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THE SPIRIT AND OUR LADYSEGMENT 4SYNOPSIS“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most Highwill overshadow you.” - Luke 1:35Our Lady, from the moment of her conception, was overshadowed by the Holy Spirt. As the Spouse of the Holy Spirit shemodels for us what our lives can look like when we say “yes” toGod’s will and fully give ourselves over to the actions of the Spiritof God. Mary’s fiat led her to the cross, the empty tomb and ultimately the upper room where she was once again overshadowedby the Holy Spirit. If we have the courage, as Mary did, to say yesto God’s Spirit, to surrender our will to his, we too will experiencethe power of the Most High overshadowing us.DISCUSSIONREFLECTION1. Read the first chapter ofLuke and discuss your reflections regarding the role of theHoly Spirit in the announcements of both John’s and Jesus’birth.2. When we read these textsit becomes clear that God hada plan and he uses variouspeople, who submit to the HolySpirit, to bring forth his plan.How is it apparent that Godhas a plan for your life?3. How has Godused you to bringabout his plan inother people’s lives?Come Holy Spirit.The same Holy Spirit that overshadowed our Lady desires toovershadow you. Take sometime in prayer and considerthe role our Lady and the HolySpirit had in the plan of oursalvation.Pray for the grace to echoMary’s “yes” to the will of theHoly Spirit and pray that Marywould intercede for you.Do notbe afraiDLUKE 1:30“Thus she who is present inthe mystery of Christ asMother becomes- by the willof the Son and the power ofthe Holy Spirit - present inthe mystery of the Church.”- P o p e s t. J o h n Pa u l I I R e d e m p t o r i s M at e r # 24KEY TEXTsLUKE 1:30-35“Then the angelsaid to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary,for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in yourwomb and bear a son, and you shallname him Jesus.”LUKE 1:45 “.Most blessed areyou among women, and blessed is thefruit of your womb. And how does thishappen to me that the mother of myLord should come to me?”CCC 485 “The mission of the HolySpirit is always conjoined & ordered tothat of the Son. The Holy Spirit, ‘theLord, the giver of Life,’ is sent to sanctify the womb of the Virgin Mary.”WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRITPhoto By Alfredo Borba, via Wikimedia CommonsSEGMENT 5SYNOPSISThe greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. Theliving God gives the gift of himself to those who are baptized.From the Spirit flows other gifts, some of which are for ourpersonal sanctification while others are for the building up andsupport of the body of Christ. Many of the gifts are very familiarto us (wisdom, counsel, love) while others are somewhat foreign(healing, prophecy, tongues). Whatever our experience, the gifts ofthe Holy Spirit are for all Christians, and no one should think thatthe gifts are not for them.DISCUSSIONREFLECTION1. The gifts of the Holy Spirit areto be experienced in our daily lifeand are generously given to us tohelp us with our Christian walk.How do you experience this?Come Holy Spirit.Take fifteen minutes of personalprayer time. For the first coupleof minutes do your best to quietyourself; give to God whateverdistractions you may have. AskGod to bring to life thegifts of the Holy Spiritthat are present in you:the gifts received atbaptism as well asnew gifts with whichGod may want to blessyou. Be open - let Godbless and anoint you. Inthe following days and weeks prayfor a sensitivity to the movementof the Holy Spirit. It may be in anudge to call someone, to encourage someone. Someone may sharewith you that he or she is ill or hasa loved one who is struggling; atthat moment stop and pray forthat person.2. Reflect on experiences thatyou have had where youwere aware of the giftsof the Holy Spirit.What did you experience? Wisdom? Fortitude? Love? Peace?Hope?BE DOCILEAND OPENTO THE SPIRIT.3. It is essential that ourstance before God is one ofbeing open. What does it look likefor you to approach the Lord withan open spirit? Are you open toreceiving whatever God wants togive you?4. Discuss how you see the HolySpirit being active in the worldtoday.“The Spirit himself is ‘God’s gift’par excellence. a gift from God,and in turn communicates different spiritual gifts to thosewho welcome him.”-Pope Francis-KEY TEXTsCCC 1830 “These (gifts) are permanentdispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.”Lumen Gentium 4 “He both equipsand directs with hierarchical and charismatics gifts and adorns with his fruits.”Lumen Gentium 12 “These charismatic gifts, whether they be the mostoutstanding or the more simple. are tobe received with thanksgiving and consolation.”Christifideles Laici 21 “The Churchis directed and guided by the Holy Spirit,who lavishes diverse hierarchical andcharismatic gifts on all the baptized.”Scripture: Isaiah 11:2-3; 1 Corinthians12; Romans 8:26,12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11.WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

THE SPIRIT AND THE EUCHARISTSEGMENT 6SYNOPSIS“It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words Ihave spoken to you are spirit and life.” - John 6:63The Eucharistic liturgy is saturated with the presence ofthe Holy Spirit. From the moment you decide to go to Mass theHoly Spirit is active and alive. Sadly, many people don’t experiencethe Holy Spirit, and attending Mass becomes a chore for themrather than a life giving encounter with Jesus. In this segment wewill look at a few of the many ways that the Holy Spirit is present in the Mass that will enable you to encounter God when youattend the Liturgy.DISCUSSIONREFLECTION1. Why do you attend Mass?Your desire to attend Mass is agrace of the Holy Spirit. Discuss the tension that may existin whether or not to attendMass. Where does that tensioncome from?2. As Catholics we believe thatSunday Mass is spiritually themost important time of theweek. Do you approachMass in that light?How do you prepareto attend liturgy?3. In what part ofthe liturgy do youmost experience God’spresence?Come Holy Spirit.Spend some time prayerfullyreading John 6:22-71. The Spirit helps us to more profoundlygrasp the reality that Jesus ispresent in the Eucharist. Prayfor this grace. Before youattend Mass next Sunday takea few minutes with your familyto read and discuss Sunday’s gospel.the spiritgives lifeAlso, in the nextcouple of weeks tryto attend Mass onaweekday. ArriveJOHN 6:61a few minutes earlyand ask the Holy Spiritto show himself to you in anew and profound way.“At the center of theChurch is the Eucharist,where Christ is presentand active in humanityand in the whole world bymeans of the Holy Spirit.”- P o p e s t. J o h n Pa u l I I G e n e r a l A u d i e n c e S e p t. 1 9 8 9KEY TEXTsJOHN 6:22-71 The bread of life.CCC 1333 “At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and winethat, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’sBody and Blood.”EUCHARISTIC PRAYER 2“Make Holy, therefore, these gifts, wepray, by sending down your Spirit uponthem like the dewfall, so that they maybecome for us the body & blood of ourLord Jesus Christ.”EUCHARISTIC PRAYER 3“By the power & working of the Holy Spirit you give life to all things. by that sameSpirit graciously make holy these gifts wehave brought to you for consecration.”WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTIONSEGMENT 7SYNOPSIS“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Foryou did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but youreceived a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”- Romans 8:14-16The Holy Spirit reveals many things to us. One of the mostbeautiful is the Spirit revealing God as our loving Father, our “Abba- Daddy.” Jesus related to his Father as Abba and never beforehad God been spoken of in such personal and intimate terms. Godas Abba is a uniquely beautiful Christian revelation. The Spirit ofJesus desires to free us from fear and a master-slave relationshipto a Father-Daughter or Father-Son relationship.DISCUSSION1. What is your primary imageof God and how do you relate tohim? How is God personal to you?How do you approach God? Like aslave approaching the master or asa child approaching the Father?2. There is an innate desire ineach of us to be chosen. We havebeen chosen by God and God’sSpirit wants to place this reality onour hearts. Discuss what it meansthat God, knowing everythingabout you, has chosen you as hisadopted daughter or son.3. It has been said that our relationship with God the Fatherbegins with our earthly father.Discuss how God is both like andunlike your earthly Father.REFLECTIONCome Holy Spirit.Allow God to be your Abba. Takesome time to be still and ask theHoly Spirit to calm your mind andheart. Then ask the Holy Spirit toshow God as your loving Father.Let God speak to your mind andheart about you being his son ordaughter and how he delights inyou. Imagine your heavenly Fathertelling you how much he lovesyou, how he isproud of you.Abba,FAtherROMANS 8:16“The Holy Spirit creates inus this new condition ofbeing children of God andthis is the greatest giftwe receive from Jesus’Paschal Mystery.”-Pope francis-General Audience april 10, 2013KEY TEXTsMATTHEW 18:12-14 “Whatis your opinion? If a man has ahundred sheep and one of themgoes astray, will he not leave theninety-nine in the hills and go insearch of the stray? And if he findsit, amen, I say to you, he rejoicesmore over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In justthe same way, it is not the will ofyour heavenly Father that one ofthese little ones be lost.”MATTHEW 6:26 “Look at the birdsin the sky; they do not sow or reap,they gather nothing into barns, yetyour heavenly Father feeds them. Arenot you more important than they?”WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

THE SPIRIT AND THE SACRAMENTSSEGMENT8Photo By Reverb CultureSYNOPSIS“Amen, amen I say to you, No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of the Spirit.” - John 3:5The Sacraments are always an encounter with the HolySpirit and each and every time we come to the Sacrament theHoly Spirit is present. Often times when we think of the HolySpirit and His work in the Sacraments we only think of Confirmation. This is great, but the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. Inthis segment we will look at how the Holy Spirit is present in thesacraments of baptism, confirmation, and marriage and how thiscan impact your life.DISCUSSION1. Consider the beauty in theSacrament of baptism; you havebeen created anew and broughtinto the center of the Holy Trinity.Baptism is the gateway to a life inthe Holy Spirit. What does a “lifein the Holy Spirit” look like? Notmerely an experience of the HolySpirit, but a life in the Holy Spirit.A baptized Christian’s life shouldlook different from a non-baptized. Does yours?2. A grace of Confirmation isthe ability to spread the faithby words and actions. Was thisyour experience of Confirmation?Perhaps that grace needs to bestirred up?3. In Marriage the couple receives this Holy Spirit. Whatdoes it mean that the Holy Spiritis “the ever available source oftheir love”? For those married,how do you as a couple seek theHoly Spirit?REFLECTIONCome Holy Spirit.In baptism you have been graftedto Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit toplace on your heart that you havebeen baptized into the death andresurrection of Jesus. Becauseof this, your soul is now branded,configured to Christ. It is not youwho live, but Christ who lives inyou.Allow the Spirit to reveal Jesus’saving work in your life. For thosemarried, pray for the grace of theHoly Spirit to bemore present in yourmarriageand look forsigns of theHoly Spirit’swork.CCC 1213theGatewayto life“Holy Baptism is the basisof the whole Christian life,the gateway to life in theSpirit and the door whichgives access to the othersacraments.”- C AT E C H I S M o f t h e C at h o l i c c h u r c h 1 2 1 3 -KEY TEXTsACTS 8:6-17 “.and prayed for them,that they might receive the holy Spirit, forit had not yet fallen upon any of them;they had only been baptized in the nameof the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands onthem and they received the holy Spirit.”CCC 1303 “The grace of confirmation,the specific effects of Confirmation arenoted: an increase and deepening ofbaptismal grace: rooting us more deeplyin the divine relationship which makes uscry, ‘Abba! Father!’ increasing the gifts ofthe Holy Spirit in us, and giving us “a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spreadand defend the faith by word and actionas true witnesses of Christ.”CCC 1624 “In this sacrament thespouses receive the Holy Spirit as thecommunion of love of Christ & theChurch. The Holy Spirit is the seal of theircovenant, the ever available source oftheir love & the strength to renew theirfidelity.”WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRITSEGMENT9SYNOPSIS“So by their fruits you will know them” - Matthew 7:20By the way we live and how we treat people, our livesproduce some type of fruit. The sort of fruit our lives produce haseternal consequences for us personally as well as a profound impact on those people we love. In fact, our fruit impacts all of ourrelationships, from the most casual to the most intimate. Whenwe live animated by the Holy Spirit, our lives produce fruit thatnot only makes our own life more peaceful, patient, and lovingbut also influences positively those whom we encounter each andevery day.DISCUSSIONREFLECTION1. What words would people whoknow you best use to describethe fruit your life produces? Howabout those who are merely acquaintances? Is there a difference?2. Obviously there is a tensionbetween the works of the fleshand the fruit of the Spirit. Howand when do you experience thistension? When do you experiencevictory over the works of theflesh?3. The fruits of the HolySpirit are a visible signof your relationshipwith God. Where doyou see God workingin your life?Come Holy Spirit.Make some time when you areable to be quiet and still beforethe Lord. Invite the Holy Spirit toshow you the fruit of your life.The good things that you do area grace of living a life led by theSpirit of God. There is also alwaysroom for greater conversion.God’s Spirit is always available toyou in order to bring forth newfruit in your life. Where isthis most needed?love, Joy,peaceGALATIANS 5:22Pray that your relationship with the HolySpirit would produceabundant fruit.“The fruits are signsor manifestationsthat our life is beingtransformed orperfected by God.”- C AT E C H I S M o f t h e C at h o l i c c h u r c h 1 8 3 2 -KEY TEXTsGALATIANS 5:17-23 “For theflesh has desires against the Spirit,and the Spirit against the flesh; theseare opposed to each other, so thatyou may not do what you want. Butif you are guided by the Spirit, you arenot under the law. Now the works ofthe flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery,hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts offury, acts of selfishness, dissensions,factions, occasions of envy, drinkingbouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you,as I warned you before, that thosewho do such things will not inheritthe kingdom of God. In contrast, thefruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

THE SPIRIT AND THE DESERTSEGMENT 10Image By François GérardSYNOPSIS“[Jesus] was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to betempted by the devil.” Luke 4:1On the day Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit anointedhim. Immediately after this event the Holy Spirit led Jesus to thedesert. The desert was a place of isolation, death and defeat butJesus was led to the desert so that it may be forever changed. Sothat it may be a place of grace. The Spirit led Jesus to the desertand also protected and cared for him while he was there. Thedesert is a part of every Christian’s life but it does not have to bea place of despair or isolation. The Holy Spirit is present to life’sdeserts and when we experience his presence it changes our spiritual life. The desert is no longer a place to be feared but can be aprofound encounter with Jesus.DISCUSSION1. The Holy Spirit led Jesus andcan lead us to the desert. Discusswhat this might mean to you.2. God does not tempt us, ratherit is the evil one. How and whenis the evil one most likely to temptyou? When do you experiencevictory over temptation?3. Jesus is with us in the midstof our suffering and struggles.Discuss experiences you havehad when you experienced hispresence. How did this experiencechange your relationship withGod?4. Many people have a type ofadversarial relationship with God,thinking that God is really out toget them or catch them doingsomething wrong. In Romans 8:31St. Paul states that God is for us;he is not against us. Discuss thisbeautiful reality.REFLECTIONCome Holy Spirit.“We always find thatthose who walkedclosest to Christ werethose who had to bearthe greatest trials.”- s t. T e r e s a o f Av i l a -KEY TEXTsGod is ever present; you are notalone. Take some time when andwhere you won’t be bothered. Askthe Holy Spirit to remind you of adifficult time in your life. This canbe hard but trust that the HolySpirit will lead you.LUKE 3:21-22 “After all the peopleReflect on that experience. AskGod to be light and to be truth,and ask Jesus to be present towhatever the Holy Spirit reveals.Finally, allow the Holy Spirit toreveal the loveof God.LUKE 4:1 “Filled with the Holy Spirit,LEDby theSpiritLUKE 4:1had been baptized and Jesus also hadbeen baptized and was praying, heavenwas opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.And a voice came from heaven, “Youare my beloved Son; with you I am wellpleased.”Jesus returned from the Jordan and wasled by the Spirit into the desert for fortydays, to be tempted by the devil.”JAMES 1:13 “No one experiencing temptation should say, ‘I am beingtempted by God;’ for God is not subject totemptation to evil, and he himself temptsno one.”ROMANS 8:31 “What then shall wesay to this? If God is for us, who can beagainst us?”WWW.THEWILDGOOSEISLOOSE.COM

THE SPIRIT CONVICTSSEGMENT 11SYNOPSIS“And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin andrighteousness and condemnation: sin, becausethey do not believe in me” - John 16:8Pope Francis has stated that we must stop “masquerading before God” in relation to our sin. We must take seriously thereality and nature of sin and the impact that sin has in our lives.It is not an exaggeration to say that our attitude towards sin haseternal consequence. Sin wounds and at times destroys our relationship with Christ. The Spirit of God convicts us of our sin notto condemn us but to convert us. In this segment we will see howthe Spirit draws us closer to Christ by revealing to us our sin.DISCUSSION1. In the spiritual life, becomingmore aware of our sin doesn’tseparate us from God, but rather it has the capacity to draw uscloser to him. Also, in what seemsto be a paradox, when we getcloser to Christ we become moreaware of our sin. The more lightwe have in our lives the more weare able to see into th

STUDY GUIDE INTRODUCTION “I am so excited about what God is going to do in your life through the Wild Goose.” Thank you for being a part of The Wild Goose. The Wild Goose is a work of the Holy Spirit, which is awakening in the hearts of a