BREATH AND BREAD
Reflections on the Holy Spirit

BREATH AND BREAD
Reflections on the Holy Spirit

Fire and refreshment, water and light, along with such concepts as the finger of God, ointment as balm, and the Holy Spirit as delight, firebrand and the holy kiss of God are some of the symbols, metaphors and images used here to gain some insight into the Person and the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. They are used because, as creatures seeing "through a glass darkly,” we only have hints and guesses into the unfathomable mystery of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. These theological icons represent our relationship to the Holy Spirit — the “immortal diamond” whose infinite refracted lights are captured best and appreciated most in prayer. Though we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism, in each Eucharist Jesus breathes his holy and risen Spirit into each of us in a wholly unique way. As we come to know the Lord Jesus and to experience the Holy Spirit through the Eucharist in a highly intimate and very personal way, they become for us the daily breath and bread of our spiritual lives.

About the Author: Author of three other Alba House titles, Honey from the Rock (1991), Sound the Trumpet (1993), and Reason is Beguiled (2000), Michele T. Gallagher, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in English from St. John’s University in New York where she held the position of Associate Professor of English. She has also taught at CUNY, Brooklyn College, and Iona College. Her postdoctoral studies in liturgy and Scripture are evident in the present volume which reflects also insights which can only come from prayer.