This study of the Gospel is based on a contemplation of the text (2 Cor 3:1–18). This passage from Scripture expounds on the ministry of the New Covenant, which Paul calls the ministry of the Spirit, as distinct from the ministry of the Old Covenant, that of the Law. Those who have been ordained have received the ministry of the Spirit and are bearers of this ministry: a ministry of truth and freedom, which reflects and makes present the Risen Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to exercise and develop this ministry.
The ministry of the Spirit is the ministry of the New Covenant. It takes place within a completely new framework. It goes far beyond external means of mediation: the victims, the sacrifices, the Law. It refocuses everything on our relationship with God. This relationship is made possible by the work of the Spirit, sent by the Father to make all things new.
I – The Ministry of the Spirit
Light and closeness to the Father
The ministry of the Spirit is the ministry of the New Covenant. Through the Spirit, we have access to God. Indeed, through the death and resurrection of Christ, he removes the veil that hid God’s presence and prevented communication with him: «To this day, in fact, when one reads the Old Testament, the veil remains. It has not been lifted, for it is Christ who removes it. Yes, to this day, when they read the writings of Moses, a veil lies over their hearts» (2 Cor 3:14–15). The resurrection of Jesus Christ lifts the veil that hides the light and reveals to humankind God’s nearness. Through the ministry of the Spirit, we have access to God just as Jesus does, who is the revelation and the transparency of the Father: «Then Jesus, crying out again with a loud voice, breathed his last. And behold, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. The tombs opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the Holy City and appeared to many people.» (Mt 27:50–53). Such is the dynamism, the newness, which imbues the ministry of the Spirit in the life of the Church, in the very exercise of that ministry in which we share and which has been entrusted to us. The Spirit renews all things. He makes all things new. It is the Spirit whom we must seek through all the necessary, yet relative, means. It is the Spirit who brings us into relationship and communication with God in a close and transparent way. Fears are dispelled. God becomes close, familiar and loving.
Reflecting the glory of Christ
Jesus Christ, having, through his death and resurrection, lifted the veil that hid God’s face and presence, enables us, in turn, with unveiled faces, to reflect the very glory of Christ. This is what the Holy Spirit accomplishes within us: it is what we too are called to reflect by becoming partakers of his ministry: «All of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being transformed into that very image, becoming ever more glorious, as befits the work of the Lord, who is the Spirit» (2 Cor 3:18). The Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ. It is he who causes Christ to dwell within us and who ensures that our very being becomes like that of Christ and is directed entirely towards him: «The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he abides with you and is in you» (John 14:17). Through this breath and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we come to know Jesus Christ and are called to make him known.
Spreading the word about Jesus Christ
It is the Spirit who reveals Jesus Christ, who bears witness to him, who is the chief witness, whom we must believe: «When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will bear witness to me. And you too will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.» (John 15:26–27). It is he who, first and foremost, reveals to us who Jesus is – the whole truth: «When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and make it known to you.» (John 16:13–14). The Holy Spirit is, above all, the Spirit of truth. He leads us into the truth. We are bearers of a ministry of truth. The truth is Christ; it is the Son who lives to do the Father’s will at all times and who, in him, finds his freedom and his greatness. To follow Christ is to know the truth; it is to live in the truth as the path that leads a person to their full realisation and fulfils their deepest longings: «If you abide in my word, you will truly be my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.» (John 8:31–32; 14:6; 18:37–38).
The Holy Spirit is also the One who draws us into his mission of making Jesus Christ known. It is a sublime mission. It is a grace that fills us with overwhelming gratitude: «Thanks be to God, who, through Christ, brings us into his triumph and, through us, spreads the fragrance of his knowledge far and wide» (2 Cor 2:14). The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the breath, the sweet fragrance of life that gives life. This knowledge of Jesus Christ is one of the messianic blessings brought about by the Spirit of the Lord coming upon the stem of Jesse, upon the Messiah: «No more harm or destruction shall be done on my whole holy mountain, for the land shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters fill the sea» (Isaiah 11:1–9).
The Spirit knows all things, searches all things, and penetrates all things, even to the very depths of God. That is why the knowledge of Jesus Christ is so important, for it is the work of the Holy Spirit: «No one knows the secrets of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may know the gifts God has given us. And we speak of these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but by the Spirit.» (1 Cor 2:10–16).
Father Chevrier received an insight which led him to realise that the starting point for everything is to know Jesus Christ and to have the Spirit of God: «Knowing Jesus Christ is everything» (VD 113; 103, note 1). «Having the Spirit of God is everything» (VD 511). How do we welcome the Holy Spirit and allow ourselves to be guided by him? Are we truly people filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, as was required of those chosen to serve in the early Christian communities? Do we experience the tension between the spirit of the world, which creeps into every aspect of our lives, and the breath and power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us – gifts that have indeed been bestowed upon us along with the ministry we have received – as a struggle? For it is the Spirit of truth who truly fulfils our aspirations to become truly free people.
Ministry of Freedom
The ministry of the Spirit is a ministry of freedom. Its work does not stem from submission to the force of the law, but from love and the free gift. The Holy Spirit truly sets us free. This is the great challenge we must take up in the face of today’s world: to bear witness that the Christian faith is a source of joy and freedom. The newness of the faith places us in this context: «With such hope, we conduct ourselves with great confidence, unlike Moses, who used to put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was temporary» (2 Cor 3:12–13). The Law was a valuable educational tool, but one which obscured access to a full encounter with God in joy and freedom. The Spirit removes the veil and enables us to experience the freedom of love. Within us, conversion stands as the leap from the Old Testament to the New Testament: «It is when we turn to the Lord that the veil is lifted, for the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.» (2 Cor 2:16–17).
How do we live out and pass on this experience that the ministry of the Spirit, entrusted to us, truly sets us free and brings about the new creation, the new humanity? This is not a capricious freedom that would govern our lives according to our own desires and the desires of the old humanity. That would be to fall into slavery, a constant temptation (Gal 3:1–5), whereas we have been set free by Christ. «It is so that we may remain free that Christ has set us free. So stand firm and do not put yourselves back under the yoke of slavery.» (Gal 5:1). The path to true freedom, which is the path of truth, is not an easy one. It is strewn with false prophets and charlatans who entice people under the guise of freedom but ultimately lead them into slavery, for they deceive and lay traps.
True freedom is inseparable from the truth, which is Christ himself, the living Word of the Father: «If you abide by my word, you will truly be my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.» (John 8:31–32). We are aware that living in the truth and attaining freedom is a challenging path, fraught with difficulties and contradictions. The Spirit of truth is at odds with the spirit of the world, which is usually seduced by lies.
In the Cross and Contradiction
Anyone who allows themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit comes into conflict and tension with the world, with what we might call «the flesh» (Gal 5:16–18). Jesus, led by the Spirit, proclaims the Good News in the synagogue at Nazareth. What the Spirit prompts him to proclaim triggers a conflict with his fellow countrymen. The newness of the Spirit stands in opposition to the law and the spirit of the world: «He stood up. They pushed him out of the town and led him to the edge of the cliff on which their town was built, to throw him off it.» (Luke 4:29).
The Spirit scrutinises everything, illuminating even the most secret and hidden things. It reveals hidden intentions. That is why the old humanity does not readily open itself to the Spirit of truth. On the contrary, it often drives Him away and tries to extinguish Him within itself and all around it: «By nature, man does not accept what comes from the Spirit of God. To him it is folly, and he cannot understand it, for it is by the Spirit that such things are judged.» (1 Cor 2:14). But we have been given the ability to see things with the understanding and insight of the Spirit, with the mind and mindset of God, which stands in such stark contrast to the spirit of the world: «The spiritual person judges all things, yet is not subject to anyone’s judgement. Who, then, has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? Yet we have the mind of Christ.» (1 Cor 2:15–16).
Like Jesus, these messengers of Jesus encounter resistance to the work of the Holy Spirit. This work is accomplished through trial, struggle and confrontation with the spirit of the world and with Satan, as the account of the temptations reminds us. Obedience born of faith is essential. Likewise, the Son’s fidelity to the Father’s Word, for the Son is filled with the Holy Spirit, who guides him in fulfilling the mission entrusted to him (Luke 4:1–13). From the very beginning, Jesus’ mission forged a path amidst confrontation with the world, amongst those who refuse to believe in the One whom the Father has sent: «Whoever believes in him is not condemned. Whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because they have not believed in the name of God’s only Son. This is the judgement: the light came into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.» (John 3:18–19). It is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth, who dispels all darkness, who brings everything to light. Resistance arises within us because we do not accept this truth, because we take refuge within our own fortress. That is why the ministry of the Spirit, which constitutes the prophet, will encounter tension, the cross and conflict: «When he comes—the Spirit of truth—he will convict the world of its sin, of its righteousness and of its judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; of judgement because the ruler of this world has been condemned.» (John 16:8–11).
This is the great work of the Holy Spirit. We too have become bearers of his ministry – not by our own efforts, of course, nor on our own initiative, but through God’s choice and calling. This ministry is beyond us, and we are not capable of it on our own. It is he who, through his constant presence and through ordination, enables us to carry out this sublime service.
II – God equips us for the ministry of the New Covenant
This ministry of the Spirit is a gift. No one can bestow it upon themselves on the basis of their own qualities, virtues or merits. It is the Spirit who makes us and establishes us as ministers of the New Covenant. It is therefore not a role that anyone could fulfil on their own initiative or by their own decision, nor by virtue of their membership of a tribe or a priestly family: «It is not that we are qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves; no, it is God who has given us the authority, who has qualified us to be ministers of a New Covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.» (2 Cor 3:5–6).
We who have received the ministry of the New Covenant belong to the Spirit of God. He is the source and the very soul of our ministry. He makes possible a personal and living relationship with the Trinity. He enables us to move beyond the tendency to ritualise ministry and religious observances, as was the case in the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit equips Jesus and the apostles for their mission
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and, through this, fulfilled the mission entrusted to him by the Father to proclaim and bring about his kingdom, which is Good News for all, especially for the poor.
The beginnings of Jesus’ ministry appear to us as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his person and in his apostolic work. This is clearly illustrated by his baptism in the Jordan (Luke 3:21–22), his temptations in the wilderness (Luke 4:1) and his first sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:14–19). The whole of Jesus’ abundant ministry of exorcism, which he subsequently entrusted to his disciples, reflects this reality: Jesus is filled with the Spirit of God and overcomes the spirit of evil and evil spirits, thus showing that the Kingdom of God is already at work: «If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you» (Luke 11:20).
On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–13). The apostles entrusted the ministry to those who were chosen, through the laying on of hands, by which they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, just as Saul did: «So Ananias set off, went into the house, laid his hands on Saul and said to him, «Saul, my brother, the Lord—that is, Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me. And this is so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.»” (Acts 9:17; 6:6; 13:2–3; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6).
Ministers of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit whom we have received enables us to enter into communion with Jesus Christ and with the Father, and to see everything through God’s eyes and with God’s mindset. It is he who truly transforms us into Christ and enables us to make him present in the world today, even though this is not easily accepted or perceived. «The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God: they are folly to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person, on the other hand, judges all things and is himself subject to no one’s judgement. For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.» (1 Cor 2:14–16).
Filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ and are in full communion with him. It is the Spirit who enables us to carry out our ministry. It is he who also brings about a complete renewal and transformation of the human heart and of the world. This is indeed the great novelty of this Covenant which God has sealed with humanity in Christ, through the Spirit: «You are our letter. A letter written in our hearts, known and read by all people. Yes, you are clearly a letter from Christ, written by us, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, on your hearts.» (2 Cor 3:2–3; Jer 31:31–34). How do we welcome and re-channel the work of the Spirit within us, amongst the poor, and in the community and world in which we live? Do we see ourselves as a work written by the Holy Spirit, reflecting his creative action in this world and at this moment?
We are ministers of a Word that is not our own. This Word is the Spirit who has written it in people’s hearts, not on stone, nor even in a book. We are called to read, to learn to read what the Spirit has written in hearts. This Word, which the Spirit brings to life and makes present, is the Word made flesh, the risen Jesus Christ. This supreme Word surpasses that of the Old Testament: indeed, it is the Son himself, that is to say, everything the Father wished to communicate. Thus the Law is superseded and we enter into a relationship through a personal encounter lived out in faith and love. This is the great novelty: « »If the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, was surrounded by such glory that the children of Israel could not look intently at Moses’ face because of the glory—though it was fleeting—how much more should the ministry of the Spirit be surrounded by glory?’ ” (2 Cor 3:7–9).
The message we proclaim is not based on eloquence, nor on human wisdom, nor on the rhetoric of a well-crafted, well-structured speech, but on the work of the Spirit, on that solid foundation which is God himself, in whom we place our trust and from whom comes the gift of faith: «My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that our faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God» (1 Cor 2:4–15).
But such a sublime calling is truly beyond comparison with our shortcomings and our frailty. We are equipped for ministry. It is God’s gift that renews and transforms us through the power of the Holy Spirit: «Who, then, is equal to such a task? We are not, after all, like most people who peddle the Word of God. No, it is as sincere men, as God’s emissaries, that we speak in Christ before God.» (2 Cor 2:16–17). The true agent is the Spirit. We are merely servants, partners in his creative work.
III – Supporting the work of the Holy Spirit
As for us, we have been entrusted with the ministry of the Spirit. The Lord has chosen to continue his work through the action and indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. For this reason, our ministry embodies the dynamism of the Spirit and the capacity to bear its fruit, whilst being fully aware that it is not we who produce this fruit, but the Spirit of God himself: by raising Jesus from the dead, the Spirit makes all things new: «So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Even though we once knew Christ in that way, we no longer know him in that way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come.» (2 Cor 5:17; Isa 43:18–19).
The Spirit, through us and within us, continues the ministry begun in Jesus, his Anointed One, whose coming into this world ushers in the new reality of the Kingdom of God. Driven by the Spirit with whom he was filled, Jesus continued his ministry in Galilee, proclaiming the Good News, arousing admiration as well as bewilderment and hostility in the face of the innovative and disconcerting message of his proclamation, which challenged the religiosity of the Law and the Temple, to reveal a God who is present and at work, especially on behalf of the poor and the marginalised (Lk 4:14–30; Jn 3:5–8; Jn 4:21–24).
The New Justice
The Messiah is a man filled with the Spirit of God. He is the one who restores the new justice, the justice of the Kingdom – the justice that upholds the rights of the poor and the marginalised, and that exalts the weak and the defenceless: «The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him… he shall judge the weak and the poor of the earth with justice and righteousness» (Isaiah 11:2–5; Psalm 72:3–4; 12–14). The new justice is, above all, the defence of the humble, the marginalised and the forgotten—those who have no opportunities. It is not confined to the parameters of the legal system or the prevailing mindset. It opens up new horizons, those which God himself has imprinted upon the human condition and which are his own image (Mt 25:31–46). The Spirit who dwells within us also urges us to promote this justice and to work to ensure that it is realised in human relationships, as Jesus emphasises in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard: «calls the workers and pays each one his wages, starting with the last and working backwards to the first» (Matthew 20:1–16).
The justice of the Kingdom is clothed in love and has mercy at its very core. This is how Jesus responds to the hasty judgements of certain circles within the Jewish community, as well as to certain personal behaviours. The Pharisees were scandalised to see Jesus welcoming tax collectors and sinners and eating with them. This is forbidden by the law. The Spirit sees beyond the law and reaches into the very depths of a person’s being to save them: «Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?»… Go and learn what this means: «I desire mercy, not sacrifice». «I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners» (Mt 9:11–13). He reacted in the same way towards those who claimed to be judging the woman caught in adultery. Jesus showed them just how blind and unjust their approach to justice was, and offered them a new kind of justice—one based on mercy, forgiveness and repentance: «Woman, has no one condemned you? … Neither do I condemn you. Go. And from now on, do not sin any more.» (John 8:1–11; Matthew 9:13; 12:7). The new righteousness, that which is inspired by the Spirit, is that of the Beatitudes. It surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees: «I tell you this: unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven» (Matthew 5:20).
This is the ministry of the Spirit that we have received: it is the ministry that brings about this new justice, which must take its rightful place in society through the life and witness of Christian communities: love for and defence of the poor and the vulnerable, and mercy; it is along this path that the Spirit of God leads us. This is indeed the ministry we have received, to which we have dedicated our lives in order to help bring brotherhood and reconciliation to the fore.
Reconciliation
This is another fruit of the Spirit, of the messianic Kingdom. The Spirit breaks down barriers. He is able to bring about harmony and reconciliation between those who seem determined to oppose and confront one another. For him, reconciliation is a new creation, one which illuminates the new Adam, the risen Christ, and which makes us all children of God and brothers and sisters to one another: «Creation, still waiting, longs for the revelation of the sons of God… All creation to this day groans as in the pangs of childbirth. And not only that: we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies.» (Romans 8:19–23).
The Spirit that animates all creative work enlightens the new humanity by breaking down the dividing wall and uniting into a single people the diversity and multitude of peoples who understand the language of the Spirit: «For it is he who is our peace, who has made the two into one people by breaking down the dividing wall of hostility… to create in himself one new humanity from the two. And through peace, to reconcile both of them to God in one body… Through him, both of us have free access to the Father in one Spirit.» (Eph 2:14–18). The Spirit who unites the Father and the Son is the one who makes possible the unity of humankind in its rich diversity. We see a reflection of this, in fact, at Pentecost, when people from every part of the then-known world heard, each in their own language, the same message of unity (Acts 2:1–13).
The Spirit leads us along the paths of reconciliation, forgiveness, harmony and unity amongst individuals and peoples, transcending conflict, hatred, the thirst for power and oppression – in short, the power of sin, for it is this that harms and destroys creation. The prophet Isaiah foretells and gives us a glimpse of the messianic times in which the Spirit will bring peace and reconciliation to creation: «The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the camel… the lion shall eat straw like the ox… No harm or destruction shall be done on my holy mountain, for the land shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.» (Isaiah 11:1–9).
This is the great mission that God has entrusted to us: to be ministers of reconciliation, to support the creative, unifying and reconciling work of the Spirit in this world, for in certain areas this world appears divided, at odds with itself, and subject to the idolatry of power, pleasure and money. The Spirit frees us from this «self» that has become a god, so that we may open ourselves to a relationship with the Father and with our brothers and sisters: «All this is from God, who through Christ has reconciled us to himself and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation; for it was God who, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them, and placing the word of reconciliation on our lips.» (2 Cor 5:18–19). The work of reconciliation draws us into the very heart of God’s love and mercy. Beyond the regime of the law, reconciliation brings us into the realm of grace, joy and complete forgiveness.
The Reign of Grace
The Spirit fills us with joy and gladness, for He cancels our debts and helps us to forget the offences and sins stemming from our frailty, so that we may be truly captivated by the power of love’s selflessness and by its creative dynamism which renews all things. Jesus, filled with the Spirit, proclaims that the mission he undertakes transcends all calculations and all expectations. The Kingdom of God is the year of grace, the perpetual jubilee year. This is God’s plan for humanity: «The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.» (Luke 4:18–19).
These words reveal and present a side of God that inspires admiration, surprise, and evoke a sense of joy and liberation, but also disappointment and resistance amongst those who practise a ritualistic, formal form of religiosity, bound by very rigid rules that prevent them from opening up to the newness of the Spirit: «Everyone bore witness to him and marvelled at the gracious words that came from his mouth» (Luke 4:22).
This ministry of the Spirit that we have received is a ministry of grace, of free gift. It is about welcoming God’s gift so that it may transform us and renew us; in a word, it is about being born again: «Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God» (John 3:5). »To be born is painful, of course, but it is a source of joy and delight’ (John 16:21–22). This is indeed the great work of the Spirit: he is the source. That is why everything is grace: «From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace» (John 1:16).
A Christian – and especially a priest – must be imbued with the Holy Spirit, filled with Him, for he has been entrusted with a spiritual ministry. Father Chevrier discovered and experienced what the Spirit means in the life of a Christian and a priest. «Having the Spirit of God is everything. It is everything for oneself. It is everything for a community.» (VD 231). One might add: «That is all there is to a presbyterium», to a local church. It is Father Chevrier once again who reminds us that the Spirit of God is the greatest treasure, the most beautiful gift that God gives us. This implies being open to receiving it and also to asking for it, both for ourselves and for others: «The Spirit of God? To bestow it upon someone is the greatest treasure God can give them. And God’s greatest treasure on earth is to bestow his Spirit upon certain people so that others may see him, seek his counsel, follow him and benefit from him.» (VD 229). Once again, we are called upon to bring to life and put into practice these words of Father Chevrier—which we have read and meditated upon so many times—on what we must do to acquire the Spirit of God: «By studying the Holy Gospel and praying a great deal» (VD 227).
Xosé Xulio RODRIGUEZ FERNANDEZ