The Significance of "Baptism in the Spirit" and Life in the Spirit Seminars in many forms

When priests and lay evangelists come for missions to our Catholic parishes, it often includes teaching about life in the Holy Spirit, charismatic gifts, and prayer for the participants to be filled with the Holy Spirit. P Mihovil Filipovic is one of them. Another priest who regularly visits Sweden is p Dominic Valanmanal.  

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is the same as what in the Charismatic Renewal usually is called "being baptized in the Holy Spirit" (cf Acts 1:5). The concept of "Baptism in the Spirit" has been carefully investigated by theologians and should be understood in a figurative sense, not as a replacement or supplement to sacramental baptism, but rather as an actualization of the grace already given in baptism. Bishop Sam Jacobs, USA, states that the Baptism in the Spirit is normative for all Christians and not a special spirituality for a few:

"From the present document and from many other studies, it is clear that this grace of Pentecost, called the baptism in the Holy Spirit, is not reserved for any particular movement, but belongs to the whole Church. This is nothing new. It is, in fact, the same grace that has been intended for God's people ever since the first day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and throughout the history of the Church." (From the introduction to the scripture “Fanning the Flame from1990) 

Life in the Spirit seminars in the original form of a 7-week course developed by Charismatic Renewal leaders in the United States have been a common form of for instruction about life in the Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The term "Baptism in the Spirit" is by no means obligatory, but has come to be used as a natural consequence of the use of the idiom in NT - what is important is the underlying reality/experience that is referred to and which is just as normative for Christians today as in the early days of the Church - nor is it necessary to go through a 7-week course to take part in this, it can happen at any time if you are baptized, repent, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord in your life, and pray with an open heart for the gift.

Understanding what it is about is of course facilitated by teaching that can be given in more or less systematic forms. For example, the community The Risen Christ GALILEA gives a weekend course called New Life. It contains essentially the same teaching as the Life in the Spirit seminaries. On CHARIS internationals homepage is offered an internet course with video-recorded lectures and accompanying documents that are free of charge. It is called New Life and is a further adaptation of the Life in the Spirit seminars. A useful material for local groups and congregations. 

Baptism of the Spirit is not a culmination, but the beginning of a full Christian life in which we use our gifts for the building up of the Church, evangelization and Christian unity, to serve the poor and to promote the common good in society. 

Read more: [P Raniero Cantalamessa about the meaning of Baptism in the Spirit] Also Lillemor Hallins books in new editions (swedish) is good pedagogical teaching on charismatic renewal and the practice of the charismatic gifts. 

[The books can be ordered from CHARIS-Nordic's e-shop]