By Emily Mendez
Connecting Liturgy and Life
Editor’s note: For 2026, the weekly Connecting Faith and Life column has been renamed Connecting Liturgy and Life. The columns consist of reflections on Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): The Celebration of the Christian Mystery.
The Liturgy I. The Mystery: CCC 1091-1098; 1099-1103
Years ago, I was at a Confirmation Mass, and there was a moment that surprised me. In the middle of Mass, while the bishop was standing at the altar, there was a huge gust of wind that went across the altar, making the pages of the Missal flip. All I could think was, “It’s another Pentecost!” A strong driving wind showing us the coming of the Holy Spirit! The practical explanation for the wind was not obvious, but there was one. The church building had a small chapel with a tabernacle off the main sanctuary near the altar, and the chapel had a door to the outside. The door from the sanctuary to the chapel was open to allow access to the tabernacle. It was a very windy day, and someone opened the door to the outside, making a wind tunnel across the sanctuary. The wind had a practical explanation, but it reminded me of what was happening: the work of the Holy Spirit at Mass!
The Catechism calls the Holy Spirit the “artisan of God’s masterpieces” in reference to his role in the Sacraments (CCC1091). An artisan is a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand, and it is a fitting term to contemplate the role of the Holy Spirit in the sacraments and especially in the Mass. So what is the work the Holy Spirit is doing by hand? First, the Holy Spirit “prepares the Church to encounter her Lord” (CCC1098). But do not think the Holy Spirit does it automatically in our hearts. The Catechism emphasizes that the people coming to the sacraments should prepare themselves to be “well disposed” because “the preparation of hearts is the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the assembly” (CCC1098). Next, the Holy Spirit “recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly,” especially through the Liturgy of the Word, where we hear of God’s salvific work throughout all of history and its fulfillment in Christ. Then, the Holy Spirit, “by his transforming power, he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now” (CCC1092). We see this most especially in the Eucharist, but also in the other sacraments. Finally, “the Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ” (CCC1092). In today’s world, unity in the assembly is no small feat. We know all too well that division is rampant in our society, and many people make their case by driving people further apart. It is not so with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been bringing order out of chaos since the literal beginning of time. The Catechism affirms, “This assembly transcends racial, cultural, social — indeed, all human affinities” (CCC1097). Brought together in unity in Christ, we are also sent out on mission to live out the meaning of the liturgical celebration. How can we be docile to the Holy Spirit’s work? First, we must want to! This is actually a bigger deal than it sounds. To prepare our hearts, we must be aware that our hearts need preparing. How many times have we gone to Mass on mental autopilot? It is so easy to show up and go through the motions and never fully engage. So, first we want to work with the Holy Spirit by paying attention, engaging fully and desiring it with all our hearts. Next, we look, listen and participate with how the Holy Spirit is putting us in a living relationship with Christ. Last, we are united together in Christ and sent to carry out his mission in the world. This means we love the people around us as brothers and sisters in Christ no matter our differences in lifestyle, heritage or opinions. We must be willing to let go of our selfishness, our arrogance, our prejudice, our racism, our intolerance and our hatred. In order to live Christ’s mission in the world, we must act on what we have experienced and then we will see the fruits of new life in Christ. This is where the despairing find hope, the lost find direction, the mournful find joy and all sinners find a savior. The next time we are at Mass, be docile to the artisan, the Holy Spirit working on us!