The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-13
but above all these things


because God first hath loved us
q. John ", 19).
The devil approaching soul would
lower it's will to that degree as to hate
God and ones neighbor, even as the
devil hates in like manner. Give
not place to the devil" writes st.
Paul. If any soul admits the devil
to have power and influence over him,
at one time suddenly, at another time
gently-by degrees - then, oftener
than not, that soul becomes of a
cruel disposition, unkind, proud, and
imperial to a degree. Thus does the
devil turn aside soul from the mar
row, path which leads to everlasting
life, and urges it on by means Of its
unrestrained passions along the broad
road which leads the reprobate to hell.
Do, therefore, but take to heart, and
try and learn what this means. Be We
filled with the Holy Ghost, and you
will indeed give not place to the
devil"
The Holy Ghost is Charity Itself,
for the infinite love of God the Father
and God the Son is the Divine Person
of the Holy Ghost; as long, therefore,
as our hearts are filled with the Holy
Ghost, so long are we enabled to love
God, and thus return Him love for love,
and this in a way, and the only way,
in which we can love Him in man
ner worthy of God.
The more we are influenced and
guided, and possessed of Gods Holy
Spirit of Divine Love, the more in
famed shall we be with the fire. of
that love which Jesus Christ came to
cast on the earth of mans heart.
The more closely united we become
with the Holy Ghost, the more init
mately shall we be drawn into union
with our Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ, His only begotten Son.
The devil, through his hatred against
God, is constantly endeavoring to fill
the heart of man with a like hatred
against God, so that man may become
eternally separated from his first be-
ginning, Who is also his last end, God
Himself. For this reason, the devil
endeavors to fill the imagination with
thoughts and memories of past dis
appointments, refusals, inconven-
fences, and pains, magnifying them to
that degree that the will is inclined
to hate those who have caused such
pains, and it seeks to take revenge.
Hence the resentment, bitter feeling,
rash judgment, unreasonable fits of
anger, wraths, quarrels, divisions,
sects, drunkenness, impurities, sui
cides, murders, in truth, regular
swarm of internally inspired tempta-
tons arise, which, each in their turn,
seek to darken the mind, and weaken
the will so that unless the grace of
God is at hand one or other, perhaps
several of these various temptations
arc consented to, and the soul no long
er gives hospitality to the Holy Spirit
of God, Divine Charity, but rather
gives place, and the whole place, to it's
bitter enemy, the devil
The Holy Ghost enables the soul in
it's time of trial here upon earth, to be
not only brave and courageous in the
fortitude and strength of the Lord,
but He also assists the soul by His
graces of prudence and of justice, and
of temperance, SO that the soul may
always be upon it's guard, and pru-
IDENTIFY act en- all occasions-may al
ways be just towards God, his neigh
Dor and towards his own self, so that
in the soberness of his temperance, he
may be always on the watch and fear
less, even though legion of devils as
sail him.
The devil seeks to make man
coward in the practice of his holy
faith, rash in his dealings with others,
as well as unjust; as often as he can
he induces man to abuse the gifts of
God, those of nature as well as of
grace; SO that man may not, in the
day of trial, succeed in saving his soul
through corresponding with the pow
ers of the Holy Ghost, but on the con-
trary, may damn his own soul in COM
| pany with the devil and his fallen
companions.
One must be your Master and Lord
the Holy Ghost or the devil. You can
not serve two masters.
We are obliged to love God; this we
cannot do as we ought without the
grace of the Holy Ghost. How foolish
it would be, therefore, to turn away
and to neglect to serve, honor, love
and obey, the Holy Spirit, all Love,
Mercy, Goodness, Beauty, Truth,
Sweetness.
The wages of sin is death, but the
grace of God is life everlasting. To
insure. to yourself the grace of God,
be devoted to the giver of all grace
and have henceforth true and livelong
devotion to the Holy Ghost.