Thought of the Day May 6, 2020 Dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit
There
a number of symbols used to depict the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The
image of the dove is one. To determine if it was safe to evacuate the Ark, Noah released a dove. The dove returned with an olive branch in its beak, a sign that the
waters had receded and a sign of God’s peace after judgement.
In
the New Testament, after Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, while Jesus was in
prayer, a dove descended upon him to anoint him as the Messiah and the voice of the Father was heard to
confirm him in this ministry.
Jesus
was filled with the Spirit in his humanity at the moment he was conceived in
Mary’s womb. At his baptism Jesus received a fresh anointing for his ministry as Messiah. Jesus later acknowledged
this role of the Spirit in the synagogue at Nazareth. From the scroll of
Isaiah, Jesus read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because of this, he has
anointed me. He has sent me to evangelize the poor, to heal the contrite of
heart” (Lk 4:18).
The
same Spirit comes to us today, not in the form of a dove, but in the
sacramental oil of anointing. Come, Holy Spirit, come!
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