L ve.tk.-eWle..iQ'j L~iIV"eYlce.J T",Q.. 7~ Va. c..f ele. .. . THE PARACLETE NOVENAS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT III ustrating THE SEVEN GIFTS AND THE TWELVE FRUITS By Lawrence J. Luetkemeyer Imprimi Potest: W. J. No1d, Censor Librorum. March 8, 1946. Imprimatur: Joseph P. Lynch, D.D., Bishop of Dallas. March 15, 1946. DeacfdiRed Foreword Parac1ete, a Greek word, means literally "called upon" or unto; but practically, since our Lord referred His disciples for what they needed as Christians to the Holy Spirit, it must mean that He, the Holy Spirit, answers if asked or "called upon," (Wis 7,7) all our spiritual needs: Wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, godliness, zeal. The word has been vari- ously translated, according to what the translator thought was our most urgent or universal need, or judged from the con- text where the word is used, the Parac1ete was answering or called upon to answer; hence, advocate, counsellor, helper, inter- cessor, comforter, exhorter. The word best remains untranslated, 'be- cause we have no word that really trans- lates it. It has a meaning all its own. Parac1esis is as peculiar to the Parac1ete as redemption is to the Redeemer. Know- ing this, Christians will never neglect to call upon the Holy Spirit, particularly dur- ing the yearly Novena, (enj oined by Pope Leo XIII) which commemorates and re-enacts the time when the Church, re- deemed, but orphan-like, was waiting and calling for the Paraclete of her inner life to corne, and to be present with her and 3 in her forever, thereafter, present to answer her every need and call for the necessities and commodities and luxuries of her spirit- uallife. Novena, a Latin word, an adjective de- rived from "novem" meaning nine, refers to a practice, common in the Church of praying for a special favor of Heaven nine consecutive days. The tenth is generally added as the one on which the favor is to be received; as it actually was received by the Apostles, who were the first to have' 'held out in prayer with Mary, the mother of . Jesus, and His brethren" nine days; and then to have received the greatest of all great favors, the very gift of God, the Paraclete himself, on the tenth. It is a practice, therefore, of Apostolic precedent; and seemingly reflects the mind of Jesus Himself; since HQ charged them not to depart from Jerusalem; but to wait until they were "clothed with power from on high", to wait for the "Promise of the Father". Then after nine days He sent forth the Holy Spirit upon them. In the mean time He left them in suspense as to what the full nature of the Kingdom that was to come was to be. This expectancy was perhaps their best preparation for the most fruitful reception of the Holy Spirit; 4 a fact, which Inight be a hint to us, that a prolonged and profound preparation is necessary, if we want to open and to offer our souls fully to the "paraclesis of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9,31), and have His Gifts fully realized in us. To supply prayers and Ineditations for such novenas has been the purpose of these efforts; and at the saIne tiIne to Inake known and current ideas and ideals, that should be known and current aInong the Christian people upon whoIn "the blessing of AbrahaIn", "the proInise of the Spirit thru the faith" has COIne (Gal 3,14). His seven Gifts are here treated under the title of seven spirits, following the hint of Saint ThoInas, referring us to the prophecy, where they are so called. As cOIning froIn the Holy Spirit they are in- deed spirits, that is attitudes, dispositions, disposing and qualifying us for acts essen- tial to Christian or supernatural life ; but, as "iInplanted" (Jcl,21) in the hUInansoul, they are powers, to be developed, "in- creased" (Col 2,19), as we cooperate, "trade with" theIn (Mt 25,15), till they becoIne habits, virtues. With theIn we realize "the precious Ag (2,7) and exceeding great prOIn- 5 ises" (2 Pt 1,4) held out to all nations in the seed of Abraha:m (Gn 22,18) in Jesus Christ, fro:m "whose fulness we all take", (In 1,16) "grace upon grace", till we "be- co:me partakers of divine nature" (2 Pt 1,4), even "filled unto all the fulness of God" (E 3,19), "unto the :measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ' ~ (E 4,13). The positive rather than the negative side of Christianity has been set forth, so that people :might better understand a:r:td . appreciate the "unspeakable, (rather, the indescribable) gift of God" (2 Cor 9, 15), and their own inesti:mable privilege of being Christians, "partakers of the Holy Spirit" (Heb 6,4) as live :me:mbers of Christ's one body, the Church (E 1,23). Neither are the ideas and ideals, here set forth, new. No, what you here find said has been said long ago by the "one Teacher" (Mt 23,10), Christ, speaking thru Hi:msel£ and thru His Spirit in His :many oracles in the Church of the ages. Only the setting ·· and the string is new. The thoughts, like the Goodly Pearls in the parable, sought by a :merchant, are old; but they have been gathered and are here strung together for your special benefit. And it is hoped that in this for:m like that of a glinting necklace 6 they will catch the eye, will set off the in- valuable pearl of godliness, so that :more people seeing it will be induced to "go and sell all they have to acquire it" (Mt 13,46). Truth to tell, too few Christians think of godliness, of God-like behavior, as being a Christian privilege and duty. And also, too few :may be found having the Wedding Gar:ment on (Mt 22,11), when Christ, the king of glory, co:mes in to see His guests, and to assign the:m to their proper and final places in the brilliant banquet hall or eternity. May these efforts help to open and to pave the way for Christians into full Chris- tianity, into "the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and t he co:m:munication of the Holy Spirit" (2 Cor 13,13). The Author. N. B. In Quotin g Scripture the author has been mo r e concerned about the meaning revealed than about the wording found in the Douay Vers ion . I n every ins t ance he h as cons u lt ed the original text. and has tried to r e- thin k the thoughts as Prophet and Apostle thought t hem about the Paraclete and his par aclesis , and to e xpr ess them in 'mode rn English . All Quotations o f importanc~. and even a llus ion s. are mar ked w ith r e ferences to a ffo rd the reade r if he looks the r e fe r ence up an opportunity to do more thinking and gain more light on the indescribable gif t of God : 7 The Text Our Lord said: It is expedient to you that I go; for if I go not, the Parac1ete will not corne to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And when He is corne, He will con- vince the world of sin and of justice and of judgrnent: of sin , because they believed not in 'Me; and of justice, because I go to the Father, and ye shall see Me no longer; and of judgrnent, because the prince of this world is already judged. I have yet rnany things to say to you; but ye cannot bear thern now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, is corne, He will teach you all truth. For He shall not speak of hirnsel£; but what things soever He shall hear He shall speak; and the things that are to corne, He shall show you. He shall glorify Me; because He shall receive of rnine, and shall show it to you (In 16,7-14). The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: The spirit of wisdorn and of under- standing, the Spirit of counsel and of for- titude, the Spirit of knowledge and of god- liness. And he shall be filled with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Is 11, 2-3). 8 The Text Revised Our Lord said: It is well for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Paraclete will not co:me to you; but if I go, I vJill send tH:m unto you. And co:ming He will show (enlighten) the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judiciousness; concerning sin, since they believe not in Me; concerning righteous- ness, since I go to the Father, and ye be- hold Me no longer; concerning j udicious- ness, since the prince of this world hath been judged. Yet :many things I have to say to you, but ye cannot bear the:m now. However when He, the Spirit of truth is co:me, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak for Hi:mself; but what things soever He shall hear, shall He speak, and the co:ming things He will declare to you. He will glorify Me; for He will take of :mine, and declare it to you (In 16,7-14). The Spiri t of Yahweh shall rest upon Hi:m : the Spirit of w isdo:m and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of godliness; and shall be-spirit Hi:m with godliness (religion, the fear of Yahweh) (Is 11,2-3). 9 Veni Creator Spiritus, Mentes tuorum visita, Imple superna gratia Quae tu creasti pectora. Qui diceris Paraclitus Altissimi Donum Dei , Fons vivus , Ignis, Charitas, Et spiritalis Unctio. ... Tu septiformis munere , o Digitus Paternae dexterae , Tu rite promissum Patr is, Sermone ditans guttura. Accende lumen sensibus, Infunde amorem cordibus, Infirma nostri corporis Virtute firmans perpeti. Hostem rep elIas longius, Pacemque dones protinus ; Ductore sic te praevio Vitemus omne noxium. Hy:mn to the Holy Spirit Come, 0 Creator Spirit Blest! And in our soul take up Thy rest; Come, with Thy grace and heavenly aid, To fill the hearts which Thou has made. Great Paraclete! to Thee we cry! o highest gift of God most high! o fount of life! 0 fire of love! And sweet anointing from above! Thou in Thy seven fold gifts art known . Thee, Finger of God's hand, we own; The promise of the Father Thou! Who dost the tongue with pow'r endow. K i ndle our senses from above, And make our hearts o'erflow with love; With patience firm, and virtue high; The weakness of our flesh supply. Far from us drive the foe we dread , And grant us Thy true peace instead ; So shall we not, with Thee for guide, Turn from the path of life aside. Per te sciamus da Patrem, Noscamus atque Filium, Teque utriusque Spiritum Credamus omni tempore. Deo .Patri sit gloria, Ejusque soli Filio, Cum Spiritu Paraclito Nunc et per omne saeculum. Amen. 0, may Thy grace on us bestow . The Father and the Son to know, And Thee, through endless times confess'd Of both Th' eternal Spirit blest. All glory, while the ages run , Be to the Father and the Son, The same, 0 Holy Ghost, to Thee, Now and through all eternity. Amen. Sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus, Et emitte coelitus Lucis tuae radium. Veni, Pater pauperum; Veni, dator numerum; Veni, lumen cordium. Consolator optime, Dulcis, hospes animae Dulce refrigerium. Holy Spirit! Lord of light! From Thy clear celestial height, Thy pure beaming radiance give: Corne, Thou Father of the poor! Corne, with treasures which endure! Corne, Thou Light of all that live! Thou, of all consolers best, Visiting the troubled breast, Dost refreshing peace bestow; In labore requies, In aestu temperies, In fletu solatium~ o lux beatissima, Reple cordis intima Tuorum fidelium. Sine tuo numine Nihil est in homine, Nihil est innoxium. Lava quod est sordidum, i;:) Riga quod est aridum, Sana quod est saucium. Flecte quod est rigidum, Fove quod est frigidum, Rege quod est devium. De tuis fidelibus In te confidentibus Sacrum septenarium. Da virtu tis meritum, Da salutis exitum, Da perenne gaudium. Amen. Thou in toil art comfort sweet; Pleasant coolness in the heat; Solace in the midst of woe. Light immortal! Light Divine! Visit Thou these hearts of Thine, And our inmost being fill: If Thou take Thy grace away, Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turn's to ill. Heal our wounds - our strength renew; On our dryness pour Thy dew; Wash the strains of guilt away; Bend the stubborn heart and will; Mel t the frozen - warm the chill; Guide the steps that go astray. Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and Thee adore In Thy sevenfold gifts descend; Give them comfort when they die; Give them life with Thee on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen. Hymn arid Prayer to the Holy Spirit (Tune: Rock of Ages, or Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me) Holy Spirit, care for me. (1 Pt 5,7) Make me what I ought to be. (E 2,10) Let Thy Wisdom and Thy light (Is 11,2) Be my guide both day and night; (Ex 40,38) As in faith I onward plod, (Heb 11,13) On to where I ' m horne with God. (Mt 11,28) Holy Spirit, see me thru. (Ex 23,20) Make me holy, good, and true. (Mic 6,8) Let Thy counsel and Thy might (2 Par 20,12) Be my guard both left and right; (1 Pt 1,5) As in hope I upward strive, (Prv 15,24) Up to where in Christ I thrive. (E 2,6) Holy Spirit, from above, (Jc 1,17) In my heart shed forth Thy love. (Rm 5,5) Let Thy knowledge and Thy grace (2 Pt 3,18) (Hos 6,6) Free my soul from all that's base; (1 Thes 4,8) As Thou comest there to rest, (Rm 8,9) Thou my host as well as guest. (Neh 9,20-21) Holy Spirit, fire divine, (2 Tm 1,6) (Acts 2,3) In my zeal both burn and shine. (In 5,5) Make me will and make me do, (Phil 2,13) As a Christian ought to do. (E 4,1) Make me do, till all is done, (Jr 1,7) Till the crown of life is won. (Apoc 2,10) Holy Spirit, mystic Dove, (In 1,32) (Gn 8,10-12) Be my faith, my hope, my love. (1 Cer 13,10-13) Answer ev'ry need and call. (Mic 2,7) Be my guide, my guard, my all. (1 Cor 12,11) Be with me in all I meet; (Is 8,10) Thou, my God and Paraclete. (In 14,17) Indulgenced Prayers Consecration to the Holy Spirit o Holy Spirit, divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to Thee my understand- 13 ing, heart, and will, my whole being for time and eternity. May my understanding be always submissive to Thy heavenly in- spirations, and to the teaching of the Catholic Church of which Thou art the in- fallible guide; and may my heart be ever inflamed with the love of God and of my . neighbor; may my will be ever conformed to the divine will, and may my whole life be a faithful imitation of the life and virtues of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to Whom with the Father and Thee be honor and glory forever. Amen. 300 days, once a day - Pius X, June 5, 1908. Prayer to the Holy Spirit . for the Propagation of the Faith Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, come into our hearts; shed the brightness of Thy light on all nations, that they may be one in faith and pleasing to Thee. 100 days, once a day - Leo XIII, July 31, 1897. Prayer to the Holy Spirit for the Church o Holy Spirit, Creator, be propitious to the Catholic Church, and by Thy heavenly I power make it strong and secure against the attacks of its enemies, and renew in charity and grace the Spirit of Thy servants whom Thou has anointed, that they may glorify Thee and the Father and His only- 14 begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 300 days, once a day - Leo XIII, August 26, 1889. Invocation to the Holy Spirit Corne, 0 Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. 300 days, every time - Pius X, May 8,1907. FIRST NOVENA Illustrating the Seven Spirits or Gifts in their Meaning to us. INVOCATION Corne, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created; R. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. 0 God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant us by the same Spirit to know what is right, and upon His consola- tion (guidance) ever to rejoice (Acts 15,31), thru Christ Our Lord. Amen. FIRST DAY I tell you the truth: It is well for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Par- 15 aclete will not corne to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you (In 16,7). With these words our Lord told His apostles, and tells us, that we need the Holy Spirit, that He has His own special work to do for us, a work which only He can do for us, and only will do after Jesus has finished His. To understand this, we must remember that each of the three Divine Persons shares in every work done for us. What is begun by the Father, is sustained by the Son, and completed by the Holy Spirit. Creation is therefore ascribed to the Father, salvation to the Son, and sanctification to the Holy Spirit. This work of the Spirit is very intimate, and very personal to us. For that work the Paraclete at first comes to us to show us concerning sin in the spirit of wisdom and understanding, then is with us to show us concerning righteousness in the spirit of counsel and power, then is in us to show us concerning judiciousness iIi. the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and · finally fills us unto all the fulness of God in the spirit of zeal. That is the program of the Paraclete'; that is sanctification. And that is the explanation for the above words. Jesus is already thinking of sanctification, when taking leave of His apostles. "That l~ they be sanctified in the truth", was his farewell prayer (In 17,17). When Jesus had effected our salvation, had restored the order of righteousness, as planned by the Father fro:m the beginning , His task was finished; He said so on the cross. It was then well for us that He went away, and in His stead sent the Holy Spirit; that He, the Paraclete, :might lead us into all the truth, and perfect us in the glory of Christ, in Christianity, sanctify us in the truth. Re:me:mber, it is the Holy Spirit who gives, or lends, or co:m:municates the gifts and glories of Heaven, and thus brings out in order and perfection whatever is being ordered and perfected. So He did the :material world after its creation, when "He :moved upon the face of the waters" (Gn 1,2); so He does hu:man society after its salvation; since He ca:me upon the Church in the for:m of " tongues as of fire" (Acts 2,3); so He does the individual soul in its sanctification, when " He sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God" (Rn 5,5). The world was ordered and perfected in the seven days; society is perfected by the seven sacra:men ts, and the soul is so thru the seven Gifts. 17 Primeval matter needed the diverse workings of God to evolve into this beauti- ful world-this beautiful world, which we all love so well, tho not always so wisely. Outcast society needs the diverse ministra- tions of the' Lord to develop into a uni- . versal brotherhood; a universal brother- hood, a thing we all are so quick to preach, but so slow to practice. Corrupt man needs the diverse gifts of the Spirit to un- fold into the finished Christian-the fin- ished Christian, whom we all admire so much in others, yet cultivate so little in ourselves. All, therefore, need the Par- aclete for their final perfection. Hence, when Christ had formed and planted the principles of salvation, for society and the soul, in the sacraments of the Church, as God has formed and plant- ed the powers of creation in the elements of nature, He left them for the Spirit to develop, to develop unto fulness or perfec- tion by His gifts or loans or communica- tions, so that, as the fulness of the earth and the sky declareth the glory of God, so the fulness of the state and the Church may reflect the glory of Jesus, and the fulness of the man and the Christian may commend the glory of the Paraclete; and so God be glorified in all. 18 Alas, we, as free beings, Inay act along or act against, Inay assist or resist the Spirit in His efforts of perfecting. We Inay re- Inain heathens, "waste and wild", or develop into Christians, "well ordered and well adorned". Hence the Apostle exhorts us: "Be ye perfected; be ye exhorted or paracleted; be ye like-Ininded ; be ye peace- ful; and the God of love and of peace shall b!! with you" (2 Cor 13,11). Yea, He shall be in you (1 Cor 6,19), to shed abroad in your hearts the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COIn- Inunication of the Holy Spirit. Let us work and pray that God Inay grant us the gifts or loans or COInInunica- tions of the Holy Spirit: SECOND DAY His Efforts in Our Behalf And cOIning he will show the world concerning sin, and concerning righteous- ness, and concerning judiciousness; con- cerning sin, since they believe not in Me; concerning righteousness, since I go to the Father, and ye shall behold Me no longer; concerning judiciousness, since the prince of this world hath been judged (In 16,9). The purpose of the Spirit's cOIning has 19 been comprised in a verb, for which in our modern language we have no equivalent. The verb 'show' in its slang meaning of 'to make see' is the nearest we have to it. What it means we can gather from the many instances where the verb is used. Its underlying idea is that of an honest, yet not always of a successful, effort at en- lightenment. And that is exactly the role of the Spirit with us mortals here on eart~. He is ever trying to make us see the higher and better things; while we too often ' resist' Him , and 'grieve' Him, and even ' quench' Him. All this we do, because we are not always of good will, do not always let Him show us our errors and our duties and our chances; tho He go about it ever so kindly and quietly and cleverly. Yet, tho we rebel, He never quits us. He loves us. "With a love everlasting He loves us; therefore , His loving kindness towards us continues" (Jr 31,3). He ever pursues us for our profit; for He wants us to share .in His hoiiness, and sub- sequently in His blessedness. To bring this about He must often enough "show" us. "Whom God loveth He showeth, even as a father does his son, in whom he is much interested" (Prov 3,12). "His incor- ruptible Spirit is in all men, showing 20 vagrants little by little; and reminding truants of their failings He warns them , that turning away from their wickedness they may believe in Him" (Wis 12,2). He bears with us long and patiently, because He would have all men saved, "and corne to the knowledge of the truth". He ever works to that end. "He sends forth His seven Spirits into all the earth" (Apoc 5,6) , "to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Par 16,9). He has the welfare and betterment of all, their sanctification (1 Thes 4,3), at heart. And His efforts of help range thru the whole scale of our spiritual need; from wisdom to understanding, from counsel to power, from knowledge to godliness, and zeal; from the depths of sin thru all grades of righteousness to the finer things of judiciousness. The Holy Spirit 'comes' with this final purpose in view, to glorify Christ in Chris- tions , to christianize mankind, to raise man above his natural state into com- munion with God. He consistently and constantly works to that end. While, how- ever, He shows all men concerning sin, (concerning 'repentance unto life' ) (Act!? 11,18), He can show concerning righteous- ness, (concerning the elements of life), 21 only such as hear HiIn, and believe in Christ; in Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. Those that hear and heed, and with His help judge and cast Satan out of their heart, He shows to the utmost. Those He helps all along the way; the called, unto repentance; the repentant, unto life; the live, unto perfection. "His delight is with the children of men" (Prv 8,31). He is always with them, if only they be with Him. If they are, all His efforts meet with success. It is a case of intimate co- operation and of close coordination. The crown of life is obtained only with His help, never without it. They need Him, and He is ever ready to supply what they need, when 'called upon'. Even 'before they call, He answers' (Is 65,24); for He deals with them, as with sons, heeding their need 'more than their call. Unless they act in conjunction with Him, however, He does nothing; and unless He acts in them, they achieve nothing- nothing unto sanctification. But with Him they can do all things. Those that obey Him (Acts 5,32), He helps unstinting- ly. Those He 'shows' with a love and a care that is' without measure; and unto a per- fection and a blessedness that is without end. For the measure and the end is God. 22 'Of Him. and by Him. and unto Him. are we all' . Let us work and pray that God m.ay grant us His Spirit to 'show' us: THIRD DAY Effects and Evidence of the Spirit Yet m.any things I have to say to you; but ye cannot bear them. now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is com.e, He will guide you into all the truth; for He shall not speak for Him.sel£; but what things soever He shall hear, He shall speak, and the com.ing things He shall declare unto you. He shall glorify m.e; for He shall take of m.ine, and shall declare it to you (In 16,12). Having the above assurances concerning the Holy Spirit, can these assured effects anywhere be noted? Surely, only in people of good will, who do not resist Him., who let Him. show them. their errors and their duties and their chances, ;who want to be 'shown'. Therefore, these effects m.ay be noted first of all in the Apostles. And what is the change effected in them. when the Paraclete com.es, and is no longer m.erely with them., but actually in them.? Behold, the very prom.ise of our Lord 23 just quoted is at once fulfilled in them. They can now bear the many things, which Christ had yet to say unto them, but could not say at the time. They are now no longer too weak and too slow to under- stand. They are guided as if by one step into all the truth. They now no longer ask about, but go and preacli the kingdom. They begin right from the time and the place, wherein the Spirit comes upon them. I t is as if they had been awakened from a dream, and looking around, realized the whole truth of the situation. They act as Christ said the Paraclete would act. They speak not from themselves; but what things soever they hear, they speak; speak the things they see right at hand, what the circumstances suggest and demand. They do so, because what they now see and hear, they under~tand, understand where it be- longs in the counsel of God. They declare the things as they corne, not only seeing what is to be seen, but also doing what is to be done . They now no longer shrink back; but face the world, as Christ faced it, with a heart that knows no hesitating, no misgiving, no flinching, while they show the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and con- 24 cerning judiciousness. They no longer fear, but rejoice that they are accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the Name of Jesus. Being free from selfish interests, their hearts are directed into the charity of God and into the patience (steadfast- ness) of Christ; into His way, His truth, and His life of righteousness. In one word, they are changed into other Christs. They speak and act as He spoke and acted. And this fact is fairly evident to the world; for when dealing with them, men noted' 'that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4,13). They saw in them what they had seen in Him. They saw in them His Spirit of wisdom and understanding, His Spirit of counsel and power, His Spirit of knowledge and godliness, and His Spirit of zeal · for God. Christ is glorified in Christians. The Paraclete has taken the glory which is Christ, has taken from His fulness grace upon grace, and declared; divided it unto them; has clothed them with Christ's own character, has baptized them into Christ, and anointed them with His Holy Spirit and with His power. New creatures are appearing on earth, Christians. Christ, having arisen in Him- self, is now thru His Spirit arising also in 25 others". The first man Adam became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a quickening Spirit" (l Cor 15,45), quicken- ing humans into Christians. Christianity or the Church, consequently, as a manifes- tation of a new life, while it is the grace and glory of Christ, is the effect and evidence of the Spirit. The Nicene creed has, therefore, comprised the Spirit's evi- dent effects into the word 'vivificans', which means quickening or 'making alive'. Indeed, the Spirit maketh alive, alive with a new life, not by creating new life, but by communicating His own eternal life, which is new for us, raising us above our natural state. Christians take over and reflect the glory of God (In 17,22), mani- fested in Christ, as crystals do the glory of light (l Pt 2,9). We become partakers of divine nature by the Spirit dwelling in us. Let us work and pray that God may grant His Spirit to dwell in us: FOURTH DAY The Spirit of Wisdom The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, proper, well-advised, over- flowing with compassion and good fruits, impartial, unfeigned (Jc 3,17). 26 In these words Saint James describes the 'wisdom which is from above'. But he first described the wisdom which is from below, saying: "If ye have bitter jealousy and strife in your heart, dB not make the mistake of boasting about it, and of being false to the truth. That is not the wisdom coming down from above; but is earthly, sensual, devilish." Indeed, as people believe and act, so is their wisdom. If people believe that this earth is worth their while, their wisdom is earthly; if they believe that the pleasures of their senses is worth their while, their wisdom is sensual; if they believe that the devil's way of getting even with neighbors is worth their while, their wisdom is devil- ish. "As a man thinketh within himself, so is he" (Prv 23,7). His beliefs make him what he is. If his beliefs are inspired by his lower nature, he is a child of darkness; and his wisdom is from below. If his be- . liefs are inspired by his higher nature, he is a child of light; and his wisdom is from above. Strange as it may be, everybody likes his own wisdom. "Men's minds are like their watches; none go just alike; but each believes his own." Still, we have learnt to 27 set our watches by the sun. Would to God that we had learnt to set our :minds by Christ, the sun of righteousness. Ti:me and tide wait for nobody. Neither does truth nor right adjust itself to our :mind; but our :mind :must adjust itself to the truth. Where it :makes no difference, have your way. But where the bounds are set and marked, respect the bounds. In fads and fashions do as you like; but in civilities, "do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Custo:ms count for little, :manners :matter :much; but :morals :mean everything. There not :man but God is the surveyor. Yes, His Son Hi:mself has staked :morals off with rules, and with His own exa:mple. Listen to His first parable! Significantly is it the first, teaching as it does the first lesson we :must learn in religion. "To what shall I liken the :men of this generation; to what are they like? They are like chil- dren in a :market place, seated there and ·calling to one another in this way: 'We piped for you, and ye didn't dance; we wailed, and ye didn't weep". For John the Baptist is co:me neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He is crazy. The Son of :man is co:me eating and drink- ing; and ye say, Look at the glutton and 28 winedrinker, the friend of publicans and sinners. "And justified is the wisdo:m by all her children" (Lc 7,31-35). This parable calls to :mind the proverb: , 'All the ways of a :man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits" (Prv 16,2). He weigheth the spirits be- hind these ways. Yes, He inspects the hearts (R:m 8,27). Too :many people act as if :morals were of :man's :making. They are not . . The laws of holiness, like the laws of health, are :made by God. This fact :must be distinctly recognized, before we can be truly wise. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning, is the foundation, of wisdo:m" (Pry 9,10). This is the spirit which when weighed will not be found wanting. It will turn our thoughts in the right direction, and 'prepare our hearts for God'. It is the right attitude. It is true wisdo:m. 'The wisdo:m fro:m above is first pure', that is sincere, wanting to know, opening to the truth; 'then peaceable', that is open also to the other side of the question; then 'proper', that is open as it should be, open to all sides of it; then "well-advised" , that is open to conviction; then 'overflow- ing with co:mpassion and good fruits', that is open-hearted and open-handed; then 29 'impartial', that is open and ready to do right by everybody; finally 'unfeigned', that is really open and ready, not merely pretending to be. Indeed, that is the wis- dom from above, and is above human nature; it is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us work and pray that God may give us the Spirit of wisdom: FIFTH DAY The Spirit of Understanding His disciples asked Jesus what this par- able might be. To whom He said: To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in par- abIes; that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand (Lc 8,10). Why was it not given to all alike to know the mysteries of the Kingdom? Surely, because God deals with men in religion the same way as He deals with them else- . where. He places before them, within reach, what they need; but they must reach out to get it; they must do what they can themselves. As rich meat is stored up in the shell of hard nuts, so heavenly truth is wrapt up in the hull of earthly parables. It is there for all; but only the diligent get it, whereas the negligent do 30 not. It is not an empty phrase when our Lord says again and again: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (M t 11,15). "To him who hath shall be given, and he shall have in abundance; whilst from him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath" (Mt 13,12). He means to say: "Do what you can, work with the Spirit of Wisdom, (always 'hovering over the waters' of conscience,) and you will get the Spirit of understanding - and the other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, until 'filled unto all the fulness of God.' You have noticed that the disciples asked Jes~s what this parable might be. Surely, that is why to them was given directly what to the rest was given in parables only. To the open-minded, who like children are pure of heart a:nd mind, wanting to know, God reveals, unveils, the mysteries of the Kingdom. To them He giveth His Spirit, "the Spirit that ' searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (l Cor 2,10). As they open their mind and heart for Him, the Holy Spirit is given to them. The Gifts of the Spirit are not -thrown at men, but held out to them. As men reach out for them, they are given to them. We can even observe this. People see the light and the truth of the Gospel, only as they 31 begin to search. They do not understand ' the faith, till they go and listen to the Church; even as the disciples did to Jesus. That is the story of every convert. He will tell you, that his doubts and difficulties began to dissolve, as he began to look and to listen. "Pay attention to the preaching of the prophets", says Saint Peter (2 Pt 1,19), "as to a lantern lit in a :murky place, till the day dawn, and the day-star arise- in your heart". That is the way people- learn Christianity, and get to understand the :mysteries thereof. That is the way, 'the :many are called, and the few are- chosen'. There is the secret of predestina- tion, and of reprobation. For on the other hand, they that neglect to look and to listen, begin to lose and to waste what they- have, till they have not even good sense- left. "He that gathereth not with Me, sca ttereth" , said Jesus (Lc 11 ,23), speaking for the Paraclete, to all alike. Scattereth, indeed! Talk to an unbeliever, to a worldling!' and what do you find? No love of truth, not even a disposition for hearing the other- side, is left. Wise in his own way, he ig- nores whatever you have to say. If any- thing, he can tell you, and does tell you all the scandals of the Church, but none of 32 her wonders. tho they outshine them a hundredfold. One side has become his study; not the glory of Christianity. but the shame of Christians so-called. Blindly he stumbles over facts. but the deep things of God never occur to him. "Take heed. therefore. how ye hear". warns our Lord again. "because whosoever hath to him shall be given; but from him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he thinketh he hath" (Lc 8,18). Yea, thinketh he hath! They that think they are wise, are not so. They will loaf, and lose what they have of faith and religion. Many would have arrived at un- derstanding, had they not presumed to have already arrived. Except they be re- newed in the spirit of their mind, be re- born, "they cannot see the kingdom of God". "If ye were blind", says our Lord to all such, "ye would not have sin; but now ye say, We see. Your sin remaineth" (In 9,41). There is more hope for a dunce than for a man who prides himself on his under-· standing. Let us work and pray that God may' grant us the Spirit of understanding: 33 SIXTH DAY The Spirit of Counsel It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do for the good will (Phil 2,13). The above words of Saint. Paul are pre- ceded by the exhortation: "With fear and treInbling work out your own salvation". He says 'with fear and treInbling', to Inake sure that they be of good will. Yes, of good will- that's the thing. Too Inany people are not of good will, really do not want to pay the price of their salvation. For theIn 'the. way of life' is too straight and too narrow; the Church is too striCt. They do not really want to be Christians, because as Christians they could not do as they would like to do. They understand, but do not 'love the truth' (In 3,20). They cease to go along with the Spirit of truth, where the Spirit shows theIn work to do. Like Felix, the governor of Syria (Acts 24, 25), when he "heard Paul reason about righteousness and self-control, and the judgInent to cOIne", being frightened, they refer HiIn to a Inore convenient tiIne. They act as if they could reInain neutral, neutral in the face of a crisis, when the truth is on trial before their very eyes, on trial for life and death. They act as if . a 34 question of right or wrong may remain unanswered by them without consequence to themselves. Christ is sent from the Sanhedrin to Pilate, and from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back to Pilate, and there bandied about, because people are not so much interested in what is right, as in what suits their selfish interests. Some ask questions, but without really seeking an answer, or without waiting for an an- swer. And because truth is not their quest, no answer from God is given them. An illustration of this we have in an incident recorded by three of the four Evangelists (Lc 20, I -8): "It carne to pass on one of those days, as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the gospel, there carne upon Him the chief priests and scribes with the elders; and they spake, saying to Him, tell us: By what atithority doest thou these things? And He answered and said to them, I also will ask you a question; Tell me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we say, from heaven: He will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we say, From men: all the people will stone us; for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. So they answered that they knew not whence it was. And Jesus said 35 to them, Niether tell I you by what au- thority I do these things". Here we see men dallying with the third Gift of the Holy Spirit, with counsel; for the root meaning of the Hebrew word for 'counsel' is to deliberate and to decide; of course, honestly. The Spirit of counsel comes, after the Spirit of wisdom has turned us towards the truth, and the Spirit of understanding has shown us the import of the truth. We then have to decide whether we will accept and apply the uses of the truth; whether we will pay the price of our salvation; will '~ell all we have' to buy 'the treasure hid- den in that field'. Christ indeed wants us to deliberate, before we decide. He was very explicit on this matter. 'The man who builds a tower, first sits down to com- pute the cost', He said (Lc 14,28). He warned the hasty man, corrected the hesi- tating man, and rebuked the half-hearted man. (Lc 9,57-62). After we have seen what is right, there can really be no other con- sideration than what is right. "If God is for us, who can beagainst us?" (Rm 8,31). His grace, His favor, should be enough for us in any predicament. So .He told Saint Paul (2 Cor 12,9). 36 From Israel in" the desert take a cue. "When the cloud was taken up from over the t~bernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up" (Ex 40,36). God Himself had warned them to hearken to the voice of His angel who would go before them to keep them by the way (Ex 23,20). As Israel was led out of the slavery of Egypt into the liberty of the Promised Land, so will Christians be led out of the shameful slavery of their corrupt nature into the glorious liberty of God's children (Rm 8,21), if they must trust in God, and choose what's right. Let us work and pray that God may grant us the Spirit of counsel. SEVENTH DAY The Spirit of Power Ye shall receive power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you (Acts 1,8). Thus spoke our Lord to His Apostles, assuring them of success as His witz:tesses. Indeed, the power and perseverance of the Apostles in their life and labors for Christ cannot be accounted for, except by admit- 37 ting a power and a light from. on high to have been guiding and guarding them.. Eviden tly God was working in them. both to will and to do beyond their good will, beyond what they them.selves otherwise would have willed and done. Facts bear this out. They all had prom.ised before, but only after the Holy Spirit cam.e upon them., did they keep the prom.ise rather to die than to deny their Lord and Master. They all had a chance to show their loyalty before, but the power only after. Then first were they strong enough to be m.artyrs, wit- nesses, for Christ unto the utterm.ost. Then first did they "resist unto blood, striving against sin" (Heb 12,5). Then first having been guided into all the truth, did they act out all the truth of the Gospel, whether it m.eant life or m.eant death to them.. They rejoiced that they were ac- counted worthy to suffer reproach for the "Nam.e". Clearly, they were "clothed with power from. on high"; clearly, they were anointed in Christ with His Holy Spirit His power. In His counsel and His power and with they had overcom.e and dispos- sessed the giants of old, the world, the flesh, and the devil; and m.ade them. sub- ject to them.selves. 38 And that's what all Christians m.ust do. After we have com.e, seen, and chosen, we m.ust go and do the righteousness of God. After the Spirit of counsel has helped us to deliberate and to decide, the Spirit of power is ready to help us dare and do "the grace and the truth which cam.e by Jesus Christ" . Another step is to be taken on the "upward way" for those who would walk worthily of "the upward calling" wherewith Christians are called. There are m.any grades in the training school of the Paraclete, m.any graduations for the disciple of Christ, m.any degrees for the graduates of God. And all are to be won by actual tests. "Thru m.any tribulations m.ust we enter into the kingdom. of God", says the Apostle (Acts 14,22). "From. the days of John the Baptist until now the kindgom. of God suffereth violence; and the viol en t wrest it un to them.sel ves' " says our Lord (Mt 11,12). But faced with doubts and dangers and difficulties, let us not quarrel and quail and quit, as did Israel in the desert at the very gates of the Prom.ised Land. God is with us even m.ore directly than He was with them.. We "can do all things in Christ who em.powers us" (Phil 4,13). With Him. we are well able to go up against the 39 giants of old, the world, the £lesh, and the devil, though' 'these adversaries are strong- er and taller than we" (Nu 13,31). But be- fore you go up, make sure God is with you, that you are right in your aims and your ambitions. You will stand in God's power, if you strive in God's counsel. Consult Him, then "empower yourself in the Lord, and in the maj esty of His strength" (E 6, 10). The war of Christ is won only with the weapons o i Christ. Armed with His meek- ness and His humility and His propriety, with His Christianity, with His "righteous- ness on the right hand and on the left" (2 Cor 6,7), you shall mope than win; you shall not only win the war against these gian ts; but shall even win people in their service over to your side. As good soldiers of Christ, therefore, "bring along every diligence, and in your faith work up the virtue" (2 Pt 1;5), work up every virtue of righteousness. Soon enough there will corne a time when your strategy and your panoply, your faith and your virtue, will be tested. You will then either stand or fall before the assaults of these giants. The passions of the £lesh will assert them- selves, and the wisdom of the world under the sway of the Devil will advise a course of action in marriage or in business or in 40 politics, against the express counsel of God's Church, and against the plain voice of your own conscience; you will then over- come the world (In 5,5), or be overcome by the world; you will rule over the flesh (Rm 6,12), or be ruled over by the flesh; you will crush Satan under your heel (Rm 16,20), or be crushed by Satan under his heel. It will be the one or the other. Let us work and pray that God may grant us the Spirit of power: EIGHTH DAY The Spirit of Knowledge We all with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord are trans- formed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit (2 Cor 3,18). Knowledge has been defined as an image of the truth, that is, a picture in our mind of all we have seen and heard and experi- enced, since first we began to take pictures, to get ideas and impressions; and stored them away in our mind. Where these pic- tures stay in our mind, when and while we are not conscious of them, nobody knows. But still when we want them back, we call them up, and they answer 'Here we are'. 41 We can re-create them in our mind, as God created things in the world, by a simple act of the will . These mental pic- tures or ideas, when often recalled and revived, become fixed or standards of truth for us, standards by which we measure, rules by which we judge new ideas brought up before our judgment. By them we judge these new ideas as to t heir truth or their value or their difference from older ones; that is, by comparing them. By so doing we can correct them, as we receive them, or we can correct already-received ones, when the newer ones are witnessed by greater authority or by stronger evi- dence; and thus complete them into fuller and truer pictures. This we can do in every branch of knowledge. As this process goes on , we develop so-to-say a new sense, so that our knowledge is no longer a mere memory, but almost a new faculty . If this sense has been developed in things of Christ, we can instinctively and instant- ly tell what is in accord with Christian doctrine, when concerned about things to believe; and what is in accord with Chris- tian morality, when concerned about ways to behave; that is, we can have a mental and moral image of Christ in us . Christ can be impressed upon our mind, till we 42 have so-to-say "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2,16); and He can be impressed upon our will, till we have so-to-say the will of Christ. When He is thus doubly impressed upon our whole soul, we are 'renewed unto knowledge' (Col 3,10), unto knowledge after the jmage of God. In other words, "Christ is formed in us" (Gal 4, 19), as Saint Paul says. "The Spirit of knowledge rests upon us", as the Prophet speaks. Now you understand why God "desires this knowledge more than burnt offerings" (Has 6,6). Now you understand why Saint Paul (Phil 3,8) prized this knowledge more than any other glory; in fact, counted all other glories as mere nothings in compari- · son. By this knowledge we become God- like, partakers of divine nature, know how to possess ourselves in' holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, as heathens who know not God (1 Thes 4,5). It is a grand gift; but not given unless accepted, accepted by personal efforts. "Bringing along every diligence", says the Apostle, "work up in your virtue the knowl- edge, and in your knowledge the self-pos- session, and in your self - possession the stead-fastness" (2 Pt 1,5). Like swimming, everybody can learn it; but nobody does un- less he actually attempts it. The power is 43 given to all; but the art is not. Well, yes, the art is also given, but only while the power is being exercised. Admiring Christ on Sundays is no more Christianity than admiring swimmers in a pool is swimming. No, Christianity comes with practice, with practising it every day of the week, and practising it sevenfold on Sundays. "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, fooling your own selves", cries out the Apostle. "The doer of work shall be blessed in his doing" (Jc 1,25). He alone will learn to keep his head above water. You may never have to know how to swim to save your life; but you will some day have to know how to be a Christian to save your soul. Salvation in both cases consists in knowing to use your head, to control your heart, and to exert yourself in the right way. Know that, and you are safe. You have what is needed; but you must know to apply it at the time. You must know how to keep from going down. Nobody can float. You must always work -work against the downward drag of self- ishness; that is, in every instance you must love God, or right, above self, and your neighbor like self, exactly as Christ has taught it, and has done it in His life and in His death. That is the Spirit of knowl- 44 edge. by which you are a Christian (In 13.34). and are safe. Let us work and pray that God may grant us the Spirit of knowledge. NINTH DAY The Spirit of Godliness They who are according to the flesh . mind the things of the flesh; but they who are according to the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit (Rm 8,5). With these words the Apostle divides mankind into two classes, the carnal and the spiritual. Of course, no man is alto- gether carnal like an animal. nor alto- gether spiritual like an angel. Yet the one or the other is always uppermost in man. Which is which is clear from what he 'minds' most, is mostly interested in. Christ has told us that heathens worry about what they shall put on, and what they shall eat, and what they shall drink; but that Christians should not worry about these things; not, because they can do without them, but because they have other necessities more essential to them than clothes and food and water-and air, to mention another necessity, not men- tioned by our Lord. essential for our earth- ly existence. Still, air supply hardly ever 45 beco:mes a worry, tho it · is the :most essential of all. We cannot live without ail' B;ny ti:me, not an hour, though we :may live without water a week, and wit,ho,ut food a :month. In His :mercy God has so arranged :mat- ters that what we need :most costs us least; and what we need least costs us :most. This is thus also in spiritual :matters. Virtue, which is least needed, tho indis- pensable for spiritual life, costs us the :most pains; and it corresponds to food in natural life, .as is clear fro:m what our Lord, whose life is ou~ light, says of Hi:msel£; "My :meat , is to do the will of Hizn who sent :me, and to acco:mplish His work" (In 4,34). Faith costs us the next ':most efforts; and it answers to water, as we again can gather fro:m the words of Christ, "He that believeth in Me shall never thirst" (J n 6,35). And grace is like air, plentiful. It super- abounds. We have it for the asking. We so-to-say breathe it, while praying for it .. Grace, faith, virtue, these three are the ele:ments of spiritual life. These we should seek, according to the :mind of our Lord; and these we will seek, if we are spiritual, says the Apostle. "Blessed are they that hunger and . thirst after righteousness" 46 (Mt 5,6); blessed, not only . "because they shall be filled"; but also, because it is a good sign of spiritual health. We znay never cease to pray for grace, znust reg- ularly resupply our faith, and on every occasion practise virtue, U we want to "live godly in Christ Jesus". We are no longer "znere znen" (l Cor 3,4), znere huznans. We have been "chartged" by the Spirit into new and other beings; not only changed, but "lifted up" (E 2,6) into a new and higher life. We are no longer "in flesh, but in Spirit" (RIn 8;9). The eleznen ts we now need. for our life as phristians are spiritual. "For ye have died" frozn the)ower life, says the Apostle, "and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col 3,3). It is no longer the flesh, but the Spirit that znatters for Christians. Not even "Christ after the flesh", but Christ after the Spirit is whozn they know (2 Cor 5,16). They live by His Spirit (Gal 5,25). By His Spirit they have "granted unto thezn all things per- taining to life and godliness" (2 Pt 1,3): the grace, the faith, and the virtue. By His Spirit they "exercise theznselves unto god- liness" (1 Tzn 4,7), while "~aking over what is the width and the depth and the length and the height of Christ's . righteousness, yea, of His love" (E 3,18); while taking-over 47 Christ. as a dawning day does the sunlight. till like a "perfect day" (Prv 4.18) they are "filled unto all the fulness of God". What an advantage we Christians have! The 'form of godliness' (2 Tm 3.4). yea. the pattern of every Gift is before us in Christ. While being true to that form. and to 'the power thereof'. we "have the promise of this life and of the life to corne" (1 Tm 4.8); for "godliness is profitable for all things". 'In godliness we can work up the brother- liness. and in brotherliness the love. and in love the paraclesis' and the zeal of the Lord. and in zeal be 'filled unto the fulness of God'. Let us work and pray that God may grant us the Spirit of godliness. TENTH DAY The Spirit of Zeal And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness (Acts 4,31). The sixth Gift having made man spirit- ual. th~enth and final Gift makes man delight in things spiritual. in God. in reli- gion. in the fear of the Lord; and makes him show it by acts. The Spirit has filled 48 the vessel, the vessel of election, to over- flowing with religion, so that it begins to flow over into, or to influence the world outside. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" . Being full of God's Spirit the Christian cannot remain still or inactive. He takes up God's cause, breaking forth either sing- ing His praises, or in preaching His won- ders, or in running His errands. He prophe- sies, to use the words of Scripture. So it was with men "filled with the Holy Spirit" in the Old Testament. So it is with them in the New. As soon as they received the Gifts in full, or were filled with the Spirit, they acted-acted for God; they "spake the word of God with boldness", they stood up to speak for God, and against everything ungodly. Then religion, or the fear of the Lord, was the beginning of their wisdom, was the first and main thing with them. Then they feared, respected, regarded, valued, loved God above every- thing, and everybody. God was their first thought - God's honor and glory their first consideration. Walking with God, they worked for God. God was their all in all. Nowadays we call this frame of mind "zeal". 49 The presence of zeal, the final Gift, makes about the same difference for religion in the Church, as the presence of man, the last formed creature, does for culture in the world. "Old things pass away. Be- hold, all things become new". "The face of the earth is being renewed". Man is ever busy, busy creating wealth, providing for eventual needs and comforts; that is, the real man does so, true also in this respect to the likeness after which he has been created. God ever works. "My Father", says Christ "worketh even unto now, and I work" (In 5,17). In working, and in the kind of work, man shows how full he is of the Spirit, how spiritual he is, ' how much he partakes of divine nature. The more he creates, that is, the more he produces for useful service, or the more beings he careth and provideth for, the more he is like God. The more needs he qan, rather does answer, the nearer he comes to the universal and eternal providence of God, to the paraclesis of the Paraclete. As man in society is measured by the wealth he creates, so is the Christian measured in religion by the good he does. Wealth, in its condensed form, is money. Money is readily exchanged for whatever comforts a man may want. "Money", says 50 Scripture (Ecces 10,19), "answereth all things". So. Christian zeal works to answer every need and call. "I am become all things to all men", said the most zealous Apostle (1 Cor 9,22), "that by .all means I may save some". And Job, the ideal man of God, described in the Old Testament, said of Himself, "I was eyes to the blind! and feet I was to the lame". Everything to everybody only God can be; but he. that is the mQst to the most is. the. most like God. And he will he so honored. "Blessed is that servant whom .the Lord when l:ie cometh shall find cso doing. Verily I say unto. you, He .will place him ,Qver all that He . hath" (Mt 24,46). He will share His throne (Apoc 3,21) and 'His glory withhim" He will mak.e him His special witness, .His tJ,'usted hetald. His choice vessel to bear, His name! pe.£ore the nations. Since the Pal!aclete ·dqes. ;n.9t speak from Himself,. He .. -seelts m«;.!n ,.thru whom He maY. speak, ~ aI),d . infhl~cf3 th~ wor!d, thJ;'u whom He .mCiy.show thewo~~d concerning sin, andconc;erning righteous- ness, and concer~ing' judiciousness, until no longer might but right, no longer violence but justice. rio longer selfishness but friendship', prevails in man's social relations, as described by the prophet un- der the symbolism of wild and tame ani .. mals living together (Is U,6-9), 51 Let us work and, pray that God may, grant us the fulness of the Spirit. Prayer for the Gifts Unto Thee, our Paraclete, we call. An- swer our needs at all times. Without Thy continued care and sevenfold blessing we get nowhere, but into trouble. Fools at sea, we drift away from the truth, and lose our directions; we need Thy Spirit of wis- dom. Out to see the world, we forget the light of Heaven; and darkness overtakes us (In 12,35); we need Thy Spirit of under- standing. Proud of our own judgment, we spurn higher authority, and miss the way of life; we need Thy Spirit of counsel. Aware that we should and could do better, we delay to do better, and so waste what strength we have; we need Thy Spirit of power. Believing in every excellence we discount Christian righteousness (Phil 3,9) and so we fail in the one that counts; we need Thy Spirit of knowledge. Hoping for peace and happiness, we neglect the prac- tice of religion, and so find not even rest; we need Thy Spirit of godliness. Loving our own intere$ts too much, we interest ourselves in God too little, and so we fall in to sin and sorrow and suffering; we need Thy Spirit of zeal. 52 Yes, without Thy sevenfold care, we get nowhere but into trouble; we are trapped by the Devil, are robbed of our inheritance, are hurt in health, and left naked and sick to the wind and weather of the world (Lc 10,30). Holy Paraclete, take us and keep us in Thy care. Make us seek the truth, see the light, choose the way, do the right. know the faith, live the hope, and have the love-the love of Christ, so that loving others as He has loved us we be Christians indeed. Amen. ASPIRATIONS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Corne, Holy Spirit, engage us with Thy wisdom, enlighten us with Thy under- standing, encourage us with Thy counsel, enable us with Thy power, endow us with Thy knowledge, ennoble us with Thy god- liness, enrich us with Thy zeal; fill us unto all the fulness of God. Corne, Spirit of God, give us wisdom for the light, understanding for the truth, counsel for the way, power for the right, knowledge for the grace, godliness for the life, zeal for the kingdom. Fill us unto all the fulness of God (E 3,19). Corne, Holy Paraclete, lend us Thy Seven Spirits (Rev 1,4); Thy Spirit of wisdom, that we look and listen to the voice of God 53 (Heb 3,7); Thy Spirit of understanding, that we see and hear the word of God; Thy Spirit of counsel that we judge and choose the way of God (Acts 18,25); Thy Spirit of power that we go and do the will of God (RIn 12,2); Thy Spirit of knowledge that we learn and Inaster the love of God (In 2,5); Thy spirit of godliness that we have and live the life of God (E 4 , 18) ; Thy Spirit of zeal, that we share and serve the glory of God (RIn 3,23). Fill us unto all the fulness of God. Spirit of wisdoIn, Inake us seek Thy light; Spirit of understanding, Inake us find Thy truth ; Spirit of counsel, Inake us choose Thy way; Spirit of power, Inake us do Thy will; Spirit of knowledge, Inake us Inaster Thy love; Spirit of godliness, Inake us live Thy life; Spirit of zeal, Inake us serve Thy glory. Fill us unto all the fulness of God. Holy Paraclete, COIne and glorify (In 16, 14) Christ in us, and us in HiIn, Christian- ize tis; take of His fulness and declare His glory (In 17,22) unto us; His truth by Thy Spirit of wisdoIn and understanding; His way by Thy Spirit of counsel and power; His life by Thy Spirit of knowledge and godliness; His whole stature by Thy Spirit 54 of zeal. Make us seek and find His truth, choose and walk His way, know and live His life. Yes, clothe us with Christ (Rm 13,14), that we be found in Him, righteous with His righteousness (Phil 3,9), gracious with His grace, and glorious with His glory; filled unto all the fulness of God. Holy Paraclete, order and adorn our inner world with grace and truth; as Thou didst the outer world with light and life; order our mind with truth by Thy Spirit of wisdom, with truth's secrets by Thy Spirit of understanding, and with truth's uses by Thy Spirit of counsel; adorn our will with grace by Thy Spirit of power, with the light of grace by Thy Spirit of know- ledge, and with the life of grace by Thy Spirit of godliness; and by Thy Spirit of zeal fill us unto all the fulness of God. Holy Paraclete, be our Emmanuel (Is 8,10), our God with us; be with us in Thy Spirit of wisdom and understanding, that we be called (Mt 22,14) unto life; be with us in Thy Spirit of counsel and power, that we be chosen (Col 3,12) unto perfection; be with us in Thy Spirit of knowledge and godliness that we be faithful (Apoc 17,14) unto the end; be with us in Thy Spirit of zeal that we ma:ke our call and choice (2 55 Pet 1,10) firm by working in faithfulness. Be with us always in all things. If Thou art with us, what can stand against us! With Thee and in Thee we shall do more than overcome (Rm 8,37); we shall not only overcome the powers of darkness, the forces of nature (2 Pet 2,20), but also take over the glories of light (In 1,5), the virtues of grace; yes, we shall learn and master the love of Christ (E 3,19); be filled unto all the fulness of God. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, in- crease our faith (Lc 17,5); Spirit of counsel and power, strengthen our hope; Spirit of knowledge and godliness, enflame our love; Spirit of zeal, fill us unto all the fulness of God. Corne, Holy Paraclete, corne in Thy sevenfold spirit; show the world (In 3,16), as Christ has shown Israel (Mt 15,24) con- cerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judiciousness (In 16,9). Show them concerning sin in Thy Spirit of wisdom and understanding, till they re- pent unto life (Acts 11,18) by believing in Christ (In 15,22); show them concerning righteousness in Thy Spirit of counsel and power, till they recognize Christ in His Church, and His brother and sister in 56 every person they meet (Mt 25,40); show them concerning judiciousness (cf Lc 11, 42) in Thy Spirit of knowledge and godli- ness, till, having judged and being 'through with the prince of this world, they discern the finer things of life, are judicious and compassionate and dependable (0£ Mt 23, 23), convinced that regard for others is the most God-like glory of man (Mt 20,28). Show them in Thy Spirit of zeal, till being spiritual, they preach their religion by practising it, filled unto all the fulness of God. Glory be to God, to the Father thru the Son in the Holy Spirit (cf E 2,18), as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, times without end. Amen. SECOND NOVENA WHAT ARE THE TWELVE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT? PRAYER Corne , Holy Spirit; shed abroad in our hearts a love like God's, a grace like Christ's, and a communica- tion like Thine own. V. Pour forth upon us the Spirit from on high; R. And the wild waste shall become a fruitful field (Is 32,15). Let us pray: 0 God, to whom every heart is open, and for whom every will is speech, and from whom no secret is hidden; cleanse the thoughts of our heart by pouring in Thy rto1y Spirit, that we corne to love 57 Thee wholly , and to praise Thee worthily - thru Christ our Lord. Amen. Blessed is the Man: Who hath not walked in the counsel of the un- godly , Nor stood in the way of sinners, Nor sat in the chair of pestilence . But his will is in the law of the Lord , And on His law he shall media te day and night; Ahd he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters , Which shall bring forth its fruit in due season, And his leaf shall not fall off: And all w ha tsoever he shall do , shall prosper (Ps . 1,1). Blessed the Man: Who walketh not along in the counsel of culprits, And in the way of sinners standeth not around, And in the seat of scoffers sitteth not down; But whose interest is in the fear of God, And His law he considereth day and night; For he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, That yieldeth its fruit in its season , And whose leaf falleth not; And all he doeth, shall prosper (Jr 17, 7-8) . They shall be called trees of righteousness , the planting ofYahveh , that He may be glorified (Is 61,3). FIRST DAY Fruit or Fruits? The Apostle lists them as charity, joy, peace; patience, benignity, goodness; lon- ganimity, mildness, faith; modesty, con- 58 tinency, chastity. But he says 'fruit', not 'fruits'; as if there were bu:t on;e, tho he mentions twelve. Evidently, this way of speaking is not accidental, tho the reason is not clear to us. Elsewhere we can see why he says 'the fruits of your right-' eousness' (2 Cor 9,10) at one time, and 'the fruit of righteousness' (Phil I,ll) at another. In the first case righteousness is considered as producing the fruits; but in the second as the fruit produced. More- over, in Greek two different nouns are used for fruit. The Apostle James, however, uses the same noun when he speaks of 'the wisdom which is from above' as 'overflow- ing with good fruits' (Jc 3,17); and then continues, 'the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown to them that make peace'. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak of 'fruit', not 'fruits', when referring to virtue and the human character. So also speaks the Psalmist. The reason maybe that in religion the Gift and the Giver are one. As the Gift of the Spirit is the Spirit himself; SO the FRUIT of the Spirit is the Spirit himself. The life of righteousness and the fruit of righteousness are one. They are one and considered one, because like light and fire, tho not the same, are yet always found together. 59 There is in the Holy Spirit at work in man, or 'in wisdom', as says Scripture (Wis 7,22), a spirit that is 'monogenes' and 'polymeres ' , Greek words, wh,ich we know not how to translate exactly into English. 'One in nature, manifold in His working' , seems to be the interpretation of these words by an ancient liturgy, that of Saint Mark . Saint Basil has 'one in person, manifold in power'. Saint Cyril of Jerusa- lem, explaining why the Holy Spirit is compared to water says: "He is one in essence, many in effects" . A more literal translation, and more in harmony with theology would be, .' one when going forth, many when communicated'. The Spirit is 'monogenes', when proceeding from the one source, like light from the sun; and 'polymeres', when shared by the many Christians. Like the sunlight, tho communicated to millions of plants, He is one. The fire of Pentecost was one, tho many £lames were dist'ribu ted among the Christians. There is a com- munication as well as there are distribu- tions of the Holy Spirit. Many may take part in the communion or communication of the Spirit, yet the Spirit is not dis- tributed, shared, communicated in parts. Like the soul in the body, He acts in all 60 Christian acts, yet He is only one. All Christians baptized into Christ are .one body, and made to drink of one Spirit. The Christian virtues, called His fruit, are evidences of His life and power. To 'each Ch1;istian is the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ' (E 4,7). Each Christian is as Christ-like as he has taken from the Iulness of Christ at the hand of the Spirit. SECOND DAY God Expects Fruits of Us When our Lord compared His kingdom to a vine (In 15,5), and Christians to the branches thereof, He made it clear that Christians are expected to bear fruit. And that, unless they do, the kingdom will be taken away from them, and given to such who 'bring forth the fruits thereof' (Mt 21,43). He moreover made it clear that every branch that beareth, shall be pruned that it might bear more fruit. He spoke plainly when · He said, "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so BE My disciples" (In 15,8). Christ's disciples we are, therefore. when we glorify His Father by being fruitful in good works. And as disciples we must learn of the Mas- ter how to be fruitful, and how to glorify 61 God. Thru Him we are 'filled with the fruit of righteousness unto the glory and praise of God'. · He expressly invites us to learn of Him. As the branch cannot bear fruit, except it abide in the vine; so neither can we bear fruit, fruit worthy of repen- tance, except we abide in Christ. But in Him and in union with His Spirit we can and must do so. The chief Apostle exhorts us emphatically 'to add all diligence on our part, to work up in our faith the virtue, and in our virtue the knowledge, and in our knowledge the self-control, and in our self-control the steadfastness, and in our steadfastness the godliness, and in our godliness the brotherliness, and in our brotherliness the love, (and in our love the paraclesis, the. zeal). For if these are ours and abound', he . says, 'they set us up to be neither without work nor without fruit unto the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Pt 1,7). Of ourselves we have neither the grace nor the knowledge nor any of the Gifts to serve God in a well-pleasing manner. From the fulness of Christ we are taking, when we flourish and grow in any virtue. But we take, as the Spirit divides (l Cor 12, 11), apportions unto us. By the Spirit of. faith the seed is rooted, by the Spirit of 62 hope the plant is cultivated, and by the Spirit of love the fruit is xnatured. It is th~ work of God. Christ says, "Every plant which My heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up" (Mt 15,13). The Prophet foretold the Christians would be 'called trees of righteousness, the planting of God, that He xnight be glorified in thexn'. It is to be noted that the Prophet, that Christ Hixnsel£, that the Apostles all state and stress the fact that Christians in their virtues are to glorify God, are to show forth His excellences, are to distinguish thexn- selves as His children by their works, and thus reflect the ixnage of their Father, their partaking of the " divine life and nature, the coxnxnunication with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, a coxn- xnunication of which the Holy Spirit is the principle. THIRD DAY The Fruits are Distinctive What are the distinctions of Christians, or how is the tree of Christian righteo1,ls- ness, which is of God, distinguished froxn other trees of righteousness, NOT of God? Of course, as the Lord says, it is distin- guished by its fruits. 'Do men gather 63 grapes from thorns or figs from thistles'? It bears its own kind of fruit. Christian righteousness is, as its name implies, like that of Christ, that is, God-like, 'merciful and gracious, abundant in loving-kindness and truth' (Ex 34,6). It is quickened by a love such as God's, colored by a grace such as Christ's. and mellowed by a communi- cation such as the Spirit's; and it shows this in its twelve distinctions: Love, joy, peace; longsuffering, kindness, goodness; meekness, patience, faithfulness; proprie- ty, self-control, purity. (In this ' list the Latin terms of the Douay Version have been replaced by better English ones. Charity by love; benignity by kindness; longanimity by longsuffering; continency by self-control. Then, in view of the origi- nal text, mildness has been interpreted as meekness; faith 'as faithfulness; modesty as propriety; chastity as purity. Finally, patience and longsuffering have been trnasposed to make the order more logical. All of which will appear as the discussion proceeds.) Love, the first distinction, is a love which is catholic, extending over all men alike, irrespective of sex, race, or color; like God's, not like man's. It is in Spirit, not in £lesh, pure, as exemplified not even by 64 a mother, but by Christ Himself. We are to love one another even as HE loved us. Joy, the second distinction Jesus expressly calls His own , and declares put in us to make ours full (In 15, 11). Our happiness and cheerfulness, however, can be full and final only when we rejoice in God, rejoice in what He rejoices, in the triumphs of the Holy Spirit. Peace, the third distinction, He also claims as given by Him, and given 'not as the world giveth' (In 14,27), by a simple greeting, or imposed from with- out, by law. No, it is of the Spirit, by choice. We must CHOOSE the way of God, before we can have 'the peace of God', the peace, 'which passeth all understanding (Phil 4,7). Longsuffering, kindness, and goodness , are also not man-learned or self-produced. No, they draw their life and their light from God. To quote the Apostle (Tit 3,3): "We also were once foolish, disobedient , deceived , serving diverse lusts and pleas- ures , living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another; but when the goodness and loving-kindness of our Savior God appeared He saved us, healed us, cured us, not because of works which we ourselves did in righteousness; but did in accord with His mercy thru the laver of regenera- 65 tion and renovation of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us profusely thru Jesus Christ our Lord, so that justi- fied, made righteous, by His grace, by His loving-kindness, by being kind as He was kind, we might be heirs, as is our hope, of eternal Hfe. That is to say, we are righteous, not by works done according to our notions, but done in accord with the grace learnt of Him. By His grace, by being kind as He was, are we righteous, righteous in the Christian sense. As to patience or steadfastness, the Apostle prays, 'that the Lord Himself direct our hearts in to the love of God and into the patience of Christ' (2 Thes 3,5). Only such love and only such patience is a fruit worthy of the name. As to meek- ness, Jesus Himself says, 'Learn of Me; for I am meek and humble of heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls' (Mt 11,29). As to faithfulness, He himself set the example, and teaches us: "He that is faithful in what is least, also in what is much is faithful" (Lc 16,10), and shall be trusted with the 'real thing'. Propriety, self-control, and purity, the highest fruit on the tree of life, are partic- ularly the product of the Christian Spirit. 66 Only He can produce the courteous gentle- men, one who does not behave himself unseemly; but who knows how ~to meet every situation as the need may be, so that his behavior 'give grace' (E 4,29) to such as experience his fact and even temper. Only He can train the Christian character unto noble knighthood in self-control, where the Christian is not provoked, but is able to rule his moods and passions, whatever the temptation may be, along or against his grain. Only He can chasten the noble knight, till he becomes a blessed angel, who 'gladdens not upon unrighteousness, but gladdens with the truth'; and edifies by his very presence, reproving or approv- ing, as the need may be, with an eye that reflects his soul's sincerity, the heavenly light of purity. These are the distinctions of Christian righteousness. FOURTH DAY Are They Fruits or Crops? Are the fruits twelve distinctively or twelve successively? Are' they fruits or crops? Saint John ' in the Apocalypse . speaks of the tree of life as "yielding its fruit every month". That means twelve crops. That means twelve successively, not twelve simultaneously, or · after each other in tixne, not heside each other in place. Moreover, it is certain that a Chris- tian can he loving, joyful, and peaceful; longsuffering, kind, and good, patient, xneek, and faithful; proper, self-controlled and pure, at one and the saxne tixne; hut he cannot show this all at one and the saxne tixne. He can show it only at dif- ferent tixnes as different occasions arise, that dexnand different answers to different needs. These different circuxnstances, therefore, also xnake every crop different. Not only the distinctions of Christian righteousness, hut also its crops ·are xnore than twelve. However, twelve has heen taken for convenience, in accord with the xnonths of the year. The word 'fruit' sug- gested that nuxnher. Fruit ripens during certain xnonths and seasons of the year. A Christian, however, like the fig tree in the Gospel, is expected hy Christ to yield his fruit of righteousness whenever such is demanded. If he doesn't, he also, like the fig tree, will he cursed (Mt 21,19). For having failed our neighhor shall we he condexnned on the day of Judgxnent (Mt 21,42-45). Love, such as God's, never faileth (l Cor 13,8). Nothing is too xnuch for such love. It rises ahove all trials. It not only hears xnore than twelve kinds, hut 68 oftener than twelve times. It is contin- uous in its yield. "It ceases not from yielding fruit" (Jr 17,8), says the Prophet Jeremiah. ·Like figs, so favors may ripen continuously, not only every month, but every day and every hour. They should be ripe and ready for the hungry, whenever He comes, even if He comes out of season. The love of Christ which passeth knowing , recognized no seasons, but had all seasons for its own. Still, all these successive crops and all these distinctive glories of Christian right- eousness are not many, but one-one in so far as all draw their vigor and color and savor from the one source, from the Holy Spirit, from the river of water of life, ' pro- ceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb' (Apoc 22,1). They are all quickened by a love that is godly, colored by a grace that is Christian , and mellowed by a communication that is spiritual. Love is their life, grace their glory, and com- munication their value. The love of God, the grace of Christ, and the communica- tion of the Spirit are their vigor, color and savor. Tho one in their source, these crops may be manifold in bounty. The yield 69 may be thirtyfold, sixty fold , and even a hundredfold (Mc 4;8) in comparison to what has been 'sown unto the f;pirit' (Gal 6,8). The bounty depends upon the soil (of the heart) where it grows, and upon the weather (of the mind) while it grows. But the crop may be harvested at. any time. In fact the time element doesn't enter into the calculation; but only spirit, which is beyond the reach of time. 'The fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth' (E 5,9); rather, if I may interpret the Apostle's Greek, yes, if I may change the sequence, and add to his count, in all trueness and goodness and rightness and -holiness. This addition, however, is not a mere whim on my part, since the same Apostle himself says elsewhere, that serv- ing God we have our 'fruit unto sanctifica- tion'. that is holiness, 'and the end, eternal life' (Rm 6,22). Neither is my change of the order so irreverent as might at first appear; for the Apostle may have reversed the logical order to more effectively 'reprove the unfruitful works of darkness' (E 5, 11). There are, therefore, many fruits as well as many crops in Christian righteousness. FIFTH DAY Are They Nine or Twelve? The number and sequence of the seasons 70 as well as that of the crops is not clearly stated in Scripture. They are not clearly stated in Scripture, because they are not clearly divided in fact. For ,the fruit, to be of the Light, only three conditions are mentioned, which I have made four, and have called seasons-to continue the simile. And the Greek text enumerates only nine crops or distinctions of the fruit, whereas the Latin version has twelve, and has two of them transposed. Whether patience, not found in the original text, was added to more fully ex- press the Greek 'makrothymia', meaning long-suffering, is very doubtful. And whether 'modesty', rather propriety, and 'purity', (also found in the Greek text), only expressed, together with 'self-control' to the mind of the translator, the full meaning of the original 'enkrateia', I hesi- tate to say. It is more likely that Saint Jerome, knowing his Scripture, supplied these virtues from other passages of Scripture where these virtues are stressed as Christian; and he supplied them to make up the number twelve, the months of the year, announced in prophecy, and mentioned in the Apocalypse; and thus made all texts agree. 71 Patience or the steadfastness (2 Th 3,5) of Christ was prayed for by the Apostle for the Thessalonians, to the end that they might 'corne up to the mark'. And He besought the Corinthians, by the propriety of Christ (2 Cor 10,11), not to scandalize anyone. So also he exhorted the Philip- pians (Phil 4,5). "Let your propriety be known to all men", he writes. 'Purity' he recommends to Timothy (l Tm 4,12) as an effective grace in his ministry. 'Be an example to the faithful in purity' . We must acknowledge that Saint Jerome has fittingly added these three virb.ies to the nine, if they were not originally there, because they nicely complete the grace of the Christian character; and, having twelve, we can bring three under each of the four headings listed above. Love, joy, and peace, prove the trueness; longsuffer- ing, kindness, and goodness constitute the goodness; patience, meekness, and faith- fulness show the righteousness; propriety, self-control and purity establish the hqli- ness of the Christian character. Nevertheless, tho they may be thus classified, all the virtues produced hy the Spirit in Christian souls can hardly be numbered and named. Says Saint Augus- 72 tine: "The case is like an army of a com- mander. who sits within our mind. For as a commander do.es thru his army whatever he pleases to do. so our Lord Jesus Christ. beginning to dwell in our inner man. that is in our mind. uses these virtues as His ministers". The tree of Christian righteousness bears in answer to demands; and demands may vary indefinitely. As the needs. so are the answers of the Spirit, so many and so varied. Only as the needs are answered may the virtues in all their distinctness and order be noted and appreciated. In principle all are alike. They are prompted by love. As long as the Sun of righteous- ness looketh down from heaven. and the wellspring of truthspringeth out of the earth (Ps 84,12) to freshen the garden which Yahweh hath planted, and placed man in to cultivate (Gn 2,15), love will yield its increase to supply the demand, however varied and manifold the need. All that man has to do is to CO-OPERATE WITH THIS SPIRIT OF LOVE, REDEEM THE TIME. OR EXPLOIT THE OPPORTUNITY AS IT COMES; LOVE HIS NEIGHBOR WHOEVER HE MAY BE; DO GOOD TO ALL, AS HE KNOWS HOW; AND LEND HIMSEJ.JF TO EVERY COMER, OF NONE DESPAIRING (C£ Greek-Lc 6,35). 73 SIXTH DAY The Fruits Are Possible With God Now don't think that this 'fruit', of being always helpful, is iznpossible of pro- duction. Without the paraclesis of the Holy Spirit it is iznpossible; but Christians are never without God's help. Jesus has asked the Father, and He has given us another paraclete to be with us forever (In 14,16). "Yahweh hath coznforted Zion; He hath coznforted all her waste places, and hath znade her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Yahweh (Is 51,3)". Now if we trust in God, and use our re- sources, or rather what His Spirit supplies. "we shall be as a tree planted by the waters that spreadeth its roots by the river, and shall not notice when heat cozneth; but its leaf shall be green; and shall not worry in the year of drought, neither shall cease frozn yielding fruit" (Jr 17,8). "For it is God who worketh in Christians both to will and to do for the good will" (Phil 2, 13). Scripture assures us: "1£ righteousness one adznireth, Wisdozn's undertakings are achieveznents. For It instructeth in tezn- perance and prudence, in justice and for- titude; than which nothing is znore profit- able in life for znen" (Wis 8,7). These vir- 74 tues are the very funnels thru which the blessing of "the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, and the wild waste be- cometh a fruitful field" (Is 32,15). Faith working thru love (Gal 5,6) is indeed like the river of Eden flowing in all direc- tions. Out of the grQund thus watered' 'Yah- weh maketh to grow every tree that is fair to behold and good to eat of" (Gn 2,9). When the love of God, that is a love such as God has exemplified in Jesus, "constrains us" (2 Cor 5,14), the faith of Christ, (that is a faith such as Christ has taught us), will send forth its waters to water the garden. And from thence it will part and become four heads, temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude; and thus water the world in which we are placed, placed to keep it and to dress it. It will water, not swamp. Temperance will keep the stream of service within bounds; prudence will direct it to its proper end; justice will distribute it evenly; and fortitude will drive it to where it is needed. All the acts and habits of a Christian will be co-ordinated, be- cause they will be quickened by the love of God (or of right), colored by the grace of Christ (or of kindness), and mellowed by 75 the coxnxnunication of the Spirit (or of honesty). "By the river, upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, will qrow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall its fruit fail; it will bear twelve fruits, yielding its fruit every xnonth, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf for healing". While the Prophets, Ezekiel (Ez 47,12) and John (Apoc 22,2), describe the tree of righteousness, well-watered, in the above words, the Apostle Paul tells us the fruit it bears: "love, joy, peace,- longsuffering, kindness, goodness, patience, meekness, faith (fulness) ; propriety, self-control, puri- ty". The fact that hope is not listed axnong these virtues is a hint that love and faith in this list are not to be understood as xneaning the theological virtues; but vir- tues closely bound up with these spiritual endowxnents; naxnely, that love here xneans loving kindness, and faith, faith- fulness. Plainly enough faith, hope, and love, understood as we do understand the theological virtues, can hardly be con- sidered as the fruit; but rather as the root, trunk, and crown of the tree. They are not products of righteousness, but in coxn- 76 munion with the Spirit, they produce the righteousness itself. SEVENTH DAY Fruit vs. Leaf The fact that humility, a virtue so much emphasized by Christ and His Apostles, is not listed among the fruits, suggests a further conclusion. Humility is a product of the Spirit; but perhaps not considered as a fruit. It may be considered the leaf of the tree, essential to the health of the tree, but not beneficial beyond that; good for the person, but not directly benefitting neighbors. According to the Prophet the leaf is for healing. Now it is certain and clear to everyone, "experienced (Heb 5,13) in the word of righteousness", that nothing heals hurt feelings and a hurt soul as does humility. A person who is humble will admit his fault and his weakness, and thus open the way for truth and peace (Zech 8,19), open the door to God's forgiveness and favor. Humility is the very condition for God's life, health, and strength in the soul. It is indispensible. Without it the Paraclete will not quicken what is dead, heal what is hurt, strengthen what is weak. The leaf is the life of the tree. So humility 77 is the life of righteousness. "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the king- dom of heaven". According to the mind of the Prophet and of the Apostle, therefore, we may di- vide Christian virtues into such as heal and such as feed, into leaves that heal the soul, and into fruits that feed society. As belonging to the former I would consider: humility, simplicity, sincerity; penitence, piety, resignation; soberness, thrift, perse- verance; content, self-restraint, self-denial, all virtues mentioned and commended in the pages of Scripture. They right or heal the soul in its relation to God and to itself. They prevent and c:ure its disorders. They are the foliage of Christian righteousness, taking up the truth springing out of the earth, and converting it under the influ- ence of 'the righteousness, that looketh down from heaven' (Ps 84,11), into the godliness which is genuine. Humility, as already said. is the very life of righteousness : "God resisteth the haughty, but giveth grace to the humble'~ (1 Pet 5,5). As it is with humility, so it is with simplicity, and the rest of the above mentioned virtues. If we are simple as doves (Mt 10,16), listening to the voice of 78 the Spirit, speaking thru conscience and authority, we shall be from sin ever free and in every trouble safe. And if we are sincere, being what we are and acting out the truth as it wells up in our heart, we are on and will persevere on the straight and narrow path leading (Mt 7,14) to life. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mt 5,8). And if we are penitent, turned away from the world and its defilements, working out our salvation with fear and trembling, God Himself will work in us both to will and to' do for the good will (Phil 2,12). "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted". And if we are pious, walking with God in reverence and obedience, ever seeking the things of the Spirit, all we need shall be added unto us. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled". And if we are re- signed to our lot, grateful for what we have, and ready to suffer with Christ what- ever may come, we shall with Him also enter into His joys. "Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". We see here, that while the Apostle listed the fruits only, our Lord in His Beatitudes considers both the fruit and 79 the leaf of righteousness. Both are the products of the CHRISTIAN SPIRIT. EIGHTH DAY Fruits vs. Beatitudes Christ considers the leaf first, and the fruit next; because the leaf precedes and prepares the fruit. The humble are de- clared blessed before the meek; the peni- tent that mourn, and the pious that pant after God, before the merciful; the sincere that are pure in heart before the peace- makers. In the last Beatitude both the leaf that heals the soul, and the fruit that feeds society are considered. An abundant blessing is held out to those who suffer persecutions of the world for righteous- ness' sake, who suffer because they would 'live godly (2 Tm 3,12) in Christ Jesus'. Bu t to obtain and to retain the full blessing of Christ there are yet other vir- tues necessary besides those thus far' ex- plicitly treated. They are: soberness, thrift, perseverance; content, self-re- straint, and self-denial. Unless these also flourish as a green leaf (Prv 11,28), godli- ness will not mature its fruit. The fruit will fall before it is ripe. Hear what the Apostle' has to say about this: "Be s~ber, 80 watch. Your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion goeth about seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet 5,8). When Christians are sober and watch, always keeping in mind what has been taught them in faith, they will never be surprised in sin, as was the Prodigal, and as was Peter, when they awakened to find themselves, the one feeding swine while starving himself, the other denying his Lord while betraying his own soul. We next must be thrifty also. They that keep themselves busy, working (E 4,28) at what is good, have no time for the Devil. "We exhort you, brethren", writes the Apostle, "that ye take pride in quietly going about your business and in working with your own hands, that so you may walk becomingly, and have need (1 Th 4, 11) of nothing". And then there is perse- verance. They that hold out in prayer (Acts 1,14) and in the work (1 Cor 15,58) of the Lord, even when weary, still longer and longer, will find angels ministering (Mt 4,11) unto them. So did Job, so did Tobit, so did our Lord, who is the shining model for all Christians in every virtue. "He that persevereth (Mt 24,13) unto the end, the same shall be saved" . He shall be estab- lished in the truth of God, and exalted in 81 the glory of Christ. Particularly is this true, if he furthermore practices the vir- tues of content, of self-restraint, and of self - denial. "Having food and raiment let us there- with be content", advises the Apostle (1 Tm 6,8). "They that would be rich fall into temptation, and a trap, and many desires that are foolish and hurtful, which drown these men in destruction and perdition. They pierce themselves thru with many . sorrows". And if they are strong unto the inward man, restraining the outward man in his appetite and anger, in his avarice and ambition, from going too far; or if they are able to possess their vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the pas- sion of lust (1 Th 4,4), God Himself will 'paraclete their hearts and establish them in every good work and word (2 Th 2,17). And if they are abstemious, denying them- selves even lawful pleasures for the sake (Mt 19,12) of the Kingdom, exercising themselves unto godliness, the Law-giver will give them a special blessing. He will transform them in to His own image from glory to glory, so-to-say by the Lord Spirit (2 Cor 4,18). NINTH DAY The Fruits are to be Cultivated Self-denial is fundamental for a Chris- 82 tian. It is the principal lesson to be learnt in the school .of Christ. The Master has so insisted on self-denial, that evidently it is the very condition of Christian life. Hear what He says (Lc 9,23): "If any man would .come after Me, let him deny himself, a:hd take up his cross, and follow Me. For who soever would save his life shall lose it; but who soever shall lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it". Every Christian therefore must learn self-denial, if he wishes to dress and to keep the garden (Gn 2,15) (1 Cor 3,9) of Yahveh, in which he is placed by an all-loving God, restored by an all-gracious Lord, and helped by an all- lending Paraclete. Our soul as well as our body needs exer- cise. Wisely the Church, mother-like, in- sists much on days of fast and abstinence for her children; yea, commands, that they at times fast and abstain from lawful pleasures to strengthen their soul in the truth, and for the grace of God, thatthey mortify their members which are on earth (Col 3,5), and so quicken the powers which are from heaven. The inner life lives on the outer life. "Except the grain of wheat fallen into the ground die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bareth much fruit" (In 12, 24). The nature of man or selfishness must 83 die that the grace of God m.ight awaken to life, unfold its leaf of righteousness, and produce the fruit of the Spirit. How foolish is the wisdom. of those who wait till the next tim.e to deny them.selves, when, as they think, it will be m.ore tim.ely and easier to deny them.selves. Redeem. the tim.e, rather "exploit the opportunity, because the days are evil", says the Apostle (E 5,16). To be good in the m.idst of evil, that's Christianity. "For this is grace (Christianity) if thru consciousness of God one endureth griefs, suffering unjustly", says the chief Apostle; "for what kind of glory is it, if sinning and buffeted, ye en- dure; but if doing right and suffering ye endure, that is grace with God. For unto · this were ye called (as Christians, and for this are ye called Christians), because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an exam.ple that ye should follow in His steps" (l Pt 2,20-22). Not when it is easy but when it is hard, is the tim.e to do the will of the Spirit. Then it is when the exertion counts. When it is hard to lose, and you could easily win, then through consciousness of God to accept rebuffs, that's hum.ility. When it is easy to get even with a neighbor, but hard to forgive and forget, then for the love of Christ to choke your feelings, that's 84 charity. When you can easily afford the self-indulgence, and can hardly resist its appeal, then for the sake of the Spirit to forego the pleasure, that's self-denial. Hum.ility, self-denial, charity; these are the Christian virtues ,that are essential for godliness. They are the leaf, the bloom., and the fruit; hum.ility before God, denial of self, and charity toward your neighbor. And rem.em.ber, they do not grow of them.selves. They m.ust be cultivated; yes, cultivated-which is done by Prayer, Fast- ing, Alm.sgiving. "Blessed is everyone who is found wholehearted in these", says an apostolic Father (2 K 116,4). 'Exercise your- self unto godliness' (l Tm. 4,7). Pray, while hum.bly resigned, like a child, before God. The attitude, "My will, not Thine be done" had turned Eden in to a desert; but the prayer (Lc 22,42): "Not m.y will, but Thine be done" has reversed the situation. , I t has m.ade Gethsem.ane the gateway to heaven. FAST, and so, soberly, like a judge, deny yourselves the pleasures of the m.om.ent for the sake of an eternity. Self- indulgence has brought down curses upon m.an, wom.an, and country; but self-denial will lift the curse, and leave a blessing behind (Joel 2,14). GIVE ALMS, and so, charitably, like a friend, treat your neigh- 85 bor as you would have him to treat you. Man's inhumanity to man makes count- less thousands mourn, but Christ's charity to man reverses all that. It makes count- less thousands smile again. These are the exercises that set us and keep us aright in our relation with God, with self, and with neighbor. They make ·for righteousness in every direction. Not occasionally, therefore, but regularly, should these exercises be taken up. Pray always; but be humble, simple, sincere, penitent, pious, and resigned before God, as our Lord illustrated it in the parable of the Publican and Pharisee, that went up to the temple to pray. Fast often; and thus work up the virtues of soberness, thrift, perseverance, content, self-re- straint, and self-denial, till you have your- self in power, knowing how to possess your body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, like heathens who know not God. Give alms, or be compassionate, \ on every occasion, that so you may flourish and grow (Col 1,10) by the knowledge of God in every virtue, made virtuous accord- ing to the might of His glory unto all patience ·and long-suffering. Never forget, the fruit depends upon the leaf for its life and health. 86 You now know the virtues which con- stitute the leaf of righteousness, the leaf (Apos 22,2) which is for healing, for healing and hallowing the soul in the Truth. These are not listed in the letter to the Galatians, because there the Apostle was primarily concerned with the grace of Christian life, with the social side of the Christian, with the relation of neighbor to neighbor, lest "biting and devouring one another they should be consumed (Gal 5,15) one by another". TENTH DAY The Fruits are Evidence of Grace or Loving Kindness Indeed, the virtues listed as fruits show that they are for the benefit of others. All show this clearly, except the three not listed in the Greek text: patience (stead- fastness), propriety, and purity. These adorn the person himself who has them. Bu t they may also be exercised in behalf of others, and thus be numbered among the fruits, in which the Christian denies himself that he might answer the need of others. The fruits accentuate the grace, rather than the truth which came by Jesus Christ. "Ye know the grace of Christ, who tho he was rich yet for 87 our sake became poor that w e thru His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8,9). The fruits are the virtues that grow out of the bloom of self-denial on the branches of love. They evidence love, not lust. Agape, not eros, is the Greek word. In these virtues Christians seek the welfare of others, not their own (2 Cor 12,14), to serve, not to be served, following Christ who said: 'I carne not to be ministered unto, but to minister; and to give my life as a ransom for many ' (Mt 20,28). Note, that to be useful was in the mind of the Apostle the same as to be fruitfuL 'Let our people', he writes to Titus (Tit 3, 14), 'learn to excel in good works for neces- sary uses, that they be not unfruitful'; 'unfruitful in spite of their knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ', as Saint Peter seems to say. Usefulness is Christianity practically applied. 'Faithful is the word, and concerning these things I will have thee to speak with assurance, that they who have believed God set their mind on e xcelling in good works' (Tit 3,8). 'The kingdom of God is not eating and drink- ing, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that herein serveth Christ is pleasing to God and ap- proved by men. Let us therefore follow 88 after things which m.ake for peace, and things whereby we m.ay edify one another' (Rm. 14,19). 'Love', listed as the first fruit, therefore, m.eans loving kindness, or if we choose the word charity, charitableness; 'joy' m.eans joyfulness, m.aking others happy; peace m.eans peacefulness. 'Long-suffering' is as m.uch m.agnanim.ity as it is longanim.ity. The long-suffering Christian, like God, 'wishes not that anyone should perish, but that all should com.e to repentance' (2 Pet 3,8) ; and he works to that end. 'Kindness' and 'goodness' bear the stam.p of grace toward others plainly enough. 'Patience', 'm.eekness', and 'faithfulness' also com.e fully into their own when practised in behalf of others. And when 'propriety' is understood according to the Greek origi- nal, its_ graciousness is evident ·enough. Epikia is that even tem.per in m.an which disposes him. to do the fitting thing in view of actual circum.stances. 'Self-control' is that inward poise which enables a m.an to prom.ote the good of others even at his own expense, protecting his neighbor even from. his own natural desire. It enables him. to do the truth and the grace in behalf of neighbors even when they in their ignor- ance would have it otherwise. And 'purity' 89 has no other will than good will, and shows this will in every twinkle of its eye. The fruits of the Spirit therefore are outward proofs of a God-like~ Christ-like, Spirit-like disposition toward neighbors. They are evidence of a love such as God's, who 'loved us while we were yet sinners' (Rm 5,8); of a grace such as Christ's, who spent (2 Cor 12,15) Himself for the good of all, even His enemies; of a communication such as the Spirit's, who lends Himself in His gifts to every comer, of none despair- ing. Of course, to have such a disposition and to yield such fruit, your righteousness must indeed be planted like a tree in the garden of God, by the water course of His Spirit, and branching out in the sunlight of Christ. To be a friend and a brother to others in all circumstances of life is indeed a superhuman task. To realize this ideal, you must indeed be full of the Spirit; have the grace (Chris.tianity), abounding in faith, hope, and love. The root, the trunk, and crown of the tree must be sound. Its foliage must be green and vigorous, able to turn the truth springing out of the earth, and the grace coming down from heaven, to full account. Your humility before God and your denial of self must be genuine. 90 Now, tho these virtues are sublime they are not beyond reach. They are given by God when prayed for, and at the same time worked on, by us. "Exercise your- selves unto godliness", says the Apostle. The exercises, as already said, are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; these three, the most telling of which is almsgiving; alms- giving, not in the sense of handing out mere pittance from our abundance; but going the full length of pity for others, sharing with them our time, our comforts, our strength, whatever we have. It means being a friend, a paraclete to them, a good samaritan, taking up their burdens, when they are too weak to help themselves. It means proving our love toward them as God has proven His toward us in Christ, yea, as He proves it toward us today in His' Paraclete. It is godliness abloom, spend- ing its fragrance (2 Cor 2, 14), the knowledge of God, in every place, and yielding its fruit as needs suggest it. PRAYER FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT Come, Holy Spirit, cause Thy righteous- ness, the fountain of bliss and blessing, ever to spring up in the cen ter of our hearts; and divide its waters into the four heads 91 of temperance and prudence and justice and fortitude , so that every Christian virtue or every tree of righteousness, plant- · ed by the river of life upon the bank there- of, in this side and on that side, may grow and flourish. May its leaf never fall, and its fruit never fail. Mature and color our faith and our vir- tue, like leaves and fruits, with Thy light from above in all trueness and goodness and rightness and holiness, till we are found worthy of God, (Wis 3,5) fit to be seen at the everlasting fair, for praise and glory and honor (l Pet 1,7) in the light of Jesus Christ. Mature and color in us that charity of heart, looking out for others in the struggle of life as we do for ourselves, and carrying their burdens, as Jesus did ours; thus ful- filling the Law; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that joy of soul, welling up from a good conscience, and spreading happiness on all around, like a sunrise, rejoicing in the Lord; thus radiat- ing the grace; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that peace of mind, assuring while being assured of the 92 truth of, God, the rock of ages, amidst the winds and waves of a changing world; thus living the faith; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that long-suffer- ing of a generous heart, taking no account of evil said or done against us, seeking not our own, but the good of others; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that kindness of a noble soul, having help for all, because of a love for all, healing the hurt of human- kind; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that goodness of will, harboring no ill will, but excusing the accused as long as we can, sweetening the bitterness of society; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that meekness of an even temper, well ruled at horne and ruling well abroad, as Moses did, leading the way to the Promised Land; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that patience of a solid character, never wearying of well- doing, possessing our soul, as Job did, whether crossed or crowned; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. 93 Mature and color in us that faithfulness of a sacred devotion, doing the co:m:mon chores and doing the:m weJI, as Saint Joseph did, 'anything for God'; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that propriety of ways and conduct, never offending, but ever finding what is proper before God and :men with the sense of a Christened gentle- :man; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that self-control in wants and :moods, ruling our i:mpulses for our own and for other's sake with the virtue .of a sainted knight; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. Mature and color in us that purity of thought and purpose, banishing the spirits of the lower world, and hallowing the at- ~osphere about our person with the eye of a blessed angel; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. · . Oh Holy Spirit, so holy in Thyself that by Thy presence, pleas (R:m , 8,26), and precepts Thou dost ever :make holy all the:m that let Thee; grant that we also, being filled with Thy Spirit, :may by our appearance, address, and action edify all around us. As Christ did, so let us Christians do. 94 For copies address FATHERS RUMBLE AND CARTY Radio Replies Press St. Paul I, Minn., U.S.A. Copyrlllht RADIO REPLIES PRESS - 1946 830012-001 830012-002 830012-003 830012-004 830012-005 830012-006 830012-007 830012-008 830012-009 830012-010 830012-011 830012-012 830012-013 830012-014 830012-015 830012-016 830012-017 830012-018 830012-019 830012-020 830012-021 830012-022 830012-023 830012-024 830012-025 830012-026 830012-027 830012-028 830012-029 830012-030 830012-031 830012-032 830012-033 830012-034 830012-035 830012-036 830012-037 830012-038 830012-039 830012-040 830012-041 830012-042 830012-043 830012-044 830012-045 830012-046 830012-047 830012-048 830012-049 830012-050 830012-051 830012-052 830012-053 830012-054 830012-055 830012-056 830012-057 830012-058 830012-059 830012-060 830012-061 830012-062 830012-063 830012-064 830012-065 830012-066 830012-067 830012-068 830012-069 830012-070 830012-071 830012-072 830012-073 830012-074 830012-075 830012-076 830012-077 830012-078 830012-079 830012-080 830012-081 830012-082 830012-083 830012-084 830012-085 830012-086 830012-087 830012-088 830012-089 830012-090 830012-091 830012-092 830012-093 830012-094 830012-095 830012-096 830012-097 830012-098 830012-099 830012-100