This truth finds its perfect embodiment in Christ, whose Incarnation and Paschal mystery — from suffering to death, from resurrection to ascension — reveals the divine blueprint for self-giving that we’ve been exploring together in this Year of Evangelization as we Proclaim the Faith. With this model of self-giving in mind, let’s continue to unpack the kerygma, the proclamation of the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus that lies at the heart of our Christian faith.

In recent reflections, we have looked at key points that comprise this message of Good News. We have talked about God’s creative love that endures despite our sinfulness, a love so deep that God the Father sent his only Son, who took on our humanity and entered our reality, including the reality of death. By dying, Jesus forever changed death and the meaning and trajectory of human existence, extending to us the invitation to share in the intimate life of the Trinity.

As part of this invitation, God sends us his own Spirit to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is God himself, so then the gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of God himself. The Spirit’s activity is nothing new, even though the Spirit is always renewing.

We see the Holy Spirit acting throughout all salvation history — he is active in creation and in the life of Israel; he speaks through the prophets. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Incarnation takes place. Christ’s life, death and resurrection are a testament to the love and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises and gives the Holy Spirit to his Church (see Jn 14:16-17; 20:22), and it is through the Holy Spirit that the Scriptures were written to communicate God’s loving plan in Christ to us.

Christ sends us his Holy Spirit to empower us to live the divine life of love, and we are invited to participate eternally. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings forth life in the world. And it is likewise the Holy Spirit that animates, guides and gives life to the Church. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church unites us as Christians and shapes our life together. His presence in the heart of each member gives us individual guidance, provided that we attune ourselves to his prompting. The Holy Spirit’s work is the beginning of God’s own life lived in us.

The gift of the Holy Spirit also empowers us to the mission God has given us as individuals and as the “body of Christ.” It is the Holy Spirit that makes it possible for us to see and be the presence of Jesus in the world around us. Life in Christ is life in his Spirit. The love with which we love as Christians is God’s own love.

Our work as Christians must begin with the invitation to and embrace of the Holy Spirit. And this work continues through the strength that the Holy Spirit constantly gives us. The challenge and temptation we all face is placing our will above God’s and trying to lead rather than to be led.

We have all experienced times where our initiative and strength are just not enough. The Good News we proclaim is that when it comes to what is most important — the work of salvation in our lives and for others — we do not have to rely solely on ourselves. Rather, we have been given God’s strength to persevere and God’s own love to move hearts through the power and guidance of his Holy Spirit.