of the Creed through the seventh, where we profess our faith in Jesus Christ. Now we declare that we believe in the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, and in what He has done and will do, through the merits of our Saviour.”

Promise fulfilled

Before His ascension into heaven, Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit. After the ascension, Our Lady and the apostles stayed in Jerusalem and prayed together for 10 days. On the 10th day, Pentecost Sunday, at nine o’clock in the morning, the Holy Spirit descended with the sound of a great wind in the form of tongues of fire.

The sound of mighty wind signified the breathings of grace. The tongues of fire were an indication of the gift of speaking the different tongues of the nations to whom the apostles would preach the Gospel and an indication that the Holy Spirit would enlighten, purify, and inflame the apostles with divine charity.

The Holy Spirit transformed the apostles into new men. He illumined their minds and they understood all the teaching of Christ. They became possessed of an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls. They went abroad and preached without fear.

Holy Spirit in us

The sacrament of baptism corresponds to the death and resurrection of Christ, whereas the sacrament of confirmation corresponds to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At baptism, a person is incorporated to the death and resurrection of Christ; at confirmation, the grace of Pentecost is given to the person.

The Holy Spirit lives in our heart and is constantly acting on our mind and will by holy thoughts and holy desires. Holy thoughts illumine the mind to understand truths, and to know what we ought to do and how to do it. Holy desires inspire the will to do good, to avoid evil, and to be more generous in serving God and others.

Father Hardon pointed out that the secret of responding to these holy thoughts and desires is to keep ourselves ever ready to say “yes” to the graces sent by God. Openness of heart to His love is the best form of devotion to the Holy Spirit.

Inspired by his father, Blessed John Paul II had a profound devotion to the Holy Spirit. On Nov. 13, 1983, he beatified Blessed Mariam of Jesus Crucified (the Little Arab), a Carmelite mystic devoted to the Holy Spirit.

Through the Melkite Patriarch Blessed Mariam had sent a message to Pope Blessed Pius IX saying that the Church, even in seminaries, was neglecting true devotion to the Holy Spirit.

Her simple prayer to the Holy Spirit, which has gone around the world, was:

Holy Spirit, inspire me.

Love of God, consume me.

Along the true road, lead me.

Mary, my good mother, look down upon me.

With Jesus, bless me.

From all evil, all illusion, all danger, preserve me.

宗徒信經內第七項信條是「祂要從天降下，審判生者死者。」耶穌會會士若望.赫頓神父，在他的「傳道員手冊」中指出，這項信條主要關乎「時間」和「永恆」：『在時間內，我們要甘心按天主的意願去事奉祂；但我們相信，當我們進入永恆時，基督會來審判我們。』—— 我們會在「萬民四末」中探討這議題。

第八項信條是「我信聖神」。若望.赫頓神父認為這是宗徒信經的第二個轉捩點。第一個是在第二項信條。由第二至第七項信條，我們聲明對耶穌基督的信仰。由第八至第十二項信條，我們則聲明對天主聖神的信仰，並明認祂因救主的功勞而作的化工。

恩許的滿全

耶穌升天前許下派遣聖神。聖母及諸宗徒留在耶路撒冷，虔誠地祈禱。到了第十天的「五旬節」日，約在上午九時，天主聖神在烈風聲中，以火舌形狀降臨到他們身上。

烈風聲象徵天主聖寵强力的呼氣，火舌形狀象徵對眾人的光照、淨化、愛德的精煉，且有說不同語言的特恩，並向普世宣講福音。

聖神確實更新了諸位宗徒，光照他們的明悟，明白基督的教訓，他們切望眾靈的得救，不惜離鄉別井，無悔無懼地傳教。

聖神在我們內

聖洗聖事使我們能相應於基督的死亡和復活的救贖之內，而堅振聖事是讓我們能相應於五旬節的聖神降臨的聖寵之內。

聖神活在我們心中，時常給予我們神聖的思想和神聖的意願。神聖的思想幫助我們明白真理，認知當作之事，與及如何去做；神聖的意願激勵我們的意志，好能行善避惡，慷慨地事奉天主及近人。

若望.赫頓神父指出，我們要隨時接受和遵從聖神給予的思想及意願。打開心靈來擁抱祂給我們的愛就是對聖神最好的敬禮。

真福教宗若聖保祿二世，受他父親影響，特別恭敬聖神。一九八三年十一月十三日，他把一位特別敬禮聖神的嘉爾默羅隱修女—-苦架耶穌瑪利亞（小亞拉伯）—-宣為真福。

真福苦架耶穌瑪利亞修女，對天主聖神有一顆特別虔敬的心，她通過一位宗主教向真福教宗庇約九世進言，直嘆教會人士，甚至修院修生們，都忽略了恭敬天主聖神。她對天主聖神的短禱傳誦寰宇：「聖神啓迪我，天主的愛燃燒我，真理路上引領我；瑪利亞、我的好母親，垂視我，與耶穌一起，福蔭我。請保守我於一切凶惡、虛妄、和危難。」