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The Gifts & Fruits of the Spirit |
BY JOHN CASSIDY |
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God the Holy Spirit is always at work prompting us and leading us to greater purity, greater love, and greater holiness through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit so that souls should be made fully attentive, alert, and heedful to the Spirit's urgings. In receiving the Gifts, we are brought into a deeper conformity to Christ. The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit enable us to live a holy Christian life. The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit grow in our souls with our practice of Virtue to enhance and refine the natural powers that our souls possess.
God wants nothing more than to share his own life with us. The Lord wants to make us, as Scripture says, “sharers in the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4). As creatures, however, and sinful ones at that, we need to be prepared and elevated by God before we can be perfectly united with him. In a word, we must be changed.
Part of our transformation into the people God wants us to be happens because his grace makes us virtuous. [Read the entire article...] |
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CARMELITE SAINTS IN MAY |
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The Catholic Church considers the seeking of holiness to be one of the works of faith.
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Angelus (circa 1226) was one of the first friars to come to Sicily from Mount Carmel.
Aloysius (circa 1490) was born in Erice near Trapani in Sicily about the middle of the fifteenth century.
Blessed George (1880-1962) was born in Valletta, the capital of the Mediterranean island of Malta.
Simon Stock (circa 1265), an Englishman, founder (along with St. Albert) of the Order.
Joachina was born in Barcelona in 1783.
Mary Magdalen de Pazzi was born in Florence in 1566.
Read short biographies of each of these Carmelite saints in the current issue.
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This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of
the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down
from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree,
another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another,
but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills.
Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of
receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of his action, by the will of God and in the name of
Christ, are both many and marvelous.
The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils,
enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one person’s self-control, shows another how to help
the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the need of the body, trains another
for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person,
Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good. The Spirit comes gently and makes
himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge
stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to
heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who
receives him, and then, through him, the minds of others as well.
As light strikes the eyes of aman who comes out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he
could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the one counted worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him
to see things beyond the range of human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.
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Novena of the Holy Spirit |
BY ST. BENEDICTA
OF THE CROSS
(Edith Stein) |
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Edith Stein (Oct. 12, 1891-Aug. 9, 1942) was a German philosopher, a Carmelite nun, martyr, and saint of the Catholic Church, who died at Auschwitz.
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Who are you, sweet light, that fills me
And illumines the darkness of my heart?
You lead me like a mother's hand,
And should you let go of me,
I would not know how to take another step.
You are the space that embraces my being
and buries it in yourself.
Away from you it sinks into the abyss
Of nothingness, from which you raised it to the light.
You, nearer to me than I to myself
And more interior than my most interior
And still impalpable and intangible
And beyond any name:
Holy Spirit eternal love!
[Read the entire novena...]
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COMMUNITY MEETINGS
for the next few months |
June 22
July 20
August 15-17
(3-day retreat)
September 21
October 19
November 16
December 21
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Questions
from the stream
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PRAYER REQUESTS
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In your daily prayers, please pray for...
The Holy Father’s Intentions
for June
General: That Christians may cultivate a deepand personal friendship with Christ sothey are able to communicate thestrength of His love to those they en-counter.
Mission: That the International EucharisticCongress in Quebec, Canada, maylead to ever deeper understanding ofthe Eucharist, the heart of the Churchand source of evangelization.
Our Community’s Intentions
- ...for Frank & Nona Dagostino. For Nona’s health to be restored & for all their needs
- ...for the souls in Purgatory
- ...for Christian Unity
- ...for an end to abortion
- ...for all marriages
- ...for peace in the Middle East
- ...for an end to all terrorism
- ...for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious
- ...for the repose of the soule of John, John & Marilyn C.’s son.
- ...for Nona F. and her loved ones.—Ting F.
- ...for Teri to be healed in body and soul. —Pattie S.
- ...for Paul in Northern Ireland, that he will be accepted into the seminary. —Paul M.
- ...for my wife and I in your daily prayers for the long term.
- ...for God's healing, peace, hope and love in our broken hearts, health and lives.—Bill & Carol G.
- ...for healing of the relationship between Tiffany, James and Ethan. —Tiffany T
- ...for my marriage and for a change of my husband's heart to a kind and loving man. Let him limit drinking alcohol and smoking. Also for my father with his need with regards to hiswork place. —Niluka D
- ...for my mother asking Jesus to touch and heal her and restore her body to wholeness. —Irma C.
- ...for my oldest child who has left the Catholic Faith for paganism.
- ...for Samantha to be guided by the Holy Spirit
- ...all those who have requested our prayers.
Send us your prayer requests....
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