The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 570

"

LOVE

530

enemy no more, but because he to

renounce his

is

commanded

to depart

idols, his sinful affections, the

seem indispensable

to his joy

and

life,

many

from

sin,

things that

and especially when, point-

ing to the cross, the Holy Spirit imposes sacrifices, pursues him with afflictions, covers him with ignominy. Then that opposition

can become so strong and grievous that one would almost say: He is no more a child of God."

"

And the Holy Spirit bears all this resistance with infinite pity, and overcomes it and casts it out with eternal mercy. Who that is

not a stranger to his

own

heart does not

remember how many

years it took before he would yield a certain point of resistance

;

how

he always avoided facing it, restlessly opposed it, at last thought to end the matter by arranging for a sort of modus vivendi between himself and the Holy Spirit? But the Holy Spirit did not cease, gave him no rest; again and again that familiar knock was heard,

And

the calling in his heart of that familiar voice. resistance he could not but yield in the end his bones,

and he cried out

:

"

;

after years of

became

it

like fire in

Thou, Lord, art stronger than

I j Thou

hast prevailed.

In this way the Holy Spirit breaks down every wall of partition, pouring out His light in all the heart's empty spaces, gradually opening every door, gaining access to the soul's most secret cham-

even to the vaults underneath the structure of our being, unthe outpouring of His brightness is complete in all our personality, and the whole heart has become His temple. This task is executed only by means of Love. The Holy Spirit allows Himself to be grieved, provoked, and insulted but He never yields. He is never weary of repeating the same thing to the ear In our past or present there can be no sin, that once was deaf. bers, til

finally, either before or in death,

;

which He does not comfort us, which He does not healing balm for every inward wound. He always has a word in good season for all that are weary. It is Love always filling us with shame; but at the same time ever uplifting, never despairing, unceasing in its devotion. It is not merely a Love for men in general, but in the most ex-

however pardon.

base, of

He

g^ives

clusive sense a personal

Love

iarly tinted to

only a pity for

meet the all

who

;

not only Love for

Love

individual, pecul-

for the individual

the redeemed taken as a multitude, but a

special peculiarity of our being. suffer, like that of the

It is

not

nurse for the patients

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