The Holy Spirit

Man is wholly terrestrial and animal ; and only the Holy Spirit can elevate his soul and bear it aloft.

Why were the saints so detached from earth ? Because they abandoned themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

They who trust to the guidance of the Holy Spirit are truly enlightened. Behold the reason why so many of the unlettered know more than the learned : when one is guided by the God of strength and of light, he cannot be deceived.

Like those glasses which magnify every object seen through them, so does the Holy Spirit give us a clear vision of good and evil. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, we see everything standing out in bold characters, — the grandeur of our least actions done for God and the enormity of our least faults. As the watch-maker, by means of his glasses, distinguishes the smallest wheels of a watch, even so, by the light of the Holy Spirit, do we distinguish every detail of our poor lives Then, the least imperfections appear very great and the least sins fill us with horror.

They who possess the Holy Spirit cannot be puffed up with self, because they have so clear a vision of their own miseries. The proud have not the Holy Spirit.

The worldly have not the Holy Spirit, or, if so, it is but for a time ; He lingers not with them ; He is banished by the tumult and noise of the world.

The eye of the world sees not beyond this life. The Christian’s eye looks even into the depths of eternity.

For that man who abandons himself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit there seems to be no world ; for the world, there seems to be no God.

They who trust to the guidance of the Holy Spirit experience within themselves every manner of happiness, while bad Christians roll themselves upon thorns and sharp stones.

A soul possessing the Holy Spirit is never weary in God’s presence : from its heart exudes a balm of love.

Take in one hand a sponge saturated with water, and in the other a stone, press them equally. From the stone you will obtain nothing, while the sponge will yield an abundance of water. The sponge represents the soul filled with the Holy Spirit, and the stone, the hard, cold heart in which the Holy Spirit does not dwell.

When one has the Holy Spirit the heart expands and immerses itself in divine love. The fish never complains of having too much water : and the pious Christian never complains of spending too much time with the good God. Some persons find religion wearisome : these have not the Holy' Spirit.

If one were to inquire of the damned, “ Why are you in Hell ? ” they would answer, “ For having resisted the Holy Spirit ; ” and if one were to ask the saints, “ Why are you in Heaven ? ” they would answer, “For having heeded the Holy Spirit. ”

The good God, in sending us the Holy Spirit acts towards us like a great king who charges his minister with the guidance of one of his subjects, saying : “ Accompany this man everywhere, and bring him back to me safe and sound.” Oh ! how admirable a thing it is to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit ! Oh ! what a good guide ! And to think that there are persons who will not follow Him!

The Holy Spirit reposes in the souls of the just as the dove in its nest. He brings forth good desires in a pure soul, even as the dove hatches its little ones.

The Holy Spirit guides us as a mother leads by the hand her two-year-old child, or, as one who has his sight leads the blind.

The Holy Spirit reposes in a pure soul as upon a bed of roses.

The soul which is the abode of the Holy Spirit gives forth a good odor, like unto the vine when in flower.

As a beautiful white dove arises from the wave, and, on land, shakes off the water from its wings, so does the Holy Spirit, arising from the infinite ocean of divine perfections, flutter His wings over pure souls to distil upon them the balm of love.