Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

In the first of a series of articles, we ask various leaders and thinkers to share their understanding of the Baptism in the Spirit, recognized as the key grace of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Pat Collins C.M, a well known author and retreat giver from Ireland, shares his reflections.

Fr Pat Collins In a preliminary report on the Birmingham Consultation, Charles Whitehead wrote in the Nov/Dec edition of Goodnews (2005): “The primary gift of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to the Church and the world is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. We see this as normal Christianity…We must avoid the danger of simply maintaining our own baptized in the Spirit lives, and reach out to all who need to receive this amazing gift, given for the whole Church.” In this article I intend to offer theological reflections on Baptism in the Spirit together with one or two practical suggestions.

Although there are similarities in the way people recount their experiences of Baptism in the Spirit there are many individual differences e.g. for some it is sudden and dramatic, for others it is more gradual and gentle. Furthermore, when theologians reflect on such experiences they adopt different approaches e.g. Baptism in the Spirit is the release of a grace already given in baptism and confirmation, or a new outpouring or effusion of the Spirit. They can also emphasize different scriptural and historical points. As a result, there are different ways of understanding Baptism in the Spirit and how it fits into the more general context of the sacramental and missionary life of the Church.

Different interpretations

healing prayer The Pentecostals were the first Christians in the modern era to talk about Baptism in the Spirit. They described two blessings, firstly, salvation and sanctification as a result of water baptism, and secondly, power to witness to one’s faith, together with charismatic signs, especially tongues, as a result of Baptism in the Spirit. James Dunn pointed out in his book Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1970), that while Catholic and Protestant scholars would not doubt the genuineness of Pentecostals’ experience of the Spirit, they would question the way they interpret it from a scriptural and theological point of view. Before I wrote this article I read what a number of bishops’ conferences had to say about Baptism in the Spirit.

1. For instance, in 1977 the bishops of Puerto Rico said: “the experience of that which has been received in the sacraments of Christian initiation is manifested in exterior phenomena such as the so-called Baptism in the Holy Spirit, healing and even at times in the gift of tongues.”

2. In 1994 the Irish Bishops said: “The outpouring of the Spirit is a conversion gift through which one receives a new and significant commitment to the Lordship of Jesus, and an openness to the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

3. In 1997 the American Bishops Committee said: “The grace of Baptism in the Holy Spirit is two-fold: it is first and foremost a coming to a living awareness of the true reality of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God who loved us and gave himself up for us, who is the risen Lord and Head of his Body. Secondly, as a result of this grace, there is an increased docility to the Holy Spirit and his power and gifts.”

You can see from these statements that there are similarities and differences. Number one is keen to link Baptism in the Spirit with the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. Being immersed and drenched in the Spirit is a manifestation in consciousness of a grace already received in the sacraments of initiation. Numbers two and three stress the fact that Baptism in the Spirit brings people into a new relationship with Jesus as Lord, and this experience is associated with the power and often the gifts of the Spirit.

Baptism in the Spirit integral to the sacraments of initiation and normative for all Christians?

Having looked at what the bishops had to say, I went on to look at the writings of eminent scholars such as Frs. Frank Sullivan, Francis Martin, Raniero Cantalamessa, Peter Hocken, Killian Mc Donnell, and George Montague. They come up with two main approaches. Firstly, many of these scholars maintain that Baptism in the Spirit is the conscious release, manifestation and appropriation of dormant graces already received in the sacraments of baptism and/or confirmation. As far as I’m aware, this thesis was first proposed in Cardinal Suenens’s Theological and Pastoral Orientations of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (1974). It has been adopted and developed by many theologians since then. Mc Donnell and Montague indicated in their book Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries (1990) that when adults were being baptized in the early Church they expected to be Baptised in the Spirit and to receive one or more of the charisms. They concluded that this special grace is integral to the sacraments of initiation and normative for all Christians. If their interpretation of the scriptural and patristic data is correct, their conclusion has vital implications for the renewal of the contemporary Church. Although Raniero Cantalamessa says in his book Sober Intoxication of the Spirit (2005), that Baptism in the Spirit releases graces received in baptism and confirmation, he feels that we have to avoid becoming rigid about this point of view.

Baptism in the Spirit a new grace for a new mission?

In 1974 Frank Sullivan, S.J. published an influential article in Gregorianum, entitled, “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.” Speaking of Baptism in the Spirit he said that it was “a religious experience which initiates a decisively new sense of the powerful presence and working of God in one’s life, which usually involves one or more charismatic gifts.” While not denying that, ultimately, all Christian grace has its origin in the sacraments of initiation, he said that St Thomas taught in the Summa Theologica, that when people experience an infilling or effusion of the Spirit, such as Baptism in the Spirit, God lives in them in a new way, in order that they might do a new thing, such as working miracles, prophesying, or offering their lives as martyrs. In this understanding, Baptism in the Spirit, which is endorsed by Raniero Cantalemessa in his Come Creator Spirit (2003), is not so much a one-off event, but rather the initiation of an on-going process that allows for new in-fillings of the Spirit which deepen and strengthen the life of grace and witness.

Baptism in the Spirit and Witness

I suspect that the two views of Baptism in the Spirit are complementary rather than contradictory. This religious experience is rooted in the graces received in the sacraments of initiation, but besides releasing their potential, there is no reason to think that something new, such as the charisms in 1 Cor 12:8-10 are not added. It has always struck me that when Jesus was baptized in the Spirit in the Jordan, and the apostles and the disciples were inundated by the Holy Spirit in the upper room, not only did they experience an unprecedented manifestation of the length and breadth, the height and depth of the incomprehensible love of God, they were also empowered and gifted to witness to that love. Whereas, Jesus did not seem to have preached or performed any deeds of power before his baptism, there was no stopping him afterwards. It was the same with the first Christians. Following Pentecost they began to proclaim the reign of God’s liberating mercy and to demonstrate its presence by means of healings, exorcisms and miracles.

Baptism in the Spirit a gift for the whole Church?

When I was thinking about this subject it occurred to me that Baptism in the Spirit may be a sacramental, like exorcism (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church par. 1673) or the blessing of an abbot. Speaking about sacramentals the CCC says in par. 1677 “Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.” Par. 1670 explains: “Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do (This statement implies that they are instrumental in conferring the Holy Spirit)… For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power.” Arguably, when believers lay hands on people and pray that they be filled with the Spirit, it is a sacramental in this sense, and is related to sacramental grace.

Although, Baptism in the Spirit was re-discovered by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, it is a gift for the whole Church. As Mc Donnell and Montague observed in Fanning the Flame (1991), “Accepting baptism in the Spirit is not joining a movement, any movement. Rather it is embracing the fullness of Christian initiation, which belongs to the church.” When we evangelize, e.g. by means of Life in the Spirit Seminars, Alpha Courses, or CaFE, we should aim to bring people to the point where they willingly open themselves to the Baptism in the Spirit. If and when they experience new life in the Spirit, they will have the desire and the gifts necessary to join us in the new evangelization. Those bishops, priests, religious or lay people, who concentrate on other needs, no matter how worthy they may be, to the exclusion of this personal and pastoral priority, will contribute by default to the decline of the Catholic Church.

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In a preliminary report on the Birmingham Consultation, Charles Whitehead wrote in the Nov/Dec edition of Goodnews (2005): “The primary gift of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to the Church and the world is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. We see this as normal Christianity…We must avoid the danger of simply maintaining our own baptized in the Spirit lives, and reach out to all who need to receive this amazing gift, given for the whole Church.” In this article I intend to offer theological reflections on Baptism in the Spirit together with one or two practical suggestions. Although there are similarities in the way people recount their experiences of Baptism in the Spirit there are many individual differences e.g. for some it is sudden and dramatic, for others it is more gradual and gentle. Furthermore, when theologians reflect on such experiences they adopt different approaches e.g. Baptism in the Spirit is the release of a grace already given in baptism and confirmation, or a new outpouring or effusion of the Spirit. They can also emphasize different scriptural and historical points. As a result, there are different ways of understanding Baptism in the Spirit and how it fits into the more general context of the sacramental and missionary life of the Church. Different interpretations The Pentecostals were the first Christians in the modern era to talk about Baptism in the Spirit. They described two blessings, firstly, salvation and sanctification as a result of water baptism, and secondly, power to witness to one’s faith, together with charismatic signs, especially tongues, as a result of Baptism in the Spirit. James Dunn pointed out in his book Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1970), that while Catholic and Protestant scholars would not doubt the genuineness of Pentecostals’ experience of the Spirit, they would question the way they interpret it from a scriptural and theological point of view. Before I wrote this article I read what a number of bishops’ conferences had to say about Baptism in the Spirit. 1. For instance, in 1977 the bishops of Puerto Rico said: “the experience of that which has been received in the sacraments of Christian initiation is manifested in exterior phenomena such as the so-called Baptism in the Holy Spirit, healing and even at times in the gift of tongues.” 2. In 1994 the Irish Bishops said: “The outpouring of the Spirit is a conversion gift through which one receives a new and significant commitment to the Lordship of Jesus, and an openness to the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit.” 3. In 1997 the American Bishops Committee said: “The grace of Baptism in the Holy Spirit is two-fold: it is first and foremost a coming to a living awareness of the true reality of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God who loved us and gave himself up for us, who is the risen Lord and Head of his Body. Secondly, as a result of this grace, there is an increased docility to the Holy Spirit and his power and gifts.” You can see from these statements that there are similarities and differences. Number one is keen to link Baptism in the Spirit with the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. Being immersed and drenched in the Spirit is a manifestation in consciousness of a grace already received in the sacraments of initiation. Numbers two and three stress the fact that Baptism in the Spirit brings people into a new relationship with Jesus as Lord, and this experience is associated with the power and often the gifts of the Spirit. Baptism in the Spirit integral to the sacraments of initiation and normative for all Christians? Having looked at what the bishops had to say, I went on to look at the writings of eminent scholars such as Frs. Frank Sullivan, Francis Martin, Raniero Cantalamessa, Peter Hocken, Killian Mc Donnell, and George Montague. They come up with two main approaches. Firstly, many of these scholars maintain that Baptism in the Spirit is the conscious release, manifestation and appropriation of dormant graces already received in the sacraments of baptism and/or confirmation. As far as I’m aware, this thesis was first proposed in Cardinal Suenens’s Theological and Pastoral Orientations of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (1974). It has been adopted and developed by many theologians since then. Mc Donnell and Montague indicated in their book Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries (1990) that when adults were being baptized in the early Church they expected to be Baptised in the Spirit and to receive one or more of the charisms. They concluded that this special grace is integral to the sacraments of initiation and normative for all Christians. If their interpretation of the scriptural and patristic data is correct, their conclusion has vital implications for the renewal of the contemporary Church. Although Raniero Cantalamessa says in his book Sober Intoxication of the Spirit (2005), that Baptism in the Spirit releases graces received in baptism and confirmation, he feels that we have to avoid becoming rigid about this point of view. Baptism in the Spirit a new grace for a new mission? In 1974 Frank Sullivan, S.J. published an influential article in Gregorianum, entitled, “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.” Speaking of Baptism in the Spirit he said that it was “a religious experience which initiates a decisively new sense of the powerful presence and working of God in one’s life, which usually involves one or more charismatic gifts.” While not denying that, ultimately, all Christian grace has its origin in the sacraments of initiation, he said that St Thomas taught in the Summa Theologica, that when people experience an infilling or effusion of the Spirit, such as Baptism in the Spirit, God lives in them in a new way, in order that they might do a new thing, such as working miracles, prophesying, or offering their lives as martyrs. In this understanding, Baptism in the Spirit, which is endorsed by Raniero Cantalemessa in his Come Creator Spirit (2003), is not so much a one-off event, but rather the initiation of an on-going process that allows for new in-fillings of the Spirit which deepen and strengthen the life of grace and witness. Baptism in the Spirit and Witness I suspect that the two views of Baptism in the Spirit are complementary rather than contradictory. This religious experience is rooted in the graces received in the sacraments of initiation, but besides releasing their potential, there is no reason to think that something new, such as the charisms in 1 Cor 12:8-10 are not added. It has always struck me that when Jesus was baptized in the Spirit in the Jordan, and the apostles and the disciples were inundated by the Holy Spirit in the upper room, not only did they experience an unprecedented manifestation of the length and breadth, the height and depth of the incomprehensible love of God, they were also empowered and gifted to witness to that love. Whereas, Jesus did not seem to have preached or performed any deeds of power before his baptism, there was no stopping him afterwards. It was the same with the first Christians. Following Pentecost they began to proclaim the reign of God’s liberating mercy and to demonstrate its presence by means of healings, exorcisms and miracles. Baptism in the Spirit a gift for the whole Church? When I was thinking about this subject it occurred to me that Baptism in the Spirit may be a sacramental, like exorcism (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church par. 1673) or the blessing of an abbot. Speaking about sacramentals the CCC says in par. 1677 “Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.” Par. 1670 explains: “Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do (This statement implies that they are instrumental in conferring the Holy Spirit)… For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power.” Arguably, when believers lay hands on people and pray that they be filled with the Spirit, it is a sacramental in this sense, and is related to sacramental grace. Although, Baptism in the Spirit was re-discovered by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, it is a gift for the whole Church. As Mc Donnell and Montague observed in Fanning the Flame (1991), “Accepting baptism in the Spirit is not joining a movement, any movement. Rather it is embracing the fullness of Christian initiation, which belongs to the church.” When we evangelize, e.g. by means of Life in the Spirit Seminars, Alpha Courses, or CaFE, we should aim to bring people to the point where they willingly open themselves to the Baptism in the Spirit. If and when they experience new life in the Spirit, they will have the desire and the gifts necessary to join us in the new evangelization. Those bishops, priests, religious or lay people, who concentrate on other needs, no matter how worthy they may be, to the exclusion of this personal and pastoral priority, will contribute by default to the decline of the Catholic Church. << Top Home >>