A Wholly Holy Spirit Quiz

How much do you know about the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity – the Holy Spirit? Begin with No. 1 and follow the directions.

1.The Holy Spirit is called the principal author of Scripture. Where in the Bible is the Holy Spirit first mentioned?
a.At the very beginning, in the Book of Genesis. (Go to 8)
b.In the New Testament, when John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. (Move to 36)

2.How about an easier question? If you took a short side trip to one of the incorrect answers, you already know the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove at Jesus’ baptism. What is another common symbol for the Holy Spirit?
a.A rock. (Head for 16)
b.Fire. (Move to 31)

3.No, the Incarnation is Jesus, who is divine, assuming a human nature: “The Word became flesh” (Jn. 1:14). Return to 14.

4.Orthodox Churches were Churches of the Eastern rite that were in communion with Rome until the great schism (split) of 1054. Central to the disagreement was a teaching about the Holy Spirit. What was it?
a.They say the correct way to make the Sign of the Cross is “Father, Spirit, Son,” and that’s why they bless themselves differently from Roman Catholics. (Move to 34)
b.They disagreed that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. (Go to 37)

5.That’s right. Consubstantial was the word used by the Council of Nicea in 325. The Church said the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are distinct and separate but are of one and the same substance. Now head for 2.

6.Charismatic refers to what?
a.The reverential personalities of the followers in the movement. (Move to 10)
b.The gifts they not infrequently receive after being “baptized in the Holy Spirit.” (Head for 22)

7.Tough choice, wasn’t it? You picked the wrong one. Return to 26.

8.Yes, and early in the book. Chapter 1, verse 2, reads: “The earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.” The Hebrew word ruah, which we translate as spirit, means breath, air, or wind. Now move to 14.

9.Sorry. Return to 12.

10.No. Return to 6.

11.The word literally means “called to the side of,” and so advocate is a good translation. So is helper. Now move to 26.

12.This is your last question. If you wanted to read the Gospel noted for talking about the Holy Spirit, which should you choose?
a.John. (Go to 9)
b.Luke. (Move to 20)

13.No. Return to 21.

14.Let’s try a theological question. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is slowly revealed in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament many specific references to the Holy Spirit can be found. When teaching about this Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Church uses the term consubstantial. What does that mean?

15.In recent times, some Catholics have had a particular devotion to the Holy Spirit. Among them, it’s not uncommon to pray in “tongues.” In general, they are referred to as what?
a.Catholic Pentecostals. (Go to 25)
b.Charismatics. (Head for 35)

16.Sorry. Return to 2.

17.Matthew 12:31 talks about unforgivable “sins against the Holy Spirit.” What are those sins?
a.Final unrepentance, not being sorry for our sins. (Move to 24)
b.Abortion. (Head for 42)

18.Here’s an easy one: Which sacrament has been closely identified with the Holy Spirit?
a.Confirmation. (Go to 23)
b.Matrimony. (Move to 41)

19.Yes. The traditional gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord (respect and reverence for God). The fruits are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. Now go to 40.

20.The Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are a two-volume set that highlights the roles and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now head for 43.

21.The age at which children are confirmed has varied over the centuries. What has been the youngest?
a.As with First Holy Communion now, the age of reason, around 7 years old. (Head for 13)
b.As an infant, with Baptism. (Go to 30)

22.Yes. The charisms or gifts would include, in addition to speaking in tongues, healing (both spiritually and physically), prophecy (not typically a predicting of the future, but a giving of divinely inspired messages about the present), and the discernment of spirits (making a human judgment inspired by the Holy Spirit). Now move to 33.

23.Correct. “By the sacrament of Confirmation,” says the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, “[the baptized]” are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.” Now head for 21.

24.Yes, that’s what the great theologians Augustine (354 – 430) and Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) thought the passage meant. It’s refusing to say to God we’re sorry for a serious sin even at the time of death. Now head for 12.

25.They’re called both, and their movement is known as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Now go to 6.

26.In the Acts of the Apostles, we read how the Holy Spirit gave Christ’s followers great courage. That and six other virtues are known as what?
a.The fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Go to 7)
b.The gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Move to 19)

27.No. The date and place may sound familiar because that’s when and where St. Therese, the Little Flower, died. Return to 33.

28.Paraclete…bird…dove…parakeet.No. Return to 39.

29.No. Return to 40.

30. Yes, and in Eastern rites, Confirmation is still administered at the same time an infant is baptized. Now move to 4.

31.Are you thinking about the Pentecost? That was when the Holy Spirit blew through the Apostles’ hiding place – and into their hearts – appearing as a tongue of fire over each (Acts 2:3). Now head for 39.

32.Yes. This powerful and often misunderstood gift refers to speaking – praying out loud – in a language that cannot be understood by the speaker or any listeners. As St. Paul writes, “One who speaks in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God… uttering mysteries in spirit.” Now head for 15.

33.When and where, in modern times, did the Catholic Charismatic movement begin?
a.In October 1897 in Lisieux, France. (Move to 27)
b.At Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 1967. (Go to 38)

34.No, but that was a tempting answer. Return to 4.

35.They’re called both, and their movement is known as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Now go to 6.

36.No, that isn’t the first reference, although at Jesus’ Baptism “the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove” (Lk 3:22). Return to 1.

37.It’s what we say in the Nicene Creed: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son – filioque, in Latin. It was added to the creed in 589 and some Eastern – rite theologians objected, saying the Spirit proceeds only from the Father. The disagreement simmered and boiled until the schism. It still hasn’t been settled, though progress is being made. Now head for 17.

38.Yes, this “20th – century Pentecost” took place at a college retreat. Duquesne and the University of Notre Dame were early hubs of the movement. Now head for 18.

39.The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the Paraclete. What does that word mean?
a.It’s from the Greek for advocate. (Head for 11)
b.No, it’s from the Greek for bird. (Move to 28)

40.In 1 Corinthians (14:1), Paul writes about another gift the Spirit can give. The technical term is glossolalia. It’s more commonly known as what?
a.Prophecy. (Move to 29)
b.Speaking in tongues. (Head for 32)

41.No, although a couple that continues to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom certainly stands a better chance of having a happy marriage. Return to 18.

42.No. Return to 17.

43.Let’s end with a quote from St. Basil (c.329-379) used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#736): “Through the Holy Spirit, we are restored to paradise, led back to the kingdom of heaven… called children of light, and given a share in eternal glory.”