The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-15
THE HOLY GHOST.



confused at such a question, they had
to acknowledge that they had not even
heard whether there was Holy
Ghost, 1t is difficult to conceive Cath
ohcs at the present day wholly ignors
ant of the existence of this Divine
Spirit, but their knowledge is often
confused and sometimes inaccurate.
Let us therefore see, first, what the
Holy Ghost is in Himself, and sec
ondly what the Holy Ghost is in re-.
spect to our souls.
The Catechism tells us that the
Holy Ghost is God, the Third Person
of the Blessed Trinity, consubstantial
with the Father and the Son. These
three Divine Persons constitute one
God, and all acts Of Omuipotence are
the acts of that one God. Neverthe-
less, III our imperfect way of thinking
about God and His attributes, we usu-
ally assign distinct Offices to each of
the three Divine Persons. Thus we
generally consider God the Father as
Creator, God the Son as Redeemer,
and God the Holy Ghost as the Sane
tller OF our souls.
For us the Holy Ghost is a Spirit
of Truth, because He teaches all Truth
by replenishing our souls with His Di-
vine dght; q Spirit Of Holiness be-
Cause He destroys all that is impure
and carnal in our hearts; and Spirit
OF Fortitude, because He fills Our souls
with oDJ ro1rouo
Firstly, then, the Holy Ghost is a
Spirit of Truth, According to ST Au-
gustine, God alone can teach us all
truth, for there are some things which
flesh and blood reveal not, things from
which our nature reCoils; humiliating,
nortisying, inconvenient truths. The
spirit of the world considers it folly
20 deny ourselves and carry our cross,
TO mortify our passions, to love our
enemies and pardon injuries; it SCOTS
at religious poverty and love of perse-
cutiOns. Yet all these are things the
true knowledge of which comes only
from the Spirit OF God Take, for in
stance, the case of the Apostles. For
three years they were in close contact
with our Saviour and heard His heay-
emily doctrine from His own Divine
lips. Yet in spite of all this they we're
filled with the spirit of the world;
they were Disguised at Christ's humil-
ity and scandalized at His cross. On
one occasion when Our Lord adj
dressed a discourse to them on the
necessity of sufferiugs, the advantage
OF poverty, the happiness of persecu-
tions, etc, the" Scffbtufe tells u.s.
They understood nothing of these
things, and this saying was hidden
from them" But when they received
the gift of Pentecost their eyes were
opened, and then they understood
what before appeared so contradic-
tory and incredible. The riches of
, this earth were no longer accounted
q good, whereas they considered it
u beatitude to be poor in all things,
like their Divine Master. They no
longer considered prosecutions an
evil, but were rather filled with JOY to
have been deemed worthy of suffering
something for Christ's sake.
AS we'll as being a Spirit of Truth,
the Holy Ghost is also a Spirit of
Holiness. Before the descent of the
Holy Ghost on the Apostles, they were
still weak ambitious, jealous,
selfish; but no sooner had they re-
ceiVed the Divine Spirit than they be-
came Immediately disengaged from
everything worldly. Not only did they
become holy, but they were trans
formed into men of the highest sane
tity, men wholly absorbed in God and
regardless of themselves.
The Church. teaches us that by the
Sacraments of the New Law we can
all receive the grace of the Holy
Ghost. By virtue of the promises of
our Saviour, the same Holy Spirit that
descended visibly on the Apostles still
descends on us with the same effects
of conversion and sanctification, when
He finds our souls duly prepared I'm
fortunately we place obstacles in the
way aud thus deprive our souls of this
precious gift To say nothing of hab-
itual mortal sim many habitually COM
nit deliberate venial sins and thereby
partially close the doors of their heart
to all holy inspirations. The spirit of
the world and the love of sensuality
most of all prevent this Spirit Of Holt
ness from coming into souls. So long
as men live carnal lives, they have
within them the greatest hindrance to
receiving the graces of the Holy
Ghost.
Lastly, the Holy Ghost is a Spirit
of Fortitude, because He fills our souls
with courage and strength to sur
mount all difficulties and temptations.
Scarce were the Apostles filed with
the Holy Ghost than they began to
preach Christ and Christ crucified,
with fearlessness that astonished;
the world Prosecutions, crosses,
death itself we're to them trifes when
compared with preaching the doc
trincs of the cross. Poor fishermen as
they were, destitute of education
they proposed to reform mankind
with no arms except the Spirit OF
Truth, of Holiness, and of Fortitude,
which they received at Pentecost
And yet they conquered the world
The most barbarous, the most refined,
kings and subjects, rich and poor, sub
mitted to them and were themselves
infused with this Holy Spirit In us
this Spirit of Fortitude should mani
fest Itself by love, fervor and cour.
age. At times we may have to confess