I Am With You – A Lesson Plan on the Holy Spirit

This I Am With You lesson plan will help youth understand how the Holy Spirit helps us remember and live the teachings of Jesus.

For some background material for this I Am With You lesson plan, see this article about the Trinity.

Opening Game for I Am With You

Start this lesson plan on the Advocate by playing Sculptionary (see the complete instructions). Use some words from today’s gospel. For example: Jesus, Father, love, Holy Spirit, peace, afraid, rejoice. If you think it will be too difficult, you can give them copies of the reading and explain that the words being sculpted are in it.

Follow up with a few questions:

• Which of the words were the easiest to sculpt?
• Which were the most difficult?
• Which member of the Trinity do you have the most difficulty understanding or relating to? Why?

For many of us, the Holy Spirit can be difficult to understand. Jesus lived here on earth just as we do. And most of us can relate to the concept of a parent. But the Holy Spirit is a little more challenging.

Scripture Reading for Lesson Plan on the Holy Spirit

John 14:23-29 (Jesus promises the Holy Spirit) – the Gospel Reading for the 6th Sunday of Easter – Year C

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”

John 14:23-29

Discussion for the I Am With You Lesson Plan

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit in today’s gospel. He also speaks of the Father. It is really impossible to understand any one person of the Trinity as a separate entity. They are completely joined to each other.

The Father is the Creator. Everything flows from Him, including Jesus and the Holy Spirit. This does not make them less than God the Father, but they proceed from Him as a gift to us. The Father is beyond us and our limited human minds cannot comprehend him.

Jesus is the Incarnation of the Father, his creative force manifest in the world. In Jesus, God freely becomes human and is complete solidarity with us. He even dies like us. But because he is completely God, death cannot bind him. Jesus is one of us. And he continues to live among us in the Eucharist.

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. You can think of the Spirit as the love between the Father and the Son. It is so strong that it is a person of the Trinity. This is the love which made Jesus completely obedient to the Father and able to trust in Him 100% And the Spirit is given to us, so that we can remember what Jesus has told us about the Father.

The Spirit dwells within us. It is a part of each of us. The Holy Spirit is manifested in our unique gifts, talents, characteristics, and even our weaknesses. The Spirit helps us know and understand ourselves, and it turn that helps us know and understand God. The Holy Spirit it God living inside of us and inviting us into the divine life of the Trinity.

While making a home in us, the Spirit teaches us and inspires us. We might feel a nudge sometimes to do the right thing. That is the Holy Spirit. We might feel compelled to try a new type of prayer. That is the Holy Spirit. We might gain new insight from a Scripture reading we have read many times before. That is the Holy Spirit.

So the Holy Spirit teaches us each personally. That is what Jesus promised in the the gospel passage we just read. In every moment of our day, the Spirit is with us, guiding us and showing us how to be disciples of Jesus. We just need to be aware and pay attention.

Reflection Questions for the I Am With You Lesson Plan

• Is there a time when you felt the Holy Spirit prompting you to act?
• Can you think of a time when the Holy Spirit taught you or gave you new insight into a situation?
• What can we do to be more attentive to the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives?

Challenge for the I Am With You Lesson Plan

Every day, spend some time with the Holy Spirit. Ask for the grace to be aware of the Spirit’s presence throughout the day. When you are confronted with a challenging choice, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Prayer for the Lesson Plan on the Holy Spirit

Conclude by praying the Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Printable Copy of I Am With You

Click on the image below for a printable PDF copy of this lesson plan.