,,the ,,abiding ,,presence ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,,in ,,the ,,soul ,,by ,,bede ,,jarrett1 ,o4,p4 ,,the ,,newman ,,bookshop ,westminster1 ,maryland ,,nihil ,,obstat ,a4 ,r4 ,p4 ,,raphael ,,moss1 ,o4,p41 ,s4,t4,l4 ,r4 ,p4 ,,aelred ,,whitacre1 ,o4,p41 ,s4,t4,l4 ,,nihil ,,obstat ,,arthur ,j4 ,,scanlan1 ,d4,d4 ,censor ,deputatus ,,imprimatur3 ,,john ,,card4 ,,farley ,archbishop of ,new ,york ,march #bast1 #aiah ,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america ,,preface ,in ,english-speaking countries the ,church has been at a disadvantage in the way in which she has had to expound her doctrine1 for she has been forced for many years to limit her attention just to those parts of her teaching wherein the ,protestant bodies parted company from her4 ,without any desire to stir up barren controversy1 she has naturally in self-defence been at pains most precisely to define those portions of her gospel most likely to be misunderstood4 ,this has resulted1 unfortunately1 in her leaving in the background the other mysteries of faith1 often richer in themselves1 more helpful to her children4 ,now1 however1 that she is becoming more able to realize herself to the modern world1 an opportunity opens for explaining hidden doctrines1 of which the value to the ,catholic in the development of his inner life is considerable4 ,it is to further this development that these meditations have been drawn up1 since hardly anything can render us more sensible of our worth and ,christian dignity than does the teaching of ,our ,lord on the indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,cardinal ,manning has indeed made this the subject of two volumes1 ,the ,internal ,working of the ,holy ,ghost and ,the ,temporal ,mission of the ,holy ,ghost1 which are still obtainable1 and there are also such books as ,sermons on the ,holy ,ghost 7,cathedral ,library ,association74 ,but as yet in ,english there is no such direct exposition of ,catholic teaching as ,pere ,barthelemy ,froget1 ,o4 ,p41 has attempted in his ,de l',inhabitation du ,s4 ,esprit dans les ames justes 7,lethielleux1 ,paris1 #ahij74 ,like nearly all the doctrinal works of ,french origin1 this treatise seems at times to suppose among the laity a deeper knowledge of the rudiments of scholastic philosophy than usually obtains among us1 though the author has endeavored to help this out by occasional notes or explanations4 ,to avoid this difficulty 7which a mere translation would not lessen1 but increase71 the material of the book has been rearranged in a series of meditations which will1 it is hoped1 bring out in an easier form what might otherwise be too abstruse to be of general interest4 ,the wonderful beauty of the ,church's teaching on this abiding presence of the ,holy ,ghost1 while it deepens our acquaintance with ,his mysterious governance of the universe and discovers to us the hidden beauties of our soul's life1 should bring also its measure of comfort1 for whatever makes us conscious of the intimacy of ,god's dealing with us lessens life's greatest trouble1 its loneliness4 ,,bede ,,jarrett1 ,o4 ,p4 ,,the ,,rectory ,,of ,,our ,,lady ,,of ,,lourdes1 ,new ,york1 ,february #aa1 #aiah ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,,preface ,,encyclical ,,letter ,,of ,,leo ,,xiii1 #i,,th ,,may1 #ahig ,,god',s ,,presence ,,degrees ,,of ,,god',s ,,presence ,,god',s ,,special ,,presence ,,in ,,the ,,just ,,nature ,,of ,,this ,,presence ,,mode ,,of ,,this ,,presence1 ,,knowledge ,,mode ,,of ,,this ,,presence1 ,,love ,,this ,,presence ,,is ,,of ,,the ,,same ,,nature ,,as ,,that ,,in ,,heaven ,,this ,,presence ,,common ,,to ,,the ,,whole ,,trinity ,,this ,,presence ,,has ,,certain ,,effects ,,forgiveness ,,of ,,sin ,,justification ,,deification ,,adopted ,,sonship ,,heirs ,,of ,,god ,,guidance ,,in ,,spiritual ,,life ,,gifts ,,of ,,the ,,spirit ,,beatitudes ,,fruits ,,of ,,the ,,spirit ,,knowledge ,,understanding ,,wisdom ,,counsel ,,fortitude ,,piety ,,fear ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,grace ,,the ,,abiding ,,presence ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,,in ,,the ,,soul ,,encyclical ,,letter ,,for ,,pentecost1 #ahig #a ,,to ,,our ,,venerable ,,brethren1 ,,the ,,patriarchs1 ,,primates1 ,,archbishops1 ,,bishops1 ,,and ,,other ,,local ,,ordinaries ,,having ,,peace ,,and ,,communion ,,with ,,the ,,holy ,,see ,,leo ,,xiii1 ,,pope #a ,this translation is the official form that appeared in the ,london ,tablet1 ,june #e1 #ahig4 ,,venerable ,,brethren1 ,,health ,,and ,,apostolic ,,benediction ,that divine office which ,jesus ,christ received from ,his ,father for the welfare of mankind1 and most perfectly fulfilled1 had for its final object to put men in possession of the eternal life of glory1 and proximately during the course of ages to secure to them the life of divine grace1 which is destined eventually to blossom into the life of heaven4 ,wherefore1 our ,saviour never ceases to invite1 with infinite affection1 all men1 of every race and tongue1 into the bosom of ,his ,church3 ,come ye all to ,me1 ,i am the ,life1 ,i am the ,good ,shepherd4 ,nevertheless1 according to ,his inscrutable counsels1 ,he did not will entirely to complete and finish this office ,himself on earth1 but as ,he had received it from the ,father1 so ,he transmitted it for its completion to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is consoling to recall those assurances which ,christ gave to the body of ,his disciples a little before ,he left the earth3 ,it is expedient to you that ,i go3 for if ,i go not1 the ,paraclete will not come to you3 but if ,i go1 ,i will send ,him to you 7#a ,john #af4g74 ,in these words ,he gave as the chief reason of ,his departure and ,his return to the ,father1 the advantage which would most certainly accrue to ,his followers from the coming of the ,holy ,ghost1 and1 at the same time1 ,he made it clear that the ,holy ,ghost is equally sent by--and therefore proceeds from-- ,himself and the ,father2 that ,he would complete1 in ,his office of ,intercessor1 ,consoler1 and ,teacher1 the work which ,christ ,himself had begun in ,his mortal life4 ,for1 in the redemption of the world1 the completion of the work was by ,divine ,providence reserved to the manifold power of that ,spirit who1 in the creation1 adorned the heavens 7,job #bf4ac71 and filled the whole world 7,wisdom #a4g74 ,,the ,,two ,,principal ,,aims ,,of ,,our ,,pontificate ,now ,we have earnestly striven1 by the help of ,his grace1 to follow the example of ,christ1 ,our ,saviour1 the ,prince of ,pastors1 and the ,bishop of our ,souls1 by diligently carrying on ,his office1 entrusted by ,him to the ,apostles and chiefly to ,peter1 whose dignity faileth not1 even in his unworthy successor 7,st4 ,leo the ,great1 ,sermon #b1 ,on the ,anniversary of his ,election74 ,in pursuance of this object ,we have endeavored to direct all that ,we have attempted and persistently carried out during a long pontificate towards two chief ends3 in the first place1 towards the restoration1 both in rulers and peoples1 of the principles of the ,christian life in civil and domestic society1 since there is no true life for men except from ,christ2 and1 secondly1 to promote the reunion of those who have fallen away from the ,catholic ,church either by heresy or by schism1 since it is most undoubtedly the will of ,christ that all should be united in one flock under one ,shepherd4 ,but now that ,we are looking forward to the approach of the closing days of ,our life1 ,our soul is deeply moved to dedicate to the ,holy ,ghost1 who is the life-giving ,love1 all the work ,we have done during ,our pontificate1 that ,he may bring it to maturity and fruitfulness4 ,in order the better and more fully to carry out this ,our intention1 ,we have resolved to address you at the approaching sacred season of ,pentecost concerning the indwelling and miraculous power of the ,holy ,ghost2 and the extent and efficiency of ,his action1 both in the whole body of the ,church and in the individual souls of its members1 through the glorious abundance of ,his divine graces4 ,we earnestly desire that1 as a result1 faith may be aroused in your minds concerning the mystery of the adorable ,trinity1 and especially that piety may increase and be inflamed towards the ,holy ,ghost1 to whom especially all of us owe the grace of following the paths of truth and virtue2 for1 as ,st4 ,basil said1 ,who denieth that the dispensations concerning man1 which have been made by the great ,god and our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 according to the goodness of ,god1 have been fulfilled through the grace of the ,spirit8 7,of the ,holy ,ghost1 c4 #af1 v4 #ci47 ,,the ,,catholic ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,trinity ,before we enter upon this subject1 it will be both desirable and useful to say a few words about the ,mystery of the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,this dogma is called by the doctors of the ,church the substance of the ,new ,testament1 that is to say1 the greatest of all mysteries1 since it is the fountain and origin of them all4 ,in order to know and contemplate this mystery1 the angels were created in ,heaven and men upon earth4 ,in order to teach more fully this mystery1 which was but foreshadowed in the ,old ,testament1 ,god ,himself came down from the angels unto men3 ,no man hath seen ,god at any time2 the only begotten ,son1 who is in the bosom of the ,father1 ,he hath declared ,him 7,john #a4ah74 ,whosoever then writes or speaks of the ,trinity must keep before his eyes the prudent warning of the ,angelic ,doctor3 ,when we speak of the ,trinity1 we must do so with caution and modesty1 for1 as ,st4 ,augustine saith1 nowhere else are more dangerous errors made1 or is research more difficult1 or discovery more fruitful 7,summ4 ,th4 #a;a1 q4 #ca4 ,de ,trin4 #a4 #a1 c4 #c74 ,the danger that arises is lest the ,divine ,persons be confounded one with the other in faith or worship1 or lest the one ,nature in them be separated3 for ,this is the ,catholic ,faith1 that we should adore one ,god in ,trinity and ,trinity in ,unity4 ,therefore ,our predecessor ,innocent ,,xii absolutely refused the petition of those who desired a special festival in honor of ,god the ,father4 ,for1 although the separate mysteries connected with the ,incarnate ,word are celebrated on certain fixed days1 yet there is no special feast on which the ,word is honored according to ,his ,divine ,nature alone4 ,and even the ,feast of ,pentecost was instituted in the earliest times1 not simply to honor the ,holy ,ghost in ,himself1 but to commemorate ,his coming1 or ,his external mission4 ,and all this has been wisely ordained1 lest from distinguishing the ,persons men should be led to distinguish the ,divine ,essence4 ,moreover1 the ,church1 in order to preserve in her children the purity of faith1 instituted the ,feast of the ,most ,holy ,trinity1 which ,john ,,xxii afterwards extended to the ,universal ,church4 ,he also permitted altars and churches to be dedicated to the ,blessed ,trinity1 and1 with the divine approval1 sanctioned the ,order for the ,ransom of ,captives1 which is specially devoted to the ,blessed ,trinity and bears ,its name4 ,many facts confirm this truth4 ,the worship paid to the saints and angels1 to the ,mother of ,god1 and to ,christ ,himself1 finally redounds to the honor of the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,in prayers addressed to one ,person1 there is also mention of the others2 in the litanies after the individual ,persons have been separately invoked1 a common invocation of all is added3 all psalms and hymns conclude with the doxology to the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost2 blessings1 sacred rites1 and sacraments are either accompanied or concluded by the invocation of the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,this was already foreshadowed by the ,apostle in those words3 ,for of ,him1 and by ,him1 and in ,him1 are all things3 to ,him be glory for ever 7,rom4 #aa4cf71 thereby signifying both the ,trinity of ,persons and the ,unity of ,nature3 for as this is one and the same in each of the ,persons1 so to each is equally owing supreme glory1 as to one and the same ,god4 ,st4 ,augustine1 commenting upon this testimony1 writes3 ,the words of the ,apostle1 of ,him1 and by ,him1 and in ,him1 are not to be taken indiscriminately2 of ,him refers to the ,father1 by ,him to the ,son1 in ,him to the ,holy ,ghost 7,de ,trin4 #a4 vi1 c4 #aj2 #a4 i1 c4 #f74 ,the ,church is accustomed most fittingly to attribute to the ,father those works of the ,divinity in which power excels1 to the ,son those in which wisdom excels1 and those in which love excels to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,not that all perfections and external operations are not common to the ,divine ,persons2 for the operations of the ,trinity are indivisible1 even as the essence of the ,trinity is indivisible 7,st4 ,aug4 ,de ,trin41 #a4 #a1 cc4 #d-e72 because as the three ,divine ,persons are inseparable1 so do they act inseparably 7,st4 ,aug41 ib74 ,but by a certain comparison1 and a kind of affinity between the operations and the properties of the ,persons1 these operations are attributed or1 as it is said1 appropriated to ,one ,person rather than to the others4 ,just as we make use of the traces of similarity or likeness which we find in creatures for the manifestation of the ,divine ,persons1 so do we use ,their essential attributes2 and this manifestation of the ,persons by ,their essential attributes is called appropriation 7,st4 ,th4 #a;a1 q4 #ci1 xxxix1 a4 #g74 ,in this manner the ,father1 who is the principle of the whole ,god-head 7,st4 ,aug41 ,de ,trin41 #a4 iv1 c4 #bj71 is also the efficient cause of all things1 of the ,incarnation of the ,word1 and the sanctification of souls2 of ,him are all things3 of ,him1 referring to the ,father4 ,but the ,son1 the ,word1 the ,image of ,god1 is also the exemplar cause1 whence all creatures borrow their form and beauty1 their order and harmony4 ,he is for us the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life2 the ,reconciler of man with ,god4 ,by ,him are all things3 by ,him1 referring to the ,son4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is the ultimate cause of all things1 since1 as the will and all other things finally rest in their end1 so ,he1 who is the ,divine ,goodness and the ,mutual ,love of the ,father and ,son1 completes and perfects1 by ,his strong yet gentle power1 the secret work of man's eternal salvation4 ,in ,him are all things3 in ,him1 referring to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,,and ,,the ,,incarnation ,having thus paid due tribute of faith and worship owing to the ,blessed ,trinity1 which ought to be more and more inculcated upon the ,christian people1 we now turn to the exposition of the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and1 first of all1 we must look to ,christ1 the ,founder of the ,church and the ,redeemer of our race4 ,among the external operations of ,god1 the highest of all is the mystery of the ,incarnation of the ,word1 in which the splendor of the divine perfections shines forth so brightly that nothing more sublime can even be imagined1 nothing else could have been more salutary to the human race4 ,now this work1 although belonging to the whole ,trinity1 is still appropriated especially to the ,holy ,ghost1 so that the ,gospels thus speak of the ,blessed ,virgin3 ,she was found with child of the ,holy ,ghost1 and that which is conceived in her is of the ,holy ,ghost 7,matt4 #a4ah1 #bj74 ,and this is rightly attributed to ,him who is the love of the ,father and the ,son1 since this great mystery of piety 7#a ,tim4 #c4af7 proceeds from the infinite love of ,god towards man1 as ,st4 ,john tells us3 ,god so loved the world as to give ,his only begotten ,son 7,john #c4af74 ,moreover1 human nature was thereby elevated to a personal union with the ,word2 and this dignity is given1 not on account of any merits1 but entirely and absolutely through grace1 and therefore1 as it were1 through the special gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,on this point ,st4 ,augustine writes3 ,this manner in which ,christ was born of the ,holy ,ghost1 indicates to us the grace of ,god1 by which humanity1 with no antecedent merits1 at the first moment of its existence1 was united with the ,word of ,god1 by so intimate a personal union1 that ,he1 who was the ,son of ,man1 was also the ,son of ,god1 and ,he who was the ,son of ,god was also the ,son of ,man 7,enchir41 c4 xl2 ,st4 ,th41 #c;a1 q4 xxxii1 a4 #a74 ,by the operation of the ,holy ,spirit1 not only was the conception of ,christ accomplished1 but also the sanctification of ,his soul1 which1 in ,holy ,scripture1 is called ,his anointing 7,acts #aj4ch74 ,wherefore all ,his actions were performed in the ,holy ,ghost 7,st4 ,basil de ,sp4 ,s41 c4 xvi71 and especially the sacrifice of ,himself3 ,christ1 through the ,holy ,ghost1 offered ,himself without spot to ,god 7,heb4 #i4ad74 ,considering this1 no one can be surprised that all the gifts of the ,holy ,ghost inundated the soul of ,christ4 ,in ,him resided the absolute fullness of grace1 in the greatest and most efficacious manner possible2 in ,him were all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge1 graces gratis datae1 virtues1 and all other gifts foretold in the prophecies of ,isaias 7,is4 #d4a1 #aa4bc71 and also signified in that miraculous dove which appeared at the ,jordan1 when ,christ1 by ,his baptism1 consecrated its waters for a new sacrament4 ,on this the words of ,st4 ,augustine may appropriately be quoted3 ,it would be absurd to say that ,christ received the ,holy ,ghost when ,he was already thirty years of age1 for ,he came to ,his baptism without sin1 and therefore not without the ,holy ,ghost4 ,at this time1 then 7that is1 at ,his baptism71 ,he was pleased to prefigure ,his ,church1 in which those especially who are baptized receive the ,holy ,ghost 7,de ,trin41 #a4 xv1 c4 #bf74 ,therefore1 by the conspicuous apparition of the ,holy ,ghost over ,christ and by ,his invisible power in ,his soul1 the twofold mission of the ,spirit is foreshadowed1 namely1 ,his outward and visible mission in the ,church1 and ,his secret indwelling in the souls of the just4 ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,,and ,,the ,,church ,the ,church which1 already conceived1 came forth from the side of the second ,adam in ,his sleep on the ,cross1 first showed herself before the eyes of men on the great day of ,pentecost4 ,on that day the ,holy ,ghost began to manifest ,his gifts in the mystic body of ,christ1 by that miraculous outpouring already foreseen by the prophet ,joel 7#b4bh-bi71 for the ,paraclete sat upon the apostles as though new spiritual crowns were placed upon their heads in tongues of fire 7,s4 ,cyril ,hier4 ,catech4 #ag74 ,then the apostles descended from the mountain1 as ,st4 ,john ,chrysostom writes1 not bearing in their hands tables of stone like ,moses1 but carrying the ,spirit in their mind1 and pouring forth the treasure and the fountain of doctrines and graces 7,in ,matt4 ,hom4 ,i1 #b ,cor4 #c4c74 ,thus was fully accomplished that last promise of ,christ to ,his apostles of sending the ,holy ,ghost1 who was to complete and1 as it were1 to seal the deposit of doctrine committed to them under ,his inspiration4 ,i have yet many things to say to you1 but you cannot bear them now2 but when ,he1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 shall come1 ,he will teach you all truth 7,john #af4ab-ac74 ,for ,he who is the ,spirit of ,truth1 inasmuch as ,he proceedeth both from the ,father1 who is the eternally ,true1 and from the ,son1 who is the substantial ,truth1 receiveth from each both ,his essence and the fullness of all truth4 ,this truth ,he communicates to ,his ,church1 guarding her by ,his all powerful help from ever falling into error1 and aiding her to foster daily more and more the germs of divine doctrine and to make them fruitful for the welfare of the peoples4 ,and since the welfare of the peoples1 for which the ,church was established1 absolutely requires that this office should be continued for all time1 the ,holy ,ghost perpetually supplies life and strength to preserve and increase the ,church4 ,i will ask the ,father1 and ,he will give you another ,paraclete1 that ,he may abide with you for ever1 the ,spirit of ,truth 7,john #af4 #af1 #ag74 ,by ,him the bishops are constituted1 and by their ministry are multiplied not only the children1 but also the fathers that is to say1 the priests to rule and feed the ,church by that ,blood wherewith ,christ has redeemed ,her4 ,the ,holy ,ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the ,church of ,god1 which ,he hath purchased with ,his own ,blood 7,acts #bj4 #bh74 ,and both bishops and priests1 by the miraculous gift of the ,spirit1 have the power of absolving sins1 according to those words of ,christ to the ,apostles3 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost2 whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them1 and whose sins you shall retain they are retained 7,john #bj4bb1 #bc74 ,that the ,church is a divine institution is most clearly proved by the splendor and glory of those gifts with which she is adorned1 and whose author and giver is the ,holy ,ghost4 ,let it suffice to state that1 as ,christ is the ,head of the ,church1 so is the ,holy ,ghost her soul4 ,what the soul is in our body1 that is the ,holy ,ghost in ,christ's body1 the ,church 7,st4 ,aug41 ,serm4 #ahg1 de ,temp474 ,this being so1 no further and fuller manifestation and revelation of the ,divine ,spirit may be imagined or expected2 for that which now takes place in the ,church is the most perfect possible1 and will last until that day when the ,church herself1 having passed through her militant career1 shall be taken up into the joy of the saints triumphing in heaven4 ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,,in ,,the ,,souls ,,of ,,the ,,just ,the manner and extent of the action of the ,holy ,ghost in individual souls is no less wonderful1 although somewhat more difficult to understand1 inasmuch as it is entirely invisible4 ,this outpouring of the ,spirit is so abundant1 that ,christ ,himself1 from whose gift it proceeds1 compares it to an overflowing river1 according to those words of ,st4 ,john3 ,he that believeth in ,me1 as the ,scripture saith1 out of his midst shall flow rivers of living water2 to which testimony the ,evangelist adds the explanation3 ,now this ,he said of the ,spirit which they should receive who believed in ,him 7,john #g4ch1 #ci74 ,it is indeed true that in those of the just who lived before ,christ1 the ,holy ,ghost resided by grace1 as we read in the ,scriptures concerning the prophets1 ,zachary1 ,john the ,baptist1 ,simeon1 and ,anna2 so that on ,pentecost the ,holy ,ghost did not communicate ,himself in such a way as then for the first time to begin to dwell in the saints1 but by pouring ,himself forth more abundantly2 crowning1 not beginning ,his gifts2 not commencing a new work1 but giving more abundantly 7,st4 ,leo the ,great1 ,hom4 iii1 de ,pentec474 ,but if they also were numbered among the children of ,god1 they were in a state like that of servants1 for as long as the heir is a child he differeth nothing from a servant1 but is under tutors and governors 7,gal4 #d4a1 #b74 ,moreover1 not only was their justice derived from the merits of ,christ who was to come1 but the communication of the ,holy ,ghost after ,christ was much more abundant1 just as the price surpasses in value the earnest and the reality excels the image4 ,wherefore ,st4 ,john declares3 ,as yet the ,spirit was not given1 because ,jesus was not yet glorified 7,john #g4ci74 ,so soon1 therefore1 as ,christ1 ascending on high1 entered into possession of the glory of ,his ,kingdom which ,he had won with so much labor1 ,he munificently opened out the treasures of the ,holy ,ghost3 ,he gave gifts to men 7,eph4 #d4h74 ,for that giving or sending forth of the ,holy ,ghost after ,christ's glorification was to be such as had never been before2 not that there had been none before1 but it had not been of the same kind 7,st4 ,aug41 ,de ,trin41 #a4 iv1 c4 #bj74 ,human nature is by necessity the servant of ,god3 ,the creature is a servant2 we are the servants of ,god by nature 7,st4 ,cyr4 ,alex41 ,thesaur41 #a4 v1 c4 #e74 ,on account1 however1 of original sin1 our whole nature had fallen into such guilt and dishonor that we had become enemies of ,god4 ,we were by nature the children of wrath 7,eph4 #b4c74 ,there was no power which could raise us and deliver us from this ruin and eternal destruction4 ,but ,god1 the ,creator of mankind and infinitely merciful1 did this through ,his only begotten ,son1 by whose benefit it was brought about that man was restored to that rank and dignity whence he had fallen1 and was adorned with still more abundant graces4 ,no one can express the greatness of this work of divine grace in the souls of men4 ,wherefore1 both in ,holy ,scripture and in the writings of the fathers1 men are styled regenerated1 new creatures1 partakers of the ,divine ,nature1 children of ,god1 godlike1 and similar epithets4 ,now these great blessings are justly attributed as especially belonging to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he is the ,spirit of adoption of sons1 whereby we cry3 ,abba1 ,father4 ,he fills our hearts with the sweetness of paternal love3 ,the ,spirit ,himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of ,god 7,rom4 #h4ae1 #af74 ,this truth accords with the similitude observed by the ,angelic ,doctor between both operations of the ,holy ,ghost2 for through ,him ,christ was conceived in holiness to be by nature the ,son of ,god1 and others are sanctified to be the sons of ,god by adoption 7,st4 ,th4 #c;a1 q4 xxxii1 a4 #a74 ,this spiritual generation proceeds from love in a much more noble manner than the natural3 namely1 from the uncreated ,love4 ,the beginnings of this regeneration and renovation of man are by ,baptism4 ,in this sacrament1 when the unclean spirit has been expelled from the soul1 the ,holy ,ghost enters in and makes it like to ,himself4 ,that which is born of the ,spirit1 is spirit 7,john #c4f74 ,the same ,spirit gives ,himself more abundantly in ,confirmation1 strengthening and confirming ,christian life2 from which proceeded the victory of the martyrs and the triumph of the virgins over temptations and corruptions4 ,we have said that the ,holy ,ghost gives ,himself3 the charity of ,god is poured out into our hearts by the ,holy ,ghost who is given to us 7,rom4 #e4e74 ,for ,he not only brings to us ,his divine gifts1 but is the ,author of them and is ,himself the supreme ,gift1 who1 proceeding from the mutual love of the ,father and the ,son1 is justly believed to be and is called ,gift of ,god most ,high4 ,to show the nature and efficacy of this gift it is well to recall the explanation given by the doctors of the ,church of the words of ,holy ,scripture4 ,they say that ,god is present and exists in all things1 by ,his power1 in so far as all things are subject to ,his power2 by ,his presence1 inasmuch as all things are naked and open to ,his eyes2 by ,his essence1 inasmuch as ,he is present to all as the cause of their being 7,st4 ,th4 #a;a1 q4 viii1 a4 #c74 ,but ,god is in man1 not only as in inanimate things1 but because ,he is more fully known and loved by him1 since even by nature we spontaneously love1 desire1 and seek after the good4 ,moreover1 ,god by grace resides in the just soul as in a temple1 in a most intimate and peculiar manner4 ,from this proceeds that union of affection by which the soul adheres most closely to ,god1 more so than the friend is united to his most loving and beloved friend1 and enjoys ,god in all fullness and sweetness4 ,now this wonderful union1 which is properly called indwelling1 differing only in degree or state from that with which ,god beatifies the saints in heaven1 although it is most certainly produced by the presence of the whole ,blessed ,trinity-- ,we will come to ,him and make our abode with ,him 7,john #ad4bc7-- nevertheless is attributed in a peculiar manner to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,for1 whilst traces of divine power and wisdom appear even in the wicked man1 charity1 which1 as it were1 is the special mark of the ,holy ,ghost1 is shared in only by the just4 ,in harmony with this1 the same ,spirit is called ,holy1 for ,he1 the first and supreme ,love1 moves souls and leads them to sanctity1 which ultimately consists in the love of ,god4 ,wherefore the apostle1 when calling us the temple of ,god1 does not expressly mention the ,father or the ,son1 but the ,holy ,ghost3 ,know ye not that your members are the temple of the ,holy ,ghost1 who is in you1 whom you have from ,god8 7#a ,cor4 #f4ai74 ,the fullness of divine gifts is in many ways a consequence of the indwelling of the ,holy ,ghost in the souls of the just4 ,for1 as ,st4 ,thomas teaches1 when the ,holy ,ghost proceedeth as love1 ,he proceedeth in the character of the first gift2 whence ,st4 ,augustine saith that1 through the gift which is the ,holy ,ghost1 many other special gifts are distributed among the members of ,christ 7,summ4 ,th41 #a;a1 q4 xxxviii1 a4 #b4 ,st4 ,aug41 de ,trin41 #a4 xv1 c4 #ai74 ,among these gifts are those secret warnings and invitations1 which from time to time are excited in our minds and hearts by the inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,without these there is no beginning of a good life1 no progress1 no arriving at eternal salvation4 ,and since these words and admonitions are uttered in the soul in an exceedingly secret manner1 they are sometimes aptly compared in ,holy ,writ to the breathing of a coming breeze1 and the ,angelic ,doctor likens them to the movements of the heart which are wholly hidden in the living body4 ,thy heart has a certain hidden power1 and therefore the ,holy ,ghost1 who invisibly vivifies and unites the ,church1 is compared to the heart 7,summ4 ,th41 #c;a1 q4 vii1 a4 #a1 ad #c74 ,more than this1 the just man1 that is to say1 he who lives the life of divine grace1 and acts by the fitting virtues as by means of faculties1 has need of those seven gifts which are properly attributed to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,by means of them the soul is furnished and strengthened so as to be able to obey more easily and promptly ,his voice and impulse4 ,wherefore these gifts are of such efficacy that they lead the just man to the highest degree of sanctity2 and of such excellence that they continue to exist even in heaven1 though in a more perfect way4 ,by means of these gifts the soul is excited and encouraged to seek after and attain the evangelical beatitudes1 which1 like the flowers that come forth in the spring time1 are the signs and harbingers of eternal beatitude4 ,lastly1 there are those blessed fruits1 enumerated by the ,apostle 7,gal4 #e4bb71 which the ,spirit1 even in this mortal life1 produces and shows forth in the just2 fruits filled with all sweetness and joy1 inasmuch as they proceed from the ,spirit1 who is in the ,trinity the sweetness of both ,father and ,son1 filling all creatures with infinite fullness and profusion 7,st4 ,aug4 de ,trin41 #a4 vi1 c4 #i74 ,the ,divine ,spirit1 proceeding from the ,father and the ,word in the eternal light of sanctity1 ,himself both ,love and ,gift1 after having manifested ,himself through the veils of figures in the ,old ,testament1 poured forth all ,his fullness upon ,christ and upon ,his mystic ,body1 the ,church2 and called back by ,his presence and grace men who were going away in wickedness and corruption with such salutary effect that1 being no longer of the earth earthy1 they relished and desired quite other things1 becoming of heaven heavenly4 ,,on ,,devotion ,,to ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,these sublime truths1 which so clearly show forth the infinite goodness of the ,holy ,ghost towards us1 certainly demand that we should direct towards ,him the highest homage of our love and devotion4 ,christians may do this most effectually if they will daily strive to know ,him1 to love ,him1 and to implore ,him more earnestly2 for which reason may this ,our exhortation1 flowing spontaneously from a paternal heart1 reach their ears4 ,perchance there are still to be found among them1 even nowadays1 some who1 if asked1 as were those of old by ,st4 ,paul the ,apostle1 whether they have received the ,holy ,ghost1 might answer in like manner3 ,we have not so much as heard whether there be a ,holy ,ghost 7,acts #ai4b74 ,at least there are certainly many who are very deficient in their knowledge of ,him4 ,they frequently use ,his name in their religious practices1 but their faith is involved in much darkness4 ,wherefore all preachers and those having care of souls should remember that it is their duty to instruct their people more diligently and more fully about the ,holy ,ghost--avoiding1 however1 difficult and subtle controversies1 and eschewing the dangerous folly of those who rashly endeavor to pry into divine mysteries4 ,what should be chiefly dwelt upon and clearly explained is the multitude and greatness of the benefits which have been bestowed1 and are constantly bestowed1 upon us by this ,divine ,giver1 so that errors and ignorance concerning matters of such moment may be entirely dispelled1 as unworthy of the children of light4 ,we urge this1 not only because it affects a mystery by which we are directly guided to eternal life1 and which must therefore be firmly believed2 but also because the more clearly and fully the good is known the more earnestly it is loved4 ,now we owe to the ,holy ,ghost1 as we mentioned in the second place1 love1 because ,he is ,god3 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with thy whole heart1 and with thy whole soul1 and with thy whole strength 7,deut4 #f4e74 ,he is also to be loved because ,he is the substantial1 eternal1 primal ,love1 and nothing is more lovable than love4 ,and this all the more because ,he has overwhelmed us with the greatest benefits1 which both testify to the benevolence of the ,giver and claim the gratitude of the receiver4 ,this love has a twofold and most conspicuous utility4 ,in the first place1 it will excite us to acquire daily a clearer knowledge about the ,holy ,ghost2 for1 as the ,angelic ,doctor says1 the lover is not content with the superficial knowledge of the beloved1 but striveth to inquire intimately into all that appertains to the beloved1 and thus to penetrate into the interior2 as is said of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,who is the ,love of ,god1 that ,he searcheth even the profound things of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #b4ai2 ,summ4 ,theol41 #a;a1 #b;ae1 q4 #bh1 a4 #b74 ,in the second place1 it will obtain for us a still more abundant supply of heavenly gifts2 for whilst a narrow heart contracteth the hand of the giver1 a grateful and mindful heart causeth it to expand4 ,yet we must strive that this love should be of such a nature as not to consist merely in dry speculations or external observances1 but rather to run forward towards action1 and especially to fly from sin1 which is in a more special manner offensive to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for whatever we are1 that we are by the divine goodness2 and this goodness is specially attributed to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the sinner offends this his ,benefactor1 abusing ,his gifts2 and taking advantage of ,his goodness becomes more hardened in sin day by day4 ,again1 since ,he is the ,spirit of ,truth1 whosoever faileth by weakness or ignorance may perhaps have some excuse before ,almighty ,god2 but he who resists the truth through malice and turns away from it1 sins most grievously against the ,holy ,ghost4 ,in our days this sin has become so frequent that those dark times seem to have come which were foretold by ,st4 ,paul1 in which men1 blinded by the just judgment of ,god1 should take falsehood for truth1 and should believe in the prince of this world1 who is a liar and the father thereof1 as a teacher of truth3 ,god shall send them the operation of error1 to believe lying 7#b ,thess4 #b4aj74 ,in the last times some shall depart from the faith1 giving heed to spirits of error and the doctrines of devils 7#a ,tim4 #d4a74 ,but since the ,holy ,ghost1 as ,we have said1 dwells in us as in ,his temple1 ,we must repeat the warning of the ,apostle3 ,grieve not the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 whereby you are sealed 7,eph4 #d4cj74 ,nor is it enough to fly from sin2 every ,christian ought to shine with the splendor of virtue so as to be pleasing to so great and so beneficent a guest2 and first of all with chastity and holiness1 for chaste and holy things befit the temple4 ,hence the words of the ,apostle3 ,know you not that you are the temple of ,god1 and that the ,spirit of ,god dwelleth in you8 ,but if any man violate the temple of ,god1 him shall ,god destroy4 ,for the temple of ,god is holy1 which you are 7#a ,cor4 #c4af-ag73 a terrible1 indeed1 but a just warning4 ,lastly1 we ought to pray to and invoke the ,holy ,spirit1 for each one of us greatly needs ,his protection and ,his help4 ,the more a man is deficient in wisdom1 weak in strength1 borne down with trouble1 prone to sin1 so ought he the more to fly to ,him who is the never-ceasing fount of light1 strength1 consolation1 and holiness4 ,and chiefly that first requisite of man1 the forgiveness of sins1 must be sought for from ,him3 ,it is the special character of the ,holy ,ghost that ,he is the ,gift of the ,father and the ,son4 ,now the remission of sins is given by the ,holy ,ghost as by the ,gift of ,god 7,summ4 ,th41 #c;a1 q4 iii1 a4 #h1 ad #cm74 ,concerning this ,spirit the words of the ,liturgy are very explicit3 ,for ,he is the remission of all sins 7,roman ,missal1 ,tuesday after ,pentecost74 ,how ,he should be invoked is clearly taught by the ,church1 who addresses ,him in humble supplication1 calling upon ,him by the sweetest of names3 ,come1 ,father of the poor6 ,come1 ,giver of gifts6 ,come1 ,light of our hearts6 ,o1 best of ,consolers1 sweet ,guest of the soul1 our refreshment6 7,hymn1 ,veni ,sancte ,spiritus74 ,she earnestly implores ,him to wash1 heal1 water our minds and hearts1 and to give to us who trust in ,him the merit of virtue1 the acquirement of salvation1 and joy everlasting4 ,nor can it be in any way doubted that ,he will listen to such prayer1 since we read the words written by ,his own inspiration3 ,the ,spirit ,himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings 7,rom4 #h4bf74 ,lastly1 we ought confidently and continually to beg of ,him to illuminate us daily more and more with ,his light and inflame us with ,his charity3 for1 thus inspired with faith and love1 we may press onward earnestly towards our eternal reward1 since ,he is the pledge of our inheritance 7,eph4 #a4ad74 ,such1 ,venerable ,brethren1 are the teachings and exhortations which ,we have seen good to utter1 in order to stimulate devotion to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,we have no doubt that1 chiefly by means of your zeal and earnestness1 they will bear abundant fruit among ,christian peoples4 ,we ,ourselves shall never in the future fail to labor towards so important an end2 and it is even ,our intention1 in whatever ways may appear suitable1 to further cultivate and extend this admirable work of piety4 ,meanwhile1 as two years ago1 in ,our ,letter ,provida ,matris1 ,we recommended to ,catholics special prayers at the ,feast of ,pentecost1 for the ,reunion of ,christendom1 so now ,we desire to make certain further decrees on the same subject4 ,,an ,,annual ,,novena ,,deceeed ,wherefore1 ,we decree and command that throughout the whole ,catholic ,church1 this year and in every subsequent year1 a ,novena shall take place before ,whit-,sunday1 in all parish churches1 and also1 if the local ,ordinaries think fit1 in other churches and oratories4 ,to all who take part in this ,novena and duly pray for ,our intention1 ,we shall grant for each day an ,indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines2 moreover1 a ,plenary ,indulgence on any one of the days of the ,novena1 or on ,whit-,sunday itself1 or on any day during the ,octave2 provided they shall have received the ,sacraments of ,penance and the ,holy ,eucharist1 and devoutly prayed for ,our intention4 ,we will that those who are legitimately prevented from attending the ,novena1 or who are in places where the devotions cannot1 in the judgment of the ,ordinary1 be conveniently carried out in church1 shall equally enjoy the same benefits1 provided they make the ,novena privately and observe the other conditions4 ,moreover1 ,we are pleased to grant1 in perpetuity1 from the ,treasury of the ,church1 that whosoever1 daily1 during the ,octave of ,pentecost up to ,trinity ,sunday inclusive1 offer again publicly or privately any prayers1 according to their devotion1 to the ,holy ,ghost1 and satisfy the above conditions1 shall a second time gain each of the same ,indulgences4 ,all these ,indulgences ,we also permit to be applied to the suffrage of the souls in ,purgatory4 ,and now ,our mind and heart turn back to those hopes with which ,we began1 and for the accomplishment of which ,we earnestly pray1 and will continue to pray1 to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,unite1 then1 ,venerable ,brethren1 your prayers with ,ours1 and at your exhortation let all ,christian peoples add their prayers also1 invoking the powerful and ever-acceptable intercession of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,you know well the intimate and wonderful relations existing between her and the ,holy ,ghost1 so that she is justly called ,his ,spouse4 ,the intercession of the ,blessed ,virgin was of great avail both in the mystery of the ,incarnation and in the coming of the ,holy ,ghost upon the ,apostles4 ,may she continue to strengthen our prayers with her suffrages1 that1 in the midst of all the stress and trouble of the nations1 those divine prodigies may be happily revived by the ,holy ,ghost1 which were foretold in the words of ,david3 ,send forth ,thy ,spirit and they shall be created1 and ,thou shalt renew the face of the earth 7,ps4 #ajc4cj74 ,as a pledge of ,divine favor and a testimony of ,our affection1 ,venerable ,brethren1 to you1 to your ,clergy and people1 ,we gladly impart in the ,lord the ,apostolic ,benediction4 ,given at ,st4 ,peter's1 in ,rome1 on the #ith day of ,may1 #ahig1 in the #bjth year of ,our ,pontificate4 ,,leo ,,xiii1 ,,pope4 ,,god',s ,,presence #a4 ,scripture is very full of the idea of the nearness of ,god to ,his creation1 the ,old ,testament is alive with that inspiration1 for there is hardly a chapter or verse that does not insist upon that truth4 ,naturally the ,new ,testament1 teaching so tenderly the ,fatherhood of ,god1 is even more explicit and more beautiful in its references to this intimate relationship4 ,to the ,athenians1 ,st4 ,paul can develop no other point than this1 and he finds in moving accents an eloquent appeal voiced by the touching dedication of an altar to the ,unknown ,god4 ,now this notion of ,god's nearness to ,his world depends for its full appreciation on the central doctrine of creation4 ,he has made the world1 in consequence it is impressed with ,his personality2 the more vigorous the artificer-- the more vigorous that he is in character1 will and personality1 the more is his work stamped with his individuality2 hence1 the tremendous personality of ,god must be everywhere traceable in the things ,he has made4 #b4 ,when we say ,god is everywhere1 we mean that ,he is in all things because ,he made all things4 ,not only does the whole world lie outstretched before ,his eye and is governed by ,his power1 but ,he ,himself lurks at the heart of everything4 ,by ,him things have come into existence1 and so wholly is that existence of theirs ,his gift1 that were ,he to withdraw ,his support they would sink back into nothingness4 ,it is a perpetual remark about man's works that they outlast him4 ,organizations we have toiled to establish outgrow our fostering care1 perhaps grow tired of our interference and long to be free of our regulations4 ,wordsworth tells how a monk in ,spain1 pointing to the pictures on the walls of the monastery1 which remained while the generations looking at them passed away1 judged3 ,we are the shadows1 they the substance4 ,but the relationship established by creation is of a far greater dependence1 so that nothing ,god has made can exist without ,his support4 ,out of human acts it is only music that bears some resemblance to this1 for when the voice is silent there is no longer any song4 #c4 ,god1 then1 is within all creation1 because ,he is its cause4 ,he is within every stone and leaf and child4 ,nothing1 with life or without1 evil or good1 can fail to contain ,him as the source of its energy1 its power1 its existence2 ,he is the soul's soul4 ,not only1 therefore1 must ,i train myself to see with reverence that everything contains ,him1 but ,i must especially realize ,his intimacy and relationship to myself4 ,religion1 indeed1 in practice is little else than my personal expression of that relationship4 ,i have in my prayers1 in my troubles1 in my temptations1 to turn to ,god1 not without but within1 not to some one above me or beneath supporting me1 but right at the core of my being4 ,i can trace up to its source every power of my soul1 my intelligence1 my will1 my love1 my anger1 my fear1 and ,i shall find ,him there4 ,nothing but opens its doors to ,him as innermost in its shrine4 ,wholly is ,god everywhere1 not as some immense being that with its hugeness fills the world1 but as something that is within every creature ,he has made4 ,,degrees ,,of ,,god',s ,,presence #a4 ,god is intimate with all creation because ,he made it1 for creation implies that ,god remains within1 supporting1 upholding4 ,god is within everything1 and therefore ,he is everywhere4 ,but while we thus believe that ,god is wholly everywhere1 we also believe something which seems the exact opposite1 for we believe that ,god is more in some places than in others1 more in some people than in others4 ,how is it if ,god is wholly everywhere that ,he can be more here than there8 ,to understand this we must also understand that every created thing shares somehow in ,god's being4 ,he communicates ,himself to it in some fashion1 for apart from ,him it could have no perfections4 ,we have a way of saying that we reflect ,god's greatness and that we are broken lights of ,him4 ,but that is far short of the truth2 we do more than reflect1 we actually have some participation in ,god1 so that ,st4 ,thomas boldly takes over a saying of ,plato3 ,the individual nature of a thing consists in the way it participates in the perfections of ,god 7,summa #a1 #ad4f74 ,not1 of course1 that there is any community of being1 but a direct participation4 #b4 ,now since everything participates in ,god and since some things are more excellent than others1 it stands to reason that some things express ,god better than others4 ,the eyes of a dog often are pitiful to see1 because we can note its evident desire and yet its impossibility to express its feelings4 ,the whole of nature has to seeing minds the same pitifulness4 ,it is always endeavoring to express ,god1 the inexpressible4 ,yet the higher a thing is in the scale of being the more of ,god it expresses1 for it participates more in ,god's being4 ,the more life a thing has and the more freedom it acquires1 then the nearer does it approach to ,god and the more divinity it holds4 ,man1 by his intelligence1 his deeper and richer life1 his finer freedom1 stands at the head of visible creation1 and1 in consequence1 is more fully a shrine of ,god than lower forms of life4 ,he bears a closer resemblance to the ,divine intelligence and will and has a greater share in them4 ,it is then in that sense that we arrange in ascending order inanimate creation1 the vegetable kingdom1 the animal kingdom1 and man4 #c4 ,consequently we can now see in what sense ,god is said to be more in one thing than in another4 ,he is more in it because ,he exercises ,himself more in one thing than in another2 one thing expresses more than another the perfections of ,god because it shares more deeply than another that inner being of ,god4 ,the more nearly anything or anyone is united to ,god the more does ,his power exercise itself in them1 so that1 since ,god's gifts are variously distributed and are of various degrees1 we are justified in saying that though ,he is wholly everywhere1 ,he may be more fully here than there1 just as1 though my soul is in every part of my being1 it is more perfectly in the brain than elsewhere1 because there it exercises itself more fully and with more evidence of expression4 ,thus we say ,god is more in a man's soul than anywhere else in creation1 since in a man's soul ,god is more perfectly expressed4 ,it is therefore with great reverence that ,i should regard all creation1 but with especial reverence that ,i should look to the dignity of every human soul4 ,,god',s ,,special ,,presence ,,in ,,the ,,just #a4 ,while ,god is in everything in creation1 ,he dwells in the just by grace4 ,scripture quite noticeably uses the word dwelling when it wishes to express the particular way in which ,god is present in the souls of the just4 ,he is in all things2 in the just ,he dwells4 ,the same word actually is applied to the presence of ,god in the souls of those in grace as is used when speaking of ,god's presence in the ,temple4 ,but here again it is necessary to say that ,god's dwelling in the ,temple never implied ,he was not elsewhere1 but did imply that somehow ,his presence in the ,temple was quite different from the way in which ,he was present elsewhere4 ,just then the same kind of difference between the presence of ,god in all created nature and ,his presence in the souls of the just is intended by the careful use in ,scripture of the word dwelling1 viz41 that ,god has1 over and above ,his ordinary presence in every single created thing1 a further and especial presence in the hearts of those in friendship with ,him by grace1 and this new presence is a fuller and richer presence whereby ,god's excellencies and perfections are more openly displayed4 #b4 ,another way in which the same idea is pressed home in the ,new ,testament is by the word sent or given4 ,frequently1 in the last discourse of ,our ,lord on the night before ,he suffered1 ,he spoke to the ,apostles of the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,paraclete1 the ,comforter who was to be sent or given4 ,now1 ordinarily1 by using the expression1 sending some one1 we imply that now the person sent is where he was not before1 that he has passed from here to there4 ,obviously ,our ,lord cannot really mean that only after ,his crucifixion and ascension would the ,holy ,ghost be found in the hearts of the ,apostles1 for we have already insisted that in every creature there must be1 by virtue of its very creation1 the ,holy ,spirit at the heart of it4 ,hence the only possible meaning is that the ,holy ,spirit will descend upon the ,apostles and become present within them after some new fashion in which ,he was not before4 ,because you are ,his children ,god has sent into your hearts the spirit of ,his ,son whereby you cry ,abba3 ,father 7,gal4 #d4f74 ,from the beginning the ,holy ,ghost had been within them2 now ,his presence there is new and productive of new effects4 #c4 ,by ,god's indwelling1 then1 effected by grace1 the ,holy ,spirit now is present in the soul differently from the way in which ,he is present by creation4 ,by creation ,he is wholly everywhere1 yet more in the higher forms than in the lower1 for ,he is able to express more of ,himself in them4 ,among these highest forms of visible creation1 namely1 man1 there are again degrees of ,his presence1 so that even among men ,he is more in one than in another4 ,this gradation is in proportion to their grace4 ,the more holy and sanctified they become1 the more does the ,holy ,spirit dwell in them1 the more fully is ,he sent1 the more completely given1 while the ,book of ,wisdom says expressly that ,god does not dwell in sinners4 ,as soon as ,i am in a state of grace the ,holy ,ghost dwells in me in this new and wonderful way1 takes up ,his presence in me in this new fashion4 ,it is precisely1 then1 by our faith and hope and love that this is effected1 so that the individual soul under ,god's own movement does help on this union of ,god and man4 ,in all the rest of creation ,god is present by ,his action2 in the souls of the just it is true to say that ,he is present by theirs4 ,,nature ,,of ,,this ,,presence #a4 ,we have taken it for granted that ,god then is present somehow in the soul by grace4 ,we have now to consider what sort of a presence this really is4 ,do we mean absolutely that ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 is truly in the soul ,himself1 or do we1 by some metaphor or vague expression1 mean that ,he is merely exerting ,himself there in some new and especial way8 ,perhaps it is only that by means of the sevenfold gifts ,he has got a tighter hold of us and can bring us more completely under the sweet dominion of ,his will4 ,all that is true1 but all that is not enough1 for we do absolutely mean what we say when we declare that by grace the ,holy ,spirit of ,god is present within the soul4 ,scripture is exceedingly full of the truth of this and is always insisting on this presence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,st4 ,paul1 especially1 notes it over and over again1 and in his epistle to the ,romans repeats it in very forcible language3 ,but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit1 if so be that the spirit of ,god dwell in you 7,romans #h4i71 and he goes on in that same chapter to imply that this presence is a part of grace4 #b4 ,to some it will seem curious to find that the ,fathers of the ,church in earliest ages were not only convinced of the fact of this presence1 but appealed triumphantly to it as accepted even by heretics4 ,when1 in the early days1 a long controversy raged as to whether the ,holy ,ghost was really ,god or not1 the ,fathers argued that since this indwelling of the ,spirit was acknowledged on all hands1 and since it was proper to ,god only to dwell in the heart of man1 the only possible conclusion was that the ,holy ,ghost was ,divine4 ,the value of the argument is not here in question1 but it is interesting to find that this presence was so generally believed in as part of the ,christian ,faith4 ,in the acts of the martyrs1 too1 there are frequent references to this1 as when ,st4 ,lucy declared to the judge that the ,spirit of ,god dwelt in her1 and that her body was in very truth the temple and shrine of ,god4 ,again1 ,eusebius relates in his history that ,leonidas1 the father of ,origen1 used to kneel by the bedside of the sleeping boy and devoutly and reverently kiss his breast as the tabernacle wherein ,god dwelt4 ,the child in his innocence and grace is indeed the fittest home on earth for ,god4 #c4 ,this presence1 then1 of ,god in the soul is a real1 true presence1 as real and as true as the presence of ,our ,lord ,himself in the ,blessed ,sacrament of the ,eucharist4 ,we look on all that mystery as very wonderful1 and indeed it is1 that day by day we can be made one with ,god the ,son by receiving ,his ,body and ,blood2 we know the value to be got out of visits to ,his hidden presence1 the quiet and calm peace such visits produce in our souls2 yet so long as we are in a state of grace the same holds true of the ,holy ,spirit within us4 ,we are not indeed made one with the ,holy ,ghost in a substantial union such as united together in the ,sacred ,incarnation ,god and man2 nor is there any overpowering of our personality so that it is swamped by a ,divine ,person1 but we retain it absolutely4 ,the simplest comparison is our union with ,our ,lord in the ,holy ,eucharist1 wherein we receive ,him really and truly and are made partakers of ,his divinity4 ,by grace1 then1 we receive really and truly ,god the ,holy ,ghost and are made partakers of ,his divinity4 ,if1 then1 we genuflect to the tabernacle in which the ,blessed ,sacrament is reserved and treat our ,communions as the most solemn moments of our day1 then equally we must hold in reverence every simple soul in a state of grace1 the souls of others and our own4 ,,the ,,mode ,,of ,,this ,,presence3 ,,object ,,of ,,knowledge #a4 ,the fact1 then1 of this presence has been established and its nature explained4 ,it is a real presence1 a real union between the soul and ,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,we have1 however1 a further point to elucidate1 the mode whereby this presence is effected4 ,now this is twofold in so far as this presence of the ,spirit affects the mind and heart of man4 ,first1 then1 we take the knowledge of ,god that by this presence is generated in the soul4 ,by natural knowledge we can argue not only to the existence of ,god1 but in some way also to ,his nature4 ,not only do we know from the world which ,he has made that ,he certainly must ,himself have a true existence1 but we can even1 gradually and carefully1 though certainly with some vagueness1 argue to ,god's own divine attributes4 ,his intelligence is evident1 ,his power1 ,his wisdom1 ,his beauty1 ,his providence1 ,his care for created nature4 ,the pagans merely from the world about them painfully1 and after many years and with much admixture of error1 could yet in the end have their beautiful thoughts about ,god1 and by some amazing instinct have stumbled upon truths which ,christianity came fully to establish4 ,the writings of ,plato and ,aristotle1 of some ,eastern teachers1 of some of the ,kings and priests of ,egypt1 are evidences of the possibility of the natural knowledge about ,god4 #b4 ,faith1 then1 came as something over and above the possibilities of nature1 not merely as regards the contents1 but also as regards the kind of knowledge4 ,reason argues to ,god1 and1 therefore1 attains ,god indirectly4 ,it is like getting an application by letter from an unknown person and guessing his character from the handwriting1 the paper1 the ink1 the spelling1 the style4 ,possibly by this means a very fair estimate may be formed of his capacities and his fitness for the position which we desire him to fill4 ,but faith implies a direct contact with the person who has written the letter4 ,before us is spread what ,longfellow has called the manuscript of ,god1 and from it we argue to ,god's character4 ,then faith comes and puts us straight into connection with ,god ,himself4 ,theological virtues are the names given to faith1 hope1 and charity1 because they all have ,god for their direct and proper object4 ,faith then attains to the very substance of ,god4 ,it is indeed inadequate in so far as all human forms of thought can only falteringly represent ,god as compared with the fullness that shall be revealed hereafter1 still for all that it gives us1 not indirect but direct knowledge of ,him4 ,i do not argue by faith to what ,god is like from seeing ,his handiwork2 but ,i know what ,he is like from ,his descriptions of ,himself4 #c4 ,now the indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god gives us a knowledge of ,god even more wonderful than faith gives1 for even faith has to be content with ,god's descriptions of ,himself4 ,in faith ,i am indeed listening to a ,person ,who is telling me all about ,himself4 ,he is the very truth and all ,he says is commended to me by the most solemn and certain of motives2 but ,i am still very far from coming absolutely into direct and absolute experience of ,god4 ,that1 indeed1 fully and absolutely1 can be achieved only in ,heaven4 ,it is only there in the beatific vision that the veils will be wholly torn aside and there will be a face to face sight of ,god1 no longer by means of created1 and therefore limited1 ideas1 but an absolute possession of ,god ,himself4 ,yet though absolutely ,i must wait for ,heaven before ,i can achieve this1 it is none the less true that ,i can begin it on earth by means of this indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,this real presence of ,god in my soul can secure for me what is called an experimental knowledge of ,god1 such as undoubtedly ,i do have4 ,it is not only that ,i believe1 but ,i know4 ,not only have ,i been told about ,god1 but1 at least1 in passing glimpses1 ,i have seen ,him4 ,we may almost say to the ,church what the men of ,sichar said to the woman of ,samaria1 ,we now believe1 not for thy saying1 for we ourselves have heard and know 7,john #d4db74 ,for the ,spirit ,himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of ,god 7,romans #h4af74 ,,mode ,,of ,,this ,,presence3 ,,object ,,of ,,love #a4 ,there is something that unites us more closely to our friends than knowledge does1 and this is love4 ,knowledge may teach us about them1 may unlock for us gradually throughout life ever more wonderful secrets of their goodness and strength and loyalty4 ,but knowledge of itself pushes us irresistibly on to something more4 ,the more we know of that which is worth knowing1 the more we must love it4 ,now love is greater than knowledge whenever knowledge itself does not really unite us to the object of our knowledge1 so that ,st4 ,paul can deliberately put charity above faith1 since faith is the knowledge of ,god by means of ideas which are themselves created and limited and inadequate1 while charity sweeps us up and carries us right along to ,god ,himself4 ,hence it was an axiom among the mediaeval theologians that love is more unifying than knowledge1 so that in the real indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit in our hearts we must expect to find not only that ,he is the object of our intelligence1 but also that ,he has a place in our hearts4 ,indeed1 it is impossible to conceive any experimental knowledge which does not also include in it the notion of love4 #b4 ,this love or friendship between ourselves and the ,holy ,spirit1 if by friendship we mean anything like that of which we have experience in our human relations1 implies three things4 ,first of all1 friendship implies that we do not love people for what we can get out of them1 for that would be an insult to a friend1 for it would mean selfishness or even animal passion4 ,friendship implies that we come for what we can give far more than that we come for what we can get4 ,we love because we have helped is more often the true order of the origins of friendship than we help because we have loved4 ,secondly1 friendship to be complete must be mutual4 ,there may indeed be love when some poor1 forlorn soul is here never requited in its affection1 but that is not what we mean by a friend or by friendship4 ,friendship implies action1 a fellow feeling1 a desire for each other1 a sympathy4 ,thirdly1 friendship also implies necessarily a common bond of likeness1 or similarity of condition or life1 some equality4 ,of course it is evident from classic instances that friendship may exist between a shepherd lad and the son of a king 7though perhaps ,jonathan's princedom was very little removed from shepherd life71 yet the very friendship itself must produce equality between them4 ,said the ,latin proverb3 ,friendship either finds1 or makes men equal4 #c4 ,now1 therefore1 to be perfectly literal in our use of the word1 we must expect to find these things reproduced in our friendship with the ,spirit of ,god2 and1 wonderful as it is1 these things are reproduced4 ,for ,god certainly loves us for no benefit that ,he can obtain from ,his love4 ,he certainly had no need of us1 nor do we in any sense fill up anything that is wanting to ,his life4 ,before we were1 or the world was created1 the ,ever ,blessed ,three in ,one enjoyed to the full the complete peace and joy and energy of existence4 ,we are no late development of ,his being1 but only came because of ,his inherent goodness that was always prodigal of itself4 ,he is our friend1 not for ,his need1 but for ours4 ,he is our friend1 not for what ,he could get1 but for what ,he could give--,his life4 ,again1 ,his friendship is certainly mutual1 for as ,st4 ,john tells3 ,let us therefore love ,god because ,god first hath loved us 7,john #d4ai74 ,there is no yearning on our part which is not more than paralleled on ,his4 ,i can say not only that ,i love ,god1 but that ,he is my friend4 ,thirdly1 ,i may even dare to assert that there is a common bond of likeness and equality between myself and ,him4 ,he has stooped to my level only that ,he may lift me to ,his own4 ,he became ,man that ,he might make man ,god1 and so1 equally1 the ,holy ,spirit dwells in me that ,i may dwell in ,him4 ,friendship either finds1 or makes men equal4 ,it found us apart1 it makes us one4 ,he came divine1 perfect1 to me1 human1 imperfect4 ,by grace ,i am raised to a supernatural level4 ,i know ,him in some sort as ,he is2 ,i am immediately united to ,him by the bond of love4 ,,this ,,presence ,,is ,,of ,,the ,,same ,,nature ,,as ,,that ,,in ,,heaven #a4 ,this union1 then1 between ,god and my soul1 effected by grace1 is real and true4 ,it is something more than faith can secure1 a nearer relationship1 a deeper1 more personal knowledge1 a more ardent and personal love4 ,indeed1 so wonderful is the union effected that the teaching of the ,church has been forcibly expressed in ,pope ,leo ,,xiii's ,encyclical1 by saying that the only difference between it and the ,vision of ,heaven is a difference of condition or state1 a difference purely accidental1 not essential4 ,heaven1 with all its meaning1 its wonders of which eye and ear and heart are ignorant1 can be begun here4 ,moreover1 it must be insisted upon1 that this is not merely given to chosen souls whose sanctity is so heroic as to qualify them for canonization2 it is the heritage of every soul in a state of grace4 ,when ,i step outside the confessional box after due repentance and the absolution of the priest1 ,i am in a state of grace4 ,at once1 then1 this blessed union takes effect4 ,within me is the ,holy ,spirit1 dwelling there1 sent1 given4 ,as the object of knowledge ,he can be experienced by me in a personal and familiar way4 ,i can know ,him even as ,i am known4 ,as the object of love ,he becomes my friend1 stooping to my level1 lifting me to ,his4 ,at once1 then1 though still in a merely rudimentary way1 can dawn upon me the glories of my ultimate reward4 ,even already1 upon earth1 ,i have crossed the threshold of ,heaven4 #b4 ,in order for me to enjoy that ultimate vision of ,god1 two things will be necessary for me4 ,first1 ,i shall need to be strengthened so as to survive the splendor and joy of it4 ,no man can see ,god and live1 for like ,st4 ,paul on the road to ,damascus1 the splendor of the vision would wholly obscure the sight4 ,just as a tremendous noise will strain the hearing of the ear1 or an overbright light will dazzle the eyes to blindness1 or an overwhelming joy will break the heart with happiness1 so would the vision of ,god strike with annihilation the poor weak soul4 ,hence the light of glory1 as it is called by the theologians1 has to be brought into use4 ,by this is meant that strengthening of the human faculties which enables them without harm to confront the ,truth1 ,goodness1 ,power1 ,beauty of ,god4 ,secondly1 this vision implies an immediate contact with ,god4 ,it is no question simply of faith or hope1 but of sight and possession1 so that there should be no more veils1 no more reproductions or reflections of ,god1 but ,god ,himself4 ,those two things sum up what we mean by the ,beatific ,vision4 ,now1 then1 if there is a similarity of kind between that union in heaven and the union that can be reflected on earth1 then grace in this life must play the part of the light of glory in the next1 and ,i must be able in consequence to enter into personal relations and immediate contact with ,god4 #c4 ,such1 then1 is the likeness between the indwelling of the ,spirit on earth1 and the beatific vision4 ,wherein comes the difference8 ,the difference one may say is largely a difference of consciousness4 ,here on earth ,i have so much to distract me that ,i cannot possibly devote myself in the same way as then ,i shall be able to do4 ,there are things here that have got to be done1 and there is the body itself which can only stand a certain amount of concentration and intensity4 ,if strained too much it just breaks down and fails4 ,all this complicates and hampers me4 ,but in heaven ,i shall take on something 7of course a great deal intensified7 of the consciousness and alertness of youth4 ,a child can thoroughly enjoy itself1 for it has got the happy faculty of forgetting the rest of life1 all its troubles1 anxieties1 fears4 ,heaven1 then1 means the lopping off of all those menaces1 and the consequent full appreciation of ,god in knowledge and love4 ,hence ,i must not be disturbed if here on earth all these wonderful things which ,i learn about concerning the indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit do not seem to take place4 ,it is very unfortunate that ,i do not appreciate them1 but it is something at least to know that they are there4 ,it is a nuisance that ,i do not see ,him1 but it is something at least to be certain ,he is within me4 ,,this ,,presence ,,common ,,to ,,the ,,whole ,,trinity #a4 ,so far it has been taken for granted that this indwelling is proper to the ,holy ,spirit1 but it must now be added that indeed it is really an indwelling of the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,it is true that very seldom does ,scripture speak of the ,three ,persons as dwelling in the soul1 still less of ,their being given or sent4 ,but every reason for which we attribute this to the ,holy ,ghost would hold equally well of the other ,two ,persons4 ,by grace we are made partakers of ,god's ,divine nature2 ,he comes to us as the object of our knowledge and our love4 ,why should we suppose that this ,divine ,presence applies directly only to the ,spirit of ,god8 ,the only reason1 of course1 is the impressive wording of the ,new ,testament4 ,but even here there are equally strong indications that more than the ,holy ,ghost is implied3 ,if any man will love ,me he will keep ,my word1 and ,my ,father will love him1 and ,we will come to him1 and will make ,our abode with him4 4 4 4 ,but the ,paraclete1 the ,holy ,ghost1 whom the ,father will send in ,my name1 ,he will teach you all things and bring all things to your mind whatsoever ,i shall have said to you4 ,here1 then1 it is clearly stated that after ,our ,lord has died ,his teaching will be upheld by the ,spirit1 but that this indwelling will include also the abiding presence of ,father and ,son4 #b4 ,why1 then1 is it repeated so often that the ,holy ,ghost is to be sent into our hearts1 is to be given to us1 is to dwell in our midst8 ,it is for the same reason precisely that we allocate or attribute certain definite acts to the ,blessed ,persons of the ,trinity so as the more easily to discern and appreciate the distinction between ,them4 ,in the ,creed itself we attribute creation to ,god1 the ,father ,almighty1 though we know that ,son and ,spirit1 also with the ,father1 called the world out of nothingness4 ,eternity is often1 too1 looked upon as peculiarly of the ,father1 though naturally it is common to the ,trinity4 ,note how frequently in the liturgical prayers of the ,church comes the expression1 ,o1 ,eternal ,father4 ,so again to the ,son we attribute ,wisdom and ,beauty1 turning in our imagination to ,him as the ,word of ,god1 the ,figure of ,his substance1 the brightness of ,his glory1 and to the ,holy ,spirit we more often attribute ,god's love and ,god's joy4 ,all these attributions are attempts to make that high mystery and the ,three ,persons of ,it alive and distinctive to the human spirit4 ,it is not indeed wholly fancy1 but it is the ever active reason endeavoring1 for its own better understanding of sacred truths1 to give some hint1 or find some loophole1 whence it shall not be overwhelmed with the greatness of its faith4 #c4 ,consequently1 it must be noted that this indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god is not so absolutely and distinctly proper to ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost1 as the ,incarnation is proper to ,god1 the ,son4 ,there the ,son1 and ,he alone1 became man4 ,it was ,his personality alone to which was joined1 in a substantial union1 human nature4 ,but in this present case there is no such unique connection between the soul and the ,spirit of ,god1 but it is rather the ,ever ,blessed ,trinity itself that enters into occupation1 and dwells in the heart4 ,of course that makes the wonder not less1 but greater4 ,to think that within the borders of my being is conducted the whole life of the ,ever ,blessed ,three in ,one2 that the ,father is for ever knowing ,himself in the ,son1 and that ,father and ,son are forever loving ,themselves in the ,spirit2 that the power and eternity of the ,father1 whereby creation was called into being1 and by whose fiat the visible world will one day break up and fall to pieces2 that the wisdom and beauty of the ,son1 which catch the soul of man as in the meshes of a net1 and drove generations of men to a wandering pilgrimage1 at the peril of life1 to rescue an empty tomb in the wild fury of a crusade2 that the love of the ,holy ,spirit which completes the life of ,god1 and was typified in the tongues of fire and the rush of a great wind at ,pentecost2 that the power and eternity of the ,father1 the wisdom and beauty of the ,son1 the love and joy of the ,spirit1 are for all time in my heart4 ,o1 what reverence for my human home of ,god1 reverence alike for soul and body6 ,,this ,,presence ,,has ,,certain ,,effects #a4 ,it is very clear that so tremendous a presence as this indwelling implies must have tremendous results4 ,if1 as ,i believe1 ,father1 and ,son1 and ,spirit1 are always within me by grace1 the effect upon my soul should be considerable4 ,to begin with1 the very nearness to ,god which this indwelling secures must make a great difference to my outlook on life4 ,to have within me the ,ever ,blessed ,trinity is more than an honor1 it is a responsibility2 it is more than responsibility1 for it is the greatest grace of all4 ,to my faith1 it makes the whole difference in my attitude to the ,mother of ,god that within her womb for those silent months lay the ,incarnate ,wisdom4 ,if to touch pitch is to ensure defilement1 to be so close to ,god is to catch the infection of ,his ,divinity4 ,or1 again1 ,i may have envied1 times out of number1 the wonderful grace whereby1 upon the breast of his ,master1 ,st4 ,john1 the ,beloved ,disciple1 could lovingly lay his head1 the joy of so close and so familiar an intimacy with the most beautiful sons of men2 or ,i may have pictured the charming scene when on ,his knees ,he took the dear children of ,his country and spoke to them and fondled them so that in ,his eyes they could see reflected their own countenances4 ,how life ever after must have been transfigured for them by the memory of that glorious time6 ,great graces indeed for them all4 ,but what if all life long1 by grace1 ,i too can be sure of a union even more splendid1 an intimacy more lasting1 a friendship surpassing the limits of faith and hope8 #b4 ,by grace1 then1 ,i receive this indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god1 and thereby come into a new and wonderful union with the ,ever ,blessed ,trinity4 ,now such a union must have its purpose4 ,our ,lord told us that ,he was going to send to our hearts the ,holy ,spirit1 an embassy from ,heaven to earth conducted by a ,divine ambassador4 ,the news of the ,incarnation1 the offer of the ,motherhood of ,god1 were made by means of an angel4 ,but here1 in my case1 to no created official is this wonderful thing confided1 only to ,god ,himself4 ,that just shows me the importance of the undertaking4 ,in the political world the interests that turn on a diplomatic mission may be easily guessed to be very great1 when the personnel of the staff is found to contain the highest personages in the country4 ,what deep and abiding interests must then be in question when to my soul comes ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost1 sent as the messenger of the ,three6 ,i must consequently expect that the results of this indwelling are judged by ,god to be considerable1 and that it is of much moment to me that1 one by one1 ,i should discover them4 ,the ,incarnation brought its train of attendant effects which ,i have to study3 the redemption1 the sacraments1 the sanctifying of all immaterial creation by its union through man with the divinity4 ,this indwelling also must therefore have its effects1 the knowledge of which must necessarily make a difference to me in life4 #c4 ,by ,baptism the beginning comes of this great grace4 ,as a child1 with my senses hardly at all awake to external life1 ,i had ,god in my midst4 ,do ,i wonder now at the charm of early innocence1 when a soul sits silently holding ,god as its centre8 ,it is not that there are dim memories of a preexistence before birth1 but there are always haunting dreams of a true friendship on earth4 ,baptism then begins that early work4 ,at the moment of conversion1 when suddenly ,i was drawn into a tender realization of ,god's demands and my own heart's hunger1 the indwelling of the ,spirit became more consciously operative with its flood of light and love4 ,since then the sacraments have poured out on me fuller measures of ,god's grace and that divine ,presence therefore should assume larger proportions in my life4 ,i am now the dwelling place of ,god4 ,when1 then1 my heart is young1 eager1 enthusiastic1 let me make ,him welcome2 nor wait till the only habitation ,i can offer is in ruins1 leaking through an ill-patched roof4 ,a dwelling place for ,god6 ,how reverently1 then1 shall ,i treat and treasure my body and soul1 for they must be as fit as ,i can make them for the great ,guest4 ,by reason we learn of ,him1 by faith we know ,him1 but by ,his indwelling we taste the sweetness of ,his presence4 ,,forgiveness ,,of ,,sin #a4 ,to understand this first and great effect of grace ,i must know what sin is1 and to grasp sin in its fullness ,i must comprehend ,god4 ,to see the heinousness of what is done against ,him ,i must first realize what ,he is ,himself4 ,i have to go through all my ideas of ,god1 my ideas of ,his majesty1 ,his power1 ,his tenderness1 ,his justice1 ,his mercy4 ,i have got to realize all that ,he has done for man before ,i can take in the meaning of man's actions against ,god4 ,i have to be conscious of the ,incarnation1 of the story of that perfect life1 the privations of it1 the culminating horror of the ,passion and ,death1 then of the ,resurrection1 the patient teaching of those forty days when ,he spoke of the ,kingdom of ,god which ,he was setting up on earth1 the ,ascension1 which did not mean an end1 but only the beginning of ,his work for men on earth4 ,at once there opened the wonderful stream of graces which flow through the sacraments1 and which therefore make continuous upon the world till its consummation1 ,his abiding presence1 for the tale of the ,blessed ,sacrament only adds to the wonders of the tenderness and mercy of ,god4 ,in ,heaven1 by ever trying to make intercession for us1 on earth1 by holding out through the sacraments countless ways of grace1 ,it shows to us something at least of the perfect character of ,god4 ,now it is against one so perfect1 so tender1 so divine1 that sin is committed1 a wanton1 brutal outrage against an almost overfond love4 ,ingratitude1 treachery1 disloyalty1 united in the basest form4 #b4 ,god is just1 as well as merciful1 so that there had to be an immediate result of sin4 ,man might see no difference between himself before and after he had sinned2 but for all that a great difference was set up4 ,his soul had been on terms of friendship with ,god1 for it had turned irresistibly to ,him1 as a flower growing in a dark place turns irresistibly to where the hardy daylight makes its way into the gloom4 ,that friendship is at once broken1 for sin means that the soul has deliberately turned its back upon ,god and is facing the other way1 and thus it has been able by some fatal power to prevent ,god's everlasting love having any effect upon it4 ,god cannot hate2 but we can stop ,his love from touching us4 ,at once1 then1 by grievous sin the soul becomes despoiled of its supernatural goods3 sanctifying grace1 which is the pledge and expression of ,god's friendship1 naturally is banished2 charity1 which is nothing else than the love of ,god1 the infused virtues1 the gifts1 are all taken away4 ,faith only and hope survive1 but emptied of their richness of life4 ,externally no difference1 but internally friendship with ,god1 the right to the eternal heritage1 the merits heretofore stored up--all lost4 ,even ,god ,himself goes out from the midst of the soul1 as the ,romans heard the voice crying from the ,temple just before its destruction3 ,let us go hence4 ,let us go hence4 #c4 ,grace1 then1 operates to restore all these lost wonders4 ,sin itself is forgiven1 all the ingratitude and disloyalty put one side2 not simply in the sense that ,god forgets them1 or chooses not to consider them1 but in the sense that they are completely wiped away4 ,it is the parable of the ,good ,shepherd where the sheep is brought back again into the fold1 and mixes freely with the others who have never left the presence of their ,master4 ,it is the parable of the prodigal son taken back into his father's embrace4 ,that is what the forgiveness of sin implies4 ,god is once more back again in the soul4 ,he had always been there as the ,creator without ,whose supporting hand the soul would be back in its nothingness2 but ,he is now there again as ,father1 and ,master1 and ,friend4 ,not the saints only who have been endowed with a genius for divine things1 but every simple soul that has had its sins forgiven1 comes at once into that embrace4 ,we are far too apt to look upon forgiveness as a merely negative thing1 a removal1 a cleansing1 and not enough as a return to something great and good and beautiful1 the triumphant entrance into our souls of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,spirit4 ,,justification #a4 ,there is something in the forgiveness of sin which implies an element of positive good1 and this is called justification4 ,it means that the attitude of ,god towards forgiven sin is believed by the ,catholic ,church to be no mere neglect or forgetfulness of its evil1 but an actual and complete forgiveness4 ,at the time of the ,protestant ,reformation a long controversy was waged over this very point1 in which the ,reformers took up the curious position that forgiveness implied nothing more than that ,god did not impute sin4 ,he covered up the iniquities of the soul with the ,blood of ,his ,son1 and no longer peered beneath the depths of that sacred and saving sign4 ,the problem has probably hardly any meaning now1 since the original doctrinal principles of ,protestantism1 the ostensible reasons for the sixteenth century revolt1 have been abandoned long since as hopeless of defence4 ,in fact all that was really positive in ,protestantism has been ruined by its basic negative principle of private judgment4 ,against such a battering ram ,christianity itself is powerless4 ,but that long-forgotten discussion had this much of value1 that it brought out in clear perspective the fullness of the ,catholic teaching on the central doctrine of justification and showed its depth and meaning4 #b4 ,briefly1 then1 it may be stated that it is not simply that ,god does not impute evil1 but that ,he forgives it4 ,it is as though a rebellion had taken place and its leader had been captured and brought before his offended sovereign4 ,now the king might do either of two things1 if he wished not to punish the culprit4 ,he might simply bid him go off and never appear again1 or he might go even further by actually forgiving the rebellion and receiving back into favor the rebel4 ,it is one thing to say that no punishment will be awarded1 it is another to say that the crime is forgiven1 and that everything is to go on as though nothing had happened4 ,in the first case we might say that the king chose not to impute the sin1 in the other that he forgave and justified the sinner4 ,it is just this1 then1 that the ,catholic ,church means when she teaches justification as implied in the idea of forgiveness4 ,it is just this1 too1 that ,our ,lord meant when ,he detailed ,his beautiful parable about the prodigal son4 ,the boy's return home does not mean merely that the father refrains from punishment1 but rather that there is a welcome so hearty and so complete that the serious-minded elder brother1 coming in from his long labor in the fields1 is rather scandalized by its suddenness and its intensity4 ,such is indeed ,god's treatment of the soul4 ,he is so generous1 so determined not to be outdone by any sorrow on the part of the sinner1 that ,he overwhelms with the most splendid favors the recently converted soul4 #c4 ,but in this connection we must see in justification a process by which the ,presence of ,god is again achieved by man4 ,by sin grace was lost1 and with grace went out the ,divine ,three in ,one1 the temple was desecrated1 the veil of the ,holy of ,holies was utterly rent4 ,then sin is forgiven and1 once more1 the ,sacred home is occupied by ,god4 ,moreover1 when ,god comes to the soul ,he comes with ,his full strength of love1 and thereby gives a new energy and life to man4 ,we love because of some beauty1 goodness1 excellence1 that we see in others4 ,we love1 then1 because of what is in them4 ,it is their gifts that cause or ignite our love4 ,but ,god1 ,who is the only cause ,himself1 creates excellences by love4 ,we are not loved because we are good2 we are good because we are loved1 so that this indwelling itself fashions us after ,god's own heart4 ,it is the love of ,god1 says ,st4 ,thomas 7,summa theologica1 i1 #bj4b71 that produces and creates goodness in things4 ,the divine presence1 then1 of ,god in the soul1 effected by sanctifying grace1 makes the soul more worthy a temple1 more fit a home4 ,god does not come to us because we are fit1 but we are fit because ,god comes to us4 ,,deification #a4 ,this very strong expression is used by ,st4 ,augustine and many of the ,fathers to describe one of the effects of grace4 ,by grace we are deified1 i4 e41 made into gods4 ,right at the beginning of all the woes of humanity when1 in the ,garden of ,eden1 ,adam and ,eve first were tempted1 the lying spirit promised that the reward of disobedience would be that they should become as gods4 ,the result of sin could hardly be that1 so man1 made only a little lower than the angels1 can at times find himself rebuked by the very beasts4 ,yet the promise became in the end fulfilled1 since the ,incarnation really affected that transformation1 and ,god1 by becoming human1 made man himself divine4 ,st4 ,peter1 in his second epistle 7#d4a71 insinuates the same truth when he describes the great promises of ,christ making us partakers of the ,divine ,nature4 ,the work1 then1 of grace is something superhuman and divine4 ,creation pours into us the divine gift of existence and therefore makes us partakers in the divine being1 for existence implies a participation in the being of ,god4 ,the indwelling of the ,blessed ,trinity1 then1 does even more1 for by it we participate not only in the divine being1 but in the divine nature1 and fulfill the prophecy of ,our ,lord3 ,ye are gods4 ,justification1 therefore1 is a higher gift than creation1 since it does more for us4 #b4 ,this divine participation is what is implied in many texts which allude to the sacrament of ,baptism1 for the purpose of ,baptism is just that1 to make us children of ,god4 ,the phrases concerning new birth and being born again all are intended to convey the same idea1 that the soul by means of this sacrament is lifted above its normal existence and lives a new life4 ,this life is lived with ,christ in ,god1 i4 e41 it is a sort of entrance within the charmed circle of the ,trinity1 or1 more accurately1 it is that the ,blessed ,trinity inhabits our soul and enters into our own small life1 which at once therefore takes on a new and higher importance4 ,in it henceforth there can be nothing small or mean4 ,for the same reason ,our ,lord speaks of it to the ,samaritan woman as the gift of ,god1 beside which all ,his other benefactions fade into nothingness4 ,again1 it is a fountain of living water1 it is a refreshment1 it is life itself4 ,not the stagnant water that remains in a pool in some dark wood1 but a stream gushing out from its source1 fertilizing the ground on every side1 soaking through to all the thirsting roots about it1 giving freshness and vitality to the whole district through which it wanders4 ,life indeed it bears as its great gift2 and so does sanctifying grace carry within it the fertilizing power needed by the soul4 #c4 ,the participation in the ,divine ,nature is therefore no mere metaphor1 but is a real fact4 ,the indwelling of ,god makes the soul like to ,god4 ,i find myself influenced by the people with whom ,i live1 picking up their expressions1 copying their tricks and habits1 following out their thoughts1 absorbing their principles1 growing daily like them4 ,with ,god at the centre of my life the same effect is produced1 and slowly1 patiently1 almost unconsciously1 ,i find myself infected by ,his spirit4 ,what ,he loves becomes my ideal2 what ,he hates1 my detestation4 ,but it is even closer than this1 no mere concord of wills nor harmony of ideas1 a real and true elevation to the life of ,god4 ,grace is formally in ,god1 at the back1 so to say1 of ,his divine nature1 the inner essence of ,himself4 ,by receiving it1 therefore1 ,i receive something of ,god1 and begin to be able to perform divine actions4 ,i can begin to know ,god even as ,i am known1 to taste ,his sweetness1 and by ,his favor to have personal1 experimental knowledge of ,himself4 ,to act divinely is only possible to those who are made divine4 ,this1 then1 becomes the formal union with ,god1 its terms1 its end1 its purpose4 ,deified1 therefore1 we become in our essence by grace1 in our intelligence by its light1 in our will by charity4 ,,adopted ,,sonship #a4 ,here again we have to realize that the sonship of ,god is no mere metaphor1 no mere name1 but a deep and true fact of huge significance3 ,behold what manner of charity the ,father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called and should be the sons of ,god6 7#a ,john #c74 ,we become the sons of ,god4 ,st4 ,paul very gladly quotes the saying of a ,greek poet that men are the offspring of ,god1 making use of a particular word which necessarily implies that both the begetter and the begotten are of the same nature4 ,a sonship indeed is what ,our ,lord is ,himself incessantly teaching the ,apostles to regard as their high privilege1 for ,god is not only ,his ,father1 but theirs3 ,thus shalt thou pray1 ,our ,father4 ,with the ,gospels it is in constant use as the view of ,god that ,christianity came especially to teach4 ,the ,epistles are equally insistent on the same view1 for ,st4 ,paul is perpetually calling to mind the wonderful prerogatives whereby we cry1 ,abba3 ,father4 ,we are spoken of as co-heirs of ,christ1 as children of ,god4 ,st4 ,john1 ,st4 ,peter1 and ,st4 ,james repeat the same message as the evident result of the ,incarnation1 for by it we learn that ,god became the ,son of ,man1 and man the son of ,god4 #b4 ,yet it must also be admitted that this sonship of ,god1 which is the common property of all just souls1 and is the result of the indwelling of ,god in the soul1 does not mean that we are so by nature1 but only by adoption4 ,now adoption1 as it is practiced by law1 implies that the child to be adopted is not already the son1 that the new relationship is entered upon entirely at the free choice of the person adopting1 that the child becomes the legal heir to the inheritance of the adopting father4 ,it is perfectly evident that all these conditions are fulfilled in the case of ,god's adoption1 for we were certainly no children of ,his before ,his adoption of us as sons2 strangers we were1 estranged indeed by the absence of grace and the high gifts of ,god4 ,naturally we were made by ,him1 but had put ourselves far from ,him3 ,you were as sheep going astray4 ,then this adoption of us by ,god was indeed and could only have been at ,his free choice1 through no merits of ours1 but solely according to the deliberate action of ,his own will1 for you have not chosen ,me but ,i have chosen you4 ,so that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth1 but of ,god that showeth mercy4 ,finally1 the inheritance is indeed ours by right and title of legal inheritance4 ,we are co-heirs with ,christ1 and our human nature is lifted up to the level of ,god2 not1 of course1 that we supplant ,him who is by nature the true ,son of ,god1 but that we are taken into partnership with ,him1 and share in ,him the wonderful riches of ,god4 #c4 ,here1 then1 ,i may learn the worth and dignity of the ,christian name4 ,i am a true son of ,god1 and what else matters upon earth8 ,i have indeed to go about my life with its vocation and all that is entailed in it4 ,i have to work for my living1 it may be1 or take my place in the family1 or lead my own solitary existence4 ,i have to strive to be efficient and effective in the material things of life that fall to my share to be done4 ,but it is this sonship of ,god that alone makes any matter in the world4 ,in our own time we have heard a very great deal about culture and the ultimate value of the world2 but we have seen also to what evil ends so fine a truth may lead men4 ,true culture is not a question of scientific attainments1 or mechanical progress1 or the discovery of new inventions of destruction1 or even of medical and useful sciences2 but it is the perfect and complete development of the latent powers of the soul4 ,true culture may indeed make use of sciences and art2 perhaps in its most complete sense science and art are needed for the most finished culture of which man is capable2 but it is in its very essence the deepening of his truest desire1 the full stretch of his widest flights of fancy1 the achievement of his noblest ideals4 ,what nobler ideal1 or fancy1 or desire1 can a man have than to be called and to be the son of ,god2 to know that he has been drawn into the close union of ,god2 to feel within his very essence the presence of ,god2 to have personal experience as the objects of his knowledge and love of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit8 ,,heirs ,,of ,,god #a4 ,one of the conditions of adoption is that the newly chosen son should become the legal heir of the new father4 ,without this legal result or consequence adoption has no meaning4 ,merely to get a boy to enter a family circle does not imply adoption1 for this last has a distinct meaning with a distinct purpose4 ,if1 then1 we are the heirs of ,god we are really possessed of a right to ,his ,divine ,inheritance4 ,heaven has been made indeed our home4 ,we speak of it in our hymns as patria1 which we can translate as the land of our fathers4 ,we claim it thereby in virtue of our parentage1 and our parentage is of ,god4 ,if1 then1 ,he is our ,father1 not by nature1 but by adoption1 i4 e41 by grace1 we are none the less ,his heirs and have some sort of right over ,his possessions and riches4 ,a father cannot without leave of his adopted son alienate any of the family heirlooms2 the adopted son now1 by the father's own free act acquires1 not indeed dominion over the riches of the home1 but1 at any rate1 an embargo on the father's free exercise of those riches4 ,he could even demand1 as against his father1 a legal investigation into the due use and investment of them4 ,his signature is required for every document that relates to them4 ,he has become almost a part-owner of his father's possessions1 since he is their legal heir4 ,all this is implied by adoption in its true sense1 and therefore it must be intended to apply to us when we are spoken of as ,god's adopted sons4 #b4 ,i can1 therefore1 truthfully speak of myself as an heir of ,god4 ,of course ,i cannot mean that there is any possible question of the death of the testator1 i4 e41 of ,god4 ,that is quite clearly of no significance here4 ,but adoption does give me some sort of claim to the heritage of ,god4 ,now the law defines a heritage as that by which a man is made rich4 ,it includes not the riches only1 but the source of the riches1 so that if ,i have a claim to ,god's riches1 ,i have a claim also upon the source of those riches4 ,for the heir is entitled not merely to a legacy1 but to the whole of the fortune4 ,i have a right to the whole fortune of ,god1 to the whole universe4 ,at once1 as soon as ,i realize it1 the whole of the world is mine4 ,it is the doctrine of the mystics that1 misunderstood1 led astray the communists of the ,middle ,ages4 ,these claimed a common ownership of the wealth of all the world1 whereas what was intended was that we should look upon the whole world as ours4 ,to me1 then1 in life1 nothing can be strange or distant or apart4 ,no places can there be where my mind cannot enter and roam at will and feel itself at home2 no things can be profane1 no people who are not tabernacles of ,god1 no part of life that is not steeped in that living presence4 ,the only possible boundary is the love and the grace of ,god4 ,there will indeed come evil frontiers beyond which my soul could never dwell4 ,but all else is of ,god and is therefore my right4 ,all creation is mine2 the wonder and beauty of it1 life and death1 pleasure alike and pain1 yield up to me their secrets and disclose the hidden name of ,god4 #c4 ,here1 then1 ,i can find that divine wealth1 to inherit which has been the purpose of the adoption by ,god4 ,wherever ,i turn ,i shall find ,him4 ,whether life has smooth ways or rough1 whether she hangs my path with lights or hides me in gloom1 ,i am the heir to all that earth or sea or sky can boast of as their possession4 ,indeed1 these are only the rich things of ,god1 whereas ,i have a claim upon even more4 ,i have a claim upon the very source of this wealth1 that is1 upon ,god ,himself1 for ,he is the sole source of all ,his greatness4 ,i have a right to ,god ,himself4 ,he is mine4 ,he ,who holds in the hollow of ,his hands the fabric of the world1 ,who with ,his divine power supports1 and with ,his providence directs1 the intricate pattern of the world1 has ,himself by creation entered deeply into the world2 at the heart of everything ,he lies hid4 ,but even more by grace ,he comes in a fuller1 richer way into the depths of the soul4 ,here in me are ,father1 and ,son1 and ,spirit4 ,dear ,god1 teach me to understand the wonder of this indwelling1 to appreciate its worth1 to be thankful for its condescension1 to reverence its place of choice1 to be conscious of its perpetual upholding4 ,by it ,i am an heir to the fullness of the divine riches4 ,by it ,i1 a creature1 possess in ,his fullness my ,creator1 ,redeemer1 ,lord4 ,,guidance ,,in ,,spiritual ,,life #a4 ,i have ,god the ,holy ,spirit with me4 ,he comes to me in order that ,i may surrender myself to ,him4 ,of course ,i cannot merge my personality in ,his to the extent of having no power of my own1 but ,god has such infinite dominion over the heart of man that ,he is able to move the will1 without in any sense whatever violating its freedom4 ,in the liturgy of the ,church there are two or three prayers which speak about ,god compelling our rebellious wills4 ,now for anyone else to compel my will would be to destroy it as a will1 since1 as even ,cromwell freely confessed1 the will suffereth no compulsion2 ,i cannot be made to will against my will4 ,that would be a contradiction1 though ,i can be made to act against my will1 for my actions do not necessarily imply that my will is in them4 ,whereas1 then1 no one else can move my will without utterly destroying my moral freedom1 ,god can1 for ,he is intimate to the will and moves it1 not really as an external but as an internal power4 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas repeatedly refers to this and says over and over again the same thing1 namely1 that ,god is so intimately united to man1 and so powerful1 that not only can ,he move man to will1 but move him to will freely by affecting1 not only the action of man1 but the very mode of the action4 #b4 ,such is man1 whether in a state of grace or not1 that his will is in the hands of ,god1 to be moved by man freely1 but not so as to exclude ,god's movement4 ,naturally enough it is far easier to say this than to explain it4 ,indeed the mere statement is all that is actually binding upon faith1 and the particular explanation favored by ,st4 ,thomas in his general acceptance of ,st4 ,augustine's teaching1 comes to us largely as of deep and abiding moment on account of the very clear reasons given and the great authority of his name2 but in any case there is something far more special in the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit sought for by the soul in its endeavor to live godly in ,christ ,jesus4 ,it has to yield itself to the promptings of ,god1 be eager to catch ,his every whisper1 and quick in its obedience to ,his every call4 ,for this to be achieved1 the first work is an emptying out of the soul4 ,every obstacle has to be got rid of2 any attachment to creatures that obscures ,god's light has to be broken through 7though not every attachment to creatures1 since unless ,i love man whom ,i see1 ,i cannot possibly know what love means when applied to ,god1 nor can ,i suppose myself to be able to understand or love ,god1 whom ,i do not see74 ,first1 then1 to cleanse my soul by leveling and smoothing and clearing its surface and depths4 #c4 ,then ,i must yield myself into ,his arms4 ,i shall not know very often the way ,he wishes me to go4 ,it may be only one step at a time1 and then darkness again2 or ,i may be taken swiftly and surely and openly along a clear road4 ,that is ,his business1 not mine1 only ,i must be prepared not to be able to follow always the meaning of what ,he wants of me4 ,it is not necessary at all that ,i should know4 ,if ,i am faithful and loyal and full of trust1 things will gradually settle themselves1 and ,i shall at least be able to look back and understand the significance and purpose of many things that at first appeared accidental1 and even in opposition to the end ,i considered ,god had in view for me4 ,thus by looking back ,i can sometimes get a shrewd idea of what is to follow2 but often it is only a guess1 nothing more than that4 ,still1 generally1 it would seem that people who surrender themselves to ,god do get a sense or a feeling which leads them right and makes them sure4 ,it is the divine tenderness stooping to poor muddled humanity and making it transfigured with ,god's own glory4 ,the advance1 then1 whether consciously grasped or not1 is in due proportion to the purity and fidelity of the soul1 purity in its act of cleansing1 fidelity in its subjection to the promptings of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,gifts ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit #a4 ,to live the spiritual life to its fullness we need the instinctive governances of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,all day long1 and even all through the hours when consciousness is asleep1 the ,holy ,spirit is speaking to us in many ways4 ,he is offering us ,his heavenly counsel1 enlightening our minds to an ever more complete understanding of the deep truths of faith1 and generally imparting to us that deep knowledge without which we cannot make advance4 ,reason and common sense have their own contribution to make in opening our minds and hearts to a proper interpretation of all that is about us and within us2 but reason and common sense have themselves also to be supernaturalized1 to be illumined by the light of a far higher plane of truth4 ,hence the need of this divine instinct is patent to anyone who considers the purpose and destiny of the soul4 ,but it is difficult at times to understand and to grasp surely the words of divine wisdom1 since by sin's coarseness the refinement of the soul is dulled and rendered but little responsive2 or1 rather1 it is not so much a matter of being responsive to a message as primarily of hearing and understanding it4 ,it seems to be very obvious that ,god must be speaking to me almost without ceasing2 it is equally obvious that very little of this is noticed4 #b4 ,here1 then1 am ,i in the world and needing the governance of ,god's instinct4 ,here1 too1 is this whispered counsel and enlightenment of ,god1 perpetually being made to me4 ,yet1 though made by ,god1 and needed by me1 this counsel and enlightenment1 ,i can be certain1 must frequently be entirely lost to me4 ,it is as though ,i lived in a perfectly beautiful country1 with stretching landscape about1 and beautiful glimpses of hills and woodland1 and yet never saw or appreciated the view2 as though heavenly music were about me1 to which ,i never paid the slightest attention2 as though my best loved friend stood by me and ,i never lifted my eyes1 and so did not know of his presence4 ,of course it is really a great deal worse than that1 for ,i do not need with an absolute necessity the view1 or the music1 or the friend2 whereas ,i do most certainly need this divinely offered help1 guidance1 enlightenment4 ,hence it is clear that neither my need nor ,god's instinct suffice4 ,something else is required by means of which ,i am able to make use of that instinct1 to hear its message1 to discover its meaning1 to apply its advice to myself2 else am ,i no better than a general who possesses the full plan of his allies1 in all its details1 but written in a cypher that he cannot read4 #c4 ,to produce this reaction or perception is the work of the sevenfold gifts4 ,they are habits infused into the soul1 which strengthen its natural powers1 and make them responsive to every breath of ,god and capable of heroic acts of virtue4 ,by the gifts my eyes are made able to see what had else been hidden1 my ears quick to catch what had else not been heard2 the gifts do not1 so to say1 supply eye or ear1 but make more delicate1 refined1 sensitive1 the eye and ear already there4 ,their business is to intensify rather than to create powers established in me by grace4 ,less excellent necessarily than the theological virtues which unite me to ,god1 they are yet more excellent than the other virtues1 though1 being rooted in charity and thereby linked up among themselves1 they are also part of the dowry that charity brings in her train4 ,on this account it is clear that from the moment of ,baptism the sevenfold gifts are the possession of the soul1 and whosoever holds one holds all2 yet by the sacrament of ,confirmation it would appear certain that something further is added1 some more delicate perception1 some livelier sensitiveness2 or it may be1 as other theologians point out1 that by ,confirmation they are more steadily fixed in the soul1 more fully established1 more firmly held4 ,but in any case it is clear what they are to me1 habits whereby ,i am perfected to obey the ,holy ,spirit of ,god4 ,,beatitudes #a4 ,the possession of the sevenfold gifts results in the performance of certain virtuous acts1 for it is perfectly obvious that if ,i am so blest by the gifts that ,i find my reason1 will1 emotions1 made increasedly perceptive of divine currents previously lost to me1 ,i can hardly help acting in a new way4 ,i now discover the view about me1 and the music1 and1 consequently1 my manner of life must in some ways be different from before4 ,the ,vision has come2 it cannot simply open my eyes to new things in life without thereby altering that very life itself4 ,not only shall ,i find that what seemed to me before to be evil now appears to me to be a blessing2 but on that very account what before ,i tried to avoid1 or1 having got1 tried to be rid of1 ,i shall now accept1 perhaps even seek4 ,similarly1 whereas then ,i was weak1 now ,i am strong2 and increase of strength means new activities1 new energy put into the old work and finding its way out into works altogether new4 ,my emotions1 finally1 which perilled and dominated my life1 slip now into a subordinate position1 and while thereby as actively employed as before1 are held under discipline4 ,it is clear1 therefore1 that the gifts will not leave me where ,i was before1 but will influence my actions as well as alter my vision4 #b4 ,i find1 then1 that these new habits will develop into new activities4 ,but this means also that ,i have a new idea as to the means of achieving the full happiness of life4 ,once upon a time ,i thought happiness meant comfort1 now ,i see that it means something quite different4 ,my view of happiness has changed4 ,i am therefore obliged to change also my idea as to the means and conditions whereby1 and in which1 happiness can be found4 ,i had attempted to climb out of my valley over the hills in the west2 ,i now attempt to climb out over the hills to the east4 ,the steps by which once ,i clambered are useless to me4 ,i must try new ones in the opposite hills4 ,just that is what ,our ,lord meant by promulgating ,his eight ,beatitudes4 ,these are just the new blessedness1 so to say1 which results from finding that happiness now means the knowledge and love of ,god4 ,things that previously ,i fled from1 ,i now seek2 things once my bugbear1 are now the objects of my delight4 ,poverty1 meekness1 mourning1 the hunger and thirst after justice1 cleanness of heart1 the making of peace1 mercy1 the suffering of persecution for justice's sake1 are now found to be the steps to be passed over1 the conditions to be secured before happiness can be finally secured4 #c4 ,these things1 then1 are beatitudes to me4 ,they are acts which ,i finally achieve by means of the new enlightenment gained through the gifts of ,god4 ,actively ,i am merciful and meek and clean of heart4 ,i perform these actions1 and they are the result of visions seen1 and counsels heard1 through the new sensitiveness to the divine instinctive guidance that of old passed me by without finding in my heart any response4 ,to be forever pursuing now peace and sorrow1 and1 at whatever cost1 justice1 is an energizing state of life which is due entirely to the new perception of the value of these things1 so that we are right in asserting that the beatitudes are nothing else than certain actions1 praised by ,our ,lord and practiced by us as a result of the establishment in our souls of seven definite habits4 ,but not only are they actions1 they produce as an effect joy in the heart2 for which reason it is that we call them beatitudes4 ,they show me what is truly blessed and thereby give me1 even here on earth1 a foretaste of the bliss of final happiness4 ,,the ,,fruits ,,of ,,the ,,spirit #a4 ,besides the beatitudes there are other acts that follow from the gifts when properly used by the soul4 ,the beatitudes are means which1 under the light infused by ,god1 are valued at their true worth as leading finally to happiness in its more complete sense4 ,but when these are thus put into practice1 for the soul understands the new meaning life gathers1 they do not end the wonders of the action of grace4 ,as a boy ,i met life and found it full of interest and dawning with the glories of success4 ,the world in its aspect of nature had such manifest beauties that these quickly entranced and thrilled the soul4 ,the sun and grass and flowers and woods and waters1 make no secret of their kinship with their creator2 ,francis ,thompson found them garrulous of ,god1 so garrulous in our youth that we see that life is full of very good things4 ,then comes the reaction 7to many even before full manhood71 when life is found to be full of illusion4 ,life is now judged a melancholy business1 apt to fail you just when the need of it is most discovered1 hard to be certain of2 it is the age of romantic melancholy when most people put into verse their sorrow at the disappointment to be found in all things of beauty4 ,every tree and flower and dear gazelle is no sooner loved than it is lost through death or misunderstanding4 #b4 ,then1 finally1 the balance is set right4 ,the two phases pass4 ,they are both true only as half truths4 ,there is no denying that life is good and beautiful and thrilling4 ,the boy's vision is correct4 ,yet it is equally true to say that there is sorrow and suffering and death and disappointment in all human things4 ,but a new phase1 blessedly a last phase1 dawns upon the soul4 ,sorrow and pain are real1 but the old happiness of boyhood is made to fit in and triumph over them by the sudden realization that strength is the lesson to be learned4 ,sorrow comes that discipline may be born in the soul1 self-restraint1 humility4 ,life is hard1 but its very hardness is no evil1 but our means of achieving good4 ,that is the very atmosphere of the beatitudes1 the message they bring1 the teaching they imparted from the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,poverty1 cleanness of heart1 mercy1 meekness1 are all things difficult to acquire2 but they give a real1 true blessedness to the soul that will see their value4 ,life is no longer a disappointment1 but the training ground of all good4 #c4 ,finally1 there follow other acts1 too many to number1 though there are twelve usually given1 which result from gifts and beatitudes4 ,these are called the fruits of the ,holy ,ghost1 for they represent in that metaphorical sense the ultimate result of the gifts4 ,they are the last and sweetest consequences of the sevenfold habits infused by the ,spirit4 ,indeed1 just as trees are grown in an orchard because of their fruits1 and1 therefore1 just as it can be said that the fruit is1 from the gardener's point of view1 the purpose for which the tree is cultivated 7for of the fruitless fig ,our ,lord asked why it cumbered the ground71 so these fruits of the ,holy ,ghost 7charity1 joy1 peace1 patience1 benignity1 goodness1 longanimity1 mildness1 faith1 modesty1 continency1 chastity--,gal4 #e4bb7 can be looked upon as the very purpose for which the gifts were given1 that ,i might1 by seeing a new blessedness in life's very troubles1 begin to find joy and peace and patience and faith1 where else ,i had found only sorrow4 ,endlessly could the list of these be extended1 for ,st4 ,paul has chosen only a very few2 but these that he names are what a man delights in when he has received the gifts1 and has understood and valued the beatitudes4 ,sweetness is what they add to virtue1 ease1 comfort4 ,i not only hunger and thirst after justice1 but enjoy the very pain of the pursuit4 ,,knowledge #a4 ,this gift of ,god illumines and perfects the intelligence4 ,the purpose of the gifts1 it has been already explained1 is to make the soul more alive to1 and more appreciative of1 the whispered instinct of ,god2 not to create new faculties1 but to increase the power of those already existing4 ,my mind1 then1 has to be supernaturalized and refined to that pitch of perception which will enable it to grasp and to understand ,god's message4 ,now the mind itself works upon a great variety of subjects4 ,it has whole worlds to conquer1 planes of thought which are very clearly distinguishable2 yet in its every activity it needs this divine refinement1 so that in all four gifts are allotted to perform this complete enlightenment of the mind4 ,knowledge overcomes ignorance and is concerned with the facts1 visible and sense-perceived1 in creation2 for by the council of the ,vatican it is laid down as part of the deposit of faith that human reason can prove the existence of ,god altogether apart from the supernatural motives which grace supplies4 ,the visible world is held to contain ample proofs which in themselves are adequate logically to convince human understanding of the existence of ,god4 ,individual reason may fail to satisfy itself4 ,people may declare truthfully that they are not convinced2 the ,church insists only that it can be done4 #b4 ,knowledge1 however1 in this sense is a gift of ,god whereby we discover ,him in ,his own creation and in the works of man4 ,it is here no mere task set to reason for detecting the ,creator in ,his handiwork1 but an actual vision by which the soul is supernaturalized and sees ,him patently everywhere4 ,the beauteous face of nature is merely seen as a veil1 hiding a beauty more sublime4 ,things of dread as well as things of loveliness come into the scheme1 things trivial and things tremendous1 things majestic and things homely1 all that ,god has made4 ,even man's work1 who is himself only one of the greater masterpieces of the ,great ,artificer1 is affected by this new light with which the world is flooded4 ,the delicate pieces of machinery constructed by human ingenuity1 that gain in wonder and in power1 are themselves still ,god's work at one remove2 they are the fruits of a mind that ,he has constructed1 and they do not exhaust the capacity of that mind4 ,they reveal hidden potentialities as well as express actual achievements4 ,weapons of destruction1 with all the horror they rightly inspire1 are yet witnesses again to that parent-intelligence whence was begotten man himself4 ,all this1 of course1 as soon as considered1 is admitted by every believer in ,god1 but the gift of knowledge makes it realized and seen steadfastly4 #c4 ,life1 then1 of itself is full of illusion4 ,that is the cry1 desolating and pitiful1 which arises from the higher followers of every religious faith4 ,man is bound to the wheel1 his mind is compassed with infirmity1 he is born into ignorance4 ,desire tumultuously hustles all his days4 ,he needs1 therefore1 some light whereby he may find the true inner meaning of all with which he comes in contact4 ,here1 then1 in the gift of ,knowledge is such a true vision1 understanding1 vouchsafed him of the visible things of creation4 ,he will realize as much1 perhaps1 even more than before the attraction of beauty1 only it will be no snare1 but a beckoning light4 ,he will find in it now no illusion1 but the perfect image of a greater beauty4 ,the charm of the world about him will become greater1 the wonders of nature1 the intricate pattern of mechanical appliances1 the fury of storms1 the tumult of the wind1 the terrific force of pestilence1 the psychological facts of man's mind1 the construction of his frame1 the grouping of his social instincts1 all now will be alive with ,god1 shot through with the divine splendor1 elevated to ,his order of life1 eloquent of ,his name--a deepening knowledge of ,god achieved through a knowledge of ,his creatures4 ,,understanding #a4 ,there is another gift required to perfect the intelligence when it is engaged upon the principles of truth4 ,the mind was created by ,god to exercise itself upon truth1 primarily1 the ,supreme ,truth2 secondarily1 all truths which by their essence must themselves be radiations from the ,supreme ,truth4 ,these truths are of endless variety1 both in their relationship to each other and in the particular line in which they operate4 ,they are the truths of arts and science1 the intricate yet unchanging laws that govern the growth and development of matter1 the complicated processes whereby organic beings build up their tissues and multiply themselves by means of the cell principle4 ,there are again the curious laws1 as they are called1 that effect gravitation1 that have to be counted upon in the science of architecture1 and in all the various kindred crafts of man4 ,there are principles1 too1 that underlie the whole series of the arts1 principles of truth and life and beauty4 ,upon these the mind must feed1 and in them all the mind must be able to trace the character and being of ,god4 ,but there are also far higher truths which are taught only by revelation1 safeguarded by authority1 grouped under the title of faith4 ,these truths are higher than the others1 since they directly concern a higher being1 i4 e41 ,god4 ,all truths are truths about ,god1 but the truths of faith concern themselves immediately with the being1 life1 and actions of ,god4 ,understanding1 therefore1 is the gift perfecting the mind for these4 #b4 ,it might seem1 perhaps1 that the light of faith is itself sufficient1 and that no further gift were needed1 since it is the very purpose of faith to make us accept this revelation of ,god1 enlightening and strengthening the intelligence till under the dominion of the will it says3 ,i believe4 ,it is true that faith suffices for this1 but we require something more than faith1 or at least if we do not absolutely require more1 we shall progress more rapidly and further when we are not only able to believe but to understand4 ,in every article of faith there is always something which is mysterious or hidden1 some obscurity due not to the entanglement of facts1 but to the weakness of the human mind4 ,of course this must to some extent always exist1 for man can never hope to comprehend ,god till by the beatific vision he sees ,him face to face2 but a good deal of the obscurity can be lifted by the mere operation of the mind under the light of ,god1 not arising purely from study1 but from the depth of love enkindled by ,god4 ,it is a commonplace in the lives of the saints that without instruction they do yet manage to learn the deep mysteries of ,god2 the same is true of many simple souls whom we meet from time to time in the world4 ,they not only believe1 but penetrate the truths of faith4 #c4 ,here1 then1 ,i have ready to hand a most useful gift of ,god4 ,i desire not only to believe1 but to absorb and to penetrate the mysteries of ,god4 ,i want to taste to the full the meaning of life as a whole1 to develop every power that lies in me1 to make the truths of revelation blossom out ever more fully1 till their hidden and mystical significance becomes gradually more clear4 ,the pages of ,holy ,scripture are full of instruction1 but they will not yield up their secrets save to a soul attuned by ,god4 ,that can be effected by the gift of understanding4 ,i shall find by its means that these treasures are inexhaustible1 that from mere abstract teaching the sayings of the ,master and ,his ,apostles become full of practical meaning1 that all life about me takes on a new and richer significance4 ,history and social life open their doors to whoever has this blessed gift1 and it becomes clearly seen that their maker and builder is ,god4 ,the dullness of souls who will not believe1 or only believe and then stop short1 becomes painful to note and bothersome to put up with1 but this is the price one has to pay for so fine a vision4 ,by this1 then1 we peer into the depths of faith1 and find them gradually and steadily growing more and more clear and penetrable4 ,,wisdom #a4 ,all writers on the gifts of the ,holy ,ghost place wisdom as the highest gift of all4 ,it takes this high position partly because its work is done in the intelligence1 which is man's highest power1 and partly because it is that highest power occupied to its highest capacity4 ,like knowledge and understanding1 its business is to make us see ,god everywhere1 in the material and spiritual creation of ,god1 in the concrete facts of existence1 and in the revealed truths of faith4 ,it produces in a soul a sense of complete certainty and hope4 ,hence it is sometimes described as neighbor to hope2 indeed1 its finest side is often just that determined and resolute conviction with which the soul rises superior to every possible disaster1 and is prepared to brave every contingency in its sureness of ,god's final power and the efficacy of ,his will4 ,it comes closer1 therefore1 to ,god ,himself than do either understanding or knowledge4 ,these do1 indeed1 enable the soul to be continuously conscious of the divine presence1 of ,god immanent as well as transcendent1 ,god in the heart of the world as well as wholly above the world1 and they affect this consciousness by enabling the soul to see ,him everywhere4 ,they lift the veil4 ,they show ,his footprints4 ,they trace everywhere the marks of ,his power1 wisdom1 love4 ,but it is noticeable that they lead to ,god from the world4 ,i see a flower1 and by the gift of knowledge ,i am immediately aware of the author of its loveliness2 by understanding ,i perceive with clearness the wonder of ,god's working in the world4 ,by them ,i lift my eyes from earth to ,heaven1 by wisdom ,i look from ,heaven to see the earth4 #b4 ,wisdom1 therefore1 implies an understanding of the world through ,god1 whereas knowledge and understanding suppose a perception of ,god through the world4 ,wisdom takes its stand upon causes1 the other two on effects4 ,they work from creatures to ,creator2 wisdom looks upon all the world through the eyes of ,god4 ,consequently the effect of wisdom is that the soul sees life as a whole4 ,matter and truth are to it no longer separate planes of thought1 but one4 ,there is at once no distinction between them in the eyes of ,god1 for both are manifestations of ,himself and creatures of ,his making4 ,hence the soul that is dowered with wisdom climbs up to ,god's own height1 and looking down upon the world sees it very good1 noticing how part fits in with part1 and how truths of faith1 and truths of science and sunset1 and flower and ,hell1 are linked one with another to form the pattern of ,god's design4 ,each has its place in the divine economy of ,god's plan1 each is equally of ,god1 equally sharing in ,his purposes1 though some more than others able to express ,god better4 ,the effect1 then1 is largely that the whole of life is co-ordinated1 and equality1 fraternity1 liberty1 become not the motto of a revolution1 but of the ordered government of ,god4 #c4 ,the opposite to this gift is folly1 for a man who fails in wisdom loses all true judgment of the values of human life4 ,he is perpetually exchanging the more for the less valuable1 bestowing huge gifts in just barter1 as he imagines1 for what is merely showy and trivial4 ,not by causes1 but by effect does he consider life and its activities4 ,the wise man1 then1 estimates everything by its highest cause4 ,he compares and discovers1 gleans the reason of ,god's providence1 its purpose1 its fitness4 ,first principles are his guide1 not the ready and practical proverbs that display the wit and worldly wisdom of the lesser man4 ,eternity becomes of larger moment than time1 since time is merely for eternity4 ,god's law is more convincing than man's1 for man's enactments are not laws at all when they come in conflict with divine commands4 ,faith is so deeply in him that he judges between propositions1 and discovers truth against heresy4 ,he has climbed to the heights of ,god and sees all the world at his feet1 and knows it as ,god knows it1 the world and its ,lord and the glory of it4 ,,counsel #a4 ,the fourth gift that perfects the intelligence acts rather as a moderating than as a stimulating influence4 ,the soul is often impetuous in its decisions1 moved by human feelings and passions1 urged by desire1 love1 hatred1 prejudice4 ,quickly stirred to action1 it dashes into its course without any real attention to1 or understanding of1 its better wisdom4 ,frequently in life my lament has to be that ,i acted on the impulse of the moment4 ,there is so much that ,i am sorry for1 not merely because now ,i see what has actually resulted1 but because even then ,i had quite sufficient reason to let me be certain what would result4 ,i was blind1 not because my eyes could not have seen1 but because ,i gave them no leave to see4 ,i would not carefully gaze at the difficulties1 not puzzle out in patience what would most likely be the result4 ,even my highest powers are often my most perilous guides1 since1 moved by generosity1 ,i engaged myself to do what ,i have no right to perform1 and find that ,i have in the end been generous not only of what is my own1 but sometimes of what belongs to another1 not as though ,i deliberately gave away what belonged to another1 but just because ,i had no deliberation at all4 ,i need1 then1 the ,holy ,spirit of ,god to endow me with the gift of counsel which corresponds to prudence4 #b4 ,now prudence1 which counsel helps and protects1 is eminently a practical gift of ,god1 not so high as wisdom1 not so wonderful in the beauty of its vision as knowledge or understanding1 yet for all a most important and homely need4 ,the other intellectual gifts of the ,spirit are more abstract4 ,they give us just the whisper of ,god that enables us to see the large ways of ,god in the world4 ,they give1 in consequence1 the great principles that are to govern us in life4 ,hence their importance is very great4 ,we do so seriously need to know by what principles we are to measure life's activities1 on what basis to build up the fabric of our souls1 to be sure that ,god's laws are very clearly and definitely made manifest to us4 ,but1 after all1 that is only one-half of the difficulty1 for even after ,i know the principles of action1 ,i have still the trouble1 in some ways more full of possibilities of mistake1 of applying them to concrete experience4 ,i know that sacrifice is the law of life1 ,i know that meekness overindulged may be cowardice1 ,i know that ,i may sin by not having anger2 that is all evident1 a series of platitudes4 ,but here1 and now1 have ,i come to the limit of meekness8 ,must ,i manifest my angry protests8 ,am ,i obliged to attend to my own needs and renounce the idea of sacrifice8 ,there daily are questions that puzzle1 torture1 bruise me with scruples4 #c4 ,just here1 then1 ,i have intense need for this practical gift of ,god in order with nicety and precision to apply principles to concrete cases2 often ,i am precipitate or perhaps dilatory4 ,i am in a hurry or cannot make up my mind--shall ,i answer those who attack me1 or shall ,i be silent8 ,our ,lord was silent and made answer by turns4 ,counsel1 then1 is my need from ,god1 the instinct whereby a practical judgment is quickly and safely made4 ,all the more have ,i a tremendous need for this if my life is full of activity1 if pressure of work1 or social life1 or the demands of good and useful projects1 or the general tendency of my family surroundings1 make my day crowded and absorbed1 for the very combined and concentrated essence of life will need some exceedingly moderate influence to produce any sense of balance or proportion in my judgment4 ,the people about me ,i notice to become more and more irritable1 mere creatures of impulse4 ,i feel some such malign influence invading the peaceful sanctuary of my soul1 disturbing its even outlook on things1 driving out my serene calm4 ,i must anchor on to this gift of ,god1 become prudent1 detached1 filling the mind with the counsel of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,fortitude #a4 ,after the intelligence comes the will which also1 because of the very large part it plays in all human action1 needs to be perfected by a gift of the ,spirit4 ,it is necessary to repeat that the ,holy ,spirit does not by ,his gifts bestow on the soul new powers and new faculties1 but develops1 refines1 perfects faculties already there4 ,it is not the creation of new eyes to see new visions1 but the strengthening of the eyes of the soul so as to see more clearly and with a longer sight4 ,the will1 then1 has also to be strengthened1 for it is the will that lies at the very heart of all heroism4 ,merely to have a glimpse of greatness is but part of a hero's need4 ,no doubt it is a larger part1 for very many of us never by instinct at all touch on the borders of greatness1 we do not see or understand how in our little lives we can be great1 we have not the imagination lit up by ,god1 no vision2 yet when the vision fails1 the people shall perish4 ,but even when that sudden showing does by ,god's mercy come to us1 we still fall far short of it4 ,it is too high1 too ideal1 too far removed from weak human nature to seem possible to us4 ,that is to say1 our will has failed us4 ,we are faced by some huge obstacle1 or even by a persistent refusal to budge on behalf of some one 7ourselves or another7 to go forward and to do2 we struggle1 fail1 lose heart1 surrender1 cease our efforts4 ,what do we want8 ,fortitude1 that persistive constancy that to ,shakespeare was the greatest quality of human wills4 #b4 ,how is this achieved8 ,by appreciating the nearness of ,god to us4 ,the gifts make us responsive to ,god with an ease and instantaneousness that operates smoothly and without friction4 ,that is ,god's doing1 not ours4 ,he gives us this wonderful power of being able to register at once every passing inspiration4 ,the gifts that refine the intelligence allow it to perceive sights which else were hidden4 ,the gift that refines the will must do this by some kindred action4 ,now the difficulties that beset the will must necessarily be difficulties for whose overcoming strength is needed4 ,therefore the will must be refined by being made strong4 ,how can it be made strong by the ,holy ,spirit8 ,what exactly happens to its mechanism to secure for it the power of endurance8 ,the easiest way of understanding how this effect is brought about is to suppose that the soul by its refinement1 by that delicacy whereby it responds instantly to a divine impression1 is quickly aware of ,god's nearness to it4 ,it perceives how close it is to the ,spirit of ,god1 and the sense of this nearness makes it better able to hold on to its duty4 ,in the old style of warfare we often read of wives and mothers coming to the field of battle that their presence might awake their men to the topmost pitch of courage4 ,even in the modern methods of fighting1 the moral effect of the presence of the emperor or king is considered to have an effect upon the troops4 ,of course here it is more homely1 since the familiar presence of the ,holy ,spirit strengthens and inspires by love1 trust1 sympathy4 #c4 ,for this reason the name ,comforter was given to the ,holy ,spirit1 in its original sense of strengthening1 becoming the fort of the soul2 and the result is that the recipient is able to hold on or1 in our modern slang1 to carry on4 ,by nature so many of us are prone to seek our own comforts at the expense of what we know to be the higher side of us4 ,human respect makes us again cowardly1 or the sheer monotony of perseverance dulls and wearies the soul4 ,we get so depressed with the strain of making efforts that we are very much inclined to let the spiritual side of life go under1 or at least be rendered as little heroic as possible1 for it is real heroism even just to go on4 ,the silent pressure of temptations1 when their passion and fury have died down1 is a constant worry1 an unconscious weight on the mind1 like the thought of war that lies heavily at the back of the consciousness of those whose external lives seem empty of war-reminders4 ,we want to be courageous and fearless1 to undergo4 ,then we must hold fast to ,god's nearness to us1 and feel the virtue going out from ,him to us1 though ,he does but touch the hem of our garments by ,his indwelling4 ,,piety #a4 ,besides our intelligence and will we have other faculties that go by a diversity of names2 sometimes they are called the emotions1 sometimes the passions1 sometimes they are alluded to as the sentimental side of our nature2 but by whatever name we may happen to call them1 it is clear that they represent just those movements of our being which are not really rational in themselves1 though they can be controlled by the reason4 ,it is simplest to divide them into two classes and to realize that they lie just on the borderline between spirit and matter1 partly of soul1 partly of body4 ,these two classes are arranged according as the emotion attracts or repels man4 ,the repelled emotions are fear1 anger1 hatred1 etc42 the attracted are love1 desire1 joy1 etc4 ,this gift of piety enables even the emotions to be made responsive to ,god4 ,it is always the notion of some perfect instrument to be made harmonious that perhaps most clearly shows us the work of the ,holy ,spirit in the gifts of ,god1 some perfect instrument1 which needs to be so nicely at tuned that its every string shall give out a distinct note1 and shall require the least movement from the fingers of ,god's right hand to make its immediate response4 ,here1 then1 we have first to record the fact that the purpose of this gift is to make the emotions or passions so refined1 so perfectly strung1 that at once the slightest pressure of the ,divine instinct moves them to turn their love1 desire1 joy1 towards ,god1 finding in ,him the satisfaction of their inmost heart4 #b4 ,piety1 in its ,latin significance 7and here in theology1 of course1 we get almost all our terms through the ,latin tongue71 means the filial spirit of reverence towards parents4 ,virgil gives to the hero of his ,roman epic the repeated title of pius1 because he wishes always to emphasize ,a,eneas' devotion to his aged father4 ,hence it is clear that what is primarily intended here is that we should be quickly conscious of the ,fatherhood of ,god4 ,the mediaeval mystics1 especially our homely ,english ones like ,richard ,rolle of ,hampole1 and ,mother ,julianna of ,norwich1 curiously enough were fond of talking about the ,motherhood of ,god in order to bring out the protective and devoted side of ,god's care for us2 of course ,god surpasses both a mother's and father's love in ,his ineffable love for us4 ,but then it is just that sweetness of soul in its attitude towards ,god1 that this gift produces in me a readiness to perceive ,his love in every turn of fortune1 and to discover ,his gracious pity in ,his treatment of my life4 ,it requires a divine indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god to effect this in my soul1 for though ,i may be by nature easily moved to affection1 prompt to see and profit by every opening for friendship1 yet ,i must1 no less1 have a difficulty in turning this into my religious life without ,god's movement in my soul4 #c4 ,perhaps the most unmistakable result of this is in the general difference between ,catholic and non-,catholic nations1 in their ideas of religion4 ,even if one takes a non-,catholic nation at its best and a ,catholic nation at its worst1 the gulf between them is enormous1 for at its lowest the religion of the ,catholic nation will be attractive at least with its joy1 and the non-,catholic repellent with its gloom4 ,there is a certain hardness about all other denominations of ,christianity1 a certain restrained attitude of awe towards ,god1 which though admirable in itself1 is perfectly hateful when it is made the dominant note in religion4 ,better joyous superstition than gloomy correctness of worship2 better1 far better1 to find happy children who have little respect1 and much comradeship1 towards their parents1 than neat and quiet children who are in silent awe of their parents4 ,it is1 then1 to develop this side of religion that the gift of piety is given4 ,the result then is a sweetness1 a gracefulness1 a natural lovingness towards ,god and all holy persons and things1 as opposed to a gloomy1 respectable1 awkward1 self-conscious hardness towards our ,father in ,heaven4 ,clever1 trained people have most to be on their guard1 for the intellectual activities of the soul are apt to crowd out the gentler1 simpler side of character4 ,,fear #a4 ,catholics as a whole1 then1 we claim to be not in awe of ,god1 but holding themselves to ,him rather by love than fear2 yet for all that there must come into our religion a notion also of fear1 else ,god will be made of little account1 dwarfed by ,his hero-followers1 the saints4 ,it is possible that familiarity with ,god may breed something which seems very like contempt4 ,the majesty of ,god has got to be considered just as much as ,his love1 for either without the other would really give a false idea of ,him4 ,just as there are people who would give up all belief in ,hell1 because they prefer to concentrate upon ,his mercy1 and1 as a result1 have no real love of ,god as ,he is in ,himself1 so there are people also who do not sufficiently remember the respect due to ,his awfulness1 people who think of ,him as a ,redeemer1 which indeed ,he is1 but not as a ,judge1 which is equally ,his prerogative4 ,hence this side of our character is also to be made perfect by the indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god1 our fear1 anger1 hate1 have got to be sanctified by finding a true object for their due exercise4 ,no single talent must be wrapped away in uselessness2 ,i must fear ,god1 be angry with1 and hate sin4 ,fear1 then1 as well as piety is a gift of the ,spirit4 #b4 ,the chief way in which the absence of this gift of fear manifests itself is in the careless and slipshod way we perform our duties4 ,we are sure to believe in ,god's justice and majesty2 but we are not so sure to act up to our belief4 ,accuracy in devotion1 in prayer1 in life1 is the result of a filial fear of ,god1 and if ,i have to confess a very chaotic and uncertain procedure in my spiritual duties1 then ,i can tell quite easily which gift ,i most need to make use of4 ,what are my times for prayer like8 ,are they as regularly kept to as my circumstances permit8 ,how about my subject for meditation1 how about my following of the ,mass1 my watchfulness in prayer1 my days for confession and communion8 ,again1 my duties at home1 in my profession1 in the work ,i have undertaken8 ,are they on the whole punctually performed1 accurately1 with regard to details8 ,that is where my fear for ,god should come in1 for fear here is part of love and love is enormously devoted to little things1 indeed finds that where it is concerned there are no little things1 but time and place and manner and thoroughness have all got faithfully to be noted and carried out4 ,here1 then1 is where ,i shall find ,i need a reverential fear of ,god4 #c4 ,yes1 of course1 pride and laziness will protest all the while1 by urging that all this is a great deal of fuss about nothing1 that ,god is our ,father1 that ,he perfectly understands1 that we should not worry ourselves too much over trifles4 ,now pride and laziness often speak true things1 or rather half-truths4 ,it is true that ,god is my ,father and understands2 but it is equally true that ,i am ,his child and that love demands my thoroughness4 ,horror of sin1 devotion to the sacrament of confession1 the ,scripture saying about a severe judgment for every idle word1 all these things have got to be taken into account as well as the first set of principles4 ,piety needs fear for its perfect performance4 ,the boy at first may have to be scolded into obedience to his mother4 ,he does not at first realize1 and is punished2 but watch him when he is a grown man1 no longer in subjection or under obedience2 see how charmingly he cares for her by anticipating her wishes1 how much he is at her beck and call1 proudly foreseeing for her1 protecting1 caring4 ,that is love1 no doubt1 but a love of reverence4 ,they are comrades in a sense1 but she is always his mother to him1 some one to be idolized1 reverenced1 yes1 and1 really1 feared1 in the fullest sense of love4 ,,grace #a4 ,the indwelling1 then1 of the ,holy ,spirit is a true and magnificent phrase4 ,it means that we become living ,temples of ,god4 ,elsewhere indeed ,he is in tree1 flower1 sky1 earth1 water2 up in the ,heavens1 down to the depths of the lower places1 in the cleft wood and lifted stone1 in the heart of all creation by the very fact of its creation4 ,yet the higher a thing is in the scale of being the more nearly is it after ,god's image and likeness1 so that man by his sheer intelligence is more representative of ,god1 as the highest masterpiece is more representative of the author of it4 ,yet over and above this intelligent life of man is another life in him1 which secures ,god's presence within him in some nobler fashion1 for it is noticeable that ,scripture repeatedly speaks of ,god's dwelling in ,his saints1 and not dwelling in sinners4 ,now ,he is even in sinners by the title of their ,creator1 so that dwelling must be a deliberate phrase chosen by the ,inspired author of ,scripture to represent some presence above the mere general presence of ,god everywhere4 ,consequently we are driven to the conclusion that the saints1 in virtue of their sainthood1 become dwelling places of ,god1 temples1 special places set apart1 where in a more perfect way1 with richer expression and more true representation1 ,god is4 ,sanctity1 therefore1 constitutes something wholly supernatural1 attracting ,god's indwelling1 or rather resulting from this indwelling of ,god4 #b4 ,now sanctity itself cannot mean that one man is able to make himself so alluring to ,god that he draws ,god to himself1 for in that case ,god's action of indwelling would be motived by a creature1 and ,god would have found some finite reason for ,his act4 ,this cannot be1 since the only sufficient motive for ,god can be ,god ,himself4 ,he hath done all things on account of ,himself1 say the ,scriptures4 ,we can be sure1 therefore1 that the indwelling of the spirit is the cause and not the effect of the goodness that is in man1 for the ,saints are not born1 but made by ,god4 ,hence we understand what is meant by saying that the justice of the ,saints1 their justification1 is effected by grace1 i4 e41 by ,god's free gift4 ,it is not from them1 but from ,him3 ,not to us1 ,o ,lord1 not to us1 but to ,thy name give ,glory4 ,grace1 therefore1 is the name given to that divine habit whereby the soul is made one with ,him4 ,it is clear1 then1 also1 why in the catechism grace is called the supernatural life of the soul1 and why mortal sin is called the death of the soul1 since it kills the soul by depriving it of sanctifying grace4 #c4 ,this leads us to the last notion of grace1 that it is in the supernatural order what the soul is in the natural order4 ,my soul is everywhere in my body and gives evidence of its presence by the life there manifest2 cut off a portion of the body1 amputate a limb4 ,it dies4 ,the soul is no longer in it4 ,so does grace work4 ,it is right in the very essence of the soul1 at the heart of it1 and works through into all the faculties and powers by means of the virtues4 ,it is the life of the whole assemblage of these habits of goodness4 ,as soon as it is withdrawn1 then at once charity goes1 for we are out of friendship with ,god1 and charity is nothing other than the love of ,god4 ,hope still and faith in some form remain1 but without any inner life or energy to quicken them4 ,all else is a crumbled ruin1 without shape or life1 a sight to fill those that can see it with horror and disgust4 ,with grace the soul is once more thronged with vital activities1 for grace is life4 ,grace it is that gives the same charm to the soul as life gives to the body2 it imparts a freshness1 an alertness1 an elasticity1 a spontaneous movement1 a fragrance1 a youth4 ,by grace we are children in ,god's eyes1 with the delicate coloring and sweetness of a child2 without it we are old1 worn1 dead1 not only useless to ourselves1 but a pollution to others4 ,need one wonder if all life is different to the soul in sin8 ,religion1 ,god1 ,heaven1 ,mass1 prayers1 have lost all attraction and are full of drudgery4 ,outwardly we feel the same2 but our attraction to these higher gifts has gone1 a prodigal as yet content with the husks of life's fruitage1 relishing only the food of swine1 without grace1 spiritually dead4