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The Light of the World
“for wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins” (Ws 1:4).
We must endeavor without ceasing to reach that height of purity of heart that excludes any
voluntary venial sin, even an imperfection that has been recognized as such. It is also necessary
to live a life of recollection, silencing unnecessary thoughts and cares, and to subject our will in
all things and under all circumstances to the holy will of God, being resigned to anything that
may happen to us as being willed or permitted by God’s providence.
There are three obstacles to our walking in the Spirit: the human spirit of man, the spirit of the
world, and the evil spirit. Man’s own spirit induces him to act out of purely natural motives
without dependence on the operation of the Holy Spirit and His grace within us. The spirit
of the world is the spirit of the concupiscence of the eyes; it is the atmosphere surrounding us
everywhere and influencing our actions. Then there is the evil spirit, the devil, trying to seduce
and ruin us with his temptations.
The power of the Holy Ghost gives us the strength to resist our own human spirit, the spirit
of the world, and the devil. These spirits have been destined by divine providence to molest us,
but only in order that we may be all the more willing to unite ourselves with the true Spirit, the
Holy Ghost, working within our souls.
Unfortunately, we pay too little attention to the presence of the Holy Ghost within our soul,
and we do not live in a close enough union with Him. We are not grateful enough towards Him
who deigns to dwell within our soul, making our body His temple and unerringly guiding our
soul if only we are willing to be led by Him.
Prayer
Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy Church with perpetual mercy; and because the frailty of
man without Thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by Thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us
to all things profitable to our salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Friday
We live in Christ since we have been united with Him in baptism; living in Christ has almost
the same meaning to St. Paul as walking “in the Spirit.” “In this we know that we abide in Him,”
says St. John, “and He in us; because He hath given us of His Spirit” (1 Jn 4:13). “We are Christ’s
body if we live of the Spirit of Christ; only the body of Christ lives of His Spirit” (St. Augustine).
After we have received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, we must “walk in the Spirit” (Epistle).
“The flesh lusteth against the spirit, . . . so that you do not the things that you would. . . . [But]
they that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences” (Epistle).
They are no longer guided by the desires of their corrupt nature; they are new men, risen with
Christ. Therefore they live the life of Christ and do not work “the works of the flesh, which
are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions,
emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, envies, sects, murders, drunkenness, and revellings,
and such like. . . . They who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God” (Epistle).
The way of a Christian is of necessity the way of Christ; with Him we must fight and carry our
cross. In order to help us and to live within us, He has become one with us. He came to destroy
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