In this profound sermon, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the living and practical relationship between the believer and the Holy Spirit, showing that true Christian life can only be understood through fellowship with the Holy Spirit, who works in us, sanctifies us, and leads us to salvation.

🔹 New Birth through the Spirit:
The first relationship between man and the Holy Spirit begins in the Sacrament of Baptism, where he is born of water and the Spirit and renewed inwardly by the grace of the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says, “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

🔹 Indwelling of the Spirit in the Believer:
In the Sacrament of Chrismation (Myron), the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer, making him a sacred temple of God. From that moment, the journey of spiritual growth and union with God begins.

🔹 Walking in the Spirit, not the Flesh:
His Holiness calls every believer to live by the Spirit and not according to the flesh — to let the body submit to the spirit and the spirit to the Holy Spirit, becoming filled with wisdom and grace and growing gradually in spiritual life.

🔹 Fellowship with the Holy Spirit:
He emphasizes that the blessing “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” at the end of every prayer is not merely a liturgical phrase but an invitation to a real partnership with the Spirit, where the Spirit works in the believer and the believer works with Him in every good deed.

🔹 Fruits and Power of the Spirit:
When man cooperates with the Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit appear in him: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, self-control, etc. The believer also receives spiritual warmth and inner power that fill his life with holiness and divine fire.

🔹 Warning against Resisting the Spirit:
The Pope warns against quenching, grieving, or resisting the Spirit, for losing this relationship means losing power, repentance, and inner light. He recalls the Psalmist’s plea: “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me,” as a constant prayer to keep divine grace.

🔹 The Spirit’s Work in the Church and the Sacraments:
The Holy Spirit operates in all sacraments of the Church: in baptism and chrismation, in confession, in priesthood, and in transforming the offerings into the Body and Blood of Christ. He is also the Spirit of power and service, who inflames the servants and guides the Church throughout all generations.

🔹 Spiritual Conclusion:
His Holiness concludes by urging believers to live as partners of the Holy Spirit, to experience holiness, strength, and spiritual fervor, and to make their lives a permanent dwelling for the Spirit of God, who renews them daily in the image of Christ.

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