i



SH9!I'7



Murillo

THE CHRIST CHILD



COME,

HOLY SPIRIT

An Explanation of the Ceremonies and

of the Wonderful Effects of the

Sacrament of Confirmation

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR LIBRARY

' HUNTINGTON, INDIANA

By

A Sister of Charity of Providence



NIHIL OBSTAT
MATTHAEUS BRITT, O. S. B.

Censor Libroium

IMPRIMATUR

t GERALDUS SHAUGHNESSY, S.M.
EPISCOPUS SEATTLENSIS

Seattle

8 Sept., 1934

Capyright, 1935,

SISTERS OF CHARITY OF PROVIDENCE
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

DeaMMt



FOREWORD

The object of this pamphlet is to foster

in the hearts of all the children of God

a deeper appreciation of the Sacrament

of Conhrmation, and a fuller realization

of the abiding Presence of the Holy

Spirit in our soul.

Through these pages may our little

ones, from their earliest years, know and

love the Divine Guest of their hearts,

and be ever truly devoted to Him.

May the Holy Spirit deign to bless

this humble pamphlet, and captivate with

His love all who read it.

Provincial House of Providence,

Mount St. Vincent,

Seattle, Washington,

August 15, 1934.



THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS

SACRAMENT OF LOVE

God’s great love for us never seems

satisfied, never thinks that it has done

enough. We should have thought that
the gift of Himself in Holy Communion

would have satisfied even Infinite Love.

But the Ever Blessed Trinity would

pour out upon us still greater treasures.

God the Father in creating us, God the

Son in redeeming us and in His abiding

Presence v^ith us in the Tabernacle,

proved to us Their Infinite desire to

make us happy here and to bring us to

eternal happiness in Heaven. What then
was left for the Holy Spirit to do? He
had done for us all that the Father and

the Son had done, for there is only one

God. In every sacrament, in every grace

we receive, the Holy Spirit is at work.

But He would have also a sacrament of
His own, in which He might come to us
in person to encourage and strengthen

us to be faithful soldiers of Jesus, by

pouring out upon us His gifts and His

fruits.

We all know that the Holy Spirit came
to us first at Baptism. As we were born

in the state of original sin, the devil then

had possession of us. But the power of

the words uttered by the priest as he

baptized us: “Depart, unclean spirit, and

give place to the Holy Spirit,” forced

1



Satan to flee from us, and the Holy Spirit

came to dwell in our soul forever, if we

will have it so.

The devil, however, who left us at the

priest’s command is jealous of God’s love

for us, and does all that he can to regain

possession of our heart. He would de-

throne the Holy Spirit, in order to reign

supreme himself. For this reason he

studies us carefully from our earliest

years, and redoubles his watchfulness as

we become able to use our free will. He
tracks our steps, watches our faults, and

plans ways to tempt us, in order to make

us form bad habits that will be so strong

that we can hardly overcome them.

It is just at this time in our life, when

our first hardest struggles begin against

our bad inclinations, and when we most
need help, that God comes to arm us
with His strong sacrament for our spir-

itual warfare, to give us strength to fight

against this wicked enemy, the devil.

Let us try then to understand this sac-

rament and prepare our heart for the

coming of the Holy Spirit, in order that

we may receive all the graces that He
wishes to give us.

For this purpose let us go back to that

night of our Lord’s Last Supper with His

Apostles. We see them gathered around
Him. They have just made their First
Communion, and their hearts are burn-
ing with tender love for Jesus. But now
He tells them that He must leave them.

2



For three years they had followed Him
everywhere; they had learned to love

Him more than all else; they had left
their homes and all that they possessed

to be in His company. In return He has
been everything to them. With Him
they feared nothing, neither the threats

of Jesus’ enemies, the rulers, nor the

very devils themselves.

And now Jesus is going away! Are
they to be left alone? What is to become
of them, and of the great work that He
had told them they were to do? Who
would teach them, comfort, and pro-

tect them? Like helpless children they

looked at Him; they could not speak,

for their hearts were breaking with sor-

row. Oh, how much did not our Lord
feel for them at this hour! And as He
tries to comfort them, what is it that

He tells them that fills their hearts with
new courage? Let us listen to His own

dear words of tenderness, as He prom-
ises to send them His Holy Spirit to take

His place, to be to them all that He has
been,— Teacher, Comforter, Protector,
Light, Strength, and Joy.

Our Lord calls them “little children,”

and says that because He has told them
He is going away sorrow has filled their
hearts. He bids them not to be troubled,
for He will not leave them orphans; He
will ask His Father and He shall give
them another Paraclete, whom they will
know because He will be in them and
will teach them all things, and will abide

3



with them forever. He tells them that it
is expedient to them that He goes; for
if He does not go, the Paraclete will not
come to them; but that if He goes, He
will send Him to them.

We see that our Lord speaks of His
going away as necessary and as a gain

to the Apostles, for He who was coming

to take His place was His own Holy

Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy

Trinity, and true God as Jesus is true

God, and equal to Him and to the Father
in all things. He would be everything to
them as Jesus had been. Just as Jesus

had by His visible presence taught them

by word and example
;

so the Holy

Spirit, He told them, would teach them
interiorly, for He would reside in the
depths of their hearts, and moreover. He
would never leave them.

PENTECOST SUNDAY

When, then, did the Holy Spirit come

to the Apostles? He did not come until
after our Lord had ascended into Heaven.

As Jesus left them on Ascension Day,

He told them to go to Jerusalem, back
to the Supper Room, and there prepare

for the Holy Spirit’s coming by days of

prayer and silence,—what we should call
a retreat.

Since the night that our Lord first

promised the Holy Spirit, the Apostles

had learned how much they needed Him.

4



One of their number had betrayed Jesus,
another had denied Him, and all but one

had left Him to suffer and to die alone.
Even after the Resurrection, they kept

within barred doors for fear of the Jews.

Surely, they needed strengthening, if

they were to go out into the world

and convert men as their Master had
promised.

The Apostles, therefore, went back to

Jerusalem as Jesus had told them, and

they spent the days united with our

Blessed Mother, in pleading with Jesus

to fulfil His promise to them, and in

praying that they might be ready to re-

ceive the Holy Ghost.

Ten days later, on Pentecost, as they

were all gathered together, with our

Blessed Lady in their midst, there came

suddenly a sound as of a mighty wind,

and immediately above the heads of each

one present, there appeared tongues of

fire. Just as in token of Plis love and

tenderness, the Holy Spirit had taken

the form of a dove at Jesus’ Baptism, so

now He took the form of tongues of fire,
in token of the fervor and zeal that He
was giving to these first Apostles.

Before they could go out as teachers

of the faith, they needed a more perfect

faith and a fuller understanding of the

great truths they were to give to others.

The Holy Spirit came, then, to enlighten

them
;
and because they were to bear wit-

ness by their fortitude in suffering for

the truths they were to teach, the Holy

5



Spirit also came to strengthen them.

If we wish to know what the Sacra-

ment of Confirmation can do when we

prepare worthily for its reception, let us

notice the difference in the Apostles

after their Confirmation. No more closed

doors! No more hiding! After the De-

scent of the Holy Ghost, they came out

fearlessly and confessed their belief in

Jesus before their most bitter enemies,

and rejoiced when they were cruelly

scourged for having done so. We do not
find that they ever again feared any-

thing; instead, they rejoiced to suffer

hunger and thirst, cold and poverty,

scourging and prison, and they became

happy martyrs for their faith.

Perhaps the graces of this sacrament

were never more needed than in these

days, when so many who hate God are
trying to make us forget Him. Often

we are called on to profess our faith

when it is very hard to do so; when we
may be ridiculed for it

;
when to say that

we are Catholics will mean that we are
made poor by unemployment; or when
we may lose the friendship of our loved
ones. But through the outpouring of the

sacramental grace of Confirmation we are
enabled to be true followers of Christ,

—

to be willing to die rather than ever

deny our belief in Him, or yield to the

enemy of our soul by sin.

6



THE CEREMONY OF

CONFIRMATION

By studying the outward signs of the
Sacrament of Confirmation we shall be
able to get a better understanding of its

wonderful effects on our soul.

When we have assembled in the church
for the reception of this sacrament, the

bishop, who is the ordinary person to
confirm, since he is the leader in his

own diocese, will turn toward those who
are to be confirmed, and with his hands

joined upon his breast, he will say:

“May the Holy Ghost come down upon

you, and may the power of the Most High

keep you from all sin. Amen.”

After another short prayer, he extends

his hands over those to be confirmed.

This signifies that sacramental grace is

at that moment being imparted to each

soul. He then addresses a solemn prayer
to the Eternal Father, begging Him
through Jesus Christ, His Son, to send

His own Holy Spirit into our soul with
all His gifts.

“O Almighty, Everlasting God, who

hast vouchsafed to regenerate these Thy
servants by water and the Holy Ghost,

and who hast given them the remission

of their sins, send forth upon them the

Sevenfold Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,

from Heaven. Amen. The Spirit of Wis-

dom and of Understanding. Amen. The

7



THE FIRST PENTECOST



Spirit o£ Counsel and of Fortitude.

Amen. The Spirit of Knowledge and

of Piety. Amen. Replenish them with

the Spirit of Thy Fear and sign them
with the sign of the cross of Christ, in

Thy mercy, unto life everlasting, through
the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
Thee, in unity of the same Holy Spirit,

one God, world without end. Amen.”

Then the bishop pronounces the name

of each person to be confirmed, and

makes the sign of the cross with holy

chrism on the forehead of each one,

saying

:

‘T sign thee with the sign of the

cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism

of salvation, in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.”

This signifies that we are sealed as

Jesus’ very own, and that upon our soul

is imprinted an indelible character which

will last for all eternity. The devils see

that sign of the cross, and they tremble

;

for they know that by it we are to con-
quer them through the power that the

Holy Spirit will be ever ready to give

us when we ask Him.

The holy chrism with which the bish-

op signs us is composed of oil of olives

and balsam, and is solemnly blessed by

him on Holy Thursday. It is kept with

great veneration in the church, and is

used only in the consecration of such

8



things as are set apart for the service of

God, and which are dedicated and sancti-

fied for Him. Bishops, churches, altars,

and chalices are consecrated with this

holy unction. Therefore, we as Chris-

tians, should understand that by this

unction or chrism, with which we are

signed in Confirmation, we too are sol-

emnly consecrated and dedicated to God

to be His temples forever; and that this

outward unction is the visible sign of an

invisible sanctification of our soul by the

Holy Ghost. The mysterious mixture of

oil and balsam denotes the wonderful

graces of the Holy Ghost, and the effects

of the sacrament in our soul. As oil is

a smooth, mild substance, it represents

that spirit of mildness and patience un-

der the cross, which is one principal

effect of Confirmation. The balsam, a
precious plant from Eastern lands, whose

fragrant, resinous juice soothes, heals,

and saves from corruption, represents

that special grace of Confirmation which

preserves our soul from sin after it has

been cleansed by Baptism.

After signing with the cross those

who are to be confirmed, the bishop then
gives a slight blow on the cheek, saying,

“Pax tecum,” which means, “Peace be

with you.” This signifies that henceforth

the person confirmed is to be ready, like

a true soldier of Jesus Christ, to endure

patiently any kind of suffering for his

faith, and that God’s peace will ever fill
his heart in suffering and trouble. This
blow also reminds him of that Gift of

9



Fortitude which is increased in him at
this time particularly, and which is

proof against every cowardice.

When all have been confirmed, the
bishop turns again to the altar and says

the following prayer:

“O God, who gavest the Holy Ghost to
Thy Apostles, and hast been pleased to
ordain that by them and by their succes-

sors He should be given to the rest of
the faithful

;
mercifully look down upon

what we. Thy poor servants, have done,
and grant that the hearts of these Thy
faithful, whose foreheads we have
anointed with Thy sacred chrism and
signed with the Holy Cross, may by the
same Holy Ghost coming down into

them, and by His vouchsafing to dwell

in them, be made the temples of His

glory, who with the Father and the
same Holy Ghost, livest and reignest

God, world without end. Amen.”

These ceremonies then end with the

special blessing of the bishop.

HIS SEVENFOLD GIFTS

Having studied the meaning of the

outward signs of the Sacrament of Con-

firmation, let us try now to understand

the wonderful gifts which the Holy

Spirit increases in us at this time.

They are seven in number, and are

first given to us at Baptism, when the

10



Holy Ghost comes to take up His abode

in our heart. They are then, as it v^ere

in their infancy, and must be developed

through fervent prayer, through the

worthy reception of Holy Communion,

and devout assistance at Holy Mass, in

order that they may produce fruit. They

are a wondrous treasure hidden within

us, which we may use whenever we will.

They enlighten our mind to see God’s

Will, and strengthen us to do all that

He asks. Wisdom, Understanding,
Counsel, and Knowledge enlighten our

mind. Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the

Lord strengthen our will.

The Gift of Wisdom is a taste and de-
sire for all that has to do with God and

holy things. Prayer, Holy Mass, Bene-

diction,—all that belongs to God’s serv-
ice is relished, enjoyed, by those who
have a taste for the things of God.

Those who are truly wise value the
pleasures, riches, and honors of this

world as Jesus valued them. They pre-

fer to be like Him in His privations and
sufferings, that they may win souls for
Heaven.

The Gift of Understanding helps us

to see the meaning and beauty of the

truths of our holy Faith, which it there-

by strengthens.

Those who understand are obedient to
God’s commandments, for they wish to
do His Will in every detail. They are
glad to be corrected when in fault, for

11



this they consider is a favor. They look
upon all trials as proofs of God’s spe-

cial love. They are glad to hear stories
of our Lord’s life, the lessons of which

are made ever more clear to them through

the help of this gift.

The Gift of Counsel teaches us to seek
guidance from God before acting in any

important matter, for we realize that we
have within us a Guide who will always
tell us what to do at the present moment.

Those who use the Gift of Counsel ask
for light to know what is the right thing

to do in all the trifles of every day about

which they may be in doubt. No detail
of our life is too small for the Holy

Spirit to take an interest in. He loves
to have us ask for His light and help

in our very least duties; but the evil

spirit tries instead to make us hurry

when he suggests something that is

wrong, so that we will not take time to
ask God’s help.

The Gift of Knowledge makes us real-

ize that we are on earth to save our own

soul, and the souls of others. This knowl-

edge helps us to use everything around

us as a ladder to Heaven. The flowers,

the birds, the sun, the rain,—all serve to
remind us of the goodness of God, and

they cause us to praise Him, for He has
made them to help us to know Him
better.

Those who are using the Gift of

Knowledge see God’s Will in everything

12



that happens. Crosses and disappoint-

ments and failures are all accepted as

coming directly from His hand, to help

us gain greater merit in Heaven, and to

be closer to Himself there. They who

make use of this gift study our Lord’s

life to make it their model. At Bethle-

hem they learn that it is not riches, nor

honor, nor pleasures that are most pleas-

ing to God; at Nazareth, they learn to

be obedient as Jesus was; at Calvary,

they learn to suffer patiently and to for-

give even their enemies as He did.

The Gift of Fortitude gives us
strength to do the right thing, no matter

how much it may cause us to suffer. It

is necessary to every one of us if we

would save our soul. Sooner or later

trials must come,—unkindness, ridicule,
failure, the loss of those we love. Hu-

man respect and our own bad passions
will stand as difficulties in our way. At

prayer, at work, at study, wherever

trouble finds us. Fortitude must uphold

us, or we shall be faithless to God.

Those who use this gift are strong
like the saints and martyrs. They never

forget that without God’s help they can

do nothing; therefore they call on the

Holy Spirit for strength to bear up

bravely in every difficulty and to deny

themselves courageously. The Holy
Spirit never refuses to help His chil-

dren when they ask Him for these
graces.

Let us imitate those, who for the love

13



of God, choose to do little things that

they dislike in order to constantly re-

mind themselves of the wonderful power

of this gift they have received.

The Gift of Piety fills our heart with

tender love for our Father in Heaven,

makes us cry to Him in every need, and
show Him obedience, reverence, and
praise. It is the gift that fills our heart

with love for our neighbor, and makes

us kind and anxious to help him, because

that is the best way to show our love for

our Father, who considers what we do
for our neighbor as done for Himself.

Those who use the Gift of Piety are
careful never to offend such a good

Father. They go to Him in all their
troubles and needs, and trust Him to
care for them. They do for their neigh-

bor all that they would like to do for

God, since this is the best way of show-

ing their love for Him.

The Gift of Holy Fear is most pre-

cious to us because it fills our heart with

a great horror of sin, and a dread of do-

ing the least thing to offend God, our

kind and loving Father. By the help of
this gift we will keep away from the
least occasion of sin,—bad books, bad
shows, bad companions,—everything that
would cause us to fail in our good reso-

lutions.

Those who use this Gift of Holy Fear
listen to God’s warning in their heart

when they are about to do wrong, and

14



they do what is right, no matter how

much it hurts them. They would rather

die than commit a wilful sin. They are

obedient to the priest, to their parents,

to their teachers, and to all who in any

way may hold God’s place. They also

show by the way they behave in church,

or when they speak to God in prayer,

that they revere and love Him too much
to do the least thing that would be dis-

respectful.

Has not our dear God shown Himself

very generous in providing each one of

His children with such spiritual helps as

His sevenfold gifts? They are so strong

that they can lead us to the highest de-

gree of holiness, and cause us to love

God and do for Him what the saints did.

FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit, as enu-

merated by St. Paul, are twelve: Char-

Joy» Peace, Patience, Benignity,

Goodness, Longanimity, Mildness, Faith,

Modesty, Continency, Chastity. These

fruits should be visible in every Chris-

tian, for thereby we shall know that the
Holy Spirit dwells in him; for the tree

is known by its fruit.

If the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart,
we may be compared to a tree full of
vigor, which brings forth the best and

sweetest fruit
;
that is, acts of virtue and

of holiness. If the spirit c£ the world,

15



the spirit of the flesh, and the spirit of

pride have taken possessison of our soul,

we are like an evil tree, which brings
forth bad and bitter fruit.

The Fruit of Charity most resembles

the Holy Spirit, because He is Love it-
self. This fruit is like a mother to all

the rest, for we must love God and our
neighbor, or we cannot bear any spiritual
fruit at all.

The Fruit of Joy is another proof that

we possess the Holy Spirit in our heart,

for He is Joy itself. He fills us with
happiness for the very least thing that

we do for Him. Nothing makes us so
happy as being in the state of grace.

The Fruit of Peace causes God to rest

in our heart, for it means that we want

only what He wants, and that we avoid
all that displeases Him; thus our con-

science is at ease.

The Fruit of Patience keeps us from

being troubled by any difficulty or dis-

appointment. It also helps us to perse-

vere in prayer, no matter how long we
may have to wait for an answer.

The Fruit of Mildness helps us to be

meek with those who try our temper or
provoke us, and to return good for evil.

The Fruit of Goodness fills us with a

desire to help others. It causes us to

radiate kindness on every one.

The Fruit of Benignity helps us to

16



oblige others willingly and gladly. It

causes us to consider always the feelings

of others, and to treat them with great

kindness and gentleness.

The Fruit of Faith makes it easy for

us to believe all the truths that our holy

Faith teaches us.

The Fruit of Modesty makes us holy

in our thoughts, watchful in our words,

and grave in our behavior, because we

realize that God is within us.

The Fruit of Continency helps us to

use all creatures for God’s glory, and to

restrain all our unruly passions, such as

anger, sadness, pride, ambition, and all

forbidden pleasures of our senses.

The Fruit of Chastity helps us to keep

our soul and our body pure, because

within us lives God, who is the Lover of
holy purity.

Daily Communion is the best means of
increasing the fruits and gifts of the

Holy Spirit; for our Lord, uniting His

Body to our body, and His Soul to our
soul, burns and destroys within us the

seeds of our vices, and communicates to

us by degrees His own divine tempera-
ment and perfections, according as we
prepare for His coming and allow Him
to act in us.

Whenever we find that we are con-
stantly failing in any one of the fruits

of the Holy Spirit, we must do all that
we can to discover the defect which

17



causes this, so that all twelve fruits will

shine in us like the stars encircling the

head of the Mother of God.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE

COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

IN CONFIRMATION

What should we do to obtain the Gifts
of the Holy Spirit?

First, we should earnestly desire Him
to increase these gifts in us, and confi-

dently trust that He will do so.

Second, we should make such a good
confession that He will wish to fill our
purified heart with His love.

Third, we should, as the Apostles did,

prepare for His coming by silence and

prayer. Let us, like them, beg our

Blessed Mother to intercede for us with

Him. He is ready enough to come to us
with an increase of His gifts and fruits,

yet He wishes to be invited, and even
pressed to come. Prayer is the golden

key to His treasure chamber.

If we are faithful to prepare as did the

Apostles for His coming, the Holy Spirit

will not fail to work a change in our

heart also. There will be no noise of a

mighty wind, nor vision of fiery tongues,

for these were needed only for the peo-

ple on the outside. These exterior signs

18



attracted and interested them in what

was going on, and made them willing to

listen to the preaching o£ the Apostles

and be converted. In our heart, the Holy

Spirit will work silently. He will inflame

us with His love, and stir us to do good,

and transform us as He did the Apostles.

We are told that so great was the help
given them when they were confirmed,

they never again committed a mortal sin.

This shows not only the abundance of

grace given them, but also the whole-

heartedness and loyalty of their coop-

eration.

As the Holy Spirit gave miraculous

power to the speech of the Apostles

after their Confirmation, so that people

of different countries might understand

them and be converted; so too will He
let us speak a language which will be

understood and will convert all with

whom we live. This will be the language
of our good example.

If our companions see us doing what

is right,—studying our lessons, being
obedient, kind and patient, keeping si-

lence where we should, saying our pray-
ers devoutly, going to Holy Mass, re-

ceiving Holy Communion frequently,
visiting our Lord in the Blessed Sacra-

ment often,—they will be led to do the
same, and we shall, by the Holy Spirit’s
help, be little apostles too, making other

souls love and please God better.

Lastly, after their Confirmation the

Apostles were ready to suffer anything

19



rather than deny their faith. They even

rejoiced to be scourged and put in prison

that they might thereby prove their love

for Jesus and their loyalty to Him. If

we worthily receive this Sacrament of

the Holy Ghost we too shall be enabled

to endure any suffering, any persecution,

and even martyrdom itself, in defense of

our faith. Our only fear will be lest we

should ever become cowardly or disloyal

soldiers of Jesus, for nothing is so dis-

graceful as a Catholic who is ashamed

of his faith, or is so cowardly as to deny

it. Let us therefore prepare as fervently

as did the Apostles for the reception of

this sacrament, and the Holy Spirit will

come Himself with His great Gift of

Fortitude, and will make us His firm and

faithful children.

THE GREATEST GIFT OF THE

HOLY SPIRIT

The greatest gift which the Holy
Spirit imparts to our soul is Sanctifying

Grace, which He brings with Him into
our heart at Baptism, along with His

sevenfold gifts. It is something so pre-

cious and divine that it cannot be ex-

plained. It makes our soul so holy and

pleasing to God that He delights to live
with us, and He makes our heart His
home.

When in Baptism He first comes to us
with His most precious gifts, our whole

20



heart belongs to Him without any re-
serve. Oh, if we could only always make

Him feel at home there! But, as chil-
dren grow older they often grow selfish;

they want to have their own way, and

will not do as God urges them. Then,

too, they learn to love other persons and

things better than they love God, and

they naturally give them the first place

in their heart,—God’s place; while they
force Him to take perhaps a little room
in the garret, where they will not hear

His voice so clearly, nor see His dear

eyes pleading with them to let Him have
His place again. If this is what we too

have done with our sweet Guest, let us

hasten at once to give Him all our heart,
to make Him so much at home with us
that He can urge us to do just what He
wants. And we will try to make His
home more bright and beautiful each day

by increasing that grace which is so

pleasing to Him.

How can we increase this grace? We
can increase our degree of sanctifying

grace by every good work, not only by

great deeds, but by every little act done

for His love. Every prayer said devoutly,

every holy wish, every devout glance at

the Sacred Host, or at a holy picture,

every time that we say no to tempta-
tion, we receive at once a new degree of
grace. Each time that we wash our soul
in the Sacrament of Penance we receive
a big share of grace, for the sacraments

give not only sanctifying grace, but sac-

ramental grace as well. Above all times.

21



we increase this grace when we receive
Jesus in Holy Communion, for His

Heart touches our heart and makes it

more like His own, and at the same time

makes it easier for us to be good.

Let us then do all that we can to make

God take more delight in His little

home, our heart. Let us try to keep it as

clean and as pure as we can, by never
offending Him deliberately. If we should
have this misfortune, let us hasten to

make an act of perfect sorrow for having

offended our God who is so good to us,
and as soon as possible go to Confession

to get our soul washed in Jesus’ Precious

Blood, that it may once more be bright
and beautiful for our Divine Guest.

Let us also profit by all the actual

graces that the Holy Spirit gives us
;
for

every time that we do a good act it is

the Holy Ghost who urges us to do it,

and gives us strength to do it; which

means,^ that He gives us His own actual
help, called actual grace. We cannot
have even one good and holy thought

without His putting it in our mind. We
cannot say our dear Lord Jesus’ Name
piously, unless the Holy Spirit helps us.

Without His grace, then, we can do

nothing that is good. Without His Pres-

ence in our heart, we lose all that holy

beauty which makes us pleasing to God.

Only mortal sin can force Him to leave
us, for He cannot live with those who
serve the devil. Let us always, then, do

what God wants of us, what He tells us

22



to do in His commandments and those of

His Church; and then the misfortune of

losing His Presence will never befall us.

DEVOTION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

How much we should love the Holy
Ghost for all that He has done and is
ever doing for us! Surely, if we could

but know Him better, we would be truly
devoted and grateful to Him. Let us,

therefore, study the meaning of the dif-

ferent names by which He is called.

HOLY GHOST

Why is the Third Person of the Holy
Trinity called “Holy Ghost”? The word

“ghost” means spirit. He is called “Holy
Ghost” because the work of making us

holy has been entrusted to Him. To God
the Father is attributed our creation, to

God the Son, our redemption, and to
God the Holy Ghost, our sanctification.
To help us to become other Christs, to
do as Jesus did during His mortal life,

is the special work of the Holy Ghost in

our soul
;
for the more closely we imitate

Jesus in all our actions, the more holy

we shall be.

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SPIRIT OF LOVE

The Holy Spirit is often called the

“Spirit of Love/’ for He is the Person of
Love in the Blessed Trinity. St. Ber-

nard calls Him the Kiss of God the
Father and God the Son. How much,
then, He must want our love! He loves
us far more than our own mothers and
fathers, and He is ever working for our
good, strengthening us to do hard things,

and making them easy for us. It is a

special attribute of the Holy Spirit to

make it easy to do hard things. Let us,

therefore, often beg Him to fill our heart
with love for Himself and for Jesus and

our Eternal Father. He will be happy to
do this. Let us go to Him in all confi-
dence, knowing that One who really
loves us is willing to do everything for

us.

PARACLETE

We often hear the Holy Spirit called
“Paraclete.” Our Lord Jesus was the

first to call Him by this name, when He
promised to send Him to the Apostles
at the Last Supper.

This name means a comforter, one who

brings a fresh supply of courage and

strength. Just as He remained in the
hearts of the Apostles encouraging them

to do the hardest things, so too will He
remain with us, helping us in every diffi-

24



culty. The happiness that He pours into

our heart for the least cross we bear

gives us added courage to keep up the

fight against our passions, to forget self,

to work for souls, to do everything

through love for God. It is His kiss of

love that He imprints upon our heart in

the Sacrament of Penance that fills us

with such peace and joy when we have

made a good confession. O come, dear
Comforter, and give us Your strength

and courage to do the work that God

wants us to do for Him during our life!

The name “Paraclete” also means an

advocate, one who prays and intercedes

for another. He will not only teach us
how to pray by praying in us, but He
Himself will also plead for us. He will
show us how to prepare for Confession
and Holy Communion and how to say all
our prayers if we will only ask Him. It
is for this reason that we begin most of
our prayers with a petition to Him to
help us lift up our hearts to God. Let us

remember always to ask Him to help us
prepare for the reception of the sacra-

ments, and then we shall derive more
fruit from them.

GIFT

The name “Gift” is often given to the
Holy Spirit because He is God’s highest
and best Gift to us, for He not only gives
us Himself, but by His grace He gives

25



US God the Father and God the Son;
where one Person of the Holy Trinity is,

there also are the other Divine Persons.

To our hearts He gives the gift of His
love, for we have no love in our heart for
God or for our neighbor, unless He puts
it there. Love is very important, for it is

that which makes us try to be good. We
will do anything for one whom we love.

To our body He gives not only Him-
self by making it His temple, but He
also gives us that measure of health and

strength that will enable us to do the

work that has been planned for us from

all eternity, which will enable us to save

our souls and give glory to God.

LIVING FIRE

At the first Pentecost He appeared as
tongues of fire. Fire, which warms, sof-

tens, melts, and consumes everything

that it touches, is the symbol of love.

The Holy Spirit warms cold hearts, sof-

tens hard hearts, and melts with His di-

vine love the most rebellious hearts. As

fire lights up all that surrounds it, so

does the Holy Spirit shed His all-pow-

erful light into our heart, that we may

see the least shadow of sin and repent of

it. It is for this reason that we ought to

call on Him to prepare our heart for
Confession. He will at the same time fill
it with such love and sorrow that we will

make a more firm purpose never to of-

26



fend God again. He will help us to see

the occasions of our faults, that we may

avoid them in the future. Let us have

great confidence in His divine light. Be-

fore our classes, or when studying our

lessons, let us ask Him to help us to see
and understand them better. Nothing

delights Him more than to have us ask
for His help, and trust Him to give it.

LIVING SPIRIT or FOUNTAIN

The Holy Spirit is often called ‘‘The

Fountain of Living Water.” Water typi-

fies His action in our heart; for it puri-

fies, refreshes, and makes things grow.

Without it, everything withers and dies.

The Holy Ghost purifies our heart

from even the greatest sins by washing

it in Jesus’ Precious Blood in the Sacra-

ment of Penance, thus restoring to it

its lost beauty. If He did not fill our
heart with sorrow, and help us to make

a firm purpose of amendment, we should
not have our souls purified in this sacra-

ment, for we must have worthy disposi-
tions.

He refreshes us when we are tired, by
giving us consolation and new courage.
We all know how happy we feel when
we have tried hard to do the right thing,
or to make some sacrifice for God. It is
the Holy Spirit who gives us this sweet
joy, for He is the Joy of the Father and
the Son.

27



Just as water makes the grass and flow-

ers grow in the soil, so does the Holy

Spirit make virtues grow in our heart.

DOVE

At the Baptism of Jesus, the Holy

Spirit appeared as a dove. It is the em-

blem of purity, peacefulness, and gentle-

ness,—all of which are the special attri-

butes of the Holy Ghost. The purer our

heart is, the greater delight we give Him.
The more gentle we are, the more we
shall be like Him. He is the Spirit of
Peace,—no matter how sorry He makes
us feel for our sins. He always keeps us
peaceful; it is the devil who makes us
fearful, afraid of God, troubled, and

anxious.

DIVINE PERSONALITY OF THE

HOLY SPIRIT

Since we are trying to know more
about the Holy Ghost in order to love

Him better, let us see in what ways He
is like Jesus.

1. He is gentle like Jesus,—He never
forces us to do anything, but urges us

ever so gently.

2. He is patient like Jesus,—He knows
how weak and forgetful we are, and
therefore He calls us again and again to

28



obey Him. He never wearies of trying

to call us back to Him, when we have

strayed from His love.

3. He is sensitive like Jesus,—He
grieves to be left alone and forgotten.

How many people never think of His
presence in their hearts, never speak to

Him or tell Him of their love, never
thank Him, nor ask His help ! How many
too, insult Him, slight Him, and offend

Him! Let us. His own dear children, do

all that we can to console Him for this
neglect. Let us often tell Him of our
love, and thank Him for His gifts, and
for remaining with us as our Guest.

Above all, let us never grieve Him by
the least deliberate venial sin.

4. He is generous like Jesus,—how
many graces He gives us, how many
mere He v/ould give us, if we would
only let Him. But we are afraid to do
too much, afraid to forget ourselves, to

deny ourselves; so we refuse many of
the gifts of grace which He would give
us so gladly, if we were only mofe
generous too, and more unselfish.

5. He is humble like Jesus,—we know
that this was Jesus’ favorite virtue. The

Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts is hid-

den. Humble people please Him most,
for they realize that they are too weak

to practise virtue by themselves, and

they therefore always ask for His help.

6. He is a lover of children as Jesus
is. It is truth and sincerity and open-

29



heartedness that make children so dear

to Him, for He is the Spirit of Truth.
Let us then try to be as we were when
very small, when we did not know what
it meant to tell a lie, or to deceive any-

one. Let us ask Him to let us be brave
enough always to tell the truth, no mat-

ter what it costs us to do so.

7. He is faithful like Jesus; therefore
He appreciates the smallest things that
we do for Him. He pays more attention
to little things than we do, and for the
very least sacrifices that we make for
His love. He gives us an abundance of
joy and merit.

LITTLE WAYS THAT WE MAY

SHOW OUR LOVE FOR THE

HOLY SPIRIT

Just as we like to gather flowers for

Jesus whom we love, and are even more
happy when we ourselves are permitted

to place them on His altar; so too may
we gather flowers to bring to our Divine

Guest in our heart, and there decorate

His temple. The flowers that we can
bring will be more dear to Him than the
most beautiful ones that grow in any

garden, for they will be the little sacri-

fices that we make for His sake, the little
things that we find hard to do, but which

we make ourselves do just for love of
Him. Every little act done during the

30



day, no matter how small and unim-

portant it is,—our study, our obedience,
our silence, our work, our little heart-

aches, our little acts of kindness,—all if
done or suffered for love of God, will

be fragrant blossoms to give Him when
night comes. Let us bring Him a bou-
quet of these precious flowers each day,

and laying them before Him, beg Him
to make us love Him more and more.

Let us try to console Him for all the
insults that He receives from so many
who drive Him out of their hearts by
committing mortal sin, or who never

think of Him nor of all that He does
for them.

Let us say His Name in our prayers
with greater reverence.

Since Monday is His day, let us try
to do more for Him then. Can we not
give Him little surprises by gladly mak-
ing some little sacrifice, by keeping

silence in the classroom better, by doing

some kind act for our neighbor at home
or at school?

We can draw others to love Him more
by telling them of His wonderful gifts,
by encouraging them to ask for His help.
When we see our companions having a
hard time to learn their lessons, let us

suggest to them to call on the Holy
Spirit, for He is the most wonderful
Teacher.

By thus loving and worshipping the
Holy Ghost we will greatly please Jesus

31



and our Eternal Father, whose dearest

wish is that the Holy Spirit be greatly

loved and honored.

By being devoted to Him, we shall
find it easy to pray; we shall like to go
to Holy Mass, and to visit Jesus in the

Blessed Sacrament every time that we
can. He will teach us how to pray. He
will fill our heart with the same wonder-

ful joy that He gave to the Apostles,
and He will make it also easy for us to
be good.

Above all. He will lead us to Jesus,
teach us to know Him better, help us to
imitate Him, and make us love Him more
and more.

Therefore, let us try to make others

know and love the Holy Spirit better,

by being ourselves His loving, grateful

children.

“O Holy Spirit, sweet Guest of my
soul, remain with me, and grant that

I may ever remain with Thee.”

(300 days each time. Pope

Benedict XV.)

Our Lady of Light, Spouse of the

Holy Ghost, pray for us.

St. Joseph, faithful lover of the

Holy Spirit, intercede for us.

32



OFFERING TO THE HOLY GHOST

On my knees, before the multitude of
heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul

and body, to Thee, Eternal Spirit of

God ! I adore Thee, great God, and

acknowledge Thy dominion over me.

Thou art the light and the strength

of my soul. In Thee I live and move
and have my being. I desire never to
grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace,

and I pray with all my heart to be kept
from the smallest sin against Thee. Make

me faithful in every thought, and grant
that I may always listen to Thy voice,
watch for Thy light, and follow Thy
gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee,

and give myself to Thee, and ask Thee,

by Thy compassion to watch over me
in my weakness. Holding the pierced
Feet of Jesus, and looking at His five

Wounds, trusting in His Precious Blood,

and adoring His Sacred Heart, lacerated

for love of me, I implore Thee, Holy

Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to
keep me in Thy grace that I may never
sin against Thee with the sin which

Thou canst not forgive. Give me grace,
O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and
the Son, to say to Thee, always and

everywhere, “Speak, Lord, for Thy serv-
ant heareth.”

33



PRAYER FOR THE GIFTS OF

THE HOLY GHOST

O God, who givest Thy gifts to whom
Thou wilt and as Thou wilt, illumine

with Thy light the darkness of Thy
faithful servants.

Descend upon us. Spirit of Wisdom,

teach us to know true happiness and the
means to obtain it.

Descend upon us, O Spirit of Intelli-
gence, and so penetrate us that we may
understand all the mysteries of our holy

religion.

Descend upon us. Spirit of Counsel,

make us understand what we must do
to accomplish Thy divine Will.

Descend upon us. Spirit of Fortitude,

and so attach us to God and our duties

that His Divine law may be the rule of
our life.

Descend upon us. Spirit of Knowl-

edge, Thou alone canst aid us to know

God and ourselves.

Descend upon us. Spirit of Piety, and

make us accomplish with meekness and

joy all that is pleasing to God.

Descend upon us, O Spirit of the Fear
of the Lord, and aid us to avoid with

34



faithful care, all that displeases our

Heavenly Father.

Glory to the Father Eternal, to the

Son, and to the Holy Ghost, who livest

and reignest ever, world without end.

Amen.

Bless us, O Lord, with Thy most pre-
cious benedictions, that Thy Holy Spirit

may direct, animate, and sanctify our

whole lives.

PRAYER FOR THE TWELVE

FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST

Heavenly Spirit, make us persevere in

the service of God, and enable us to act

on all occasions v/ith goodness, and

benignity, patience, charity and joy,

longanimity, mildness and fidelity. Let

the heavenly virtues of peace, modesty,

continency and chastity adorn the tem-

ples Thou hast chosen for Thy abode.
O Spirit of Holiness by Thy all-power-
ful grace preserve us from the misfor-

tune of sin. Amen.

TO OUR LADY OF LIGHT

Our Lady of Light, Spouse of the Holy

Ghost,

I give thee my whole self, soul and body.
All that I have or may have, to keep for
Jesus, that I may be His for evermore.

35



Adapted principally from the follow-

ing books: “Doctrinal Notes** by Rev-

erend F, W. Faber; “The Gift of Pen-

tecost,** by Reverend M, Meschler, SJ.;

“God Within Us,** by Reverend R, Plus,

S.J.; “Spiritual Doctrine,** by Rever-

end L. Lallemant, S. /.; “The Teach-

ings of the Holy Catholic Church,** by

the Most Reverend S, B, Smith, D. D.

36