United as God’s people, manifesting Jesus Christ to the church and to the world through the grace of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Our Vision impels us, together as brothers and sisters in Christ, to foster God’s ongoing work of renewal of the church and the world, by lovingly witnessing to the transforming power that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in individual and communal life. We are committed to doing this in communion with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
In the early Church being Baptized or "Immersed" in the Holy Spirit happened just before receiving the Sacrament of Baptism. The Apostles would preach the Gospel and the Holy Spirit would fall on the listeners just as it fell on the Apostles at Pentecost. In response to their faith, the Apostles would then Baptize the new believers. Because we are often Baptized at young ages, we might find our sharing in the experience of Pentecost something that occurs later in our lives. However, this sharing in Pentecost is something that can be prayed for and asked for. It is a normal experience of the Christian life.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not another or alternative Sacrament in the Church. In many ways, it gives us a personal awareness of the gifts already given to us in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Four main graces of Baptism in the Holy Spirit are often observed: 1) Becoming very aware of God's love for us 2) Receving a love for scripture and prayer 3) Receiving a new heart that makes following God's law easy and avoiding sin less difficult. 4) Receiving a boldness to evangelize and witness to others using our particular gifts and charisms from the Holy Spirit. The first three graces are in many ways related to the Sacrament of Baptism and the fourth grace is very related to the Sacrament of Confirmation. Baptism in the Holy Spirit helps us understand and utilize the gifts given to us in the Sacraments.
In addition, many times when praying for Baptism in the Holy Spirit, individuals receive other charismatic gifts such as the gifts of tongues, healing, prophecty, and resting in God's Spirit. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is something that can be prayed for and "asked for". You do not have to wait for it to happen to you. Looking over the list of the four major graces, you will see that these are graces that the Father is very likely to want to give us. While praying for Baptism in the Holy Spirit does not have to include a remarkable experience or drastic change in one's life, our experience shows us that it often does coincide with a radical change in the disposition of one's heart towards God and prayer. Many people witness to "never being the same" again.
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