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THE FIERY SPIRIT - Coptic Orthodox Electronic Publishing

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children of God. Thus, the sharing in the Holy Spirit makes us<br />

spiritually holy.<br />

� He is called the Sanctifying Spirit, for He offers holiness to<br />

all.<br />

Origen<br />

� It is impossible for one to attain any of God’s graces unless<br />

he acquires the Holy Spirit in Whom are all God’s gifts.<br />

St. Didymus the Blind<br />

AN INVITATION TO CONGREGATIONAL PRAISE<br />

God is inviting you today, not merely to a satisfying and<br />

sanctified life, but rather to a heavenly life full of bliss,<br />

exhilaration and praise, as a special gift from the Holy Spirit.<br />

God desires to transform you while you are here in the “valley<br />

of tears,” to the pledge of eternal glory and participation in a<br />

celestial life through the spiritual congregational praise.<br />

The Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together,<br />

and I will give them water.” “Spring up, O well! all of you sing<br />

to it, the well the leaders sank, dug by the nation’s nobles, by<br />

the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they<br />

went to Mattanah” (Num. 21:16-18).<br />

Here God calls on Moses to gather the people, so that<br />

He can bestow on them His Holy Spirit, who descends on the<br />

assembled congregation in Church, thus filling them with hymns<br />

and praises.<br />

Praises contains significant meanings:<br />

(a) “Spring up, O well!” As if the hidden spring will<br />

rise up for everyone to enjoy its waters! What does this spring<br />

symbolize but baptism, in which the believer is emerged and<br />

born again as a child of God, professing the work of the Holy<br />

Spirit in him?<br />

The Church’s tradition is to place the baptistery at the<br />

entrance of the church so that a believer would always<br />

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