Magnificat Vol. LVI, No 5 117 divine balm mingled with poison, the light of the Holy Spirit with the darkness of the world. What relation can there be between truth and falsehood, between the fire of charity and the ice of worldly affections? No, no, the more carnal man becomes, the farther the spirit of God departs from him. This is why Christianity is drifting so far away from men and nations today! bring fromHeaven: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, all the graces we so urgently need. Da virtutis meritum, da salutis exitum, da perenne gaudium. Adorn our souls with solid Christian virtues, which alone are meritorious in Thy sight; lead us to the happy term of salvation, to that glory, that joy, those delights which will never end. Amen. So be it. Amen.7 Provisions for Pentecost 7Let us conclude with a reflection useful in regulating our conduct. The two essential means for drawing Him into our heart are an ardent desire to receive the Holy Spirit, and above all a disengagement from all inordinate affection for creatures. See how far the jealousy of the Divine Spirit can go! Certainly there could be no sensible attachment more legitimate or holy than that of the disciples for the bodily presence of their Divine Master. Yet this attachment had to be banished in some degree from their souls so that the Holy Spirit could come and take possession of them and fill them up. The Saviour had said to them, “If I do not leave you, the Paraclete will not come to you.”8 If, then, it is certain that the Apostles’ excessive attachment to the sensible presence of the humanity of Our Lord was an obstacle to the descent of the Holy Spirit into them, who would be so presumptuous as to flatter himself with the prospect that he will receive the visit from the Divine Paraclete as long as he remains a slave to his body? It would be a strange error to think that this heavenly sweetness can be combined with the pleasures of the senses, this 7. Catéchisme de Couturier, Vol. I – It is generally believed that Pope Innocent III (+1216), is the author of this prose. Others regard it as the work of Bl. Hermann Contract, a monk of Mezrow (+1054). 8. St. John 16:8. Prayer O my God, who art all love, I thank Thee for sending the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and through them upon all the earth. Never permit me to grieve the Divine Spirit. I am resolved to love God above all things, and my neighbor as myself for the love of God; and as a testimony of this love, I will be greatly afraid of resisting the inspirations of grace. Source: Msgr. Jean-Joseph Gaume, The Catechism of Perseverance (M. H. Gill & Son: Dublin, 1884), Vol. IV, pp. 432-442.
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