God The Holy Ghost

 

To My Readers: This week my guest poster Lee returns after a brief hiatus with an excellent post on God The Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity. There is no better time for such a post as today, the day after Traditionalist Catholics celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Please comment as always. If you have a particular question or comment for me, I will respond as usual, but it may take me a bit longer to reply this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

God The Holy Ghost

By Lee

As we have arrived at the season of Pentecost, we are reminded of two things. The descent of the Holy Ghost on His Church (the Twelve Apostles) and the gifts in the form of fire which He bestowed on them. Gifts which were for the purpose of a divine mission. These gifts enabled them to perform many miracles in the early Church to prove it is a spotless bride which belongs to a spotless head. Christ promised the Apostles the Paraclete would come in John 16:7 but it wasn't until all things in its proper time were fulfilled. Therefore, the Holy Ghost had to proceed from the Father and the Son in perfect time and unity. A friend of mine exclaimed that the Catholic Church started when Christ's side was opened with a lance when dying on the cross. While my dear friend was close to being right, Pope Leo XIII explains, "The Church which, already conceived, came forth from the side of the second Adam in His sleep on the Cross, first showed herself before the eyes of men on the great day of Pentecost. (Divinum Illud Munus #5-- 1897; Emphasis mine). This implies a birth date. Just as we are conceived 9 months before our birth, the Church is conceived and then born.

On The Importance of The Holy Ghost

In his booklet, The Holy Ghost, Our Greatest Friend the great Dominican writer Fr. Paul O' Sullivan explains: 

The doctrine of the Holy Ghost is without doubt the most important of all the Church's teachings because, if we do not know and love the Holy Ghost, we cannot possibly understand the other great truths of our Holy Religion. Without the Holy Ghost we are blind. Not only is this doctrine the most important, it is the most wonderful, the most consoling, the most sublime of all doctrines, for with the Holy Ghost we can do all things easily and well. He is the Spirit of Love, of Peace, of Joy, the Spirit of Divine Consolation. He is the Light of Our Souls and the Strength of Our Wills: Yet, strange to say, this doctrine is little understood by great numbers of Christians. Some have a vague knowledge of the Holy Ghost, but very few indeed have a real grasp of all the Holy Ghost has done for them and is most ready to do if only they allow Him. 

We love and honor the Eternal Father whenever we say the Our Father, and this not once, but many times a day. Whenever, too, we speak of the Great Creator of Heaven and Earth, the God of the Universe, we think of the Eternal Father. We pray to the Son, not only when invoking the Blessed Trinity, but when praying to Our Lord Jesus Christ. We honor His Incarnation, His life, His Passion and death. We honor His Sacred Heart, His Holy Name, and above all we honor Him in the Holy Eucharist. But many rarely or ever think of the Holy Ghost! They know very little about all the wonderful things He is ready to give them—the peace, the immense joy, the consolations, the love He is offering them. 

“How extraordinary,” Cardinal Manning exclaims, “it is that Christians know so little about the Holy Ghost though He is the Author of our Sanctification, the Giver of all Joys and Consolations!” His Eminence was in his youth a sincere Protestant. He became, with the help of the Holy Ghost, a fervent Catholic. Under the same divine guidance, he became a priest, a bishop and finally a cardinal, He ever cherished a great devotion to the Holy Ghost and solved all his doubts and difficulties by praying to this Holy Spirit. When called on to make any important decision, he first of all bent his head in silent prayer. If the problem were graver, he devoted more time and fervor in asking for guidance. Thanks to the graces he thus received, he was able not only to attain high personal sanctity but to render great services to the Catholic Church in England. He wrote two beautiful books on the Holy Ghost. Cardinal Newman gives us a touching example of love for the Holy Ghost. He, too, was brought up by his parents in the Protestant religion. Unfortunately, he had the strongest prejudices against the Catholic Church. 

At an early age he began to see that his own religion could not be the true one, so full was it of contradictions and errors. He spent years trying to find the Church of Christ. He read history, he argued with eminent divines and consulted many learned friends, but all in vain. He failed to recognize in the midst of so many claims the religion given us by Jesus Christ. Finally, one day he received from God, who was pleased with his good intentions, an inspiration. "What have I been doing!" he exclaimed. “I have labored much, I have studied, I have read many books, I have consulted good friends, but I have not prayed enough, I have not sufficiently asked God's light and guidance." Then falling on his knees he prayed fervently. The clouds of doubt began to disappear, and he at last saw the truth of the Catholic Church. He describes his conversion in the following beautiful hymn, written not long before his conversion.

Lead Kindly Light

Lead Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, 

Lead Thou me on! 

The night is dark, and I am far from home— 

Lead Thou me on! 

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see 

The distant scene—one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayd that Thou 

Shouldst lead me on, 

I loved to choose and see my path; but now 

Lead Thou me. on! 

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, 

Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still 

Will lead me on, 

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till 

The night is gone; 

And with the morn those angel faces smile 

Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.

He became a Catholic, and following his example, more than a thousand Protestant ministers were converted and a very host of laymen. 

Cardinal Gibbons had the following experience when still a parish priest: He was called to see a distinguished American senator who was gravely ill. Unfortunately, the sick man did not believe in the existence of God. He listened, however, attentively to Father Gibbons, who spoke to him of the goodness of God and His love for us, proving at the same time God's existence with several cogent arguments. These, however, made no impression on the Senator. Father Gibbons finally asked him whether, if such a good God as he had been describing did exist, he would believe in and love Him? “Most certainly,” was the answer. “Well then,” said Fr. Gibbons, “will you say the following little prayer sometimes: ‘O God of infinite goodness, if You exist, make me know You.’” 

This the sick man promised to do, and then came a flood of light! Some days after, Fr. Gibbons was once more summoned to the bedside of the dying man, who on seeing him, called out, “Father, I believe, I believe!” And for the remaining weeks of his life he manifested the liveliest faith in and love for God. A priest who is devoted to the Holy Ghost does more than a thousand others. The writer met one such priest recently. He was extremely modest and unpretentious, yet he got through a prodigious amount of work. He not only worked successfully himself, but he had the gift of attracting and inspiring others to work with him. In the course of conversation he mentioned that he had great devotion to the Holy Ghost, to whom he attributed all his success. When Catholic universities commence the year’s work, when law courts begin their annual sessions, at the opening of parliaments and other important corporations, the Mass of the Holy Ghost is solemnly said and His Divine guidance invoked, and as we shall see afterwards, individual members of these corporations beg light and help from the Holy Ghost in all grave emergencies. We, too, should make it our practice to seek in all things the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Pgs. 1-6)

Sins against The Holy Ghost

While much can be said about the gifts of the Holy Ghost which are exercised in confirmed Catholics in the state of grace, what often does not get discussed are the sins against Him. One verse from Scripture that should be on our minds is found in Matthew 12:31-32 which states "Wherefore I say unto to you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven Him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." (Emphasis mine). 

Commenting on these verses, theologian Cornelius a Lapide says, 

"Therefore I say unto you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven a man: but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. The word Spirit is in the genitive case, as is plain from the Greek πνεύματος. The blasphemy therefore of the Spirit is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Whence the Arabic translates, Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; Syriac, Blasphemy against the Spirit of Holiness.

You will ask, what is this blasphemy? 1. Philastrius (On the Heresy of Rotorius) thinks it is heresy, especially that of Eunomius, who said that the Holy Ghost was not God. Thus also S. Ambrose (Lib. 1, de Spir. Sanc. sec. 3).

2. S. Hilary thinks that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is when a man denies that Christ is God. “The sin against the Holy Ghost,” he says, “is to deny to God the power of virtue, and to take away from Christ His eternal substance, by which, because God came into man, man shall in turn come to God; since God grants pardon to all other things, whilst this only is without forgiveness.”

3. S. Ambrose (L. 2, de pśniten. see. 4) thinks it is schism; also Simony, the sin whereby, for example, Simon Magus wished to buy the Holy Spirit of S. Peter.

4. Origen says it is every mortal sin after Baptism; committed, that is, after the grace of the Holy Spirit received in Baptism. Moreover, Pope Gelasius (de Anath. vinc.) understands by it sins which are not forgiven, either in this world, or in the world to come. But he thinks it refers to sinners who do not wish to repent. For he says, that man makes the sentence against himself irrevocable who wills to continue in such a state as that he cannot truly be forgiven.

5. S. Cyprian (L. 3, ad Quirinal, N. 28) says, blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is every sin committed against God: but blasphemy against the Son of Man is every sin committed against man.

6. The same Saint (L 3, Epist. 14) thinks blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is denial of the faith in persecution.

7. Richard of S. Victor says, it is to hate and revile God.

I have summarily embraced eighteen expositions of the Fathers (viz., eleven of the Latin Fathers and seven of the Greek) in the foregoing paragraphs.

Lastly, theologians—and from them, catechists—out of various expositions of S. Augustine, collect six sins against the Holy Ghost; namely, presumption, despair, striving against known truth, envy of fraternal charity, impenitence, and obstinacy. They say that these are called sins against the Holy Ghost, because they are committed through undoubted wickedness against the goodness of God, which is an attribute of the Holy Ghost. Thus, likewise, sins which are committed through infirmity are said to be done against God the Father, because power is one of His especial attributes. And sins which are done through ignorance, are said to be done against the Son, because of His attribute of wisdom.

Note, therefore, that Christ is here speaking not of every sin against the Holy Ghost, but only of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which may take place by words; and the same reasoning will apply to thoughts and actions, as when anyone reviles works manifestly divine and miraculous, which God works for the salvation of men, by which He confirms faith and truth. Such a work is the casting out of devils; and because such works proceed from the goodness and holiness of God, they are attributed to the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the Father and the Son by procession and inspiration, as Love, Goodness, and Holiness. When, therefore, anyone calumniates such things, and knowingly out of malice ascribes them to an unclean spirit (as these Pharisees did), such an one is said to commit blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; for such an one directly fights against God and takes from Him His holiness and purity. The whole argument is expressed in the following syllogism:—

The author of the miracles which Christ performs is, according to you, 0 ye Scribes, Beelzebub:

But God the Holy Ghost is, in truth, the Author of these miracles :

Therefore, according to you, God and the Holy Ghost are Beelzebub.

What more horrible can possibly be said? What greater blasphemy can be imagined? S. Basil adds that there are such persons even now, who ascribe the fruits and actions of the Holy Ghost to the opposing unclean spirit. We many of us do this, when we call earnestness ambition, and impute the calumny of anger to one who is only moved by zeal and righteous indignation. Moreover, Christ opposes this blasphemy against God and the Holy Ghost to that blasphemy against the Son of Man by which some who were offended at Christ’s human conversation, calumniated what He did as man, as when they called Him a wine bibber, and a friend of Publicans and sinners. This was something more excusable, and less unworthy of forgiveness, because it had respect to Christ as Man rather than as God.

Shall not be forgiven: Arab. Shall not be relaxed, i.e., shall with difficulty, and seldom be forgiven. For this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is most horrible, inexcusable, and altogether unworthy of pardon, and, considered simply in itself, takes away and excludes all medicine, and means of obtaining forgiveness. For such a blasphemer places himself in diametrical opposition to the Holy Ghost, and drives Him from him, yea blasphemes Him: the Holy Ghost, I say, by whom alone he could be absolved, healed, and sanctified. Similarly, we call an incurable disease one which does not admit of medicine, and rejects every kind of food. Nevertheless a blasphemer does not shut up the hand of God, so that God cannot have mercy upon him, although unworthy; and convert him, as He converted S. Paul, who confesses that he had been a blasphemer against God (1 Tim. 1: 13).

And whosoever shall speak a word, &c. Christ declares the same truth in still clearer words. A word, anything injurious, reviling, blasphemous, it shall be forgiven him, it is remissible, and is readily forgiven to the penitent. From hence, it is plain against the Novatians, that all persons who have lapsed into heinous sins, should he admitted to penance.

But whosoever shall speak against the Holy Ghost, &c. Syriac, whosoever shall revile the Holy Ghost.

Here, first, Origen is condemned, who extended repentance, pardon, and salvation, to all sinners, after this life. For he said, after the great year of Plato, all things would be restored afresh, and that Judas would be saved; and Lucifer, together with the devils and the damned, would be brought back to heaven.

2. S. Aug. (21 Civit. 24), S. Greg. (4 dialog. 39), Isidore, Bede, S. Bern., and others, quoted by Bellarmine (Lib. 2. de Purgat. sec. 4), prove from this passage, that there is a Purgatory after this life. For it would be unmeaning to say, shall not be forgiven nor in the world to come, if there were no remission of sins in the world to come. Thus a person would speak vainly who said, I will never marry a wife, neither in this world, nor in the world to come, since no wife can be married in the world to come. Mark adds, and gives greater force to the saying: but shall be guilty of eternal damnation. Moreover mortal sins are expiated in Purgatory, so far only as pertains to their punishment, but venial sins as regards both fault and punishment. (The Great Biblical Commentary).

In his book The Temporal Mission of the Holy Ghost, Cardinal Manning quotes St. Augustine on what he says about the sins against the Holy Ghost:

In commenting on the sin against the Holy Ghost,, S. Augustine says :  And for this cause both the Jews and such heretics, whatsoever they be, who believe in the Holy Ghost, but deny his presence in the body of Christ — that is, in His only Church, which is no other than the Church, one and Catholic — without doubt are like the Pharisees who, at that day, though they acknowledged the existence of the Holy Spirit, yet denied that he was in the Christ.' He then argues as follows: 

For to Him [the Spirit] belongs the fellowship by which we are made the one body of the only Son of God; wherefore,' he says again,  Whosoever hath not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His. For, to whom in the Trinity should properly belong the communion of this fellowship but to that Spirit who is common to the Father and the Son? That they who are separated from the Church have not this Spirit, the Apostle Jude openly declared.'  In these passages S. Augustine distinctly affirms that, to deny the office of the Holy Ghost in the Church, is to deny a part of the doctrine of the — Trinity. So again, speaking of the absolution of sin, S. Augustine ascribes it to the operation of the Three Persons. 'For the Holy Ghost dwells in no one without the Father and the Son; nor the Son without the Father and the Holy Ghost; nor without them the Father. 

For their indwelling is inseparable whose operation is inseparable. . . . But, as I have already often said, the remission of sins, whereby the kingdom of the Spirit divided against Himself is overthrown and cast out — and, therefore, the fellowship of the unity of the Church of God, out of which the remission of sins is not given — is the proper office of the Holy Ghost, the Father and the Son cooperating ; for the Holy Ghost Himself is the fellowship of the Father and the Son. . . . Whosoever therefore is guilty of impenitence against the Spirit, in whom the unity and fellowship of the communion of the Church is held together, it shall never be forgiven him, because he hath closed against himself the way of remission, and shall justly be condemned with the spirit, who is divided against himself, being also divided against the Holy Ghost, who, against Himself, is not divided... 

And, therefore, all congregations, or rather dispersions, which call themselves churches of Christ, and are divided and contrary among themselves, and to the congregation of unity which is His true Church, are enemies: nor because they seem to have His name, do they therefore belong to His congregation. They would indeed belong to it if the Holy Ghost, in whom this congregation is associated together, were divided against Himself. But, because this is not so (for he who is not with Christ is against Him, and he who gathers not with Him scatters), therefore, all sin and all .blasphemy shall be remitted unto men in this congregation, which Christ gathers together in the Holy Ghost, and not in the spirit which is divided against himself.' Like as in the old world the divine tradition of the knowledge of (rod was encompassed by corrupt and fragmentary religions, so the divine tradition of the faith is encompassed by fragmentary Christianities and fragmentary churches. 

The belief in the unity of God, before the Incarnation, was broken up into the polytheisms of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Since the Incarnation this can not be. The illumination of the Word made flesh renders impossible all polytheism and idolatry. The unity and the spirituality of the eternal (rod are now axioms of the human reason. But, as S. Augustine profoundly observes, the analogy still holds between the errors of the old creation and of the new. Satan, as he says, can no longer divide the true (rod, nor bring in among us false gods, therefore he has sent strifes among Christians. Because he could not fabricate  many gods, therefore he has multiplied sects, and sowed errors, and set up heresies. (Pgs. 23-26)

Going back to Fr. O'Sullivan's book from above, he tells of a consequential ending when one breaks from the Spirit of Truth (the Holy Ghost): 

The Great Sin Against the Holy Ghost and Its Punishment

The fall of Constantinople and its destruction is a striking example of the awful punishment meted out by God to those who sin against the Holy Spirit. The Greeks, led by their Patriarchs Photius and Cerularius, denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost and, after apparently renouncing their error, fell back into the same sin. They were threatened by Pope Nicholas V with God's anger if they did not repent. This they obstinately refused to do.

Three years later, in 1453, Mahomet II, at the head of a formidable Moslem army, surrounded the city and after fierce fighting defeated the Greeks and captured Constantinople —this, on the very feast of the Holy Ghost. Fearful massacres, pillage and fires lasted three whole days, reducing the inhabitants to an awful plight: Mahomet, on the fourth day, entered the city, took possession of the Imperial Palace and turned the cathedral into a mosque.

Constantinople has since then lain under the cruel yoke of the Turks for over 500 years. What a punishment!" (Ibid.pg.59)

Conclusion

By observing the 21st century and its continual downfall and loss of faith, there is no doubt it's clearly a result from a multitude of sins against God The Holy Ghost. While it is true that any sin can be forgiven if the proper dispositions are made in the confessional to a valid Catholic priest, many are not, simply because of the nature of such sins. The malice is great depending on the knowledge and the will of the sinner. 

Pentecost is indeed a special time to ponder, but it is more beneficial to examine ourselves and see if we have truly given in to such pride which is the root of despair, presumption, having repugnance of the known truth (such as from divine revelation), envy of another's spiritual good, obstinacy in sin, and finally impenitence. Those in the new religion or any false religion for that matter ought to seriously consider who they will have to stand before one day and start asking for the first gift of Fear of the Lord. Below is a good way to start.

Litany to the Holy Ghost

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Father all powerful, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, Save us.

Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless Life of both, Sanctify us.

Holy Trinity, Hear us.

Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.

Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.

Promise of God the Father, have mercy on us.

Ray of heavenly light, have mercy on us.

Author of all good, etc.

Source of heavenly water,

Consuming Fire,

Ardent Charity,

Spiritual Unction,

Spirit of love and truth,

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and fortitude,

Spirit of knowledge and piety,

Spirit of the fear of the Lord,

Spirit of grace and prayer,

Spirit of peace and meekness,

Spirit of modesty and innocence,

Holy Ghost, the Comforter,

Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier,

Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, Gift of God the Most High,

Spirit Who fillest the universe,

Spirit of the adoption of the children of God,

Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin.

Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth.

Holy Ghost, shed Thy light into our souls.

Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts.

Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love.

Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces.

Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well.

Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations.

Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation.

Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.

Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good.

Holy Ghost, grant us the merits.of all virtues. Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety.

V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful, 

R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

LET US PRAY: Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit may enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us. fruitful in good works, through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the ‘same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. R. Amen.