Charismatic Renewal
By †Gabriel Obiano, D.D. Are We Now Neglecting the Holy Spirit in Our Churches? The question before us is not small. This question needs a simple answer wrapped in truth because it is the question of whether in our churches today, in our liturgies, in our communities, in our very pastoral lives, we have started neglecting the Holy Spirit—the current of grace, the living breath of God. It is not a light matter, because the Spirit is the very soul of the Church. Without Him, the Church is a structure, a fine cathedral, a choir, a system of canon laws, but not the living Body of Christ. With Him, even a humble gathering in a thatched room becomes the dwelling place of God. The Church cannot rid itself of the Holy Spirit. We can't drive the Spirit of truth away. He has come to stay, to advocate for us—to be our Counselor and reveal the deep things of God. Without the Holy Spirit, the Church has no direction. He leads, He guides and instructs the Church. The Church isn't a social cl...