In Genesis we read that a "mighty wind" or "spirit of God" swept over the water of the primal creation. The writer was not interested in the weather but sought to express the action of God in creation. Again we see that God created man by "blowing into his nostrils the breath of life" and man became a living being. Death comes when God takes away the breath of life from creatures and they returned to the dust from which they had been taken. This mysterious reality is a pervasive wind as indicated in Psalm 33:6 "By LORD'S word the heavens were made; by the breath of his mouth, all their host." The Hebrew writers settled on the word ruah which meant wind to express God's action because God like the wind was unseen and powerful. It was the least material, the least tangible reality of of God's creation. Ruah became spirit in the fullness of revelation. 80

The same ruah, "spirit of God" which fashions all creatures now formed the Man-God in the womb of the Virgin Mary as the angel Gabriel said to her, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." How the Spirit integrated the Word of God, infinite, eternal and all knowing into an earthly human presence is beyond of comprehension. The Spirit being the Personal Love between the Father and Son was ever present to the humanity of Christ throughout his earthly life.

After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Apostles and signified the sending of the Spirit by the use of breath as follows,

"Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this,
he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the holy Spirit." (Jn 20:21-22)

Likewise, on the day of Pentecost the Apostles were all together when they heard a noise like strong mighty wind which filled the house where they were.

"They were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues."

As we can see, breath, wind and Spirit refers to the same reality which now takes on the role of unfolding the mystery of Christ in humanity. The Apostles proclaimed Christ as the power of the Spirit enabled them.

Since the Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and Son poured into our souls, it guides us to love the Father as the Son does and to love the Word as the Father does. 81

Come Holy Spirit, come
and from your celestial home
shed a ray of light divine.

The Byzantine Church in its liturgy sums up the role of the Spirit in Creation as follows:
"It belongs to the Holy Spirit to rule, sanctify, and animate creation,
for he is God, consubstantial with the Father and the Son....
Power over life pertains to the Spirit, for being God he preserves creation
in the Father through the Son." (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Gift of Love