One of the essential dimensions of cultivating the social virtues is the capacity to both greet and welcome individuals as well as groups. Most would agree that the first impression we receive from another has a profound impact for good or for bad.

On the negative side, when somebody ignores us, overlooks us, snubs us, or even glares at us ending with a sarcastic and derisive smile, it truly cuts to the heart and can leave an indelible wound. Expecting a warm greeting and receiving quite the contrary, totally ignored, can result in anger, resentment and even a desire for revenge in the depths of our heart.

Therefore, as authentic followers of Christ, why not make a concerted effort on our part to improve and to upgrade our greetings and welcoming attitudes? Even in the realm of apostolic efficacy, a warm greeting can open a closed heart to the following of Christ; a snub and cold stare, can shut the door to Christ.

This may catch many of us by surprise or even shock us but there are many Biblical passages that deal directly with both greeting and welcoming others. Let’s contemplate a few.

1. THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL AND MARY. (Lk. 1:26-38)  Of all of the greetings in the History of the world, the Archangel Gabriel’s greeting to the Blessed Virgin Mary would be the most prominent. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….” This greeting would culminate in Mary’s consent to conceiving the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in her most pure womb. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (Jn. 1) In fact, every time we pray the Hail Mary, we renew this Angelic salutation. For that reason, the technical name for the Hail Mary is actually “The Angelic salutation”.

2. THE VISITATION. (Lk. 1:39-45)  As a rapid sequel to the Archangel’s greeting in the Annunciation to Mary is Our Lady’s quick response, moving in haste to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth who is with child. Upon arriving Mary greets Elizabeth, most likely with the Hebrew manner of greeting: SHALOM—PEACE BE WITH YOU!  Saint Elizabeth responds: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? At the sound of your greeting the baby in my womb leapt for joy. Blessed are you for your firm belief that the word of the Lord would be accomplished in you.”

3. ZACCHAEUS, THE CHIEF TAX-COLLECTOR OF JERICHO. (Lk. 19:1-1)  In the case of this short tax-collector, who was ready and willing to climb a tree to at least view Jesus, we witness another greeting and welcome. Almost always Jesus was formally greeted and welcomed into homes. In this case, Jesus actually invites Himself into the home of Zacchaeus; and the little man joyfully welcomes Jesus. Overflowing with joy, Jesus responds: “Today salvation has arrived at this home.”  How often has Jesus knocked on the door of our hearts seeking entrance? How often have we failed to open the door?

4. SAINT MATTHEW. (Mt 9:9-13) Jesus approaches the tax-collectors post—where Saint Matthew is seated—and peering into the eyes and penetrating the depths of the soul of the Publican says two words: FOLLOW ME! Without a moment of hesitation, Matthew accepts the invitation and leaves all that he has to follow the Master. That very night Matthew prepares a banquet for Jesus inviting many of his friends, tax collectors, women and friends so that they can meet the Lord. Saint Matthew greets Jesus and welcomes Him into his home with overflowing joy.

5. BETHANY: MARY AND MARTHA AND LAZARUS. (Lk. 10:38-42) Among the most dear friends of Jesus during the three years of His Public Ministry was the family of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. Living close to Jerusalem in the town Bethany, they would invite Jesus, welcome Jesus to be their guest. Polar opposites in temperament, Martha and Mary served Jesus each in their own unique manner. Busy and active to the very core, Martha practiced the minute details of hospitality. Quiet, more reserved and contemplative by nature, Mary loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him, speak to Him and simply be present to Jesus as a friend.

The above are five classical examples of Biblical personalities and their attitude of both greeting and welcoming. We might even call these Biblical figures in these words: THE SHALOM COMMITTEE! (PEACE BE WITH YOU—SHALOM!)

Let us step back and examine our own lives, the people we meet and the opportunities that God presents to us to exercise the Apostolate of Shalom, the greeting and welcoming Club!

1. FAMILY MEMBERS.  If you are a homemaker, as well as wife and Mother, you most likely have the Golden-opportunity every day to both greet and welcome family members. Welcoming your husband with a hug, a smile and a refreshing drink can turn his long and tiring day into an oasis of peace. Also, receiving and welcoming your children with a joyful smile, milk and cookies, and words of encouragement can make a world of difference from the tough, aggressive and cold external social milieu.

2. GREETING FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES. A simple question for your examination? Upon seeing a friend or acquaintance approach, do you wait for them to greet you, or do you make an effort to take the initiative to greet first? By taking the initiative, in a certain sense, there is real virtue practiced in this assertive approach. Humility, courtesy, and even charity emanates from the first to greet! Who knows, maybe you can even win a friend by taking the initiative in greeting first and with a winsome smile!

3. GREETING THE HOME-BOUND, THE SICK AND THE LONELY.  One of the most pleasing gestures that we can do, so pleasing to God, is to go out of our way to visit those who are sick, abandoned, the lonely, and the depressed.  A greeting, a smile, a kind word, a holy card, a hug or embrace can pull the lonely and those dwelling in the valley of tears into the light of God’s joy and happiness. Jesus will reward us: “Whatever we do to the least of our brothers/sisters, we do to Christ.” (Mt. 25:40)

4. GREETING JESUS IN THE CHURCH.  Another noteworthy greeting is towards Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the context of the Church. This can be done in two ways: Eucharistic visits and Eucharistic receptions! One of the first short poems that I learned as a child was the following:  “Whenever I see a Church I stop to make a visit, so when I die the Lord will not say: who is it?” Upon entering the Catholic Church we should immediately draw close to the Tabernacle, the Home of Jesus in the Church, and greet Him. First, we make a genuflection towards the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. Then we greet Him and welcome Him by opening up our hearts to Him in fervent prayer. Then of even greater importance, participate fully, actively and consciously in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The culminating moment is to greet Jesus and to warmly welcome Him into the very depths of your heart in Holy Communion. This Eucharistic greeting and welcome is by far the most important in this world. May we strive to improve and upgrade our Eucharistic greetings and welcome!

5. HEAVENLY WELCOME COMMITTEE.  Now, as a conclusion, if during the short course of our earthly existence we have sincerely striven to be kind, warm, and attentive, a greeting and welcoming person towards our family, neighbors, the sick and even strangers, and most important to Our Eucharistic Lord, then one day we will have our own welcoming committee. Jesus, surrounded by the angels and the saints and His Heavenly Mother, will welcome us into the halls and eternal banquet of Heaven!

One of the best analogies given in years past describing the Presence, Power and Perfection of the Holy Spirit is a SAILBOAT. This was before electricity, motor-driven vehicles, or the electronic world. The sailboat is an analogy used in the Middle Ages or earlier.

THE SAILBOAT AND OTHER MEANS OF WATER-TRANSPORTATION.  Imagine that you wanted to cross a lake and the distance was five miles. Ruminating upon the various options, these surfaced in your mind. Swimming? You would have to be in top shape, with great stamina, knowing how to swim against the current. A canoe? Maybe more likely than swimming! A rowboat with two rowing? More manpower and direction.  Finally, the following occurs to you. A massive Sailboat with an excellent captain and crew, but most important: seven strong, robust sails. Bingo! Of all the options, the sailboat wins the prize. However, the key to maneuvering the massive ship to shore would be detecting and discerning where and when the wind was blowing. Then the Captain would have to raise the sails to catch the wind, of course with the strength and ability of the crew men.

SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE ANALOGY OF THE SAILBOAT. 

The Fathers of the Church offer us a symbolic interpretation of the Sailboat and Sails related to the working of the Holy Spirit and His Seven Gifts. Here we go! The Sailboat is our soul. The shore is eternal life to which we all aspire and yearn! The uncertain and sometimes rough waters symbolize our struggles with the world, the flesh, and the devil that we must conquer with the help of God’s grace.

Now the Seven Sails are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. Unless these sails are raised in the right time and place, they are practically useless. The wind is the Breath of God, a term to define the Holy Spirit. The Captain of the Sailboat might be considered our will that must be directed toward the Will of the Heavenly Father. The other crew men are our spiritual friends on earth, as well as our friends in Heaven—we call them the saints. 

The analogy explained, now let us strive to the best of our ability and the help of God’s grace, and the workings of the Holy Spirit, to understand the seven sails—the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The nature of God is goodness and generous giving to all of His creatures, especially man and woman. Among the many Gifts bestowed upon us from God are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These Gifts God generously gives to those who want to receive them as a powerful means to arrive at the goal and purpose of our existence—Our Heavenly Home. God gives generously of Himself, but He respects our freedom. We must willingly and with docility open our hearts to these wonderful Gifts.

WHERE AND WHEN?  Many have believed and maintain that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit enter the soul upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Not so! How easy it is for us to underestimate the important and abundant Gifts God bestows upon us at our Baptism. Not only does Baptism transform us into sons/daughters of God, brothers/sisters of Jesus, intimate friends of the Holy Spirit, and temples of the Blessed Trinity, there is still more. At the moment of Baptism God gives us with utmost generosity the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Of course this does not diminish the importance and efficacy of the Sacrament of Confirmation that fortifies and enlivens the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES: STRENGTHEN YOUR SPIRITUAL MUSCLES.  As in the physical realm where the body and its muscles must be exercised to be strong and not become flabby; so it is in the spiritual realm. The spiritual muscles—which include the Gifts of the Holy Spirit—must be exercised to maintain spiritual fitness. How true the saying of the young generation: “If you don’t use it, you lose it!”

GETTING TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Having explained the origin and reception of these Seven Gifts, we will now proceed to explain succinctly these seven heavenly Gifts that originate from the loving goodness of God the Father, the Giver of all good gifts. Once again, let us give the list: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. The first three —Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding perfect the intellect; Counsel serves as a bridge between the intellect and will; the last three—Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord work on elevating and purifying the will. Let us start with the most important or the greatest, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor—the Gift of Wisdom.

1. GIFT OF WISDOM.  A concise and pithy definition of Wisdom follows as such:  “Wisdom is the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which we interiorly relish all the things that pertain to God.” Saint Thomas Aquinas specifies this Gift as perfecting the theological virtue of Charity. The opposite vice opposing Wisdom would be that of folly or foolishness. One of the best Parables exemplifying folly is the Parable of the Rich Fool. He places a premium on gathering, collecting and hoarding possessions for his future ease, pleasure and comfort. The “live it up”… “It’s Miller time” mentality. Jesus calls this man a fool because that very night his life will be brought to a screeching halt. Where will all his possessions go? To the birds or to the Government in today’s world!

What then are manifestations of the Gift of Wisdom operative in a docile and open person? They might be seen as the following.

(1) WORD Of GOD.  They relish reading and listening to the Bible, the true Word of God.

(2) MASS.  They long and hunger for the Eucharist: the Bread of life.

(3) RETREATS.  If they have a free weekend, or even a week, they long to spend time on retreat so as to recharge their spiritual batteries.

(4) PRAYER.  Following the injunction of Jesus: “It is necessary to pray always without giving up hope” (Lk 18:1), they never grow weary of prayer. The more frequent the prayer, the better!

(5) SPIRITUAL READING.  Keenly aware of their ignorance of many theological truths, they long for time in the day to apply themselves to spiritual reading so as to fill in the many gaps in their knowledge of the Faith and even go deeper.

(6) BIBLICAL VERSES. These two Biblical verses can put the frosting on the cake for Wisdom. “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord” (Ps 34:8). “As the deer yearns for the running streams, so my soul yearns for you my God” (Psalm 42:1).

2. GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING. This Gift also works on purifying and perfecting the intellect. This Gift endows the intellect with Divine Light to penetrate the Truth as revealed in Sacred Scripture. Two Biblical passages come to mind: The Disciples on the Road to Emmaus encountering Jesus; and Jesus appearing to the Apostles afterwards in the Upper Room. Both times He opened up their minds to an understanding of the Scriptures. Back-tracking to Emmaus, it was the pilgrim, the wayfarer, the friendly Companion, Jesus Himself who opened up their minds to understand many Biblical references in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus, His suffering, death and Resurrection. Consequently, their hearts were burning within them as Jesus explained the Word to them and gave them understanding of the Word that referred to Him.

How then does the GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING operate in our lives? Let’s see!

(1) DESIRE TO READ THE BIBLE. Understanding linked with Wisdom motivates us to find time to read and meditate with hunger on the Word of God.

(2) LIGHT TO PENETRATE ITS MEANING. Not only is there a real longing to break open the bread of God’s Word, but also the Word will jump out of the page to grab us, to help us grasp its real meaning and significance in our lives.

(3) THE WORD MOVES US TO ACTION. The young Saint Anthony of the Desert heard the Word of God read two times. As a result, different than the rich young man in the Bible who was motivated by folly, Anthony gave all his money and possessions to the poor and went on to become one of the greatest saints in the Church. He is actually considered the Father of Eastern monasticism.

(4) THE WORD IS A LANTERN FOR OUR STEPS AND A LIGHT FOR OUR PATH. (Ps 34:8) The Psalmist accentuates the fact that the Word of God, through the Gift of Understanding, becomes a Light to guide us in all our steps and decisions.

(5) IN OPPOSITION TO THE WORLD AND ITS VALUES. The person imbued and guided by the Gift of Understanding opposes the spirit of worldliness and all the lies that spew forth from wordily values. Jesus stated it clearly: “Seek first the Kingdom God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you as well.” (Mt 6:33)

3. GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE. This Gift penetrates the intellect with the ability to perceive God’s handiwork both in Creation, as well as in the ordinary circumstances of life.

(1) QUOTATION of Saint Paul in Athens, taken from the poet, expresses the truth best: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” In other words, through the Gift of Knowledge, we are given the spiritual insight to live constantly in the Presence of God. (Read the book of Brother Lawrence: Living in the Presence of God.)

(2) The BEAUTY OF NATURE points to the Author of all beauty—God, the greatest of all artists. Saint Frances of Assisi penned an Italian poem in which he perceived the beauty of God in all natural creation. His inspired writing is known as “Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon.” Look it up and relish it!

(3) DIVINE PROVIDENCE. In addition, the Gift of Knowledge enlightens us to a keen awareness of God’s Hand present in what is called DIVINE PROVIDENCE—nothing happens by chance! Rather, all circumstances in life are both allowed, permitted and directed by the loving and wise hand of God’s Providence. Even sufferings, apparent failures, contradictions, persecutions are allowed by God so that good may be derived from them. As Augustine and the saints emphasize: “God allows apparent evil so that He can bring greater good from it.” The persons imbued with and motivated by Knowledge live in trust and peace because they allow God to take the steering wheel and direct the circumstances of their lives. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31)

4. GIFT OF COUNSEL. This Gift serves as bridge between the Intellect and the Will. This Gift actually perfects the Moral/Cardinal Virtue of Prudence which is the art of decision-making. If you like, Counsel is right decision-making in action. How important this Gift is for parents, teachers, educators, politicians, priests, Superiors, Bishops and all those who must make weighty decisions. Saint Thomas Aquinas points out the three steps of making a prudential decision that must lead to action. It is precisely the Gift of Counsel that enlightens the intellect and perfects the Virtue of Prudence to make good and right decisions. These are the three steps explained by Saint Thomas Aquinas, the brilliant “Angelic Doctor”:

(1) DELIBERATION. By this is meant the intellect must apply itself to serious reflection, pondering, ruminating—that is to say, a very serious thought process. Of course, and this is logical, the more important the decision and action to be taken, the more time should be given to deliberation.

(2) DECISION. After allowing sufficient time for deliberation, the decision must be made. At times, in serious matters, it is highly prudent and advisable to seek advice from a qualified spiritual director. This is both humble and wise. We all have blind spots and should have recourse to experts in spiritual direction to shed light upon our darkness.

(3) EXECUTION. This is the technical terminology of Aquinas; in layman’s terms it means to carry out the decision, to put it into action. One of the major dangers or obstacles with respect to execution is the individual who is prone to procrastination—putting off carrying out the decision without sufficient reason. In a word, once the decision has been made, the execution of the decision should be swift and decisive without turning back.

All of the above comes into the realm of the Cardinal or Moral virtue of Prudence perfected and motivated by the Gift of the Holy Spirit of Counsel. Examples of greatest importance in decision-making would be the following: 1) Choice and place of Higher Education—college or University, 2) Choice of one’s profession, 3) Choice of one’s vocation, be it marriage, the priesthood, or Religious life. These are momentous decisions that should be considered under the guidance of Prudence perfected by the Gift of the Holy Spirit—that of Counsel.

Again, it is highly prudent and advisable to seek advice from a qualified spiritual director on these important matters. May Our Lady of Good Counsel pray for us!

5. GIFT OF PIETY. The virtue of piety must be distinguished from the Gift of the Holy Spirit—Piety. The virtue of piety might be defined as a reverential attitude before the Sacred. Whereas the GIFT OF PIETY is much deeper and richer and might be defined as such: “The filial and confident love we have for Our Heavenly Father who truly loves and cares for each one of us as His son/daughter. Which leads us to a universal love for humanity, as well as all persons individually, because we are all brothers and sisters brought into existence and loved by the same loving Father.” Somewhat of a long definition but quite substantial and necessary! What then does this entail? How does this Gift of Piety influence our way of living, our view of God the Father, other people and life in general? Enormously! But especially in two realms or dimensions: our view of who God the Father is and how He acts; followed by the way or manner in which we see and treat other people with their own stories and sufferings. Let us delve into these two specific areas and PIETY.

(1) PIETY AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THE FATHER—THE OUR FATHER PRAYER. Being permeated and influenced by the Gift of Piety in our relationship to God, we arrive at a deep and penetrating understanding of God the Father, most specifically in the prayer, The Our Father. In concrete, we come to recognize God the Father not as an abstract, abstruse, ethereal myth of the past, quite the contrary: He is alive and present in our life! As Father, He gave us life; He sustains us in existence; He loves us tenderly; He cares for us and always desires what is best for us in all times and places. If you like, magnify the love of the best of fathers on a human level, then know that God the Father loves us a million times more and always. His love and care for us is as permanent and solid as a rock. Even when suffering comes knocking at our door—and this is inevitable—still we have TRUST in God the Father as our Father! We know and firmly believe that, “God the Father knows best.” We live in the present moment; God lives in the eternal-now. He takes into account what is best for us in all times—past, present and future.

(2) PIETY AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHERS.  As a logical consequence of the Gift of Piety and our relationship to God as loving Father, there necessarily follows our relationship to our brothers and sisters. If God indeed is our loving Father, then all of us belong to the same human family and we should have love for each other. Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love/charity as that of willing the good of the other. Therefore, what is inimical and diametrically opposed to the Gift of Piety is any form of prejudice. If we look down on, despise, marginalize or reject any person due to race, culture, economic or educational status, age, sickness this frustrates and blocks the flow of grace in our souls that operates with the Gift of Piety. In sum, let us trust and love our Heavenly Father, and as a consequence, let us strive to live out the last and greatest of Jesus’ commandments: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 13:34)

6. THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE.  This Gift of the Holy Spirit perfects the moral virtue of Fortitude. Of utmost importance in our life, the Gift of Fortitude gives us interior strength to follow Christ, especially in the realm of the cross. Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to follow me must renounce Himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24)

(1) FORTITUDE AND THE REALITY OF SUFFERING.  To be human is to enter into a world with many moments of joy, but also many circumstances of suffering. The Gift of the Holy Spirit of Fortitude imbues and invigorates our entire being with the courage not simply to suffer, but to sanctify our sufferings. The adage is true: “Suffering can make us either better or bitter.” Bitter? Yes, when we suffer with no meaning or purpose to our suffering. Angry, bitter, caustic and sarcastic people, and often gossipers, are very frequently those who suffer but with no apparent meaning or purpose. 

(2) THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE unites us in mind and heart to the sufferings of Jesus. Keenly aware of the immensity and all-embracing power of the Passion, suffering, cross and death of Jesus, Fortitude lifts us up to Jesus on the cross. We actually become one with Jesus on the cross. We learn how to live out those short three words we learned at our mother’s knee: OFFER IT UP! For the salvation of a multitude of souls!!! (See Number 3.)

(3) THE ALTAR AND MASS.  Once these sufferings are deposited on the altar in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass then these sufferings have Infinite Value.

(4) PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE.  Closely connected with the Gift of Fortitude is the practice of the virtue of patience. We are coming to the awareness that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit work on perfecting many virtues. We all need patience and a lot of this virtue. The Gift of the Holy Spirit of Fortitude imbues our spirit with patience in dealing with others; it invigorates us to be patient with ourselves and our many limitations; finally, it helps us to be patient with God and learn to wait on God’s timing and not our timing.

(5) APEX OF FORTITUDE: MARTYRDOM!  The very apex, summit, zenith of Fortitude is the call to Martyrdom and the acceptance of this extraordinary Gift from God. Saint Ignatius states that we do not have the grace for martyrdom except in the time, manner and moment that God in His Divine Providence call us to it. This being said, if God offers this supreme and sublime manner to honor Him, by the suffering and sacrifice of one’s life, God will give us the sufficient and abundant graces to suffer it. It is a supreme and sublime gift most especially because it is the imitation of Christ who suffered and sacrificed His life for us on the cross.

(6) FORTITUDE IN DAILY LIFE.  However, the Gift of the Holy Spirit of Fortitude is necessary in our daily walk with the Lord, the daily small but trying crosses. Fortitude enlightens our mind to understand our sufferings—even though they be small—as a means to be united with the cross of Christ. When accepted and carried out, we sanctify ourselves, the Church, our family, as well as the whole world.

7. THE GIFT OF FEAR OF THE LORD.  The Bible teaches us, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov 9:10) Saint Thomas Aquinas points out that Wisdom is the greatest of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, Piety should be the first in operation.   The Gift of the Holy Spirit of Fear of the Lord is closely linked to the virtue of humility.

(1) The GIFT OF FEAR OF THE LORD enlightens us to a keen awareness of the fact that we are all very weak. We are all prone to fall and moral failure. We realize that without God’s prevenient grace, His all-abiding grace, His preventive and all-sustaining grace—we are capable of not only sinning, but sinning quickly, as well as seriously! In a word, following the teaching of Saint Augustine, the “Doctor of Grace”, we recognize that all the good we have done is due to God’s grace; and all the evil we have done is due to our failure to correspond to God’s grace.

(2) WARNING. Jesus warned the Apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Stay awake and pray; for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:41) Saint Paul understood this clearly when he asserted that the good he wanted to do, he did the exact opposite due to weakness of the flesh.

(3) SAINT PHILIP NERI saw a man in the gutter in the streets of Rome and exclaimed: “There go I save the grace of God.”

(4) SAINT THERESE reaffirmed Saint Neri’s statement by saying that she would be capable of all of the most heinous crimes and sins of humanity, save the grace of God. She went on to say that the primary reason why she did not fall into many sins was simply because “God cleared the way.” In a word, God intervened and cleared the moral pitfalls that all of us can be plunged into at any time, in any place. The worst of sinners can become the greatest of saints; but also the greatest of saints can be transformed into the greatest of sinners!

(5) SAFEGUARD FROM ETERNAL CONDEMNATION.  The Gift of Fear of the Lord can serve as a most efficacious remedy to avoid losing our soul in Hell. “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” And: “If the love of God does not move us, then at least Fear of the Lord and God’s just punishment can move us to change and give up sin.”

(6) MEDITATION ON THE REALITY AND POSSIBILITY OF HELL.  We all want an ever-growing love for God—that must be our aim! However, if we have not yet arrived at a true and sincere love for God, than Fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom can help us avoid falling into mortal sin, or at least help us get out of it as quickly as possible by a good Confession. Many saints have been motivated by Fear of the Lord sparked by the contemplation of Hell! In fact, Our Lady of Fatima portrayed the reality of Hell to the three little children—Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco, and it motivated them to do great things for God by sacrificing themselves for sinners, with Francisco and Jacinta becoming two of the youngest saints in the Catholic Church. All related to Fear of the Lord.

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, let us get into the Ship (our soul). The rough waters represent the tempestuous world in which we live amidst so many dangers and temptations. Let us lift on high the Seven Sails (the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit)! As Captain (our free will) let us open up those sails as wide as possible to catch the wind (the Breath of God, the Holy Spirit)! Then the ship (our immortal soul, worth more than the whole created world) will sail smoothly and on course to the shore (Our Heavenly Home). Yes, the shore is our eternal destiny—Heaven! 

All of us are called to become saints—to be authentic followers of Jesus Christ who truly is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Why not take the short-cut? Allow the gust of wind, the Holy Spirit, to inspire and invigorate those Gifts to be active and operative in our lives on a constant basis. Also, may we never forget to call upon Mary! Indeed, Mary is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Saint Louis de Montfort asserts vigorously that Mary is the shortcut to God, to holiness, and to Heaven.

Let us beg Mary for the grace of being open and docile to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.   Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us. Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel, help us to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady of Sorrows, grant us strength and Fortitude in our trials. Our Lady of Charity, teach us to love God as our tender Father and all as our brothers and sisters. Mary, Most Holy, help us to grow in holiness and sanctity through and intimate union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

For many followers of Christ, there is an understanding, love and prayer that we offer to Jesus. He points us to the Father and consequently we pray the Our Father, as sons and daughters of the Father should pray.

However, for more than a few of us the Holy Spirit, who indeed is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity, remains nebulous, mysterious, and in a real sense unknown. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to strive for a more clear and penetrating understanding of the “Sweet Guest of the soul”.  (Sequence prayer for Pentecost)

Following logic and reason, unless we capture a more profound comprehension of the Holy Spirit, His presence, power and action in our lives will be inhibited, if not paralyzed. Friends long to get acquainted with each other, yearn to spend quality time with each other, so as to appreciate this mutual bond of friendship and rejoice in the successes and weep at the failures in the reality of friendship. So in a parallel sense is our bond of relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In fact, with respect to our relationship with the Trinity, we have a different relationship with each Person. Once baptized we become sons/daughters of God the Father and brothers/sisters to Jesus Christ our Elder Brother. However, with respect to the Holy Spirit, He becomes our Intimate Friend. This bond and depth of Friendship depends on one element: our docility and openness to the Holy Spirit or our lack of it.

With great joy and enthusiasm, let us delve into the infinite riches in getting to know the Holy Spirit better. This deep union with Him will result in the opening of a new vista or horizon in our spiritual life. Indeed He will shine light in our minds and ignite a fire in our hearts transforming us into, in the words of Saint Paul, new creatures in Christ.

This succinct but substantial treatment will serve as a short, mini-catechesis on the Person, the Power, the Presence and the Interior Peace that are all communicated to the soul enamored with the Holy Spirit, the Sweet Guest of the Soul.

TWENTY-FIVE FACTS THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. IN THE TRINITY.  In the Sublime Mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit is actually the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. In order, the Father is the first Person; the Son, the second Person; and finally, the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Blessed Trinity.

2. HIS ROLE AND PLACE.  The Father loves the Son; the Son in turn loves the Father. The Holy Spirit is the mutual bond of love between the Father and the Son. St. Bernard calls the Holy Spirit the mutual embrace between Father and Son.

3. APPROPRIATION.  Thus, the Father is the Creator and Power; the Son is Wisdom or Logos; the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier and Uncreated Love in the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity.

4. IN THE CHURCH.  Among the many titles of the Church, one of the most prominent is that of “The Mystical Body of Christ”. The Church is called to glorify God the Father. Jesus is the Head of the Mystical Body. And the Holy Spirit? He is the Soul of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. By means of definition: the soul is the life-giving principle.

5. BAPTISM.  This Sacrament is the door, gateway, or threshold of the life of grace. At the moment of Baptism, the person receives a radical transformation of life. One of the effects is that Baptism transforms us into living Tabernacles of the Blessed Trinity and Living Tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. We become the House or Abode of God Himself.

6. GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Also, upon receiving Baptism, the Holy Spirit pours His Seven-fold Gifts into our soul. These are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. They follow in our catechesis with a brief but clear definition.

7. WISDOM.  According to Aquinas, the greatest of all, “Wisdom is the Gift in which we relish the things of God.”

8. UNDERSTANDING.  This Gift that perfects the intellect, allows the mind to penetrate the inner Truths presented in the Word of God and Catholic Doctrines and Teachings.

9. KNOWLEDGE.  This Gift opens the mind to a deeper awareness of God’s over-riding Presence. In a word, we live in the Presence of God. In the words of the Greek poet in our relationship to God: “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” We become aware of God’s Presence in the beauty of nature, in circumstances, and even in the daily crosses that visit us.

10. COUNSEL.  This Gift perfects the moral virtue of Prudence and it helps us in the art of decision-making. If you like, right or correct decisions in action. The Gift of Counsel serves as a bridge between the Intellect and the Will.

11. FORTITUDE.  This Gift communicates to a person real courage, valor, interior strength in the midst of trials and sufferings. It also communicates patience in the midst of the many sufferings in life.

12. PIETY.  This is the Gift of the Holy Spirit in which we relish our relationship to God our loving Father. And if God is our loving Father, then it necessarily follows that we love all God’s children as our brothers and sisters. In this, there is no room for any traces of racism.

13. FEAR OF THE LORD.  Keenly aware of our fragility and human weakness, Fear of the Lord moves us to rely not on our own resources and strength, but on the strength that comes from God. Very much related to humility, Fear of the Lord inspires us to avoid sin, knowing the consequences of living and dying in sin could result in the loss of God’s Love and Friendship for all eternity.

14. FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Saint Thomas Aquinas points out that the Fruits of the Holy Spirit are related to an inner sweetness that is experienced in the depths of the soul of a person who is collaborating generously with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are: “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.” (CCC 1832)

15. LOSS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Even though painful, we must come to terms with the fact that due to the free will with which we were endowed as human persons, we can reject the Presence and Person of the Holy Spirit. Quite simply this happens when we choose to commit a mortal sin. By this act, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are expelled from our soul and the enemy enters.

16. RECOVERY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Good News! The Holy Spirit returns to our soul upon making a perfect Act of Contrition and then having recourse to the Sacrament of Confession as soon as possible.

17. SOLEMNITY HONORING THE HOLY SPIRIT.  At the conclusion and culmination of the Easter Season—fifty days after Easter—the Church celebrates the  Solemnity of Pentecost (a word meaning fifty). This commemorates the conclusion of the first Novena in the Church wherein Mary and the Apostles, praying and fasting in silence in the Upper Room or Cenacle, experienced an event that radically transformed the lives of the Apostles. Following the nine days of prayer and fasting came a powerful wind, almost like an earthquake, with tongues of fire resting over the heads of the Apostles and Mary, and the transformation was effected. These fearful, doubting, insecure, cowardly men became valiant soldiers for Christ, ready to give testimony to their love for Christ by shedding their blood, in imitation of the Master Jesus Himself. Thus, Pentecost is considered the Birthday of the Church.

18. LITURGICAL COLOR FOR PENTECOST?  RED!!! This is the color pointing to the FIRE that descended upon the Apostles on Pentecost. Red is also for the BLOOD they were willing shed to bring the good news of Salvation to the whole world!

19. READINGS ON THE HOLY SPIRIT?  A short, concise, spiritual gem on the topic of the Holy Spirit written by a French Author, Jacques Philippe, is available in both English and Spanish. The title of the book is: “In the School of the Holy Spirit.” The heart or essence of this short gem is that our growth in holiness depends principally upon one disposition of soul: docility and openness to the action, Presence, and Power of the Holy Spirit. This short but good read can change your life!

20. NAMES: TITLES FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.  If we sincerely desire to get to know the Person of the Holy Spirit, we might study and pray over some of the names that are given to explain the Person of the Holy Spirit. There are many indeed. I will offer you a mere five: Paraclete, Sanctifier, Sweet Guest of the Soul, Interior Master, Gift of Gifts (from the CCC).

21. SYMBOLS FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Still another tool we can use to get to know, love, and pray more frequently to the Holy Spirit is to become familiar with some of the symbols for the Holy Spirit. A symbol is not the reality but points by means of an image to the reality. Once again, let us take five symbols for the Holy Spirit: Ardent Fire, Powerful Wind, Gentle Breeze, the Dove, and Finger of God. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church for greater details. (CCC Part One, Section Two, Chapter Three: I Believe in the Holy Spirit)

22. SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Although it is true that the Presence and the Power of the Holy Spirit is in every Sacrament, still there is a Sacrament that communicates a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That Sacrament is Confirmation. True, in Baptism the Holy Spirit is given, as well as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, through the conferring of the Sacrament of Confirmation, usually administered by the Bishop, the Presence and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are fortified in the recipient. This enables the confirmed person to both spread the faith, as well as defend the faith.

23. CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT.  In a very real sense, we should be thankful for the Charismatic Movement that really took off in the USA in the 70’s for their insistence upon studying the Holy Spirit, praying to the Holy Spirit, and being open to the Holy Spirit, as well as His Gifts and charismatic graces.

24. A PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT?  We suggest that you learn three songs: Veni Creator; Come, Holy Ghost; and Spirit of the Living God. However, the following is a short prayer that I myself composed a few years back that all of us can easily memorize: “Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary.” Learn it! Memorize it! Pray it every day!

25. MARY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.  The transformation of the Apostles took place on Pentecost after they had been praying and fasting with the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Cenacle for nine days. Love and devotion to Mary is essential for union with the Holy Spirit. Mary is the Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Saint Louis de Montfort states: “Those who love Mary, the Holy Spirit flings Himself into that soul.” May your love for Mary allow for a profound invasion of the Holy Spirit in your life so that you can become the great saint that God has called you to be from all eternity!

Praying this daily, the Holy Spirit will become your Intimate Friend.

COME HOLY SPIRIT by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Come Holy Spirit, come fill my heart with your heavenly love. Enlighten my mind so that I may know the Truth, live the Truth, and be willing to die for the Truth.

Come Holy Spirit, come in the dark and lonely moments of my life, come to console me and comfort me. You who are the Sweet Guest of the soul, make me aware of your constant and living presence, so that I recognize that I am never alone because you are with me as a Faithful Friend.

Come Holy Spirit, come, you who are the Interior Master, teach me how to pray. I do not know how to pray well. I implore you to intercede for me with ineffable groans so that I can cry out: “Abba, Father!”

Come Holy Spirit, come in moments of doubt and confusion, be my light and counselor. Help me to make decisions, not according to my will but according to your holy will.

Come Holy Spirit, come in moments of weakness, give me strength. You who are the courage and strength of the martyrs, obtain for me interior strength to fight against sin, my fallen human nature, and anything that is not pleasing to you.

Come Holy Spirit, come, grant me a filial love for you and a sincere love for my neighbor, especially for those I live with and meet every day. Set my heart on fire with love.

Come Holy Spirit, come sanctify me with your presence. You who are the sanctifier, attain for me an ardent yearning for holiness of life. “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” May I attain holiness of life so as to attain the promise of eternal life.

Come Holy Spirit, come, produce in me a reverential fear that motivates me to avoid all that is displeasing to you, and to avoid any persons, places, things, or circumstances that could damage my friendship with you.

Come Mary, Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Temple of the Holy Spirit, you who had the most intimate and constant union with the Holy Spirit, pray for me so that my knowledge and love of the Holy Spirit will grow daily until I am with you forever in heaven, worshiping forever the

Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   Amen.      

Saint Ignatius insisted on never neglecting the Daily Examen. For no reason whatsoever would this great saint justify skipping over and neglecting this all important prayer. Starting now, why not make a proposal to make your own personal Daily Examen. If done, the fruits are countless and the blessings copious from such a tool, an indispensable tool to erect a solid structure for a life of authentic holiness.

In this brief essay we will highlight and briefly explain the five classical steps of making the Daily Examen. Then, as a means for motivation, we will highlight some of the blessings that will descend upon you in your spiritual life.

If you read through essays, writings, articles and even books on this topic, the order and words vary, but the concept never changes. The key element is that the Daily Examen should be proposed by all those with good will and put into practice. Let’s go!

THE FIVE CLASSICAL STEPS FOR THE IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN

1. RECALL THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 

First Step. All authentic prayer starts with calling to mind the all-abiding Presence of God. We are never far from God, and God is never far from us! Saint Paul, quoting the Greek poet, expresses it as such: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Therefore, start your Daily Examen by gently calling to mind the all-abiding, all-permeating presence of God. God is present in all times, all places, all circumstances, and all events. Even when our life seems to be a dark night of the soul, God is as present as the sun shining at midday! Add to this that our God is a loving Father who always desires what is best for His children. Therefore, we should respond with trust, confidence, and love.

2. GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! (Ps 136:1) 

Second Step. Saint Ignatius insists on the importance of gratitude. We should all cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Saint Ignatius states that the very essence of sin is ingratitude—a lack of rendering to God a heartfelt thanks! In all humility, every gift that we have in our life—intellectual, athletic, artistic, spiritual, supernatural, etc.—all are gifts from the Father of all gifts. Therefore, rewind the film of your life since your last Daily Examen to see what you have been gifted with and allow your heart to expand in an overflowing act of thanksgiving. In a word, all that we have (except our sins—those we willfully chose and God allowed) are gratuitous gifts from our all-bountiful Heavenly Father. Indeed, God loves a grateful heart and He is ready and willing to shower thankful hearts with more and more blessings! How much Jesus suffered when after healing ten lepers, only one came back to pay Him thanks!

3. BEG GOD TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU.

Third Step. In your Daily Examen beg for the Gift of Gifts, the Holy Spirit to shed light on your intellect, to help you rewind your past block of time—your past day to see the totality of how you lived that day! Humility is truth, and you want to beg in all honestly to see what you have done in the past day, but even beyond your exterior actions, you want to beg for the grace to see your interior intentions. We should never forget that man sees the surface, the mere exterior, but God can read our hearts and even our most hidden intentions.

4. GRATITUDE AND REPENTANCE. 

Fourth Step. During the Examen, as pointed out above, most likely you will become aware of God’s incredible goodness and His many gifts to you in the past day; give thanks again to God for His blessings. However, in all sincerity and truth the Holy Spirit will also point out some of your thoughts, words and actions, and even some intentions, that were off the mark and not pleasing to God. Only God is perfect and the Bible teaches us that the just man falls seven times a day. Be aware of these moral failures and beg for forgiveness.

5. RESOLUTION, RECONCILIATION, AND RENEWAL. 

Fifth Step. The last step points to the future. With a keen awareness of God’s infinite love for us and His infinite goodness in giving us so much, but also aware of our own human weakness, we propose to love God more every day starting right now, and to avoid any person, place, thing or circumstance that can lead us off the path of true discipleship of the Lord. In other words, the Daily Examen heightens our awareness and self-knowledge and this can serve as preventive medicine. If we know where the pit-fall is in our path, we can sidestep it, jump over it, or walk a different path! The desert Fathers insist on this two-word axiom: KNOW-THYSELF!!!

NOW THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING THE DAILY EXAMEN, which are incalculable! We will mention only three!

1. CONSTANT AWARENESS OF GOD AND PRAYER. 

If the Daily Examen is done faithfully, that is to say, on a daily basis, with hard work and good will, we become even more aware of God’s loving presence in our lives. God is not some distant, ethereal, mythical figure of the past! In our daily Examen, He becomes all the more real to us. In truth, we are never alone! God became man, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise to eternal life. It is to this life that He calls us. If you like, He will become your Best Friend, always at your side. He wants you to share every moment of your existence with Him. By doing this, we will sin less. Saint Teresa of Avila asserts that one of the primary reasons for sin is becoming oblivious to the all abiding Presence of God!

2. AVOID PITFALLS! 

With a more acute awareness of the intentions and movements of our heart, which is like a garden that has both beautiful flowers and ugly weeds, we can avoid giving in to our bad tendencies. When the bad spirit is knocking at the door of our heart, we must close the door with lock and key! Many sins are committed due to weakness of the will, but also due to ignorance of who is knocking at our door! The Daily Examen heightens our awareness of the tactics of the enemy, as well as self-knowledge of our weaknesses, two key components for growth in holiness!

3. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS. 

The Daily Examen is like shining a floodlight on our heart, our soul, and the inner workings of our conscience. We become aware of how good and loving God really is. However, with a penetrating awareness, we become cognizant of how weak we really are at times, and how prone to slip and fall into the mire of our own sinfulness. This keen self-knowledge can help us to be more kind, patient, and compassionate with our struggling brothers and sisters! If God is patient with us, how much more must we be patient with others! God allows what is evil to bring greater good from the evil – charity being the greatest good of all!

To conclude, determine now to make the daily Examen Prayer. It shouldn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes. If you miss a day, begin again, start back up the very next day. In doing so, you will sin less, your friendship with Christ will grow, and you will find more peace and joy in your life!

If there were ever an action book present in the Bible that moves quickly from one scene of action to the next it would have to be THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. The Apostles arrested and thrown in jail, a young man persecuting Christians and throwing them in jail, his conversion through a powerful light and resonant voice, a building shook by a powerful wind and descent of tongues of fire, the downpour of stones crashing upon and crushing the skull of a young, eloquent, and courageous preacher—all of these dynamic and dramatic events issue forth in the Book, The Acts of the Apostles. You almost feel as if you are on the edge of your chair or on the edge of a cliff once you finish one chapter and proceed to the next.

As an introduction to The Acts of the Apostles we present ten basic truths to help us delve deeper into the immense treasure-house of riches that this Book, inspired by the Holy Spirit, offers for our prayerful reading and spiritual enrichment.

TEN TRUTHS TO START OFF WITH IN READING THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

1. PLACE IN THE BIBLE.  The Book, The Acts of the Apostles, follows on the heels of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. After John Chapter 21, we enter into the gateway and threshold of The Acts of the Apostles. In a certain sense, the Acts will build upon our knowledge, love, and ardent desire to follow Jesus the Lord.

2. THE AUTHOR. The Acts of the Apostles, its writing and composition, is attributed to Saint Luke.  A man of many talents, Saint Luke was a physician, painter, Evangelist, writer, missionary, companion to Saint Paul, and most important saint, ending his life by shedding his blood as a martyr.

3. STARTING POINT: TWO MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY!  The actual starting point of The Acts of the Apostles—Chapters One and Two—are two of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary: The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven (Acts 1), and The Coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), also known as Pentecost.  Therefore, we invite the Blessed Virgin Mary to be with us as we meditate upon The Acts of the Apostles. Among Mary’s many titles is that of Spouse of the Holy Spirit.

4. KEY PROTAGONIST: THE HOLY SPIRIT.  One of the key figures or protagonists in The Acts of the Apostles is the Person of the Holy Spirit. This action book can even be given the appropriate title, “The Gospel of the Holy Spirit.”  A suggestion: while carefully reading and meditating upon The Acts of the Apostles note mentally, or in a notebook, the many times that the Holy Spirit appears in these action pages.

5. NUMBER 28!  By Number 28 is meant the number of Chapters in The Acts of the Apostles. A mini-month course can be given by delivering 4 to 5 talks and inviting the people to read and meditate upon one Chapter per day for four weeks—perfect timing and synchronization!

6. EASTER SEASON READING.  Once the Church moves from the Lenten Season into the Easter Season, the first reading in the daily Masses, as well as the Sunday Masses, offers for our listening and meditation The Acts of the Apostles.

7. PETER AND PAUL.   The title of the book is The Acts of the Apostles.  However, not too many of the Apostles appear in the limelight, with the exception of two prominent ones: Saint Peter and Saint Paul. In chronological order, Peter appears in the first chapters, then disappears and gives way to Saul of Tarsus, who is converted into the fiery Apostle Saint Paul. An interesting note: as you walk through the front doors of the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome, you walk in between two statues—Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Saint Peter holds the Keys of the Kingdom; Saint Paul, a sword!

8. SUFFERING AND MARTYRDOM. A common theme in the Acts is the readiness and willingness of the early followers of Christ to suffer for their Master. The Protomartyr—meaning first martyr—was Saint Stephen. Under the guidance and approval of Saul of Tarsus, Saint Stephen was stoned to death. Like Jesus, Saint Stephen prayed for and forgave his persecutors. Mercy always triumphs always over anger and revenge!

9. MISSIONARY BOOK.  Not only is the Acts of the Apostles an action book, as well as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit, it is also a model program for missionary activity. Saul of Tarsus, converted into the fiery Apostle Saint Paul, paves the way. We have outlined in the Acts of the Apostles missionary journeys, activities, sufferings, successes and failures, tactics and methods on how to evangelize as a missionary. No doubt, upon reading the missionary activities, especially carried out by Saint Paul, Saint Luke, Saint Barnabas and others, you will feel the urge and motivation to also become a modern missionary.

10. MARY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. The great Marian saint, Saint Louis de Montfort, who left us the spiritual classic True Devotion on how to consecrate ourselves to Jesus through Mary, speaks of the deep union between Mary and the Holy Spirit. Mary is intimately related to the Blessed Trinity because she is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, but she is also the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit.  Saint Louis goes on to say that those who love Mary, the Holy Spirit flings Himself into that soul. Therefore, in the opening pages of the Acts of the Apostles, we find Mary making the first novena with the Apostles in the Upper Room. After fervent prayer, penance, and silence for nine days, the Holy Spirit descends on Mary and the Apostles in tongues of fire—the Church is born! Let us turn to Mary as we read and meditate upon “The action book of the Bible”, the Acts of the Apostles, and beg that through her most powerful intercession we might experience a renewed Pentecost experience in our own lives and become the saint that God has destined us to become for all eternity.