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The Easter Cycle
Besides giving Himself, the Holy Ghost gave them various gifts and charismata, thus making
His presence known by sensible signs. In recalling this event, the liturgy has us in mind. We
have received both the baptism of Christ and the sacrament of confirmation. We are bearers of
the Spirit, filled with the Holy Ghost.
The Introit applies to us: “When I shall be sanctified in you, I will gather you together out of
all the countries [into the fold of the Church], and I will pour upon you clean water [baptism]
and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness.” There can be no doubt that we have received
the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, together with the Father and the Son in the inseparable
unity of the divinity, has come to us to abide in us. He is most intimately bound to our souls in
a living union. “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not
nor knoweth Him, shall abide with you and shall be in you” (Gospel). He lives and works in us
who have been incorporated in the body of Christ.
“He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father; and I will love him and will manifest
Myself to him” (Gospel). With what a love He has loved us! He has loved us with that same
love which binds the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost together in the Blessed Trinity.
We Christians can boast that the love with which the Father and the Son love us, and with
which we love them, is God. “God is charity” (1 Jn 4:8). It is the Holy Ghost, the Love of
God, who binds the Father and the Son together and completes their love. It is the same
Holy Ghost who binds us to Christ, as head and members, so that as one we love, work, pray,
suffer, and adore the Father. Through His miraculous entry into our souls and His marvelous
union with them, He effects our union with Christ and binds us to the fountainhead of all
grace. We are incorporated in Christ through the Holy Ghost, who lives in us. And the Holy
Ghost, the Love of God, dwells in us because we are incorporated in Christ.
O marvelous unity! O union of love! As surely as we are incorporated in Christ through
baptism and are organically bound to Him and become one with Him, just as truly the Holy
Ghost, the essence of divine love, dwells in us. What an elevation of our human nature, since the
Holy Ghost, so to speak, becomes incarnate in us! What love on the part of God, that the Father
and the Son and the Holy Ghost should bind us to themselves in such unending blessedness!
The same Holy Ghost, the expression of the love of the Father and the Son, binds us to the Son
and, through the Son, to the Father.
How unfortunate that we should always merely skim the surface of our souls! Into the inner
sanctuary where You reside, O Holy Ghost, we seldom penetrate. O God, at Pentecost give
us a view of those unfathomable depths in which You dwell. From this day on let our gaze be
fixed on Thee. Draw us away from the turmoil and distractions of our daily life into the depths
of our soul where the Holy Ghost lives and works, that we may listen to His inspirations and
live by His spirit.
We dissipate our energies by distractions and allow ourselves to become slaves to our duties
and obligations. We allow ourselves no moments of silence and meditation in which we might
be led to the Holy Ghost, who lives in us. We forget His presence entirely. He lingers in the dark
recesses of our soul and waits in vain for a glance or a word from us.
Let us withdraw more into our own hearts, into their very depths. Let us listen to His inspirations
and obey them promptly. Let us hearken to the voice that speaks within us and stirs
us to action. Let us be more conscious of the sublime presence of God within us.
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