The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-05-22
just Among Ourselves
PsssIns Comment considsrad or tneensidsrats

The great Feast of Pentecost is sometimes called
The Birthday OF the Church Perhaps il would be
more accurate TO say that this day the Church
came suddenly to her maturity. AT all events on the
first Pentecost the Church emerged into the world
full formed, tremendous Fact and with divinely
impaired power Immediately she began, under
guidance and impulse of the Holy Ghost to trans
form the face of the earth.
The sound of the sudden wind coming" was no
more sudden than the complete transformation of
the timid Apostles and disciples into men of un-
flnching courage and fearless determination From
the time Our Lord had ascended they had been
gathered in prayer, and atso-ss had been their
custom now since the day of the resurrection
they in hiding.
But when the Holy Ghost came upon them, they
we're completely changed men. Not that their days
OF obedient waiting in prayer had been in vain.
Far from that. Those days we're their preparation
for this coming of the Divine Spirit They were
tlmd and weak men, but they had done their part
according to the Lords instructions. They could do
nothing whatever to give themselves strength but
they could al least be ready to receive it,
And strength to them, and light They
received the Holy Ghost The Third Person of the
Blessed Trinity took up His abode in them in spe-
cla manner, and infused His gifts into their souls.
With understanding and knowledge they recalled
all that Our Lord had taught them, and the many
things which He had TO tell them, but which they
could not bear before this heavenly Visitation.
They contemplated Wisdom; loving Piety filled their
hearts Counsel directed their proceedings. And with
that Fear of the Lord which cannot endure the
thought of offending God leaving His will unac-
complished, they went instantly forth TO perform
their Mission all dangers counted nothing in the
face Of their flaming Fortitude
The Holy Ghost was sent upon the Apostles. 1t
may strange to hear the word sent" in ref
erence to a Divine Person For the Three Persons
of the Holy Trinity one and the same God and,
while they really distinct Persons, they are
eternally equal. How is it then that the Holy Ghost
is "Sent?" And how came Our Lord 10 say that He
Himself had been sent when He gave His Apostles
ther Mission, saying "As the Father hath sent Me,
! also send you?"
ST. Thomas Aquinas tells us that the mission"
sending of God the Son and God the Holy
Ghost has no implication of command order
advice. A Divine Person is said TO be sent
when lie becomes present IN new way in place
in a human soul God the Father. Son, and Holy
Ghost is everywhere, always. But God the Son be
present in the world IA nep iodg when He
became man And God the Holy Ghost becomes pres
ent tn n Heie irdg In soul when He bestows His
gifts and fruits there, coming by way of sanctifying
grace Thus is God the Son sent into the world; thus
is God the Holy Ghost sent into human souls
And the sending or mission of the Divine Persons
follows what may call the plan of the Blessed
Trinity Itself For the son is eternally begotten
of the Father and the Father and the Son Spirdte
the Holy Ghost Who eternaliy proceeds from Father
and Son, the Son is sent by the Father and
the Holy Ghost is sent by the Father and Son.
The Father is moi sent All three Divine Persons
side in the soul that is in the state of grace, and in
a special way not Just in the way IN which God Is
everywhere. The Son and the Holy Ghost there
40 but
The Holy Ghost is Himself called the Gift. And
as St Augustine says, "Many gifts come to the soul
with the Gift which is the Holy Ghost" We receive
the Holy Ghost sent into souls by every agency
of grace by every Sacrament worthily received
by each increase of sanctifyng grace. And, in
particular way, we receive the Pentecostal Gifts
and their fruits when receive the great Sacra
ment of Confirmation
When we are confirmed receive the Holy
Ghost as truly as the Apostles did Pentecost day
True. the sending of the Holy Ghost to us is not
done in visible manner as ii was in the case OF
The Apostles. We hear no rushing wind; see no
tongues of fire the living flame does not visibly sit
upon each of us But the sending is just true
in either case.
People may say that after all even though the
Gift comes TO as truly to the Apostles We are
not 10 do the work the Apostles did. Yet
this Is not quite true. Ii we consider what the
Apostles did, and not what miraculous effects came
visbly from their doing we shall find that we too
have the full mission of the Apostles, For what they
did was TO give accord TO the working of the Holy
Ghost within them. What they did was to give active
cooperation TO God. and to let themselves be the
instruments of His operations For II is not we who
do things for God was il the Apostles mere
human beings IT is God that worketh in us both
TO will and to accomplish
And therefore We are expected, fully as the
Apostles were expected, TO keep ourselves fit and
clean channels for the wonderful graces of God,
and instruments for the accomplishment of whatever
works He chooses TO perform through us. II is not
likely that any one of us will do the one-mllonth
part of what any of the Apostles did, considering
the works actually performed But each of us
may be and should be by the Gift we have received
as fully apt and fitted to Gods will in place and
vocation. as the Apostles were III their place and
vocation.
II VIC strive TO make ourselves holy, shall be
keeping clean the channels and keeping fit and
ready the instruments, by which God will accomplish
His works among mankind Yet not lfeless
instruments not merely mechanical channels. We
have TO be alert interested, active IN knowing,