The Holy Spirit
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Preparation Before the Meeting
Make una ask everybody wey go join the meeting to read Chapter Six for the My Catholic Faith! book before this meeting.
5 minit – Gather Together
Small chop and time to gist with one another as people dey gather. Try to keep to time, and gather everybody together before 5 minit pass after the time wey dem arrange to start.
5 minit – Opening Prayer and Scripture
Everybody go sit down quietly as the leader begin with the Sign of the Cross, then invite everybody to keep silence for a while this way:
Make we calm ourselves as we begin this study of our glorious Catholic faith together. “Lord, as we sit down here quietly for one minute, help each of us to bring our questions, concerns, fears and joys to You. Help us, for this quiet moment, to listen well to Your gentle voice wey dey speak to us, dey guide us, and dey call us to deeper faith.”
Make everybody close eye and keep quiet for about one minute, so that each person fit tell our Lord about the particular things wey dey worry am.
The leader go read this invitation:
Make we think deeply about the Word of God. Make we use these questions take reflect on our own journey of faith: I believe? How deep my faith be? I dey open to allow God speak to me? I dey open to the Word of God, and I ready to allow God’s truth enter deeper inside me? I ready to allow this new faith change my life?
The leader of the session go read these Scripture passages with prayerful mind, one at a time, and pause for about 30 seconds between each verse:
John 20:19-23: For evening of that first day of the week, the disciples lock the doors of the place wey dem dey because dem dey fear the Jews. Jesus come stand for their middle and tell dem, “Make peace dey with una.” After E talk this one, E show dem Im hands and Im side. The disciples happy when dem see the Lord. (Jesus) tell dem again, “Make peace dey with una. As the Father send Me, na so I dey send una.” After E talk this one, E breathe on dem and tell dem, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Anybody wey una forgive im sins, im sins don receive forgiveness; anybody wey una hold im sins, im sins remain.”
Acts 2:1-13: When the time for Pentecost don reach, all of dem gather together for one place. Suddenly, one sound come from the sky like strong wind wey dey blow, and e fill the whole house wey dem dey. Then dem see something like tongues of fire, wey separate and come rest on each of dem. The Holy Spirit fill all of dem, and dem begin speak different languages, as the Spirit give dem power to speak. At that time, Jews wey dey devoted to God from every nation under heaven dey stay for Jerusalem. When dem hear this sound, plenty people gather, but dem confuse because each person hear the disciples dey speak im own language. Dem surprise well-well, and dem ask, “No be all these people wey dey speak come from Galilee? How come each of us dey hear dem for our own native language? We be Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people wey dey live for Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the areas of Libya wey near Cyrene; and visitors from Rome, both Jews and people wey don join the Jewish religion; Cretans and Arabs. Yet we dey hear dem for our own languages as dem dey talk about the mighty things wey God don do.” All of dem surprise and confuse, and dem dey ask one another, “Wetin this one mean?” But other people dey mock dem, dey talk say, “Dem don drink too much new wine.”
Romans 8:26-27: Na so the Spirit dey help us for our weakness. Because we no know wetin we suppose pray for as we ought to, but the Spirit Imself dey intercede for us with groaning wey too deep for words to express. And the One wey dey search hearts know wetin dey the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit dey intercede for the saints according to the will of God.
Then the leader go talk: Make we keep quiet for small time to think deep about these words. (one minit of silence)
The leader go invite everybody to close their eyes and join for this prayer from St. Augustine:
Breathe inside me, O Holy Spirit, make all my thoughts holy. Work inside me, O Holy Spirit, make my work too holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, make I love only wetin dey holy. Give me strength, O Holy Spirit, to defend everything wey dey holy. Then protect me, O Holy Spirit, make I always dey holy. Amen.
Di prayer time go end as everybody profess di Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: wey the Holy Spirit cause make His Mother conceive Am, wey the Virgin Mary born; wey suffer under Pontius Pilate, wey dem nail to cross, wey die and wey dem bury. E descend go hell; on the third day E rise again from the dead; E ascend go heaven, E siddon for the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there E go come judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life wey no go ever end. Amen.
45-50 minutes – Questions for Discussion
Make una invite each person to share something or ask question, if e want, about the questions and points to start discussion wey dey below. Take one question at a time, and give each person chance to talk if e want. Make una no allow only one or two people control the discussion. Give everybody for the circle turn, and make una no fear to share! Wetin you understand fit help another person understand the topics better. The question wey you get fit be the same question wey another person get. Some questions below go invite you to share something personal; other questions go invite you to share wetin you read for Chapter Six with others. The aim na to share personally and still make sure say una explain the faith of our Church clearly and everybody understand am.
- Many times, people dey see the Holy Spirit more as one mysterious power instead of as a Person. Make una discuss wetin e mean say the Holy Spirit na Person. Wetin that one mean?
- The Holy Spirit dey “consubstantial” with the Father and the Son. Make una discuss this one and share how una understand the meaning of this deep philosophical word.
- Make una discuss the Scripture passage from Acts 2 wey una use for the opening reflection. This passage describe Pentecost. Make una discuss how the apostles be before the Holy Spirit come and how dem be after E come.
- Holy Spirit dey present with us for different ways. Na these ways Catechism take show how Holy Spirit dey present. Discuss each way, one after another. Take am slowly and make sure say everybody understand each way wey Holy Spirit dey present for Church:
- for Scriptures wey He inspire;
- for Tradition, wey the Church Fathers dey always bear witness to, and their witness still get meaning for every age;
- for the Church Magisterium, wey He dey help;
- for the liturgy of the Sacraments, through the words and symbols wey e dey use, where Holy Spirit dey bring us into communion with Christ;
- for prayer, where He dey intercede for us;
- for di charisms and ministries wey dey build up di Church;
- for the signs of apostolic life and missionary life;
- for the witness of saint dem wey E dey use show Im holiness and continue the work of salvation.
- Discuss the different images of Holy Spirit for pages 78-79 of the book. Share any reflections wey you get about the images wey touch you especially.
- If time still remain, una fit discuss the Gifts of Holy Spirit wey dey for the second book for this series, My Catholic Worship! Una go find the Gifts of Holy Spirit for Chapter Four under Confirmation.
20 minit – Final reflection and sharing
Go round and give each person chance to share any final thoughts wey dem still get. Wetin touch each of una pass? Una still get any question or anything wey confuse una wey others fit help make clear?
5 minit – Closing Prayer
Leader go start with the Sign of the Cross and ask everybody to close their eyes and keep quiet for one minit. Make each person reflect on wetin una discuss tonight (today), especially wetin touch am pass.
After one minute of silence, the leader go pray this prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill di hearts of Your faithful people and light di fire of Your love inside dem. Send Your Spirit come, and You go create dem. And You go renew di face of di earth.
O God, na You use the light of the Holy Spirit teach the heart of Your faithful people. Grant us, through the same Holy Spirit, make we get true wisdom and always enjoy the comfort wey E dey give. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Di leader go then invite everybody wey dey there to offer dia own prayer like dis (Note: Dem fit pray am aloud, but e fit better make dem pray am for silence, as di leader decide):
Make each of us now bring wetin dey worry us personally before our Lord, as we trust say He dey hear us and He know everything wey we need. Make we put these prayers for His hand with full confidence say He want to take control.
(Keep quiet for one minute make each person talk to God about wetin dem personally need for di night or day).
Then the leader go invite everybody to end with Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
List of Wetin Dey Inside di Study Mitin Dem