Part I, Faith: The Eighth Article of the Creed: The Holy Ghost

1. The Grace of the Holy Ghost is Necessary to Us

1. The Holy Ghost is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, and is therefore God Himself.

Hence He is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, almighty.

" The Holy Ghost," says Tertullian, " is God of God, as light is of light." St. Cyril of Alexandria compares the Holy Ghost in His likeness to the Father and the Son, to the vapor arising from water, which is like in its nature to the water producing it. St. Isidore, commenting on these words of Christ : " I drive out devils through the finger of God," says that as the finger is of the same nature as the body, so the Holy Ghost is of the nature of God. St. Athanasius writes that the Holy Ghost is called the finger of God, because it is only through Him that the Father and the Son enter into communication with man. Through Him it was that the tables of stone were written. In the second General Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381, it was defined that the Holy Ghost is eternal, omnipresent, etc., in opposition to the heresy of Macedonius. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Greeks, who. denied this article of faith and fell away from the Church in A.D. 867 and A.D. 1053 fell under the Turkish yoke in the year 1453 A.D., and strangely enough on the feast of Pentecost.

2. The Holy Ghost dispenses the graces which Christ merited by the sacrifice of the cross.

The Holy Ghost produces nothing in addition to what Christ gained for us. He only increases and perfects that work of Christ; just as the sun when shining on a field does not sow new seed, but develops that which is already sown. A grace is a favor granted to a person who has no claim to the favor. If a sovereign grants a reprieve to a criminal under sentence of death, that reprieve is a grace. So, too, God acts with regard to man, granting Him numberless favors without any merit on the part of man (Rom. iii. 24). These favors or graces may be temporal, such as health, riches, station; or spiritual, such as forgiveness of our sins. It is with the latter class of favors that we are dealing now, and it was to secure these for us that Christ consented to die on the cross.

3. Hence the assistance of the Holy Ghost is absolutely neceisary for salvation.

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~No mere natural act of a man can gain for him eternal salvation. The following illustration may help us. A little boy longs to reach some fruit on a tree; he stretches out his arms to the utmost, but the fruit is still out of reach; the child's father then lifts him up, so that he can pluck the fruit for himself. Thus man cannot attain salvation by his own efforts till the Holy Ghost gives him the super natural strength. Just as the eye cannot discern distant objects without a telescope, and the arm cannot lift heavy weights without a lever, so the natural powers of man require supernatural help in order that salvation may be obtained. Hence the words of Christ : " Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John iii. 5).

Without the help of the Holy Ghost we cannot do the least work deserving of salvation.

We can do nothing without God's help. " Our sufficiency is from God " (2 Cor. iii. 5). As St. Thomas Aquinas says, we are, since the Pall, like a sick man who cannot leave his bed without help. The following may serve as illustrations. A man cannot work without light; thus too he cannot do any good work without the light of the Holy Ghost. The body is helpless unless animated by the soul ; in like manner man can do no good unless the Holy Spirit, Who is the life of the soul, come to his aid (St. Fulgentius). Our souls bring forth no fruit unless they are watered by the rain of the grace of the Holy Spirit (St. Hilary). As grace can do nothing without the co-operation of the will, so neither can the will achieve any result without grace. Compare the action of earth ; it can produce no fruits without rain, and the rain cannot produce without the earth (St. John Chrysostom) . As ink is required for the pen, so the grace of the Holy Ghost is necessary to inscribe the virtues in our souls (St. Thomas Aquinas). Every good work is the effect of two co-ordinate principles : the Holy Ghost and our own free will (1 Cor. xv. 10) ; we may compare the action of the schoolmaster who guides a boy's hand while he writes. Thus we can never ascribe the merit of our good works to ourselves. The earth does not bring forth flowers, but rather the sun by means of the earth. As we ascribe the activity of the body to the soul, so we should ascribe our good works to the grace of God. We might put down our good works to our own account with as much truth as a soldier might claim the victory without reference to his commander.

With the- help of the Holy Ghost we can carry out the most difficult works.

St. Paul says : " I can do all in Him Who strengtheneth me " (Phil. iv. 13).

2. Action of the Holy Ghost

The graces conferred by the Holy Ghost are as follows:

1. He gives to all men actual graces.-

2. He gives to some men sanctifying grace.

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3. He usually gives the seven special gifts, and occasionally quite extraordinary graces.

4. He sustains and guides the Catholic Church.

Actual Grace.

1. The Holy Ghost influences our lives by enlightening the mind and strengthening the will. Such passing influence of the Holy Spirit is called " actual grace."

Before Pentecost the apostles were still ignorant ; " slow of heart," as Our Lord expressed it (Luke xxiv. 25) ; the Holy Ghost in descending upon them enlightened their understanding and strength ened their will; the fear which had caused them to keep in conceal ment was now changed into undaunted courage. The fiery tongues symbolized the enlightenment of their minds, the whirlwind the strength which they received. The Holy Ghost is like the sun, giving light and warmth. When the sun begins to shine, the stars which were visible before begin to wane, and we see nothing in the firmament but the. sun. When the Holy Ghost enlightens our souls we despise all earthly objects which formerly attracted our love, such as eating, drinking, playing, etc., and all our thoughts are turned towards God. Moreover the light of the sun reveals to us the true form of objects, the stones which we have gathered, the various roads before us. The light of the Holy Ghost shows us the true value of earthly things, our own sins, and the true goal of life. When the sun comes the ice begins to melt and the plants to blossom. So, too, the Holy Ghost warms our hearts, stirring them with the love of God and of our neighbor, and helps us to do actions deserving of heaven. The Holy Ghost is therefore a light, descending from the Father of light ( Jas. i. 17) ; as St. Augustine says : " Actual grace is a light which enlightens and moves the sinner."

There are many and various channels through which the Holy Ghost makes His influence act; for instance, sermons, the reading of good books, illness and death, the good example of others, religious pictures, the advice of superiors and friends, etc.

The people were moved by the Holy Ghost at Pentecost when they heard the preaching of the apostles ; so too St. Anthony the Hermit (356), on hearing a sermon on the rich young man; St. Ignatius of Loyola (1556), by the reading of the lives of the saints; St. Francis of Assisi (1226) during an illness; St. Francis Borgia (1572) on seeing the dead body of the Queen Isabella; St. Norbert (1134) on seeing a death by lightning, etc., etc. In all these cases there was a sudden interior change, which the Holy Ghost took occasion of to speak to their hearts. All of them might have said with St. Cyprian : " When the Holy Ghost came into my heart, He changed me into another man." Often God sends us suffering, before the Holy Ghost speaks to us. Just as wax must be subjected to the flame and the stamp before receiving an impression, so the heart of man must be softened by suffering in order to receive the impress of the Holy Spirit. Before paper can be used for writing, it must be prepared and finished ; in a

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similar manner man must be purified from his evil desires before he is fit for the working of the Holy Ghost in his soul.

2. The action of the Holy Spirit sometimes makes itself perceptible to the senses.

For example, the appearance of the dove and the voice from heaven at the baptism of Christ, the fiery tongues and the rushing as of wind on Pentecost. We might reflect also how Christ instituted the Sacraments with forms appealing to the senses.

3. The Holy Ghost does not force us, but leaves us in perfect possession of our free will.

The Holy Ghost is, as it were, a guide Whom men may follow or not as they list. He is the light proceeding from God, to which man can, if he will, close his eyes ; as St. Augustine says : " To obey the voice of God or not is left to a man's free will." God does not act upon us as if we were inanimate objects without intellect or freewill. Man's freedom is very sacred to God, nor will lie deprive him of it even when he uses it to his own perdition. In the words of St. Gertrude : " As God would not allow our great enemy to deprive us of our freedom, so neither would He take it from us Himself."

Man can co-operate with actual grace or reject it (Ps. xciv. 8).

Saul of Tarsus co-operated with grace, the rich young man (Luke xviii. 18-25) rejected it. The people who on Pentecost reviled the apostles rejected grace (Acts ii. 13), as also those who mocked at St. Paul when he spoke to them on the Areopagus of the Gospel and the resurrection of the dead (Acts xvii. 32). Herod, too, when he heard of the birth of Christ from the Magi, failed to co-operate with grace. St. Francis de Sales draws an illustration from marriage: When a man wishes to marry he offers his hand to some suitable person, and that person may accept or reject the offer; thus God acts. He offers us His grace and we may accept it or reject it. Whoever constantly resists actual grace, and dies in that resistance is guilty of grave sin against the Holy Ghost, a sin which cannot be forgiven. Such a man resembles the devil, who is ever resisting the truth.

Whoever co-operates with actual grace acquires greater graces; but he who resists loses other graces and must answer at the judgment for his obstinacy.

The first grace, if responded to, brings with it a string of other graces. The servant who employed well his five talents received five talents more (Matt. xxv. 28). Hence the words of Christ: He that hath, to him shall be given and he shall abound (Matt. xxv. 29). The punishment which fell on the city of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is a terrible example of the rejection of grace, because it did not know the time of its visitation (Luke xix. 44). To him who rejects grace apply those words of Christ : " The unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. Thore shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth " (Matt. xxv. 30). It is an insult to a great lord to refuse his

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gifts, all the more if he be the Lord of heaven and earth and God Himself. He who rejects graces has as little chance of getting to heaven as the traveller of reaching his destination who should neglect to enter the train while it is in the station. The moment of actual grace is like the crisis of a sickness, when a little carelessness may cause death. Many people give a poor reception to the Holy Ghost when He comes to them on the occasion of a death, the reception of the sacraments, or the celebration of great feasts, by giving way to worldly distractions and following their inclinations. They should then seek solitude and time for recollection and prayer, or purify their souls from sin by confession. Thus acted St. Ignatius of Loy ola when after his conversion he retired into the cave at Manresa; thus too St. Mary of Egypt who retired into the desert. " Sailors put out to sea," says Louis of Granada, " as soon as they see that a f avort able wind is blowing ; with like promptitude ought we to act when we feel the influence of the Holy Spirit." If we delay G od will withdraw His graces, just as in the case of the Israelites. Those who failed to rise in the early morning to gather the manna found it had melted away after sunrise. " The greater the graces we receive," says St. Gregory the Great, " the greater is our responsibility." Christ's own words are : " Unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required" (Luke xii. 48).

4. The Holy Ghost acts on every man, on the sinner as well as on the just; and more on Catholics than on non-Catholics and unbelievers.

God is the Good Shepherd (John x.). Who seeks the lost sheep till He finds it (Luke xv.). Christ, the Light of the world, enlightens every man that comes into the world (John i. 9). God's will is that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. ii. 4). Besides all this God has a very special love for the souls of men. " My delight is to be with the children of men " (Prov. viii. 31).

The Holy Ghost was even from the beginning of the world active in promoting the salvation of mankind, but on Pentecost He came into the world in a much more efficacious manner.

While the Jews were in exile in Babylon, the Holy Ghost was working in the heathen by the many miracles which were wrought to demonstrate God's power; as in the incident of the three children in the furnace and Daniel in the lion's den. He was working not only in the patriarchs and prophets, but even in heathens like Soc rates (who taught the existence of one God, and for that reason was condemned to death in 399 B.C.). Just as the sunrise is preceded by the dawn, so the sun of justice, Christ, is preceded by the dawn of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost does not distribute His gifts equally to all men; the members of the Catholic Church receive the richest share.

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One servant five talents, another two, and another one talent (Matt. xxv. 15). The Jews received more than the heathen; the blessed Mother of God more than all other men. The towns of Corozain and Bethsaida received more graces than Tyre and Sidon, Capharnaum more than Sodom (Matt. xi. 21, 23). There are ordinary graces which are given to all men without distinction, and there are special graces which God grants only to a few souls, and that with a view to some special work. Many graces may be obtained, especially by the prayers of others and by co-operation with the first grace. St. Augustine received many more graces than other men in consequence of the prayers of St. Monica; so, too, St. Paul through the dying prayer of St. Stephen. The holy apostles obeyed the first call of Our Lord, and thus obtained many other graces.

The action of the Holy Ghost on the souls of men is not constant, but occasional.

Hence the exhortation of St. Paul : " Now is the acceptable time ; behold now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. vi. 2). Compare the parable of the vineyard where the workmen received only one summons (Matt. xx.). Times of special grace are the seasons of Lent or when a mission is being given, or the jubilee year. These times of grace are like the market-days when things are easier to obtain ; with this difference, that no money is required. " Come buy wine and milk, without money, and without any price" (Is. Iv. 1).

5. Actual graces are obtained by the performance of good works, especially by prayer, fasting, and almsdeeds; and more especially by the use of the means of grace provided by the Church, by hearing of holy Mass, worthy reception of the sacra ments, and attendance at sermons.

God's grace cannot be merited by our own good works alone, other wise it would not be grace (Rom. xi. 6), yet these good works are necessary, for, as St. Augustine says : " God, Who created us without our co-operation will not save us without our co-operation." Not according to the works which we have done but out of His mercy has God saved us (Tit. iii. 5). The Holy Ghost gives to each one as He wills (1 Cor. xii. 11), with regard, however, to the preparation and co operation of each individual (Council of Trent, 6, 7). Hence it is that a man receives more actual grace as he is richer in good works. In particular we know that prayer to the Holy Ghost is very efficacious, for the Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Prayer to the Mother of God is also very efficacious : for she is "full of "grace," and "the dispenser of all God's gifts." "Let no one," says St. Alphonsus, " consider this last title extravagant, for the greatest saints have so spoken of her, and the saints, as we know, were inspired by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth." Prayer to the Blessed Sacrament also confers many graces. So, too, retire' ment from the world, or the solitude in which God speaks to the heart (Osee ii. 14), and the mortification of the senses are excellent means of drawing down grace; a good example is found in the conduct of the apostles during the time preceding Pentecost.

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Sanctifying Grace.

1. When the sinner co-operates with actual grace, the Holy Ghost enters his soul and confers on it a brightness and beauty which claim the friendship of God. This indwelling beauty of the soul is due to the presence of the Holy Spirit and is called " sanctifying grace."

Iron placed in a fire becomes heated, and glows like the fire itself ; so the Holy Spirit, entering into a soul and dwelling there (1 Cor. vi. 19), gives it a new nature, a light and glory which we call " sanctifying grace." That God is drawn to men by their co-operation with His grace appears from God's own words : " Turn ye to Me. . . . and I will turn to you " (Zach. i. 3). Sanctifying grace is like a new garment, so it is represented by the wedding-garment and the parable of the supper (Matt, xxii.), and of the prodigal son (Luke xv.). " The soul acquires a great beauty by the presence of the Holy Spirit," says St. John Chrysostom. " Pie who enters into the state of grace, is like a man bowed down with infirmities and age, wbo, by a miracle, has been transformed into a beautiful youth dressed in purple and carrying a sceptre." " If," says Blosius, " the beauty of a soul in the state of grace could be seen, mankind would be transported with wonder and delight." Just as a palace must be beautifully furnished when the king comes to dwell in it, so the soul of man must be made into a beautiful temple by the Holy Ghost before God can dwell in it. After the resurrection the appearance of the body will be deter mined by that of the soul. " Let us therefore," says St. John Chry sostom, " give all our care to the soul ; for this is the true interest of our bodies, which otherwise will perish with the soul." Sanctifying grace is not merely a gift of God (Council of Trent, 6, 11), but God gives us of His Spirit (1 John iv. 13). The Holy Ghost penetrates us through and through like fire; He is not in us merely like a ray of sunshine in a room. In consequence of this supernatural beauty the soul is enriched with the friendship of God. St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi says that if a man in the state of sanctifying grace knew how pleasing his soul is to God he would die of excess of joy. We are, in consequence of sanctifying grace, no longer the servants of God but His friends (John xv. 15). The expression "friendship" implies of itself a certain likeness ; and this elevation from the state of sin to that of friendship with God is called "justification" (Council of Trent, 6, 4), or regeneration (John iii. 5; Tit. iii. 4-7), or the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new (Eph. iv. 22). Examples: As soon as David, Paul, and the prodigal son repented, they received the Holy Ghost and the gift of sanctifying grace; otherwise they would never have accomplished their great sacrifice. David and Saul spent many days in fasting and prayer, and the prodigal son faced the humiliation of returning to his father's roof. It is quite certain that whoever has perfect contrition receives the Holy Spirit even before confessing. Thus the patriarchs and prophets had sanctifying grace in consequence of their penitential spirit, and their belief in a Saviour. We know, too, that the Holy Spirit resides in some men even before Baptism, as in the case of the

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centurion Cornelius, and the people assembled in his house (Acts x. 44).

2. Usually, however, the Holy Spirit makes His entry on the reception of the Sacraments of Baptism or Penance.

The sinner under the action of the Holy Ghost begins to believe in God, to fear Him, to hope in Him, and love Him; then to bewail his sins, and finally decides to seek the means of grace in the Sacra ments of Baptism or Penance. Then only is his conversion perfect. And actual experience goes to prove that Baptism or a general confession is in most sinners the beginning of a new life. Even in children their baptism is the beginning of a new spiritual life.

3. When the Holy Spirit enters into us, He brings with Him a new spiritual life.

God is the God of life, and His presence diffuses life. His presence in our souls is like the presence of the soul in our bodies. Our souls have a natural life of their own, and by means of the intellect and the will learn to appreciate the true, the beautiful, and the good. But this natural life, compared with the life imparted by God, is like the statue compared to its living original. This divine life is acquired by the soul when the Holy Spirit takes possession of the soul with His grace, and it enables the soul to know, love, and enjoy God; this is the supernatural life. Just as Elias (3 Kings xvii.) and Eliseus (4 Kings iv.) restored the dead children to life by measuring their bodies over that of the child, mouth to mouth, hand to hand, member to member, so does the Holy Ghost breathe the divine life into us, giving us to see with His sight, to work with His power; and thus our soul is born to a new life (1 Pet. i. 3, 4). Grace is, in the words of Our Saviour, " a fountain of water springing into life everlasting " (John iv. 14). "A heavenly seed is sown in us," says St. Peter Chrysologus, " destined to spring up to everlasting life. We are of a heavenly family, and Our Eather is throned in heaven. See to what heights grace has raised thee ! " While our bodies decay from day to day, our souls become daily more full of the strength of youth by virtue of grace (2 Cor. iv. 16). Even in our bodies God's grace lays the germ of everlasting life : " And if the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you; He that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies, because of His spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. viii. 11).

The following are some of the effects of the Holy Spirit when He acts upon us by His grace:

1. He purifies us from all mortal sin.

As metals are purified by fire from their dross, so are our souls cleansed of their sins when penetrated by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Sanctifying grace and mortal sin are incompatible. The Holy Spirit dwells in all who are free from mortal sin, and the evil spirit in those who are guilty of mortal sin. Although the grace of God brings a cure to the soul of man, it does not cure the body; in his fle=?h is left the remains of sin, or concupiscence. Thus in great saints even, there remains the inclination to evil against which must be waged a

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lifelong struggle. Hence the words of St. Paul : " I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good " (Rom. vii. 18). "Concupiscence," says St. Augustine, "may be lessened in this life but not destroyed." It remains with us as an object lesson of the deadly effects of sin, and to give occasion, by our resistance to it, of gaining merit in heaven.

2. He unites us to God and makes us into temples of God.

He who has the Holy Spirit is united with Christ, like the branches with the vine (John xv. 5). In the words of St. Gregory Nazianzen, our nature is united with God by the virtue of the Holy Ghost, like a drop of water poured into a measure of wine ; it acquires the color, the taste, and the smell of the wine. The Holy Spirit makes us sharers of the divine nature (2 Pet. i. 4). "By the action of the Holy Spirit," says St. Thomas Aquinas, " we are transformed into gods " ; and St. Maximus : " The Godhead is conferred on us with grace," and " As iron glows when heated in the fire, so is man changed by the Holy Spirit into the Godhead" (St. Basil; St. Thomas Aquinas). Hence men are often called gods (John x. 34; PP. Ixxxi. 6). Lucifer and the first man wished to be as God, but independently of Him. God wills that we should strive to be as He is, but in union with Him. The presence of the Holy Ghost makes us temples of God. " The Holy Spirit," says St. Augustine, " dwells primarily in the soul, and gives it its true life ; and since the soul is in the body, the Holy Ghost dwells therefore in our bodies." St. Paul insists on this point : " Know you not that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? " (1 Cor. iii. 16) ; " You are the temple of the living God " (2 Cor. vi. 16). In the Our Father we say " Our Father, Who art in heaven " ; " the heaven," says St. Augustine, " is the just man on earth, because God dwells in him." Christ Himself said that the Father and He would take up their abode with the man who loves Christ (John xiv. 23).

3. He illumines the mind, and makes the divine and moral precepts possible.

He strengthens our faculties of the intellect and will, just as a ray of sunlight passing through a crystal turns it into a mass of light. More especially does He give the light of faith (2 Cor. iv. 6), and kindle the fire of divine love (Rom. v. 5). In short He gives the three theological virtues (Council of Trent, 6, 7). He also makes us able and willing to co-operate with the inspirations of the Holy Spirit; that is, He gives us the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Just as iron softens in the fire, so the soul of man under the influence of the Holy Spirit is inclined to good works ; this we see exemplified in St. Paul, for hardly had the Holy Ghost acted upon him when he asks: "Lord, what wilt Thou that I do ? " (Acts ix. 6.) Through this inclination of the will towards what is good, the moral virtues are present as possibilities; practice is all that is required to make them facts. Thus the whole spiritual life is changed, and we see how far apart is the inner life of a saint and that of a worldling. The latter thinks only of his own satisfaction in eating, drinking, the pursuit of ambition and pleasure; in short, he loves the world. The man in

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whom the Holy Spirit dwells, directs his thoughts for the most part to God and tries to please Him; that is, he loves God. He can say with St. Paul, " I live, now not I ; but Christ liveth in me " (Gal. ii. 20). Such a man despises the things of this world, and whatever be his sufferings he enjoys peace from within and unspeakable consolation; for the Holy Ghost is the Comforter (John xiv. 26).

4. He gives us true peace.

Through Him man acquires the peace which surpasses all under standing (Phil. iv. 7). The man who has the light of the Holy Ghost in him is like a traveller performing his journey in sunshine and fair weather; quite otherwise is the case of him from whom that light is cut off by the clouds of sin ; he is like the unwilling traveller, forced to make his way through wind and storm.

5. He becomes our Teacher and Guide.

He instructs us in the teachings of the Catholic Church. The unction which we have received from Him teacheth us of all things (1 John ii. 27). Whoever has not the Holy Ghost may indeed study the truths of the Christian religion, but their significance escapes him; it is an unfruitful knowledge. Just as a book cannot be read in the dark without the help of a light, so the Word of God is unintelligible without light from the Holy Ghost. Though it is quite true that whatever the Holy Ghost imparts to us is free from error, yet we require to be certain that what we have received is indeed imparted by the Holy Spirit. Hence, no matter what a man's lights may be, he must keep fast hold of the teaching of the Church; and whoever fails to do this has not the Holy Spirit in him (1 John iv. 6). The Holy Ghost is our Guide, " leading us," says Louis of Granada, " as a father who leads his child by the hand over a difficult path." Those who are in the grace of God are led in a special manner. Such can say : " No longer do I live, but Christ lives in me." It is in this manner that the just have the kingdom of God within them (Luke xvii. 21).

6. He inspires us to do good works and makes them meritorious for the kingdom of heaven.

Just as the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters of the deep, and created plants, animals, and men, so too does He hover over the souls of men, bringing forth fruits that are to last forever. As the flower expands when touched by the sun, so is the heart of the most hardened sinner expanded by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and breathes out the perfume of virtue and piety. The Holy Ghost is ever active, like fire, and always inciting to good works. As the wind keeps the windmill ever in motion, so the Holy Spirit is ever moving the heart of man. And He makes our actions meritorious. As the soul raises our ordinary and merely animal operations to the level of rational and intellectual acts, so the Holy Ghost elevates the acts of our soul to a supernatural and divine plane. The Holy Ghost is, as it were, the gardener of our souls. A gardener grafts a good branch on to an uncultivated stork, which then brings forth sweet fruit, in place of its former sour and poor fruit; so the Holy Ghost engrafts upon us.

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a branch from Christ, the tree of life, and we bear no longer our merely natural fruit, but supernatural. When we are in the state of grace, we are the branches united with the vine, Jesus Christ (John xv. 4). Good works done in the state of mortal sin obtain for us only actual graces to help towards our conversion.

7. He makes us children of God and heirs of heaven.

When the Holy Ghost enters our souls it is with us as with Christ at His baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; God the Father receives us as His well-beloved children, and the heavens are opened to us; we have no longer the spirit of slavery, but the spirit of adoption of sons whereby we cry " Abba, Father " (Rom. viii. 15). All who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (Rom. viii. 14). If we are sons of God, we are also heirs : heirs indeed of God, joint heirs with Christ (Rom. viii. 17), for children have a claim to their heritage from their parents. " We know if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved that we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven" (2 Cor. v. 1). The Holy Spirit will remain with us forever (John xiv. 16). "To be numbered among the sons of God," says St. Cyprian, " is the highest nobility." Such is man's privilege when in the state of grace, but like the uncut diamond, all the glory of his soul is not yet visible. Well might David cry out : " Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye just " (Ps. xxxi. 11). He who has the Holy Spirit has the greatest of kingdoms, the kingdom of God in himself (Luke xvii. 21). Alas ! that so many men should neglect this, their privilege, and give themselves up to the lusts of their flesh, the food of worms.

4. Sanctifying grace is secured and increased by doing good works and using the means of grace offered by the Church; it is lost by a single mortal sin.

Sanctifying grace can always be increased in the soul : " He that is just let him be justified still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still" (Apoc. xxii. 11). By good works the sanctifying grace which we have received may be confirmed and increased in us (Council of Trent, 6, 26). Thus, for example, St. Stephen was a man "full of the Holy Spirit " (Acts vi. 5). Stones and weeds prevent the sun from reaching the earth and giving it increase; so do our sins hinder the Holy Ghost from acting on our souls; hence they must be removed by the sacraments of confession and communion; and as the soil must be prepared, so must our souls be nourished with the teaching of Christ in order to receive the action of the Holy Ghost. This was the case even with the apostles. One mortal sin is enough to rob us of sanctifying grace, for it is by mortal sin only that the soul is separated entirely from God. " God never deserts him who has once been sanctified by His grace, unless He Himself be first deserted." Hence the warning of the Apostle : " Extinguish not the Spirit" (1 Thess. v. 19). In the instant of committing mortal sin, storm clouds arise between God, the Sun of justice, and our souls, the brightness of which is at once extinguished. With the departure of the Holy Ghost are united the darkening of the under standing and the weakening of the will. " When the sun goes down,"

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says Louis of Granada, " the eye is darkened and can no longer make out objects. So when the light of the Holy Ghost is taken from the soul, it is filled with darkness, and loses the knowledge of the truth." Whoever has lost sanctifying grace can recover it by means of the Sacrament of Penance, but not without an earnest effort; for the wicked spirit has entered into such a man and has taken with him seven more spirits more wicked than himself (Matt. xii. 45). It is impossible for those who were once illuminated and are fallen away to be renewed again to penance (Heb. vi. 4-6).

5. He who has not sanctifying grace is spiritually dead and will suffer eternal ruin.

St. Augustine says that as the body without the soul is dead, so the soul without the grace of the Holy Spirit is dead for heaven. He who has not the Holy Ghost sits " in darkness and in the shadow of death " (Luke i. 79) ; he cannot understand the things of the Spirit, for they are to him foolishness (1 Cor. ii. 14). He who has not on the wedding-garment, that is, sanctifying grace, is cast into outer darkness (Matt. xxii. 12). And as the branch which is not united to the vine withers and is cast into the fire, so is he cast off who does not remain united to Christ by His grace (John xv. 6). If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is not of Christ (Rom. viii. 9).

6. No one knows for certain whether he have sanctifying grace or will receive it at the hour of death.

Man knows not whether he is worthy of love or hatred (Eccles. ix. 1). Even St. Paul says of himself: " I am not conscious to myself of anything, yet am I not hereby justified" (1 Cor. iv. 4). Solomon even became an idolater before his death; and St. Bernard warns us : " Even if a man have the light of grace and the love of God, let him remember that he is still under the open sky and not in the house, and that a breeze may put out this holy light forever." " We carry our treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor. iv. 7), and in the words of Theophylact, " Our hearts are like earthen vessels, easily broken and prone to spill the water in them; so may the Holy Spirit be lost by one sin." No wonder St. Paul warns us : " Work out your salvation in fear and trembling " (Phil. ii. 12). We may indeed have confidence that we are in the grace of God, but without a special revelation we cannot have absolute certainty (Council of Trent, 6, 6). It may be surmised from the good works which a man does that he is in the grace of God, for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit (Matt. vii. 18).

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost and the Extraordinary

Graces.

1. The Holy Ghost gives to all who have sanctifying grace the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, that is, seven virtues of the soul, by which it easily responds to His light and inspirations.

The light of the sun is split up into seven distinct colors, and the seven-branched candlestick in the Temple was a type of the seven

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gifts. These seven gifts embrace the four cardinal virtues. They remove entirely the barriers which divide us from God, especially by subjecting our concupiscence to the dictates of reason (St. Thomas Aquinas). The seven gifts give us a definite movement towards God; they perfect the powers of our souls, so that the Holy Ghost can easily move them. Just as teaching in the elementary school prepares the scholar for higher forms of instruction, so the seven gifts prepare the soul for the higher influence of the Holy Ghost. The three theological virtues are higher than the seven gifts, because the latter only give us a movement towards God, while the former unite us intimately with Him. These gifts are lost by mortal sin, but are increased as one advances in perfection. Confirmation also increases these gifts.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are : Wisdom, under standing, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and the fear of God.

The first four enlighten the understanding, the others strengthen the will. These gifts are enumerated by Isaias as belonging to the Redeemer of mankind (Is. xi. 2).

1. The gift of wisdom enables us to recognize the emptiness of earthly things, and to regard God as the highest good.

St. Paul counts all that the world loves and admires for loss (Phil. iii. 8). Solomon, after tasting of the joys of this world calls them "vanities" (Eccles. i. 2). St. Ignatius of Loyola used often to exclaim : " Oh ! how poor are the things of earth when I look at the heavens." Compare, too, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, " My and my all."

2. The gift of understanding enables us to distinguish Catholic teaching from all other doctrine, and to rest in it.

Blessed Clement Hofbauer, the apostle of Vienna (A.D. 1820), though he began his studies very late in life, and had only just enough knowledge of theology to be ordained, was often consulted by the dignitaries of the Church on the accuracy of the doctrine taught in the books passing through the press. A very short examination enabled him to detect at once what was unsound. St. Catharine of Alexandria (A.D. 307), reduced some fifty pagan doctors to silence, and made them into Christians. Our Lord's own promise was : " I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adver saries shall not be able to resist and gainsay" (Luke xxi. 15).

3. The gift of knowledge enables us to obtain a clear grasp of the teaching of the Catholic Church without special study.

The Cure of Ars had done but little study, yet his sermons were riO remarkable that even bishops were eager to hear them, and mar velled at his knowledge. St. Thomas Aquinas used to say that he learned more at the foot of the altar than out of books; and St. Ignatius of Loyola declared that he had learned more in the cave at Manresa than all the doctors in the world could teach him. How did

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the old man Simeon know that the child in the Temple was the Messias (Luke ii. 34) ? Were not the apostles, after the coming of the Holy Ghost, " endowed with power from on high " (Luke xxiv. 49) ? Was not St. Paul rapt into paradise to hear words such as no man had heard (2 Cor. xii. 4) ?

4. The gift of counsel enables us to know under difficult circumstances what the will of God is.

We might recall the answer made by Christ to the question whether tribute should be paid to Csesar (Matt. xxii. 21), and the judgment of Solomon (3 Kings iii.). Our Lord, when warning the apostles of the persecutions awaiting them, had said, " Be not solicitous how you shall answer or what you shall say ; for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you must say" (Luke xii. 11, 12).

5. The gift of fortitude enables us to bear courageously whatever is necessary in carrying out God's will.

St. John JSTepomucene (1393) chose rather to be imprisoned, tortured with hot irons, and finally cast into the Moldau, rather than betray the secret of the confessional. Job was patient in spite of the loss of his property, his children, and his health, and in spite of the mockery of his wife and friends. Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son. The gift of fortitude is especially prominent in the holy martyrs, and most of all in Our Lady, the Queen of martyrs, " She herself," says St. Alphonsus, " would have nailed her Son to the cross had such been God's will; for she possessed the gift of fortitude in a higher degree than Abraham."

6. The gift of piety enables us to make continual efforts to honor God more and more in our hearts, and to carry out His will more perfectly.

St. Teresa took a vow always to choose what was most perfect, and St. Alphonsus never to waste time. St. Aloysius would spend hours in presence of the Blessed Sacrament, till his confessor had to command him to shorten his devotions. Many of the saints used to melt into tears during their prayer or in meditating on heavenly subjects.

7. The gift of the fear of God enables us to fear giving offence to God more than all the evils in the world.

Such was the gift, for instance, of the three children in the furnace, and of all the martyrs. It enables us to overcome the fear of man and human respect.

2. The Holy Ghost gives to many graces of a rarer kind; for instance, the gift of tongues, of miracles, of prophecy, of discernment of spirits, of visions, of ecstasies, etc.

The apostles received on the feast of Pentecost the gift of tongues, and we find it recorded also in the life of St. Francis Xavier, as having been possessed by him. The prophets of the Old Law foretold future events. St. Peter knew the thoughts of Ananias. St.

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Catharine of Sienna after communion used to be raised in the airand rapt out of her senses. St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata, or impression on his body of the sacred wounds of Our Lord. Instances of all these gifts occur again and again in the lives of the saints, and are, after all, only the fulfilment of the promise of Our Lord in Mark xvi. 17, 18. These graces are conferred by the Holy Ghost on whom He will (1 Cor. xii. 11). Louis of Granada beauti fully expresses it : " As the sun shines on the flowers, and brings out their various perfumes, so does the light of the Holy Spirit fall on pious souls, according to their peculiarities, and develops in them His graces and gifts."

These extraordinary graces are conferred by the Holy Ghost generally for the benefit of others and in aid of His Church.

The time of the apostles was conspicuous for extraordinary gifts (1 Cor. xii.-xiv.). " God is like a gardener," says St. Gregory the Great, " who waters the flowers only while they are young." Extraordinary graces ought to be used with due discretion for the benefit of others (1 Cor. xiv. 12). In the words of St. Irenseus, " A merchant does not leave his money idle in his chests, but he makes the best use he can of it in business; so God's will is that His graces should not be left unemployed, but that men should make good use of them." These extraordinary gifts of themselves do not make men better. They are indeed great graces, available for great good, and are the free gift of God, like riches, health, etc. Hence the words of St. Teresa : " Not for all the goods and joys of this world would I give up a single one of the graces given me ; I esteemed them always as a singular gift of God and a very great treasure." It is the right use of these gifts, and not the gifts themselves, which make them of service to man. St. Fulgentius writes : " One may have the gift of miracles, and yet lose his soul. Miracles give no certainty of one's salvation." Nor are these extraordinary graces a sign of holiness in the possessor of them; Our Lord's own words convey this in Matthew vii. 22. Yet there is no saint of the Church who has not had these gifts. Benedict XIV. says : " They are, as a rule, given not to sinners but to the just. When they are found in union with heroic virtue in a man, they are a strong proof of his sanctity." These gifts are usually accompanied by great sufferings, such as desolation of spirit, struggles with the devil, sickness, persecutions, etc.

3. The gifts of the Holy Spirit were conspicuous in a special degree in Jesus Christ (Acts x. 38), His holy Mother, the apostles, the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Law, and all the saints of the Catholic Church.

The Holy Ghost as Guide of the Church. The Holy Ghost maintains and guides the Catholic Church.

As the soul is to the body, so is the Holy Ghost to the Catholic Church, and, like the soul, His action is invisible. He is the Architect of the Church; His action produced the Incarnation (Luke i. 35) ; He exercised His powers through the humanity of Christ (Luke

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iv. 18 ; Acts x. 38) ; He perfects the Church founded by the Redeemer (Eph. ii. 20-22).

1. The Holy Spirit secures the Catholic Church from destruction (Matt. xvi. 18), and preserves it from error (John xiv. 16).

2. The Holy Ghost supports the rulers of the Church in the duties of their office (Acts xx. 28), and especially the Vicar of Christ, the Pope.

The Holy Ghost gives to them what they shall say (Matt. x. 19). He speaks through them as on Pentecost He spoke through the apostles (Matt. x. 20). In the words of St. Basil: "As the pen writes what the writer wishes, so the preacher of the Gospel speaks nothing of his own but what the Holy Spirit gives to him."

3. The Holy Ghost raises up in times of danger for the Church able champions of her cause.

For example St. Athanasius (A.D. 373) in the time of the Arians ; the holy Pope Gregory VII. (A.D. 1085) when the Church was in general disorder; St. Dominic (A.D. 1221) at the time of the Albigenses; St. Catharine of Sienna (A.D. 1380), at the time of the great Papal schism; St. Ignatius of Loyola (A.D. 1556) at the time of Luther.

4. The Holy Ghost is the cause that there are so many saints in the Church in all ages.

Almost every year new saints are canonized in Rome.

3. Apparitions of the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost has appeared under the form of a dove, of fire, and of tongues, to signify His office in the Church.

" The Holy Ghost," says St. Gregory the Great, " appeared in the form of a dove and of fire, because His work is done gently and zealously, and whoever is wanting in gentleness and zeal is not under His influence. He appeared in the form of tongues, because He gives to man the gift of speech, by which he may inflame others to the love of God." The Holy Ghost appeared under the form of fire, because He consumes the dross of our sins, drives the darkness of ignorance out of our souls, melts the icy coldness of our hearts, and inflames us with love of God and of our neighbor, and because He hardens and strengthens the heart of man whom He has made from the clay of the earth. " Our God is a consuming fire " (Heb. xii. 29.)

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