Lastly, we ought to pray to and invoke the Holy Spirit, for
each one of us greatly needs His protection and His help. The more a man is
deficient in wisdom, weak in strength, borne down with trouble, prone to sin,
so ought he the more to fly to Him who is the never-ceasing fount of light,
strength, consolation, and holiness. And chiefly that first requisite of man,
the forgiveness of sins, must be sought for from Him: "It is the special
character of the Holy Ghost that He is the Gift of the Father and the Son. Now the remission of sins is given by the
Holy Ghost as by the Gift of God" (Summ. Th., 3a, q. iii, a. 8, ad
3m). Concerning this Spirit the words of
the Liturgy are very explicit: "For He is the remission of all sins"
(Roman Missal, Tuesday after Pentecost). How He should be invoked is clearly
taught by the Church, who addresses Him in humble supplication, calling upon
Him by the sweetest of names: "Come, Father of the poor! Come, Giver of
gifts! Come, Light of our hearts! O, best of Consolers, sweet Guest of the
soul, our refreshment!" (Hymn, Veni Sancte Spiritus). She earnestly
implores Him to wash, heal, water our minds and hearts, and to give to us who
trust in Him "the merit of virtue, the acquirement of salvation, and joy
everlasting." Nor can it be in any way doubted that He will listen to such
prayer, since we read the words written by His own inspiration: "The Spirit
Himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings" (Rom. 8.26). Lastly, we
ought confidently and continually to beg of Him to illuminate us daily more and
more with His light and inflame us with His charity: for, thus inspired with
faith and love, we may press onward earnestly towards our eternal reward, since
He "is the pledge of our inheritance" (Eph. 1.14)
-- from The Abiding
Presence of the Holy Ghost in the Soul by Bede Jarrett (references in the original)
4 comments:
That was helpful Mush. The Holy Spirit is the one of the Trinity that I have the most trouble thinking about. I think of Him more of an effect emanating from the Father and Son than a Him.
Much to learn.
I had a guy call me out in a Sunday School class one time over the difference between the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Christ. Fortunately, the pastor happened to there that morning, and I was able to defer to him.
I don't see what the difference could possibly be since Jesus refers to the Spirit as "another Comforter" -- that is, one of the same kind as Jesus Himself -- Another like Me, He could have said.
Emanating from the Father and Son is not a bad way to picture the relationship. I think Lewis or someone put it in a similar way. The love between Father and Son is such that their Love is a Person.
Or, as John says, God is Love.
John said,
"The Holy Spirit is the one of the Trinity that I have the most trouble thinking about."
Same here, John. Perhaps it should be.
Something I've stumbled on lately, a similar paradox, is the concept of Mary as the mother of God. Or rather, a way of thinking that seems to help me at least, is what I stumbled on: perhaps my difficulty lies in some misunderestimation of what is a child. Or what IS a child (or our lesser view of one). Perhaps the child is in some ways greater than the mother. My "image" of child is expanded thinking in this way. I don't think this takes anything away from the mother (or father), but merely elevates the child (and all children) in the "process". You could say each of us gives birth from within us to Jesus. Or we don't. That area where Jesus lies dormant is nonetheless a virginal womb or He is not truly birthed.
So in a way maybe similar we can or should review what we mean when we say "person" when we think of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps what we mean when we say "person" needs adjustment rather than our idea of the Holy Spirit.
You could say each of us gives birth from within us to Jesus. Or we don't. That area where Jesus lies dormant is nonetheless a virginal womb or He is not truly birthed.
That connects with something I heard someone say over the weekend. He was talking about "born again" and pointed out that before birth there must be conception then -- as he put it, misery -- then birth.
The new life is conceived or planted (from the parable of the sower) in an individual who must then carry that seed around for a while before it is actually "born". You reminded me of my father's testimony when he complained to the preacher that it would "drive a man crazy".
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