From “Lumen gentium” The mission of the Holy Spirit in the church
the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost to sanctify the Church unceasingly, and thus enable believers to have access to the Father through Christ in the one Spirit..
By the power of the Gospel he enables the Church to grow young, perpetually renews it, and leads it to complete union with its Bridegroom .. In this way the Church reveals itself as a people whose unity has its source in the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit not only sanctifies and guides God’s people by the sacraments and the ministries, and enriches it with virtues, he also distributes special graces among the faithful of every state of life, assigning his gifts to each as he chooses.
By means of these special gifts he equips them and makes them eager for various activities and responsibilities that benefit the Church in its renewal.. These charisms, the simpler and more widespread as well as the most outstanding, should be accepted with a sense of gratitude and consolation, since in a very special way they answer and serve the needs of the Church.
