Amid the current crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19, it is easy to feel isolated and disconnected from our neighbors, our friends, and even God Himself. This feeling is especially relevant for Catholics today, most of whom are currently unable to receive the Sacraments due to concerns over the spread of the virus.

At a time like this, unprecedented for the Church, it is good to reexamine how we are united as members of the Body of Christ, and how the Church is still uplifting the faithful through her prayer, through the Sacraments, and through the divine gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fire of God’s love, and present to us in every moment, just as Our Lord promised in the Gospel: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:15-18).

No matter what trials we face, as members of the Body of Christ we can, as St. Paul says, “boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

In this lesson your students will:

• Learn what the Catechism proclaims about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.
• Explore the manner in which the Spirit brings unity to Church and the lives of the faithful.
• Discuss what it means to be members of the Body of Christ.
• See that through the Sacrament of Baptism the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us.
• Consider the ways in which the Holy Spirit is at work in the world today, even in the midst of a global crisis.