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THE PARACLETE 

NOVENAS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT 

III ustrating 

THE SEVEN GIFTS 

AND 

THE TWELVE FRUITS 

By 

Lawrence J. Luetkemeyer 



Imprimi Potest: 

W. J. No1d, 

Censor Librorum. 

March 8, 1946. 

Imprimatur: 

Joseph P. Lynch, D.D., 

Bishop of Dallas. 

March 15, 1946. 

DeacfdiRed 



Foreword 
Parac1ete, a Greek word, means literally 

"called upon" or unto; but practically, 

since our Lord referred His disciples for 

what they needed as Christians to the Holy 

Spirit, it must mean that He, the Holy 

Spirit, answers if asked or "called upon," 

(Wis 7,7) all our spiritual needs: Wisdom, 

understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, 

godliness, zeal. The word has been vari-

ously translated, according to what the 

translator thought was our most urgent 

or universal need, or judged from the con-

text where the word is used, the Parac1ete 

was answering or called upon to answer; 

hence, advocate, counsellor, helper, inter-

cessor, comforter, exhorter. 

The word best remains untranslated, 'be-

cause we have no word that really trans-

lates it. It has a meaning all its own. 

Parac1esis is as peculiar to the Parac1ete 

as redemption is to the Redeemer. Know-

ing this, Christians will never neglect to 

call upon the Holy Spirit, particularly dur-

ing the yearly Novena, (enj oined by 

Pope Leo XIII) which commemorates and 

re-enacts the time when the Church, re-

deemed, but orphan-like, was waiting and 

calling for the Paraclete of her inner life 

to corne, and to be present with her and 

3 



in her forever, thereafter, present to answer 

her every need and call for the necessities 

and commodities and luxuries of her spirit-

uallife. 

Novena, a Latin word, an adjective de-

rived from "novem" meaning nine, refers 

to a practice, common in the Church of 

praying for a special favor of Heaven nine 

consecutive days. The tenth is generally 

added as the one on which the favor is to be 

received; as it actually was received by the 

Apostles, who were the first to have' 'held 

out in prayer with Mary, the mother of . 

Jesus, and His brethren" nine days; and 

then to have received the greatest of all 

great favors, the very gift of God, the 

Paraclete himself, on the tenth. It is a 

practice, therefore, of Apostolic precedent; 

and seemingly reflects the mind of Jesus 

Himself; since HQ charged them not to 

depart from Jerusalem; but to wait until 

they were "clothed with power from on 

high", to wait for the "Promise of the 

Father". Then after nine days He sent 

forth the Holy Spirit upon them. In the 

mean time He left them in suspense as to 

what the full nature of the Kingdom that 

was to come was to be. This expectancy 

was perhaps their best preparation for the 

most fruitful reception of the Holy Spirit; 

4 



a fact, which Inight be a hint to us, that 

a prolonged and profound preparation is 

necessary, if we want to open and to offer 

our souls fully to the "paraclesis of the 

Holy Spirit" (Acts 9,31), and have His Gifts 

fully realized in us. 

To supply prayers and Ineditations for 

such novenas has been the purpose of 

these efforts; and at the saIne tiIne to 

Inake known and current ideas and ideals, 

that should be known and current aInong 

the Christian people upon whoIn "the 

blessing of AbrahaIn", "the proInise of 

the Spirit thru the faith" has COIne (Gal 

3,14). 

His seven Gifts are here treated under 

the title of seven spirits, following the hint 

of Saint ThoInas, referring us to the 

prophecy, where they are so called. As 

cOIning froIn the Holy Spirit they are in-

deed spirits, that is attitudes, dispositions, 

disposing and qualifying us for acts essen-

tial to Christian or supernatural life ; but, 

as "iInplanted" (Jcl,21) in the hUInansoul, 

they are powers, to be developed, "in-

creased" (Col 2,19), as we cooperate, "trade 

with" theIn (Mt 25,15), till they becoIne 

habits, virtues. With theIn we realize "the 

precious Ag (2,7) and exceeding great prOIn-

5 



ises" (2 Pt 1,4) held out to all nations in 

the seed of Abraha:m (Gn 22,18) in Jesus 

Christ, fro:m "whose fulness we all take", 

(In 1,16) "grace upon grace", till we "be-

co:me partakers of divine nature" (2 Pt 

1,4), even "filled unto all the fulness of 

God" (E 3,19), "unto the :measure of the 

stature of the fulness of Christ' ~ (E 4,13). 

The positive rather than the negative 

side of Christianity has been set forth, so 

that people :might better understand a:r:td 

. appreciate the "unspeakable, (rather, the 

indescribable) gift of God" (2 Cor 9, 15), and 

their own inesti:mable privilege of being 

Christians, "partakers of the Holy Spirit" 

(Heb 6,4) as live :me:mbers of Christ's one 

body, the Church (E 1,23). 

Neither are the ideas and ideals, here set 

forth, new. No, what you here find said has 

been said long ago by the "one Teacher" 

(Mt 23,10), Christ, speaking thru Hi:msel£ 

and thru His Spirit in His :many oracles in 

the Church of the ages. Only the setting ·· 

and the string is new. The thoughts, like 

the Goodly Pearls in the parable, sought 

by a :merchant, are old; but they have been 

gathered and are here strung together for 

your special benefit. And it is hoped that 

in this for:m like that of a glinting necklace 

6 



they will catch the eye, will set off the in-

valuable pearl of godliness, so that :more 

people seeing it will be induced to "go and 

sell all they have to acquire it" (Mt 13,46). 

Truth to tell, too few Christians think 

of godliness, of God-like behavior, as being 

a Christian privilege and duty. And also, 

too few :may be found having the Wedding 

Gar:ment on (Mt 22,11), when Christ, the 

king of glory, co:mes in to see His guests, 

and to assign the:m to their proper and 

final places in the brilliant banquet hall 

or eternity. 

May these efforts help to open and to 

pave the way for Christians into full Chris-

tianity, into "the love of the Father, the 

grace of the Son, and t he co:m:munication 

of the Holy Spirit" (2 Cor 13,13). 

The Author. 

N. B. In Quoting Scripture the author has been more concerned about 
the meaning revealed than about the wording found in the Douay Version. 
I n every inst ance he has cons u lt ed the original text. and has tried to re-
thin k the thoughts as Prophet and Apostle thought t hem about the Paraclete 
and his paraclesis , and to express them in 'modern English. All Quotations 
of importanc~. and even a llusions. are marked w ith references to a fford the 
reader if he looks the refe rence up an opportunity to do more thinking and 
gain more light on the indescribable gif t of God : 

7 



The Text 
Our Lord said: It is expedient to you that 

I go; for if I go not, the Parac1ete will not 

corne to you; but if I go, I will send Him to 

you. And when He is corne, He will con-

vince the world of sin and of justice and of 

judgrnent: of sin , because they believed 

not in 'Me; and of justice, because I go to 

the Father, and ye shall see Me no longer; 

and of judgrnent, because the prince of 

this world is already judged. I have yet 

rnany things to say to you; but ye cannot 

bear thern now. But when He, the Spirit 

of truth, is corne, He will teach you all 

truth. For He shall not speak of hirnsel£; 

but what things soever He shall hear He 

shall speak; and the things that are to 

corne, He shall show you. He shall glorify 

Me; because He shall receive of rnine, and 

shall show it to you (In 16,7-14). 

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon 

him: The spirit of wisdorn and of under-

standing, the Spirit of counsel and of for-

titude, the Spirit of knowledge and of god-

liness. And he shall be filled with the Spirit 

of the fear of the Lord (Is 11, 2-3). 

8 



The Text Revised 

Our Lord said: It is well for you that I go 

away; for if I go not away, the Paraclete 

will not co:me to you; but if I go, I vJill send 

tH:m unto you. And co:ming He will show 

(enlighten) the world concerning sin, and 

concerning righteousness, and concerning 

judiciousness; concerning sin, since they 

believe not in Me; concerning righteous-

ness, since I go to the Father, and ye be-

hold Me no longer; concerning j udicious-

ness, since the prince of this world hath 

been judged. Yet :many things I have to 

say to you, but ye cannot bear the:m now. 

However when He, the Spirit of truth is 

co:me, He will guide you into all the truth; 

for He will not speak for Hi:mself; but what 

things soever He shall hear, shall He speak, 

and the co:ming things He will declare to 

you. He will glorify Me; for He will take 

of :mine, and declare it to you (In 16,7-14). 

The Spiri t of Yahweh shall rest upon Hi:m : 

the Spirit of w isdo:m and of understanding, 

the Spirit of counsel and of power, the 

Spirit of knowledge and of godliness; and 

shall be-spirit Hi:m with godliness (religion, 

the fear of Yahweh) (Is 11,2-3). 

9 



Veni Creator Spiritus, 
Mentes tuorum visita, 
Imple superna gratia 
Quae tu creasti pectora. 

Qui diceris Paraclitus 
Altissimi Donum Dei, 
Fons vivus, Ignis, Charitas, 
Et spiritalis Unctio. 

... Tu septiformis munere, 
o Digitus Paternae dexterae, 

Tu rite promissum Patr is, 
Sermone ditans guttura. 

Accende lumen sensibus, 
Infunde amorem cordibus, 
Infirma nostri corporis 
Virtute firmans perpeti. 

Hostem rep elIas longius, 
Pacemque dones protinus ; 
Ductore sic te praevio 
Vitemus omne noxium. 

Hy:mn to the Holy Spirit 

Come, 0 Creator Spirit Blest! 
And in our soul take up Thy rest; 
Come, with Thy grace and heavenly aid, 
To fill the hearts which Thou has made. 

Great Paraclete! to Thee we cry! 
o highest gift of God most high! 
o fount of life! 0 fire of love! 
And sweet anointing from above! 

Thou in Thy seven fold gifts art known . 
Thee, Finger of God's hand, we own; 
The promise of the Father Thou! 
Who dost the tongue with pow'r endow. 

K indle our senses from above, 
And make our hearts o'erflow with love; 
With patience firm, and virtue high; 
The weakness of our flesh supply. 

Far from us drive the foe we dread , 
And grant us Thy true peace instead ; 
So shall we not, with Thee for guide, 
Turn from the path of life aside. 



Per te sciamus da Patrem, 
Noscamus atque Filium, 
Teque utriusque Spiritum 
Credamus omni tempore. 

Deo .Patri sit gloria, 
Ejusque soli Filio, 
Cum Spiritu Paraclito 
Nunc et per omne saeculum. Amen. 

0, may Thy grace on us bestow 
. The Father and the Son to know, 
And Thee, through endless times confess'd 
Of both Th' eternal Spirit blest. 

All glory, while the ages run, 
Be to the Father and the Son, 
The same, 0 Holy Ghost, to Thee, 
Now and through all eternity. Amen. 

Sequence 

Veni Sancte Spiritus, 
Et emitte coelitus 
Lucis tuae radium. 

Veni, Pater pauperum; 
Veni, dator numerum; 
Veni, lumen cordium. 

Consolator optime, 
Dulcis, hospes animae 
Dulce refrigerium. 

Holy Spirit! Lord of light! 
From Thy clear celestial height, 
Thy pure beaming radiance give: 

Corne, Thou Father of the poor! 
Corne, with treasures which endure! 
Corne, Thou Light of all that live! 

Thou, of all consolers best, 
Visiting the troubled breast, 
Dost refreshing peace bestow; 



In labore requies, 
In aestu temperies, 
In fletu solatium~ 

o lux beatissima, 
Reple cordis intima 
Tuorum fidelium. 

Sine tuo numine 
Nihil est in homine, 
Nihil est innoxium. 

Lava quod est sordidum, 
i;:) Riga quod est aridum, 

Sana quod est saucium. 

Flecte quod est rigidum, 
Fove quod est frigidum, 
Rege quod est devium. 

De tuis fidelibus 
In te confidentibus 
Sacrum septenarium. 

Da virtu tis meritum, 
Da salutis exitum, 
Da perenne gaudium. Amen. 

Thou in toil art comfort sweet; 
Pleasant coolness in the heat; 
Solace in the midst of woe. 

Light immortal! Light Divine! 
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine, 
And our inmost being fill: 

If Thou take Thy grace away, 
Nothing pure in man will stay; 
All his good is turn's to ill. 

Heal our wounds - our strength renew; 
On our dryness pour Thy dew; 
Wash the strains of guilt away; 

Bend the stubborn heart and will; 
Mel t the frozen - warm the chill; 
Guide the steps that go astray. 

Thou, on those who evermore 
Thee confess and Thee adore 
In Thy sevenfold gifts descend; 

Give them comfort when they die; 
Give them life with Thee on high; 
Give them joys which never end. Amen. 



Hymn arid Prayer to the Holy Spirit 

(Tune: Rock of Ages, or 

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me) 

Holy Spirit, care for me. (1 Pt 5,7) 
Make me what I ought to be. (E 2,10) 
Let Thy Wisdom and Thy light (Is 11,2) 
Be my guide both day and night; (Ex 40,38) 
As in faith I onward plod, (Heb 11,13) 
On to where I 'm horne with God. (Mt 11,28) 

Holy Spirit, see me thru. (Ex 23,20) 
Make me holy, good, and true. (Mic 6,8) 
Let Thy counsel and Thy might (2 Par 20,12) 
Be my guard both left and right; (1 Pt 1,5) 
As in hope I upward strive, (Prv 15,24) 
Up to where in Christ I thrive. (E 2,6) 

Holy Spirit, from above, (Jc 1,17) 
In my heart shed forth Thy love. (Rm 5,5) 
Let Thy knowledge and Thy grace (2 Pt 3,18) (Hos 6,6) 
Free my soul from all that's base; (1 Thes 4,8) 
As Thou comest there to rest, (Rm 8,9) 
Thou my host as well as guest. (Neh 9,20-21) 

Holy Spirit, fire divine, (2 Tm 1,6) (Acts 2,3) 
In my zeal both burn and shine. (In 5,5) 
Make me will and make me do, (Phil 2,13) 
As a Christian ought to do. (E 4,1) 
Make me do, till all is done, (Jr 1,7) 
Till the crown of life is won. (Apoc 2,10) 

Holy Spirit, mystic Dove, (In 1,32) (Gn 8,10-12) 
Be my faith, my hope, my love. (1 Cer 13,10-13) 
Answer ev'ry need and call. (Mic 2,7) 
Be my guide, my guard, my all. (1 Cor 12,11) 
Be with me in all I meet; (Is 8,10) 
Thou, my God and Paraclete. (In 14,17) 

Indulgenced Prayers 

Consecration to the Holy Spirit 

o Holy Spirit, divine Spirit of light and 
love, I consecrate to Thee my understand-

13 



ing, heart, and will, my whole being for 

time and eternity. May my understanding 

be always submissive to Thy heavenly in-

spirations, and to the teaching of the 

Catholic Church of which Thou art the in-

fallible guide; and may my heart be ever 

inflamed with the love of God and of my . 

neighbor; may my will be ever conformed 

to the divine will, and may my whole life 

be a faithful imitation of the life and 

virtues of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 

to Whom with the Father and Thee be 

honor and glory forever. Amen. 300 days, 

once a day - Pius X, June 5, 1908. 

Prayer to the Holy Spirit 

. for the Propagation of the Faith 

Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, come into 

our hearts; shed the brightness of Thy 

light on all nations, that they may be one 

in faith and pleasing to Thee. 100 days, 

once a day - Leo XIII, July 31, 1897. 

Prayer to the Holy Spirit for the Church 

o Holy Spirit, Creator, be propitious to 
the Catholic Church, and by Thy heavenly I 

power make it strong and secure against 

the attacks of its enemies, and renew in 

charity and grace the Spirit of Thy servants 

whom Thou has anointed, that they may 

glorify Thee and the Father and His only-

14 



begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. 

Amen. 300 days, once a day - Leo XIII, 

August 26, 1889. 

Invocation to the Holy Spirit 

Corne, 0 Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of 
Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire 

of Thy love. 300 days, every time - Pius X, 

May 8,1907. 

FIRST NOVENA 

Illustrating the Seven Spirits or Gifts in 

their Meaning to us. 

INVOCATION 

Corne, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy 

faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy 

love. 

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall 

be created; 

R. And thou shalt renew the face of the 

earth. 

Let us pray. 0 God, Who hast taught the 
hearts of the faithful by the light of the 

Holy Spirit; grant us by the same Spirit to 

know what is right, and upon His consola-

tion (guidance) ever to rejoice (Acts 15,31), 

thru Christ Our Lord. Amen. 

FIRST DAY 

I tell you the truth: It is well for you that 

I go away; for if I go not away, the Par-

15 



aclete will not corne to you; but if I go, I 

will send Him to you (In 16,7). 

With these words our Lord told His 

apostles, and tells us, that we need the 

Holy Spirit, that He has His own special 

work to do for us, a work which only He 

can do for us, and only will do after Jesus 

has finished His. To understand this, we 

must remember that each of the three 

Divine Persons shares in every work done 

for us. What is begun by the Father, is 

sustained by the Son, and completed by 

the Holy Spirit. Creation is therefore 

ascribed to the Father, salvation to the 

Son, and sanctification to the Holy Spirit. 

This work of the Spirit is very intimate, 

and very personal to us. For that work the 

Paraclete at first comes to us to show us 

concerning sin in the spirit of wisdom and 

understanding, then is with us to show us 

concerning righteousness in the spirit of 

counsel and power, then is in us to show 

us concerning judiciousness iIi. the spirit 

of knowledge and godliness, and · finally 

fills us unto all the fulness of God in the 

spirit of zeal. That is the program of the 

Paraclete'; that is sanctification. And that 

is the explanation for the above words. 

Jesus is already thinking of sanctification, 

when taking leave of His apostles. "That 

l~ 



they be sanctified in the truth", was his 

farewell prayer (In 17,17). 

When Jesus had effected our salvation, 

had restored the order of righteousness, as 

planned by the Father fro:m the beginning, 

His task was finished; He said so on the 

cross. It was then well for us that He went 

away, and in His stead sent the Holy Spirit; 

that He, the Paraclete, :might lead us into 

all the truth, and perfect us in the glory of 

Christ, in Christianity, sanctify us in the 

truth. 

Re:me:mber, it is the Holy Spirit who 

gives, or lends, or co:m:municates the gifts 

and glories of Heaven, and thus brings out 

in order and perfection whatever is being 

ordered and perfected. So He did the 

:material world after its creation, when 

"He :moved upon the face of the waters" 

(Gn 1,2); so He does hu:man society after 

its salvation; since He ca:me upon the 

Church in the for:m of " tongues as of fire" 

(Acts 2,3); so He does the individual soul 

in its sanctification, when " He sheds 

abroad in our hearts the love of God" (Rn 

5,5). The world was ordered and perfected 

in the seven days; society is perfected by 

the seven sacra:men ts, and the soul is so 

thru the seven Gifts. 

17 



Primeval matter needed the diverse 

workings of God to evolve into this beauti-

ful world-this beautiful world, which we 

all love so well, tho not always so wisely. 

Outcast society needs the diverse ministra-

tions of the' Lord to develop into a uni-

. versal brotherhood; a universal brother-

hood, a thing we all are so quick to preach, 

but so slow to practice. Corrupt man 

needs the diverse gifts of the Spirit to un-

fold into the finished Christian-the fin-

ished Christian, whom we all admire so 

much in others, yet cultivate so little in 

ourselves. All, therefore, need the Par-

aclete for their final perfection. 

Hence, when Christ had formed and 

planted the principles of salvation, for 

society and the soul, in the sacraments of 

the Church, as God has formed and plant-

ed the powers of creation in the elements 

of nature, He left them for the Spirit to 

develop, to develop unto fulness or perfec-

tion by His gifts or loans or communica-

tions, so that, as the fulness of the earth 

and the sky declareth the glory of God, so 

the fulness of the state and the Church 

may reflect the glory of Jesus, and the 

fulness of the man and the Christian may 

commend the glory of the Paraclete; and 

so God be glorified in all. 

18 



Alas, we, as free beings, Inay act along or 

act against, Inay assist or resist the Spirit 

in His efforts of perfecting. We Inay re-

Inain heathens, "waste and wild", or 

develop into Christians, "well ordered and 

well adorned". Hence the Apostle exhorts 

us: "Be ye perfected; be ye exhorted or 

paracleted; be ye like-Ininded ; be ye peace-

ful; and the God of love and of peace shall 

b!! with you" (2 Cor 13,11). Yea, He shall 

be in you (1 Cor 6,19), to shed abroad in 

your hearts the grace of the Lord Jesus 

Christ, and the love of God, and the COIn-

Inunication of the Holy Spirit. 

Let us work and pray that God Inay 

grant us the gifts or loans or COInInunica-

tions of the Holy Spirit: 

SECOND DAY 

His Efforts in Our Behalf 

And cOIning he will show the world 

concerning sin, and concerning righteous-

ness, and concerning judiciousness; con-

cerning sin, since they believe not in Me; 

concerning righteousness, since I go to the 

Father, and ye shall behold Me no longer; 

concerning judiciousness, since the prince 

of this world hath been judged (In 16,9). 

The purpose of the Spirit's cOIning has 

19 



been comprised in a verb, for which in our 

modern language we have no equivalent. 

The verb 'show' in its slang meaning of 'to 

make see' is the nearest we have to it. 

What it means we can gather from the 

many instances where the verb is used. Its 

underlying idea is that of an honest, yet 

not always of a successful, effort at en-

lightenment. And that is exactly the role 

of the Spirit with us mortals here on eart~. 

He is ever trying to make us see the higher 

and better things; while we too often 

' resist' Him, and 'grieve' Him, and even 

'quench' Him. All this we do, because we 

are not always of good will, do not always 

let Him show us our errors and our duties 

and our chances; tho He go about it ever 

so kindly and quietly and cleverly. Yet, 

tho we rebel, He never quits us. He loves 

us. "With a love everlasting He loves us; 

therefore, His loving kindness towards us 

continues" (Jr 31,3). 

He ever pursues us for our profit; for He 

wants us to share .in His hoiiness, and sub-

sequently in His blessedness. To bring 

this about He must often enough "show" 

us. "Whom God loveth He showeth, even 

as a father does his son, in whom he is 

much interested" (Prov 3,12). "His incor-

ruptible Spirit is in all men, showing 

20 



vagrants little by little; and reminding 

truants of their failings He warns them, 

that turning away from their wickedness 

they may believe in Him" (Wis 12,2). He 

bears with us long and patiently, because 

He would have all men saved, "and corne 

to the knowledge of the truth". He ever 

works to that end. "He sends forth His 

seven Spirits into all the earth" (Apoc 5,6) , 

"to show Himself strong in behalf of them 

whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Par 

16,9). He has the welfare and betterment 

of all, their sanctification (1 Thes 4,3), at 

heart. And His efforts of help range thru 

the whole scale of our spiritual need; from 

wisdom to understanding, from counsel to 

power, from knowledge to godliness, and 

zeal; from the depths of sin thru all 

grades of righteousness to the finer things 

of judiciousness. 

The Holy Spirit 'comes' with this final 

purpose in view, to glorify Christ in Chris-

tions, to christianize mankind, to raise 

man above his natural state into com-

munion with God. He consistently and 

constantly works to that end. While, how-

ever, He shows all men concerning sin, 

(concerning 'repentance unto life') (Act!? 

11,18), He can show concerning righteous-

ness, (concerning the elements of life), 

21 



only such as hear HiIn, and believe in 

Christ; in Christ, the way, the truth, and 

the life. Those that hear and heed, and 

with His help judge and cast Satan out of 

their heart, He shows to the utmost. Those 

He helps all along the way; the called, 

unto repentance; the repentant, unto life; 

the live, unto perfection. "His delight is 

with the children of men" (Prv 8,31). 

He is always with them, if only they be 

with Him. If they are, all His efforts meet 

with success. It is a case of intimate co-

operation and of close coordination. The 

crown of life is obtained only with His 

help, never without it. 

They need Him, and He is ever ready to 

supply what they need, when 'called upon'. 

Even 'before they call, He answers' (Is 

65,24); for He deals with them, as with 

sons, heeding their need 'more than their 

call. Unless they act in conjunction with 

Him, however, He does nothing; and unless 

He acts in them, they achieve nothing-

nothing unto sanctification. But with 

Him they can do all things. Those that 

obey Him (Acts 5,32), He helps unstinting-

ly. Those He 'shows' with a love and a care 

that is' without measure; and unto a per-

fection and a blessedness that is without 

end. For the measure and the end is God. 

22 



'Of Him. and by Him. and unto Him. are we 

all' . 

Let us work and pray that God m.ay 

grant us His Spirit to 'show' us: 

THIRD DAY 

Effects and Evidence of the Spirit 

Yet m.any things I have to say to you; 

but ye cannot bear them. now. However, 

when He, the Spirit of truth, is com.e, He 

will guide you into all the truth; for He 

shall not speak for Him.sel£; but what 

things soever He shall hear, He shall speak, 

and the com.ing things He shall declare 

unto you. He shall glorify m.e; for He shall 

take of m.ine, and shall declare it to you 

(In 16,12). 

Having the above assurances concerning 

the Holy Spirit, can these assured effects 

anywhere be noted? Surely, only in people 

of good will, who do not resist Him., who 

let Him. show them. their errors and their 

duties and their chances, ;who want to be 

'shown'. Therefore, these effects m.ay be 

noted first of all in the Apostles. And what 

is the change effected in them. when the 

Paraclete com.es, and is no longer m.erely 

with them., but actually in them.? 

Behold, the very prom.ise of our Lord 

23 



just quoted is at once fulfilled in them. 

They can now bear the many things, which 

Christ had yet to say unto them, but could 

not say at the time. They are now no 

longer too weak and too slow to under-

stand. They are guided as if by one step 

into all the truth. They now no longer ask 

about, but go and preacli the kingdom. 

They begin right from the time and the 

place, wherein the Spirit comes upon them. 

I t is as if they had been awakened from 

a dream, and looking around, realized the 

whole truth of the situation. They act as 

Christ said the Paraclete would act. They 

speak not from themselves; but what 

things soever they hear, they speak; speak 

the things they see right at hand, what the 

circumstances suggest and demand. They 

do so, because what they now see and hear, 

they under~tand, understand where it be-

longs in the counsel of God. 

They declare the things as they corne, 

not only seeing what is to be seen, but 

also doing what is to be done. They now no 

longer shrink back; but face the world, as 

Christ faced it, with a heart that knows 

no hesitating, no misgiving, no flinching, 

while they show the world concerning sin 

and concerning righteousness and con-

24 



cerning judiciousness. They no longer 

fear, but rejoice that they are accounted 

worthy to suffer reproach for the Name of 

Jesus. Being free from selfish interests, 

their hearts are directed into the charity 

of God and into the patience (steadfast-

ness) of Christ; into His way, His truth, 

and His life of righteousness. 

In one word, they are changed into 

other Christs. They speak and act as He 

spoke and acted. And this fact is fairly 

evident to the world; for when dealing with 

them, men noted' 'that they had been with 

Jesus" (Acts 4,13). They saw in them what 

they had seen in Him. They saw in them 

His Spirit of wisdom and understanding, 

His Spirit of counsel and power, His Spirit 

of knowledge and godliness, and His Spirit 

of zeal · for God. Christ is glorified in 

Christians. The Paraclete has taken the 

glory which is Christ, has taken from His 

fulness grace upon grace, and declared; 

divided it unto them; has clothed them 

with Christ's own character, has baptized 

them into Christ, and anointed them with 

His Holy Spirit and with His power. 

New creatures are appearing on earth, 

Christians. Christ, having arisen in Him-

self, is now thru His Spirit arising also in 

25 



others". The first man Adam became a 

living soul; but the last Adam has become 

a quickening Spirit" (l Cor 15,45), quicken-

ing humans into Christians. Christianity 

or the Church, consequently, as a manifes-

tation of a new life, while it is the grace 

and glory of Christ, is the effect and 

evidence of the Spirit. The Nicene creed 

has, therefore, comprised the Spirit's evi-

dent effects into the word 'vivificans', 

which means quickening or 'making alive'. 

Indeed, the Spirit maketh alive, alive with 

a new life, not by creating new life, but 

by communicating His own eternal life, 

which is new for us, raising us above our 

natural state. Christians take over and 

reflect the glory of God (In 17,22), mani-

fested in Christ, as crystals do the glory of 

light (l Pt 2,9). We become partakers of 

divine nature by the Spirit dwelling in us. 

Let us work and pray that God may 

grant His Spirit to dwell in us: 

FOURTH DAY 

The Spirit of Wisdom 

The wisdom from above is first pure, 

then peaceable, proper, well-advised, over-

flowing with compassion and good fruits, 

impartial, unfeigned (Jc 3,17). 

26 



In these words Saint James describes the 

'wisdom which is from above'. But he 

first described the wisdom which is from 

below, saying: "If ye have bitter jealousy 

and strife in your heart, dB not make the 

mistake of boasting about it, and of being 

false to the truth. That is not the wisdom 

coming down from above; but is earthly, 

sensual, devilish." 

Indeed, as people believe and act, so is 

their wisdom. If people believe that this 

earth is worth their while, their wisdom is 

earthly; if they believe that the pleasures 

of their senses is worth their while, their 

wisdom is sensual; if they believe that the 

devil's way of getting even with neighbors 

is worth their while, their wisdom is devil-

ish. "As a man thinketh within himself, 

so is he" (Prv 23,7). His beliefs make him 

what he is. If his beliefs are inspired by 

his lower nature, he is a child of darkness; 

and his wisdom is from below. If his be-

. liefs are inspired by his higher nature, he 

is a child of light; and his wisdom is from 

above. 

Strange as it may be, everybody likes 

his own wisdom. "Men's minds are like 

their watches; none go just alike; but each 

believes his own." Still, we have learnt to 

27 



set our watches by the sun. Would to God 

that we had learnt to set our :minds by 

Christ, the sun of righteousness. Ti:me and 

tide wait for nobody. Neither does truth 

nor right adjust itself to our :mind; but our 

:mind :must adjust itself to the truth. 

Where it :makes no difference, have your 

way. But where the bounds are set and 

marked, respect the bounds. In fads and 

fashions do as you like; but in civilities, 

"do unto others as you would have others 

do unto you." Custo:ms count for little, 

:manners :matter :much; but :morals :mean 

everything. There not :man but God is the 

surveyor. Yes, His Son Hi:mself has staked 

:morals off with rules, and with His own 

exa:mple. 

Listen to His first parable! Significantly 

is it the first, teaching as it does the first 

lesson we :must learn in religion. "To what 

shall I liken the :men of this generation; 

to what are they like? They are like chil-

dren in a :market place, seated there and 

·calling to one another in this way: 'We 

piped for you, and ye didn't dance; we 

wailed, and ye didn't weep". For John the 

Baptist is co:me neither eating bread nor 

drinking wine; and ye say, He is crazy. 

The Son of :man is co:me eating and drink-

ing; and ye say, Look at the glutton and 

28 



winedrinker, the friend of publicans and 

sinners. "And justified is the wisdo:m by 

all her children" (Lc 7,31-35). 

This parable calls to :mind the proverb: 

, 'All the ways of a :man are clean in his own 

eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits" 

(Prv 16,2). He weigheth the spirits be-

hind these ways. Yes, He inspects the 

hearts (R:m 8,27). Too :many people act as 

if :morals were of :man's :making. They are 

not . . The laws of holiness, like the laws of 

health, are :made by God. This fact :must 

be distinctly recognized, before we can be 

truly wise. "The fear of the Lord is the 

beginning, is the foundation, of wisdo:m" 

(Pry 9,10). This is the spirit which when 

weighed will not be found wanting. It will 

turn our thoughts in the right direction, 

and 'prepare our hearts for God'. It is the 

right attitude. It is true wisdo:m. 

'The wisdo:m fro:m above is first pure', 

that is sincere, wanting to know, opening 

to the truth; 'then peaceable', that is 

open also to the other side of the question; 

then 'proper', that is open as it should be, 

open to all sides of it; then "well-advised" , 

that is open to conviction; then 'overflow-

ing with co:mpassion and good fruits', that 

is open-hearted and open-handed; then 

29 



'impartial', that is open and ready to do 

right by everybody; finally 'unfeigned', 

that is really open and ready, not merely 

pretending to be. Indeed, that is the wis-

dom from above, and is above human 

nature; it is the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Let us work and pray that God may give 

us the Spirit of wisdom: 

FIFTH DAY 

The Spirit of Understanding 

His disciples asked Jesus what this par-

able might be. To whom He said: To you 

it is given to know the mysteries of the 

kingdom of God; but to the rest in par-

abIes; that seeing they may not see, and 

hearing may not understand (Lc 8,10). 

Why was it not given to all alike to know 

the mysteries of the Kingdom? Surely, 

because God deals with men in religion 

the same way as He deals with them else- . 

where. He places before them, within 

reach, what they need; but they must 

reach out to get it; they must do what they 

can themselves. As rich meat is stored up 

in the shell of hard nuts, so heavenly 

truth is wrapt up in the hull of earthly 

parables. It is there for all; but only the 

diligent get it, whereas the negligent do 

30 



not. It is not an empty phrase when our 

Lord says again and again: "He that hath 

ears to hear, let him hear" (M t 11,15). "To 

him who hath shall be given, and he shall 

have in abundance; whilst from him who 

hath not shall be taken away even that 

which he hath" (Mt 13,12). He means to 

say: "Do what you can, work with the 

Spirit of Wisdom, (always 'hovering over 

the waters' of conscience,) and you will 

get the Spirit of understanding - and the 

other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, until 'filled 

unto all the fulness of God.' You have 

noticed that the disciples asked Jes~s 
what this parable might be. Surely, that is 

why to them was given directly what to 

the rest was given in parables only. 

To the open-minded, who like children 

are pure of heart a:nd mind, wanting to 

know, God reveals, unveils, the mysteries 

of the Kingdom. To them He giveth His 

Spirit, "the Spirit that ' searcheth all 

things, yea, the deep things of God" (l Cor 

2,10). As they open their mind and heart 

for Him, the Holy Spirit is given to them. 

The Gifts of the Spirit are not -thrown at 

men, but held out to them. As men reach 

out for them, they are given to them. We 

can even observe this. People see the light 

and the truth of the Gospel, only as they 

31 



begin to search. They do not understand ' 

the faith, till they go and listen to the 

Church; even as the disciples did to Jesus. 

That is the story of every convert. He will 

tell you, that his doubts and difficulties 

began to dissolve, as he began to look and 

to listen. "Pay attention to the preaching 

of the prophets", says Saint Peter (2 Pt 

1,19), "as to a lantern lit in a :murky place, 

till the day dawn, and the day-star arise-

in your heart". That is the way people-

learn Christianity, and get to understand 

the :mysteries thereof. That is the way, 

'the :many are called, and the few are-

chosen'. There is the secret of predestina-

tion, and of reprobation. For on the other 

hand, they that neglect to look and to 

listen, begin to lose and to waste what they-

have, till they have not even good sense-

left. "He that gathereth not with Me, 

sca ttereth" , said Jesus (Lc 11 ,23), speaking 

for the Paraclete, to all alike. Scattereth, 

indeed! 

Talk to an unbeliever, to a worldling!' 

and what do you find? No love of truth, 

not even a disposition for hearing the other-

side, is left. Wise in his own way, he ig-

nores whatever you have to say. If any-

thing, he can tell you, and does tell you all 

the scandals of the Church, but none of 

32 



her wonders. tho they outshine them a 

hundredfold. One side has become his 

study; not the glory of Christianity. but 

the shame of Christians so-called. Blindly 

he stumbles over facts. but the deep things 

of God never occur to him. 

"Take heed. therefore. how ye hear". 

warns our Lord again. "because whosoever 

hath to him shall be given; but from him 

who hath not shall be taken away even 

that which he thinketh he hath" (Lc 8,18). 

Yea, thinketh he hath! They that think 

they are wise, are not so. They will loaf, 

and lose what they have of faith and 

religion. Many would have arrived at un-

derstanding, had they not presumed to 

have already arrived. Except they be re-

newed in the spirit of their mind, be re-

born, "they cannot see the kingdom of 

God". "If ye were blind", says our Lord to 

all such, "ye would not have sin; but now 

ye say, We see. Your sin remaineth" (In 

9,41). There is more hope for a dunce than 

for a man who prides himself on his under-· 

standing. 

Let us work and pray that God may' 

grant us the Spirit of understanding: 

33 



SIXTH DAY 

The Spirit of Counsel 

It is God who worketh in you both to 

will and to do for the good will (Phil 2,13). 

The above words of Saint. Paul are pre-

ceded by the exhortation: "With fear and 

treInbling work out your own salvation". 

He says 'with fear and treInbling', to Inake 

sure that they be of good will. Yes, of good 

will- that's the thing. Too Inany people 

are not of good will, really do not want to 

pay the price of their salvation. For theIn 

'the. way of life' is too straight and too 

narrow; the Church is too striCt. They do 

not really want to be Christians, because 

as Christians they could not do as they 

would like to do. They understand, but 

do not 'love the truth' (In 3,20). They 

cease to go along with the Spirit of truth, 

where the Spirit shows theIn work to do. 

Like Felix, the governor of Syria (Acts 24, 

25), when he "heard Paul reason about 

righteousness and self-control, and the 

judgInent to cOIne", being frightened, they 

refer HiIn to a Inore convenient tiIne. 

They act as if they could reInain neutral, 

neutral in the face of a crisis, when the 

truth is on trial before their very eyes, on 

trial for life and death. They act as if . a 

34 



question of right or wrong may remain 

unanswered by them without consequence 

to themselves. Christ is sent from the 

Sanhedrin to Pilate, and from Pilate to 

Herod, and from Herod back to Pilate, and 

there bandied about, because people are 

not so much interested in what is right, as 

in what suits their selfish interests. Some 

ask questions, but without really seeking 

an answer, or without waiting for an an-

swer. And because truth is not their quest, 

no answer from God is given them. An 

illustration of this we have in an incident 

recorded by three of the four Evangelists 

(Lc 20, I -8): "It carne to pass on one of 

those days, as Jesus was teaching the people 

and preaching the gospel, there carne upon 

Him the chief priests and scribes with the 

elders; and they spake, saying to Him, tell 

us: By what atithority doest thou these 

things? And He answered and said to them, 

I also will ask you a question; Tell me: The 

baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from 

men? And they reasoned with themselves, 

saying, If we say, from heaven: He will say, 

Why then did ye not believe him? But if 

we say, From men: all the people will 

stone us; for they are persuaded that John 

was a prophet. So they answered that they 

knew not whence it was. And Jesus said 

35 



to them, Niether tell I you by what au-

thority I do these things". Here we see 

men dallying with the third Gift of the 

Holy Spirit, with counsel; for the root 

meaning of the Hebrew word for 'counsel' 

is to deliberate and to decide; of course, 

honestly. 

The Spirit of counsel comes, after the 

Spirit of wisdom has turned us towards 

the truth, and the Spirit of understanding 

has shown us the import of the truth. We 

then have to decide whether we will accept 

and apply the uses of the truth; whether 

we will pay the price of our salvation; will 

'~ell all we have' to buy 'the treasure hid-
den in that field'. Christ indeed wants us 

to deliberate, before we decide. He was 

very explicit on this matter. 'The man 

who builds a tower, first sits down to com-

pute the cost', He said (Lc 14,28). He 

warned the hasty man, corrected the hesi-

tating man, and rebuked the half-hearted 

man. (Lc 9,57-62). After we have seen what 

is right, there can really be no other con-

sideration than what is right. "If God is 

for us, who can beagainst us?" (Rm 8,31). 

His grace, His favor, should be enough for 

us in any predicament. So .He told Saint 

Paul (2 Cor 12,9). 

36 



From Israel in" the desert take a cue. 

"When the cloud was taken up from over 

the t~bernacle, the children of Israel went 

onward, throughout all their journeys; but 

if the cloud was not taken up, then they 
journeyed not till the day that it was 

taken up" (Ex 40,36). God Himself had 

warned them to hearken to the voice of 

His angel who would go before them to 

keep them by the way (Ex 23,20). As Israel 

was led out of the slavery of Egypt into the 

liberty of the Promised Land, so will 

Christians be led out of the shameful 

slavery of their corrupt nature into the 

glorious liberty of God's children (Rm 8,21), 

if they must trust in God, and choose 
what's right. 

Let us work and pray that God may 

grant us the Spirit of counsel. 

SEVENTH DAY 

The Spirit of Power 

Ye shall receive power of the Holy Spirit 

coming upon you (Acts 1,8). 

Thus spoke our Lord to His Apostles, 

assuring them of success as His witz:tesses. 

Indeed, the power and perseverance of the 

Apostles in their life and labors for Christ 

cannot be accounted for, except by admit-

37 



ting a power and a light from. on high to 

have been guiding and guarding them.. 

Eviden tly God was working in them. both 

to will and to do beyond their good will, 

beyond what they them.selves otherwise 

would have willed and done. Facts bear 

this out. 

They all had prom.ised before, but only 

after the Holy Spirit cam.e upon them., did 

they keep the prom.ise rather to die than 

to deny their Lord and Master. They all 

had a chance to show their loyalty before, 

but the power only after. Then first were 

they strong enough to be m.artyrs, wit-

nesses, for Christ unto the utterm.ost. 

Then first did they "resist unto blood, 

striving against sin" (Heb 12,5). Then first 

having been guided into all the truth, did 

they act out all the truth of the Gospel, 

whether it m.eant life or m.eant death to 

them.. They rejoiced that they were ac-

counted worthy to suffer reproach for the 

"Nam.e". Clearly, they were "clothed with 

power from. on high"; clearly, they were 

anointed in Christ with His Holy Spirit 

His power. In His counsel and His power 

and with they had overcom.e and dispos-

sessed the giants of old, the world, the 

flesh, and the devil; and m.ade them. sub-

ject to them.selves. 

38 



And that's what all Christians m.ust do. 

After we have com.e, seen, and chosen, we 

m.ust go and do the righteousness of God. 

After the Spirit of counsel has helped us 

to deliberate and to decide, the Spirit of 

power is ready to help us dare and do "the 

grace and the truth which cam.e by Jesus 

Christ" . Another step is to be taken on 

the "upward way" for those who would 

walk worthily of "the upward calling" 

wherewith Christians are called. There 

are m.any grades in the training school of 

the Paraclete, m.any graduations for the 

disciple of Christ, m.any degrees for the 

graduates of God. And all are to be won 

by actual tests. "Thru m.any tribulations 

m.ust we enter into the kingdom. of God", 

says the Apostle (Acts 14,22). "From. the 

days of John the Baptist until now the 

kindgom. of God suffereth violence; and 

the viol en t wrest it un to them.sel ves' " says 

our Lord (Mt 11,12). 

But faced with doubts and dangers and 

difficulties, let us not quarrel and quail 

and quit, as did Israel in the desert at the 

very gates of the Prom.ised Land. God is 

with us even m.ore directly than He was 

with them.. We "can do all things in 

Christ who em.powers us" (Phil 4,13). With 

Him. we are well able to go up against the 

39 



giants of old, the world, the £lesh, and the 

devil, though' 'these adversaries are strong-

er and taller than we" (Nu 13,31). But be-

fore you go up, make sure God is with you, 

that you are right in your aims and your 

ambitions. You will stand in God's power, 

if you strive in God's counsel. Consult 

Him, then "empower yourself in the Lord, 

and in the maj esty of His strength" (E 6, 10). 

The war of Christ is won only with the 

weapons o i Christ. Armed with His meek-

ness and His humility and His propriety, 

with His Christianity, with His "righteous-

ness on the right hand and on the left" 

(2 Cor 6,7), you shall mope than win; you 

shall not only win the war against these 

gian ts; but shall even win people in their 

service over to your side. As good soldiers 

of Christ, therefore, "bring along every 

diligence, and in your faith work up the 

virtue" (2 Pt 1;5), work up every virtue of 

righteousness. Soon enough there will 

corne a time when your strategy and your 

panoply, your faith and your virtue, will 

be tested. You will then either stand or 

fall before the assaults of these giants. 

The passions of the £lesh will assert them-

selves, and the wisdom of the world under 

the sway of the Devil will advise a course of 

action in marriage or in business or in 

40 



politics, against the express counsel of 

God's Church, and against the plain voice 

of your own conscience; you will then over-

come the world (In 5,5), or be overcome 

by the world; you will rule over the flesh 

(Rm 6,12), or be ruled over by the flesh; 

you will crush Satan under your heel (Rm 

16,20), or be crushed by Satan under his 

heel. It will be the one or the other. 

Let us work and pray that God may 

grant us the Spirit of power: 

EIGHTH DAY 

The Spirit of Knowledge 

We all with unveiled face reflecting as a 

mirror the glory of the Lord are trans-

formed into the same image from glory to 

glory, even as from the Lord Spirit (2 Cor 

3,18). 

Knowledge has been defined as an image 

of the truth, that is, a picture in our mind 

of all we have seen and heard and experi-

enced, since first we began to take pictures, 

to get ideas and impressions; and stored 

them away in our mind. Where these pic-

tures stay in our mind, when and while we 

are not conscious of them, nobody knows. 

But still when we want them back, we call 

them up, and they answer 'Here we are'. 

41 



We can re-create them in our mind, as 

God created things in the world, by a 

simple act of the will . These mental pic-

tures or ideas, when often recalled and 

revived, become fixed or standards of truth 

for us, standards by which we measure, 

rules by which we judge new ideas brought 

up before our judgment. By them we 

judge these new ideas as to t heir truth or 

their value or their difference from older 

ones; that is, by comparing them. By so 

doing we can correct them, as we receive 

them, or we can correct already-received 

ones, when the newer ones are witnessed 

by greater authority or by stronger evi-

dence; and thus complete them into fuller 

and truer pictures. This we can do in 

every branch of knowledge. As this process 

goes on , we develop so-to-say a new sense, 

so that our knowledge is no longer a mere 

memory, but almost a new faculty . 

If this sense has been developed in things 

of Christ, we can instinctively and instant-

ly tell what is in accord with Christian 

doctrine, when concerned about things to 

believe; and what is in accord with Chris-

tian morality, when concerned about ways 

to behave; that is, we can have a mental 

and moral image of Christ in us . Christ 

can be impressed upon our mind, till we 

42 



have so-to-say "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 

2,16); and He can be impressed upon our 

will, till we have so-to-say the will of 

Christ. When He is thus doubly impressed 

upon our whole soul, we are 'renewed unto 

knowledge' (Col 3,10), unto knowledge 

after the jmage of God. In other words, 

"Christ is formed in us" (Gal 4, 19), as Saint 

Paul says. "The Spirit of knowledge rests 

upon us", as the Prophet speaks. Now 

you understand why God "desires this 

knowledge more than burnt offerings" 

(Has 6,6). Now you understand why Saint 

Paul (Phil 3,8) prized this knowledge more 

than any other glory; in fact, counted all 

other glories as mere nothings in compari- · 

son. By this knowledge we become God-

like, partakers of divine nature, know how 

to possess ourselves in' holiness and honor, 

not in the passion of lust, as heathens 

who know not God (1 Thes 4,5). 

It is a grand gift; but not given unless 

accepted, accepted by personal efforts. 

"Bringing along every diligence", says the 

Apostle, "work up in your virtue the knowl-

edge, and in your knowledge the self-pos-

session, and in your self - possession the 

stead-fastness" (2 Pt 1,5). Like swimming, 

everybody can learn it; but nobody does un-

less he actually attempts it. The power is 

43 



given to all; but the art is not. Well, yes, 

the art is also given, but only while the 

power is being exercised. Admiring Christ 

on Sundays is no more Christianity than 

admiring swimmers in a pool is swimming. 

No, Christianity comes with practice, with 

practising it every day of the week, and 

practising it sevenfold on Sundays. "Be ye 

doers of the word, and not hearers only, 

fooling your own selves", cries out the 

Apostle. "The doer of work shall be 

blessed in his doing" (Jc 1,25). He alone 

will learn to keep his head above water. 

You may never have to know how to 

swim to save your life; but you will some 

day have to know how to be a Christian to 

save your soul. Salvation in both cases 

consists in knowing to use your head, to 

control your heart, and to exert yourself in 

the right way. Know that, and you are 

safe. You have what is needed; but you 

must know to apply it at the time. You 

must know how to keep from going down. 

Nobody can float. You must always work 

-work against the downward drag of self-

ishness; that is, in every instance you must 

love God, or right, above self, and your 

neighbor like self, exactly as Christ has 

taught it, and has done it in His life and 

in His death. That is the Spirit of knowl-

44 



edge. by which you are a Christian (In 

13.34). and are safe. 

Let us work and pray that God may 

grant us the Spirit of knowledge. 

NINTH DAY 

The Spirit of Godliness 

They who are according to the flesh . 

mind the things of the flesh; but they who 

are according to the Spirit mind the 

things of the Spirit (Rm 8,5). 

With these words the Apostle divides 

mankind into two classes, the carnal and 

the spiritual. Of course, no man is alto-

gether carnal like an animal. nor alto-

gether spiritual like an angel. Yet the one 

or the other is always uppermost in man. 

Which is which is clear from what he 

'minds' most, is mostly interested in. 

Christ has told us that heathens worry 

about what they shall put on, and what 

they shall eat, and what they shall drink; 

but that Christians should not worry about 

these things; not, because they can do 

without them, but because they have 

other necessities more essential to them 

than clothes and food and water-and air, 

to mention another necessity, not men-

tioned by our Lord. essential for our earth-

ly existence. Still, air supply hardly ever 

45 



beco:mes a worry, tho it · is the :most 

essential of all. We cannot live without ail' 

B;ny ti:me, not an hour, though we :may 

live without water a week, and wit,ho,ut 

food a :month. 

In His :mercy God has so arranged :mat-

ters that what we need :most costs us least; 

and what we need least costs us :most. 

This is thus also in spiritual :matters. 

Virtue, which is least needed, tho indis-

pensable for spiritual life, costs us the 

:most pains; and it corresponds to food in 

natural life, .as is clear fro:m what our Lord, 

whose life is ou~ light, says of Hi:msel£; 

"My :meat, is to do the will of Hizn who 

sent :me, and to acco:mplish His work" (In 

4,34). Faith costs us the next ':most efforts; 

and it answers to water, as we again can 

gather fro:m the words of Christ, "He that 

believeth in Me shall never thirst" (J n 6,35). 

And grace is like air, plentiful. It super-

abounds. We have it for the asking. We 

so-to-say breathe it, while praying for it .. 

Grace, faith, virtue, these three are the 

ele:ments of spiritual life. These we should 

seek, according to the :mind of our Lord; 

and these we will seek, if we are spiritual, 

says the Apostle. "Blessed are they that 

hunger and . thirst after righteousness" 

46 



(Mt 5,6); blessed, not only . "because they 

shall be filled"; but also, because it is a 

good sign of spiritual health. We znay 

never cease to pray for grace, znust reg-

ularly resupply our faith, and on every 

occasion practise virtue, U we want to "live 

godly in Christ Jesus". 

We are no longer "znere znen" (l Cor 3,4), 

znere huznans. We have been "chartged" 

by the Spirit into new and other beings; 

not only changed, but "lifted up" (E 2,6) 

into a new and higher life. We are no 

longer "in flesh, but in Spirit" (RIn 8;9). 

The eleznen ts we now need. for our life as 

phristians are spiritual. "For ye have died" 

frozn the)ower life, says the Apostle, "and 

your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col 3,3). 

It is no longer the flesh, but the Spirit that 

znatters for Christians. Not even "Christ 

after the flesh", but Christ after the Spirit 

is whozn they know (2 Cor 5,16). They live 

by His Spirit (Gal 5,25). By His Spirit they 

have "granted unto thezn all things per-

taining to life and godliness" (2 Pt 1,3): the 

grace, the faith, and the virtue. By His 

Spirit they "exercise theznselves unto god-

liness" (1 Tzn 4,7), while "~aking over what 

is the width and the depth and the length 

and the height of Christ's . righteousness, 

yea, of His love" (E 3,18); while taking-over 

47 



Christ. as a dawning day does the sunlight. 

till like a "perfect day" (Prv 4.18) they are 

"filled unto all the fulness of God". 

What an advantage we Christians have! 

The 'form of godliness' (2 Tm 3.4). yea. the 

pattern of every Gift is before us in Christ. 

While being true to that form. and to 'the 

power thereof'. we "have the promise of 

this life and of the life to corne" (1 Tm 4.8); 

for "godliness is profitable for all things". 

'In godliness we can work up the brother-

liness. and in brotherliness the love. and in 

love the paraclesis' and the zeal of the 

Lord. and in zeal be 'filled unto the fulness 

of God'. 

Let us work and pray that God may 

grant us the Spirit of godliness. 

TENTH DAY 

The Spirit of Zeal 

And they were all filled with the Holy 

Spirit, and they spake the word of God 

with boldness (Acts 4,31). 

The sixth Gift having made man spirit-

ual. th~enth and final Gift makes man 
delight in things spiritual. in God. in reli-

gion. in the fear of the Lord; and makes 

him show it by acts. The Spirit has filled 

48 



the vessel, the vessel of election, to over-

flowing with religion, so that it begins to 

flow over into, or to influence the world 

outside. "Out of the abundance of the 

heart the mouth speaketh" . 

Being full of God's Spirit the Christian 

cannot remain still or inactive. He takes 

up God's cause, breaking forth either sing-

ing His praises, or in preaching His won-

ders, or in running His errands. He prophe-

sies, to use the words of Scripture. So it 

was with men "filled with the Holy Spirit" 

in the Old Testament. So it is with them 

in the New. As soon as they received the 

Gifts in full, or were filled with the Spirit, 

they acted-acted for God; they "spake 

the word of God with boldness", they 

stood up to speak for God, and against 

everything ungodly. Then religion, or the 

fear of the Lord, was the beginning of 

their wisdom, was the first and main thing 

with them. Then they feared, respected, 

regarded, valued, loved God above every-

thing, and everybody. God was their first 

thought - God's honor and glory their 

first consideration. Walking with God, 

they worked for God. God was their all in 

all. Nowadays we call this frame of mind 

"zeal". 

49 



The presence of zeal, the final Gift, makes 

about the same difference for religion in 

the Church, as the presence of man, the 

last formed creature, does for culture in 

the world. "Old things pass away. Be-

hold, all things become new". "The face of 

the earth is being renewed". Man is ever 

busy, busy creating wealth, providing for 

eventual needs and comforts; that is, the 

real man does so, true also in this respect 

to the likeness after which he has been 

created. God ever works. "My Father", 

says Christ "worketh even unto now, and 

I work" (In 5,17). In working, and in the 

kind of work, man shows how full he is of 

the Spirit, how spiritual he is, ' how much 

he partakes of divine nature. The more he 

creates, that is, the more he produces for 

useful service, or the more beings he 

careth and provideth for, the more he is 

like God. The more needs he qan, rather 

does answer, the nearer he comes to the 

universal and eternal providence of God, 

to the paraclesis of the Paraclete. 

As man in society is measured by the 

wealth he creates, so is the Christian 

measured in religion by the good he does. 

Wealth, in its condensed form, is money. 

Money is readily exchanged for whatever 

comforts a man may want. "Money", says 

50 



Scripture (Ecces 10,19), "answereth all 

things". So. Christian zeal works to answer 

every need and call. "I am become all 

things to all men", said the most zealous 

Apostle (1 Cor 9,22), "that by .all means I 

may save some". And Job, the ideal man 

of God, described in the Old Testament, 

said of Himself, "I was eyes to the blind! 

and feet I was to the lame". Everything to 
everybody only God can be; but he. that is 

the mQst to the most is. the. most like God. 

And he will he so honored. "Blessed is that 

servant whom .the Lord when l:ie cometh 

shall find cso doing. Verily I say unto. you, 

He .will place him ,Qver all that He. hath" 

(Mt 24,46). He will share His throne (Apoc 

3,21) and'His glory withhim" He will mak.e 

him His special witness, .His tJ,'usted hetald. 

His choice vessel to bear, His name! pe.£ore 

the nations. Since the Pal!aclete·dqes. ;n.9t 

speak from Himself,. He .. -seelts m«;.!n ,.thru 

whom He maY. speak, ~ aI),d . infhl~cf3 th~ 
wor!d, thJ;'u whom He .mCiy.show thewo~~d 
concerning sin, andconc;erning righteous-
ness, and concer~ing' judiciousness, until 
no longer might but right, no longer 
violence but justice. rio longer selfishness 
but friendship', prevails in man's social 
relations, as described by the prophet un-

der the symbolism of wild and tame ani .. 
mals living together (Is U,6-9), 

51 



Let us work and, pray that God may, 

grant us the fulness of the Spirit. 

Prayer for the Gifts 

Unto Thee, our Paraclete, we call. An-

swer our needs at all times. Without Thy 

continued care and sevenfold blessing we 

get nowhere, but into trouble. Fools at 

sea, we drift away from the truth, and lose 

our directions; we need Thy Spirit of wis-

dom. Out to see the world, we forget the 

light of Heaven; and darkness overtakes us 

(In 12,35); we need Thy Spirit of under-

standing. Proud of our own judgment, we 

spurn higher authority, and miss the way 

of life; we need Thy Spirit of counsel. 

Aware that we should and could do better, 

we delay to do better, and so waste what 

strength we have; we need Thy Spirit of 

power. Believing in every excellence we 

discount Christian righteousness (Phil 3,9) 

and so we fail in the one that counts; we 

need Thy Spirit of knowledge. Hoping for 

peace and happiness, we neglect the prac-

tice of religion, and so find not even rest; 

we need Thy Spirit of godliness. Loving 

our own intere$ts too much, we interest 

ourselves in God too little, and so we fall 

in to sin and sorrow and suffering; we need 

Thy Spirit of zeal. 

52 



Yes, without Thy sevenfold care, we get 

nowhere but into trouble; we are trapped 

by the Devil, are robbed of our inheritance, 

are hurt in health, and left naked and sick 

to the wind and weather of the world (Lc 

10,30). Holy Paraclete, take us and keep 

us in Thy care. Make us seek the truth, 

see the light, choose the way, do the right. 

know the faith, live the hope, and have the 

love-the love of Christ, so that loving 

others as He has loved us we be Christians 

indeed. Amen. 

ASPIRATIONS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT 

Corne, Holy Spirit, engage us with Thy 

wisdom, enlighten us with Thy under-

standing, encourage us with Thy counsel, 

enable us with Thy power, endow us with 

Thy knowledge, ennoble us with Thy god-

liness, enrich us with Thy zeal; fill us unto 

all the fulness of God. 

Corne, Spirit of God, give us wisdom for 

the light, understanding for the truth, 

counsel for the way, power for the right, 

knowledge for the grace, godliness for the 

life, zeal for the kingdom. Fill us unto all 

the fulness of God (E 3,19). 

Corne, Holy Paraclete, lend us Thy Seven 

Spirits (Rev 1,4); Thy Spirit of wisdom, 

that we look and listen to the voice of God 

53 



(Heb 3,7); Thy Spirit of understanding, 

that we see and hear the word of God; Thy 

Spirit of counsel that we judge and choose 

the way of God (Acts 18,25); Thy Spirit of 

power that we go and do the will of God 

(RIn 12,2); Thy Spirit of knowledge that we 

learn and Inaster the love of God (In 2,5); 

Thy spirit of godliness that we have and 

live the life of God (E 4, 18) ; Thy Spirit of 

zeal, that we share and serve the glory of 

God (RIn 3,23). Fill us unto all the fulness 

of God. 

Spirit of wisdoIn, Inake us seek Thy 

light; Spirit of understanding, Inake us 

find Thy truth ; Spirit of counsel, Inake us 

choose Thy way; Spirit of power, Inake us 

do Thy will; Spirit of knowledge, Inake us 

Inaster Thy love; Spirit of godliness, Inake 

us live Thy life; Spirit of zeal, Inake us 

serve Thy glory. Fill us unto all the fulness 

of God. 

Holy Paraclete, COIne and glorify (In 16, 

14) Christ in us, and us in HiIn, Christian-

ize tis; take of His fulness and declare His 

glory (In 17,22) unto us; His truth by Thy 

Spirit of wisdoIn and understanding; His 

way by Thy Spirit of counsel and power; 

His life by Thy Spirit of knowledge and 

godliness; His whole stature by Thy Spirit 

54 



of zeal. Make us seek and find His truth, 

choose and walk His way, know and live 

His life. Yes, clothe us with Christ (Rm 

13,14), that we be found in Him, righteous 

with His righteousness (Phil 3,9), gracious 

with His grace, and glorious with His 

glory; filled unto all the fulness of God. 

Holy Paraclete, order and adorn our 

inner world with grace and truth; as Thou 

didst the outer world with light and life; 

order our mind with truth by Thy Spirit 

of wisdom, with truth's secrets by Thy 

Spirit of understanding, and with truth's 

uses by Thy Spirit of counsel; adorn our 

will with grace by Thy Spirit of power, with 

the light of grace by Thy Spirit of know-

ledge, and with the life of grace by Thy 

Spirit of godliness; and by Thy Spirit of 

zeal fill us unto all the fulness of God. 

Holy Paraclete, be our Emmanuel (Is 

8,10), our God with us; be with us in Thy 

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, that 

we be called (Mt 22,14) unto life; be with 

us in Thy Spirit of counsel and power, that 

we be chosen (Col 3,12) unto perfection; be 

with us in Thy Spirit of knowledge and 

godliness that we be faithful (Apoc 17,14) 

unto the end; be with us in Thy Spirit of 

zeal that we ma:ke our call and choice (2 

55 



Pet 1,10) firm by working in faithfulness. 

Be with us always in all things. If Thou 

art with us, what can stand against us! 

With Thee and in Thee we shall do more 

than overcome (Rm 8,37); we shall not 

only overcome the powers of darkness, the 

forces of nature (2 Pet 2,20), but also take 
over the glories of light (In 1,5), the virtues 

of grace; yes, we shall learn and master the 

love of Christ (E 3,19); be filled unto all the 

fulness of God. 

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, in-

crease our faith (Lc 17,5); Spirit of counsel 

and power, strengthen our hope; Spirit of 

knowledge and godliness, enflame our love; 

Spirit of zeal, fill us unto all the fulness of 

God. 

Corne, Holy Paraclete, corne in Thy 

sevenfold spirit; show the world (In 3,16), 

as Christ has shown Israel (Mt 15,24) con-

cerning sin and concerning righteousness 

and concerning judiciousness (In 16,9). 

Show them concerning sin in Thy Spirit of 

wisdom and understanding, till they re-

pent unto life (Acts 11,18) by believing in 

Christ (In 15,22); show them concerning 

righteousness in Thy Spirit of counsel and 

power, till they recognize Christ in His 

Church, and His brother and sister in 

56 



every person they meet (Mt 25,40); show 

them concerning judiciousness (cf Lc 11, 

42) in Thy Spirit of knowledge and godli-

ness, till, having judged and being 'through 

with the prince of this world, they discern 

the finer things of life, are judicious and 

compassionate and dependable (0£ Mt 23, 

23), convinced that regard for others is the 

most God-like glory of man (Mt 20,28). 

Show them in Thy Spirit of zeal, till being 

spiritual, they preach their religion by 

practising it, filled unto all the fulness of 

God. Glory be to God, to the Father thru 

the Son in the Holy Spirit (cf E 2,18), as it 

was in the beginning, is now and ever shall 

be, times without end. Amen. 

SECOND NOVENA 

WHAT ARE THE TWELVE FRUITS 

OF THE SPIRIT? 

PRAYER 

Corne , Holy Spirit; shed abroad in our hearts a love 

like God's, a grace like Christ's, and a communica-

tion like Thine own. 

V. Pour forth upon us the Spirit from on high; 

R. And the wild waste shall become a fruitful field 
(Is 32,15). 

Let us pray: 0 God, to whom every heart is open, 

and for whom every will is speech, and from whom no 

secret is hidden; cleanse the thoughts of our heart 

by pouring in Thy rto1y Spirit, that we corne to love 

57 



Thee wholly, and to praise Thee worthily - thru 

Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Blessed is the Man: 

Who hath not walked in the counsel of the un-

godly, 

Nor stood in the way of sinners, 

Nor sat in the chair of pestilence. 

But his will is in the law of the Lord, 

And on His law he shall media te day and night; 

Ahd he shall be like a tree which is planted near 

the running waters, 

Which shall bring forth its fruit in due season, 

And his leaf shall not fall off: 

And all w ha tsoever he shall do, shall prosper (Ps .1,1). 

Blessed the Man: 

Who walketh not along in the counsel of culprits, 

And in the way of sinners standeth not around, 

And in the seat of scoffers sitteth not down; 

But whose interest is in the fear of God, 

And His law he considereth day and night; 

For he shall be like a tree planted by streams of 

water, 

That yieldeth its fruit in its season, 

And whose leaf falleth not; 

And all he doeth, shall prosper (Jr 17, 7-8) . 

They shall be called trees of righteousness, the 

planting ofYahveh, that He may be glorified (Is 61,3). 

FIRST DAY 

Fruit or Fruits? 

The Apostle lists them as charity, joy, 

peace; patience, benignity, goodness; lon-

ganimity, mildness, faith; modesty, con-

58 



tinency, chastity. But he says 'fruit', not 

'fruits'; as if there were bu:t on;e, tho 

he mentions twelve. Evidently, this way 

of speaking is not accidental, tho the 

reason is not clear to us. Elsewhere we can 

see why he says 'the fruits of your right-' 

eousness' (2 Cor 9,10) at one time, and 

'the fruit of righteousness' (Phil I,ll) at 

another. In the first case righteousness is 

considered as producing the fruits; but in 

the second as the fruit produced. More-

over, in Greek two different nouns are used 

for fruit. The Apostle James, however, 

uses the same noun when he speaks of 'the 

wisdom which is from above' as 'overflow-

ing with good fruits' (Jc 3,17); and then 

continues, 'the fruit of righteousness in 

peace is sown to them that make peace'. 

The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak 

of 'fruit', not 'fruits', when referring to 

virtue and the human character. So also 

speaks the Psalmist. The reason maybe 

that in religion the Gift and the Giver are 

one. As the Gift of the Spirit is the Spirit 

himself; SO the FRUIT of the Spirit is the 

Spirit himself. The life of righteousness 

and the fruit of righteousness are one. 

They are one and considered one, because 

like light and fire, tho not the same, 

are yet always found together. 

59 



There is in the Holy Spirit at work in 

man, or 'in wisdom', as says Scripture 

(Wis 7,22), a spirit that is 'monogenes' and 

'polymeres' , Greek words, wh,ich we know 

not how to translate exactly into English. 

'One in nature, manifold in His working' , 

seems to be the interpretation of these 

words by an ancient liturgy, that of Saint 

Mark. Saint Basil has 'one in person, 

manifold in power'. Saint Cyril of Jerusa-

lem, explaining why the Holy Spirit is 

compared to water says: "He is one in 

essence, many in effects" . A more literal 

translation, and more in harmony with 

theology would be, .'one when going forth, 

many when communicated'. The Spirit is 

'monogenes', when proceeding from the 

one source, like light from the sun; and 

'polymeres', when shared by the many 

Christians. Like the sunlight, tho 

communicated to millions of plants, He 

is one. The fire of Pentecost was one, 

tho many £lames were dist'ribu ted 

among the Christians. There is a com-

munication as well as there are distribu-

tions of the Holy Spirit. Many may take 

part in the communion or communication 

of the Spirit, yet the Spirit is not dis-

tributed, shared, communicated in parts. 

Like the soul in the body, He acts in all 

60 



Christian acts, yet He is only one. All 

Christians baptized into Christ are .one 

body, and made to drink of one Spirit. The 

Christian virtues, called His fruit, are 

evidences of His life and power. To 'each 

Ch1;istian is the grace given according to 

the measure of the gift of Christ' (E 4,7). 

Each Christian is as Christ-like as he has 

taken from the Iulness of Christ at the 

hand of the Spirit. 

SECOND DAY 

God Expects Fruits of Us 

When our Lord compared His kingdom 

to a vine (In 15,5), and Christians to the 

branches thereof, He made it clear that 

Christians are expected to bear fruit. And 

that, unless they do, the kingdom will be 

taken away from them, and given to such 

who 'bring forth the fruits thereof' (Mt 

21,43). He moreover made it clear that 

every branch that beareth, shall be pruned 

that it might bear more fruit. He spoke 

plainly when · He said, "Herein is My 

Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; 

and so BE My disciples" (In 15,8). Christ's 

disciples we are, therefore. when we glorify 

His Father by being fruitful in good works. 

And as disciples we must learn of the Mas-

ter how to be fruitful, and how to glorify 

61 



God. Thru Him we are 'filled with the 

fruit of righteousness unto the glory and 

praise of God'. · He expressly invites us to 

learn of Him. As the branch cannot bear 

fruit, except it abide in the vine; so neither 

can we bear fruit, fruit worthy of repen-

tance, except we abide in Christ. But in 

Him and in union with His Spirit we can 

and must do so. The chief Apostle exhorts 

us emphatically 'to add all diligence on 

our part, to work up in our faith the 

virtue, and in our virtue the knowledge, 

and in our knowledge the self-control, and 

in our self-control the steadfastness, and 

in our steadfastness the godliness, and in 

our godliness the brotherliness, and in our 

brotherliness the love, (and in our love the 

paraclesis, the. zeal). For if these are ours 

and abound', he . says, 'they set us up to 

be neither without work nor without fruit 

unto the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus 

Christ' (2 Pt 1,7). 

Of ourselves we have neither the grace 

nor the knowledge nor any of the Gifts to 

serve God in a well-pleasing manner. 

From the fulness of Christ we are taking, 

when we flourish and grow in any virtue. 

But we take, as the Spirit divides (l Cor 

12,11), apportions unto us. By the Spirit 

of. faith the seed is rooted, by the Spirit of 

62 



hope the plant is cultivated, and by the 

Spirit of love the fruit is xnatured. It is 

th~ work of God. Christ says, "Every 

plant which My heavenly Father planted 

not, shall be rooted up" (Mt 15,13). The 

Prophet foretold the Christians would be 

'called trees of righteousness, the planting 

of God, that He xnight be glorified in 

thexn'. 

It is to be noted that the Prophet, that 

Christ Hixnsel£, that the Apostles all state 

and stress the fact that Christians in their 

virtues are to glorify God, are to show forth 

His excellences, are to distinguish thexn-

selves as His children by their works, and 

thus reflect the ixnage of their Father, 

their partaking of the " divine life and 

nature, the coxnxnunication with the 

Father and His Son Jesus Christ, a coxn-

xnunication of which the Holy Spirit is the 

principle. 

THIRD DAY 

The Fruits are Distinctive 

What are the distinctions of Christians, 

or how is the tree of Christian righteo1,ls-

ness, which is of God, distinguished froxn 

other trees of righteousness, NOT of God? 

Of course, as the Lord says, it is distin-

guished by its fruits. 'Do men gather 

63 



grapes from thorns or figs from thistles'? 

It bears its own kind of fruit. Christian 
righteousness is, as its name implies, like 

that of Christ, that is, God-like, 'merciful 

and gracious, abundant in loving-kindness 

and truth' (Ex 34,6). It is quickened by a 

love such as God's, colored by a grace such 

as Christ's. and mellowed by a communi-

cation such as the Spirit's; and it shows 

this in its twelve distinctions: Love, joy, 

peace; longsuffering, kindness, goodness; 

meekness, patience, faithfulness; proprie-

ty, self-control, purity. (In this ' list the 

Latin terms of the Douay Version have 

been replaced by better English ones. 

Charity by love; benignity by kindness; 

longanimity by longsuffering; continency 

by self-control. Then, in view of the origi-

nal text, mildness has been interpreted as 

meekness; faith 'as faithfulness; modesty 

as propriety; chastity as purity. Finally, 

patience and longsuffering have been 

trnasposed to make the order more logical. 

All of which will appear as the discussion 

proceeds.) 

Love, the first distinction, is a love which 

is catholic, extending over all men alike, 

irrespective of sex, race, or color; like 

God's, not like man's. It is in Spirit, not 

in £lesh, pure, as exemplified not even by 

64 



a mother, but by Christ Himself. We are 

to love one another even as HE loved us. 

Joy, the second distinction Jesus expressly 

calls His own, and declares put in us to 

make ours full (In 15,11). Our happiness 

and cheerfulness, however, can be full and 

final only when we rejoice in God, rejoice 

in what He rejoices, in the triumphs of the 

Holy Spirit. Peace, the third distinction, 

He also claims as given by Him, and given 

'not as the world giveth' (In 14,27), by 

a simple greeting, or imposed from with-

out, by law. No, it is of the Spirit, by 

choice. We must CHOOSE the way of God, 

before we can have 'the peace of God', the 

peace, 'which passeth all understanding 

(Phil 4,7). 

Longsuffering, kindness, and goodness, 

are also not man-learned or self-produced. 

No, they draw their life and their light 

from God. To quote the Apostle (Tit 3,3): 

"We also were once foolish, disobedient , 

deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleas-

ures, living in malice and envy, hateful, 

and hating one another; but when the 

goodness and loving-kindness of our Savior 

God appeared He saved us, healed us, cured 

us, not because of works which we ourselves 

did in righteousness; but did in accord 

with His mercy thru the laver of regenera-

65 



tion and renovation of the Holy Spirit, 

whom He poured out upon us profusely 

thru Jesus Christ our Lord, so that justi-

fied, made righteous, by His grace, by His 

loving-kindness, by being kind as He was 

kind, we might be heirs, as is our hope, of 

eternal Hfe. That is to say, we are righteous, 

not by works done according to our notions, 

but done in accord with the grace learnt 

of Him. By His grace, by being kind as He 

was, are we righteous, righteous in the 

Christian sense. 

As to patience or steadfastness, the 

Apostle prays, 'that the Lord Himself 

direct our hearts in to the love of God and 

into the patience of Christ' (2 Thes 3,5). 
Only such love and only such patience is 

a fruit worthy of the name. As to meek-

ness, Jesus Himself says, 'Learn of Me; for 

I am meek and humble of heart; and ye 

shall find rest for your souls' (Mt 11,29). 

As to faithfulness, He himself set the 

example, and teaches us: "He that is 

faithful in what is least, also in what is 

much is faithful" (Lc 16,10), and shall be 

trusted with the 'real thing'. 

Propriety, self-control, and purity, the 

highest fruit on the tree of life, are partic-

ularly the product of the Christian Spirit. 

66 



Only He can produce the courteous gentle-

men, one who does not behave himself 

unseemly; but who knows how ~to meet 

every situation as the need may be, so that 

his behavior 'give grace' (E 4,29) to such as 

experience his fact and even temper. Only 

He can train the Christian character unto 

noble knighthood in self-control, where 

the Christian is not provoked, but is able 

to rule his moods and passions, whatever 

the temptation may be, along or against 

his grain. Only He can chasten the noble 

knight, till he becomes a blessed angel, 

who 'gladdens not upon unrighteousness, 

but gladdens with the truth'; and edifies 

by his very presence, reproving or approv-

ing, as the need may be, with an eye that 

reflects his soul's sincerity, the heavenly 

light of purity. These are the distinctions 

of Christian righteousness. 

FOURTH DAY 

Are They Fruits or Crops? 

Are the fruits twelve distinctively or 

twelve successively? Are' they fruits or 

crops? Saint John ' in the Apocalypse 

. speaks of the tree of life as "yielding its 

fruit every month". That means twelve 

crops. That means twelve successively, 

not twelve simultaneously, or· after each 



other in tixne, not heside each other in 

place. Moreover, it is certain that a Chris-

tian can he loving, joyful, and peaceful; 

longsuffering, kind, and good, patient, 

xneek, and faithful; proper, self-controlled 

and pure, at one and the saxne tixne; hut 

he cannot show this all at one and the 

saxne tixne. He can show it only at dif-

ferent tixnes as different occasions arise, 

that dexnand different answers to different 

needs. These different circuxnstances, 

therefore, also xnake every crop different. 

Not only the distinctions of Christian 

righteousness, hut also its crops ·are xnore 

than twelve. However, twelve has heen 

taken for convenience, in accord with the 

xnonths of the year. The word 'fruit' sug-

gested that nuxnher. Fruit ripens during 

certain xnonths and seasons of the year. 

A Christian, however, like the fig tree in 

the Gospel, is expected hy Christ to yield 

his fruit of righteousness whenever such 

is demanded. If he doesn't, he also, like 

the fig tree, will he cursed (Mt 21,19). For 

having failed our neighhor shall we he 

condexnned on the day of Judgxnent (Mt 

21,42-45). Love, such as God's, never 

faileth (l Cor 13,8). Nothing is too xnuch 

for such love. It rises ahove all trials. It 

not only hears xnore than twelve kinds, hut 

68 



oftener than twelve times. It is contin-

uous in its yield. "It ceases not from 

yielding fruit" (Jr 17,8), says the Prophet 

Jeremiah. ·Like figs, so favors may ripen 

continuously, not only every month, but 

every day and every hour. They should be 

ripe and ready for the hungry, whenever 

He comes, even if He comes out of season. 

The love of Christ which passeth knowing, 

recognized no seasons, but had all seasons 

for its own. 

Still, all these successive crops and all 

these distinctive glories of Christian right-

eousness are not many, but one-one in so 

far as all draw their vigor and color and 

savor from the one source, from the Holy 

Spirit, from the river of water of life, ' pro-

ceeding out of the throne of God and of 

the Lamb' (Apoc 22,1). They are all 

quickened by a love that is godly, colored 

by a grace that is Christian, and mellowed 

by a communication that is spiritual. Love 

is their life, grace their glory, and com-

munication their value. The love of God, 

the grace of Christ, and the communica-

tion of the Spirit are their vigor, color and 

savor. 

Tho one in their source, these crops 

may be manifold in bounty. The yield 

69 



may be thirtyfold, sixty fold , and even a 

hundredfold (Mc 4;8) in comparison to 
what has been 'sown unto the f;pirit' (Gal 

6,8). The bounty depends upon the soil 

(of the heart) where it grows, and upon the 

weather (of the mind) while it grows. But 

the crop may be harvested at. any time. 

In fact the time element doesn't enter into 

the calculation; but only spirit, which is 

beyond the reach of time. 'The fruit of 

the light is in all goodness and justice and 

truth' (E 5,9); rather, if I may interpret 

the Apostle's Greek, yes, if I may change 

the sequence, and add to his count, in all 

trueness and goodness and rightness and 

-holiness. This addition, however, is not 

a mere whim on my part, since the same 

Apostle himself says elsewhere, that serv-

ing God we have our 'fruit unto sanctifica-

tion'. that is holiness, 'and the end, eternal 
life' (Rm 6,22). Neither is my change of 
the order so irreverent as might at first 
appear; for the Apostle may have reversed 
the logical order to more effectively 'reprove 
the unfruitful works of darkness' (E 5, 11). 
There are, therefore, many fruits as well 
as many crops in Christian righteousness. 

FIFTH DAY 

Are They Nine or Twelve? 

The number and sequence of the seasons 

70 



as well as that of the crops is not clearly 

stated in Scripture. They are not clearly 

stated in Scripture, because they are not 

clearly divided in fact. For ,the fruit, to 

be of the Light, only three conditions are 

mentioned, which I have made four, and 

have called seasons-to continue the simile. 

And the Greek text enumerates only nine 

crops or distinctions of the fruit, whereas 

the Latin version has twelve, and has two 

of them transposed. 

Whether patience, not found in the 

original text, was added to more fully ex-

press the Greek 'makrothymia', meaning 

long-suffering, is very doubtful. And 

whether 'modesty', rather propriety, and 

'purity', (also found in the Greek text), 

only expressed, together with 'self-control' 

to the mind of the translator, the full 

meaning of the original 'enkrateia', I hesi-

tate to say. It is more likely that Saint 

Jerome, knowing his Scripture, supplied 

these virtues from other passages of 

Scripture where these virtues are stressed 

as Christian; and he supplied them to 

make up the number twelve, the months 

of the year, announced in prophecy, and 

mentioned in the Apocalypse; and thus 

made all texts agree. 

71 



Patience or the steadfastness (2 Th 3,5) 
of Christ was prayed for by the Apostle for 

the Thessalonians, to the end that they 

might 'corne up to the mark'. And He 

besought the Corinthians, by the propriety 

of Christ (2 Cor 10,11), not to scandalize 

anyone. So also he exhorted the Philip-

pians (Phil 4,5). "Let your propriety be 

known to all men", he writes. 'Purity' he 

recommends to Timothy (l Tm 4,12) as an 

effective grace in his ministry. 'Be an 

example to the faithful in purity' . 

We must acknowledge that Saint Jerome 

has fittingly added these three virb.ies to 

the nine, if they were not originally there, 

because they nicely complete the grace of 

the Christian character; and, having 

twelve, we can bring three under each of 

the four headings listed above. Love, joy, 

and peace, prove the trueness; longsuffer-

ing, kindness, and goodness constitute the 

goodness; patience, meekness, and faith-

fulness show the righteousness; propriety, 

self-control and purity establish the hqli-

ness of the Christian character. 

Nevertheless, tho they may be thus 

classified, all the virtues produced hy the 

Spirit in Christian souls can hardly be 

numbered and named. Says Saint Augus-

72 



tine: "The case is like an army of a com-

mander. who sits within our mind. For 

as a commander do.es thru his army 

whatever he pleases to do. so our Lord 

Jesus Christ. beginning to dwell in our 

inner man. that is in our mind. uses these 

virtues as His ministers". 

The tree of Christian righteousness bears 

in answer to demands; and demands may 

vary indefinitely. As the needs. so are the 

answers of the Spirit, so many and so 

varied. Only as the needs are answered 
may the virtues in all their distinctness 
and order be noted and appreciated. In 
principle all are alike. They are prompted 
by love. As long as the Sun of righteous-
ness looketh down from heaven. and the 
wellspring of truthspringeth out of the 
earth (Ps 84,12) to freshen the garden 
which Yahweh hath planted, and placed 
man in to cultivate (Gn 2,15), love will 
yield its increase to supply the demand, 
however varied and manifold the need. 

All that man has to do is to CO-OPERATE 

WITH THIS SPIRIT OF LOVE, REDEEM 

THE TIME. OR EXPLOIT THE 

OPPORTUNITY AS IT COMES; LOVE 

HIS NEIGHBOR WHOEVER HE MAY BE; 

DO GOOD TO ALL, AS HE KNOWS HOW; 

AND LEND HIMSEJ.JF TO EVERY COMER, 

OF NONE DESPAIRING (C£ Greek-Lc 6,35). 

73 



SIXTH DAY 

The Fruits Are Possible With God 

Now don't think that this 'fruit', of 

being always helpful, is iznpossible of pro-

duction. Without the paraclesis of the 

Holy Spirit it is iznpossible; but Christians 

are never without God's help. Jesus has 

asked the Father, and He has given us 

another paraclete to be with us forever 

(In 14,16). "Yahweh hath coznforted Zion; 

He hath coznforted all her waste places, 

and hath znade her wilderness like Eden, 

and her desert like the garden of Yahweh 

(Is 51,3)". 

Now if we trust in God, and use our re-

sources, or rather what His Spirit supplies. 

"we shall be as a tree planted by the waters 

that spreadeth its roots by the river, and 

shall not notice when heat cozneth; but 

its leaf shall be green; and shall not worry 

in the year of drought, neither shall cease 

frozn yielding fruit" (Jr 17,8). "For it is 

God who worketh in Christians both to 

will and to do for the good will" (Phil 2, 13). 

Scripture assures us: "1£ righteousness 

one adznireth, Wisdozn's undertakings are 

achieveznents. For It instructeth in tezn-

perance and prudence, in justice and for-

titude; than which nothing is znore profit-

able in life for znen" (Wis 8,7). These vir-

74 



tues are the very funnels thru which the 

blessing of "the Spirit is poured out upon 

us from on high, and the wild waste be-

cometh a fruitful field" (Is 32,15). 

Faith working thru love (Gal 5,6) is indeed 

like the river of Eden flowing in all direc-

tions. Out of the grQund thus watered' 'Yah-

weh maketh to grow every tree that is fair to 

behold and good to eat of" (Gn 2,9). When 

the love of God, that is a love such as God 

has exemplified in Jesus, "constrains us" 

(2 Cor 5,14), the faith of Christ, (that is a 

faith such as Christ has taught us), will 

send forth its waters to water the garden. 

And from thence it will part and become 

four heads, temperance and prudence, 

justice and fortitude; and thus water the 

world in which we are placed, placed to 

keep it and to dress it. It will water, not 

swamp. 

Temperance will keep the stream of 

service within bounds; prudence will direct 

it to its proper end; justice will distribute 

it evenly; and fortitude will drive it to 

where it is needed. All the acts and habits 

of a Christian will be co-ordinated, be-

cause they will be quickened by the love of 

God (or of right), colored by the grace of 

Christ (or of kindness), and mellowed by 

75 



the coxnxnunication of the Spirit (or of 

honesty). "By the river, upon the bank 

thereof, on this side and on that side, will 

qrow every tree for food, whose leaf shall 

not wither, neither shall its fruit fail; it 

will bear twelve fruits, yielding its fruit 

every xnonth, because the waters thereof 

issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit 

thereof shall be for food, and the leaf for 

healing". 

While the Prophets, Ezekiel (Ez 47,12) 

and John (Apoc 22,2), describe the tree of 

righteousness, well-watered, in the above 

words, the Apostle Paul tells us the fruit 

it bears: "love, joy, peace,- longsuffering, 

kindness, goodness, patience, meekness, 

faith (fulness) ; propriety, self-control, puri-

ty". The fact that hope is not listed axnong 

these virtues is a hint that love and faith 

in this list are not to be understood as 

xneaning the theological virtues; but vir-

tues closely bound up with these spiritual 

endowxnents; naxnely, that love here 

xneans loving kindness, and faith, faith-

fulness. Plainly enough faith, hope, and 

love, understood as we do understand the 

theological virtues, can hardly be con-

sidered as the fruit; but rather as the root, 

trunk, and crown of the tree. They are not 

products of righteousness, but in coxn-

76 



munion with the Spirit, they produce the 

righteousness itself. 

SEVENTH DAY 

Fruit vs. Leaf 

The fact that humility, a virtue so much 

emphasized by Christ and His Apostles, is 

not listed among the fruits, suggests a 

further conclusion. Humility is a product 

of the Spirit; but perhaps not considered 

as a fruit. It may be considered the leaf 

of the tree, essential to the health of the 

tree, but not beneficial beyond that; good 

for the person, but not directly benefitting 

neighbors. 

According to the Prophet the leaf is for 

healing. Now it is certain and clear to 

everyone, "experienced (Heb 5,13) in the 

word of righteousness", that nothing 

heals hurt feelings and a hurt soul as does 

humility. A person who is humble will 

admit his fault and his weakness, and thus 

open the way for truth and peace (Zech 

8,19), open the door to God's forgiveness 

and favor. Humility is the very condition 

for God's life, health, and strength in the 

soul. It is indispensible. Without it the 

Paraclete will not quicken what is dead, 

heal what is hurt, strengthen what is weak. 

The leaf is the life of the tree. So humility 

77 



is the life of righteousness. "Blessed are 

the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the king-

dom of heaven". 

According to the mind of the Prophet 

and of the Apostle, therefore, we may di-

vide Christian virtues into such as heal 

and such as feed, into leaves that heal the 

soul, and into fruits that feed society. As 

belonging to the former I would consider: 

humility, simplicity, sincerity; penitence, 

piety, resignation; soberness, thrift, perse-

verance; content, self-restraint, self-denial, 

all virtues mentioned and commended in 

the pages of Scripture. They right or heal 

the soul in its relation to God and to itself. 

They prevent and c:ure its disorders. They 

are the foliage of Christian righteousness, 

taking up the truth springing out of the 

earth, and converting it under the influ-

ence of 'the righteousness, that looketh 

down from heaven' (Ps 84,11), into the 

godliness which is genuine. 

Humility, as already said. is the very life 

of righteousness: "God resisteth the 

haughty, but giveth grace to the humble'~ 

(1 Pet 5,5). As it is with humility, so it is 

with simplicity, and the rest of the above 

mentioned virtues. If we are simple as 

doves (Mt 10,16), listening to the voice of 

78 



the Spirit, speaking thru conscience and 

authority, we shall be from sin ever free 

and in every trouble safe. And if we are 

sincere, being what we are and acting out 

the truth as it wells up in our heart, we are 

on and will persevere on the straight and 

narrow path leading (Mt 7,14) to life. 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they 

shall see God" (Mt 5,8). And if we are 

penitent, turned away from the world and 

its defilements, working out our salvation 

with fear and trembling, God Himself will 

work in us both to will and to' do for the 

good will (Phil 2,12). "Blessed are they 

that mourn, for they shall be comforted". 

And if we are pious, walking with God in 

reverence and obedience, ever seeking the 

things of the Spirit, all we need shall be 

added unto us. "Blessed are they that 

hunger and thirst after righteousness, for 

they shall be filled". And if we are re-

signed to our lot, grateful for what we 

have, and ready to suffer with Christ what-

ever may come, we shall with Him also 

enter into His joys. "Blessed are they that 

have been persecuted for righteousness' 

sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". 

We see here, that while the Apostle 

listed the fruits only, our Lord in His 

Beatitudes considers both the fruit and 

79 



the leaf of righteousness. Both are the 

products of the CHRISTIAN SPIRIT. 

EIGHTH DAY 

Fruits vs. Beatitudes 

Christ considers the leaf first, and the 

fruit next; because the leaf precedes and 

prepares the fruit. The humble are de-

clared blessed before the meek; the peni-

tent that mourn, and the pious that pant 

after God, before the merciful; the sincere 

that are pure in heart before the peace-

makers. In the last Beatitude both the 

leaf that heals the soul, and the fruit that 

feeds society are considered. An abundant 

blessing is held out to those who suffer 

persecutions of the world for righteous-

ness' sake, who suffer because they would 

'live godly (2 Tm 3,12) in Christ Jesus'. 

Bu t to obtain and to retain the full 

blessing of Christ there are yet other vir-

tues necessary besides those thus far' ex-

plicitly treated. They are: soberness, 

thrift, perseverance; content, self-re-

straint, and self-denial. Unless these also 

flourish as a green leaf (Prv 11,28), godli-

ness will not mature its fruit. The fruit 

will fall before it is ripe. Hear what the 

Apostle' has to say about this: "Be s~ber, 

80 



watch. Your adversary, the devil, like a 

roaring lion goeth about seeking someone 

to devour" (1 Pet 5,8). When Christians 

are sober and watch, always keeping in 

mind what has been taught them in faith, 

they will never be surprised in sin, as was 

the Prodigal, and as was Peter, when they 

awakened to find themselves, the one 

feeding swine while starving himself, the 

other denying his Lord while betraying 

his own soul. 

We next must be thrifty also. They that 

keep themselves busy, working (E 4,28) at 

what is good, have no time for the Devil. 

"We exhort you, brethren", writes the 

Apostle, "that ye take pride in quietly 

going about your business and in working 

with your own hands, that so you may 

walk becomingly, and have need (1 Th 4, 

11) of nothing". And then there is perse-

verance. They that hold out in prayer 

(Acts 1,14) and in the work (1 Cor 15,58) of 

the Lord, even when weary, still longer and 

longer, will find angels ministering (Mt 

4,11) unto them. So did Job, so did Tobit, 

so did our Lord, who is the shining model 

for all Christians in every virtue. "He that 

persevereth (Mt 24,13) unto the end, the 
same shall be saved" . He shall be estab-

lished in the truth of God, and exalted in 

81 



the glory of Christ. Particularly is this 

true, if he furthermore practices the vir-

tues of content, of self-restraint, and of 

self -denial. 

"Having food and raiment let us there-

with be content", advises the Apostle (1 

Tm 6,8). "They that would be rich fall into 

temptation, and a trap, and many desires 

that are foolish and hurtful, which drown 

these men in destruction and perdition. 

They pierce themselves thru with many . 

sorrows". And if they are strong unto the 
inward man, restraining the outward man 

in his appetite and anger, in his avarice 
and ambition, from going too far; or if 
they are able to possess their vessel in 
sanctification and honor, not in the pas-
sion of lust (1 Th 4,4), God Himself will 
'paraclete their hearts and establish them 
in every good work and word (2 Th 2,17). 
And if they are abstemious, denying them-
selves even lawful pleasures for the sake 
(Mt 19,12) of the Kingdom, exercising 
themselves unto godliness, the Law-giver 
will give them a special blessing. He will 
transform them in to His own image from 
glory to glory, so-to-say by the Lord Spirit 
(2 Cor 4,18). 

NINTH DAY 

The Fruits are to be Cultivated 

Self-denial is fundamental for a Chris-

82 



tian. It is the principal lesson to be learnt 

in the school .of Christ. The Master has so 

insisted on self-denial, that evidently it is 

the very condition of Christian life. Hear 

what He says (Lc 9,23): "If any man would 

.come after Me, let him deny himself, a:hd 

take up his cross, and follow Me. For who 

soever would save his life shall lose it; but 

who soever shall lose his life for My sake, 

the same shall save it". Every Christian 

therefore must learn self-denial, if he 

wishes to dress and to keep the garden 

(Gn 2,15) (1 Cor 3,9) of Yahveh, in which he 

is placed by an all-loving God, restored by 

an all-gracious Lord, and helped by an all-

lending Paraclete. 

Our soul as well as our body needs exer-

cise. Wisely the Church, mother-like, in-

sists much on days of fast and abstinence 

for her children; yea, commands, that they 

at times fast and abstain from lawful 

pleasures to strengthen their soul in the 

truth, and for the grace of God, thatthey 

mortify their members which are on earth 

(Col 3,5), and so quicken the powers which 

are from heaven. The inner life lives on the 

outer life. "Except the grain of wheat 

fallen into the ground die, it abideth alone. 

But if it die, it bareth much fruit" (In 12, 

24). The nature of man or selfishness must 

83 



die that the grace of God m.ight awaken to 

life, unfold its leaf of righteousness, and 

produce the fruit of the Spirit. 

How foolish is the wisdom. of those who 

wait till the next tim.e to deny them.selves, 

when, as they think, it will be m.ore tim.ely 

and easier to deny them.selves. Redeem. 

the tim.e, rather "exploit the opportunity, 

because the days are evil", says the Apostle 

(E 5,16). To be good in the m.idst of evil, 

that's Christianity. "For this is grace 

(Christianity) if thru consciousness of God 

one endureth griefs, suffering unjustly", 

says the chief Apostle; "for what kind of 

glory is it, if sinning and buffeted, ye en-

dure; but if doing right and suffering ye 

endure, that is grace with God. For unto · 

this were ye called (as Christians, and for 

this are ye called Christians), because 

Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an 

exam.ple that ye should follow in His steps" 

(l Pt 2,20-22). Not when it is easy but when 

it is hard, is the tim.e to do the will of the 

Spirit. Then it is when the exertion counts. 

When it is hard to lose, and you could 

easily win, then through consciousness of 

God to accept rebuffs, that's hum.ility. 

When it is easy to get even with a neighbor, 

but hard to forgive and forget, then for the 

love of Christ to choke your feelings, that's 

84 



charity. When you can easily afford the 

self-indulgence, and can hardly resist its 

appeal, then for the sake of the Spirit to 

forego the pleasure, that's self-denial. 

Hum.ility, self-denial, charity; these are 

the Christian virtues ,that are essential for 

godliness. They are the leaf, the bloom., 

and the fruit; hum.ility before God, denial 

of self, and charity toward your neighbor. 

And rem.em.ber, they do not grow of 

them.selves. They m.ust be cultivated; yes, 

cultivated-which is done by Prayer, Fast-

ing, Alm.sgiving. "Blessed is everyone who 

is found wholehearted in these", says an 

apostolic Father (2 K 116,4). 'Exercise your-

self unto godliness' (l Tm. 4,7). Pray, while 

hum.bly resigned, like a child, before God. 

The attitude, "My will, not Thine be 

done" had turned Eden in to a desert; but 

the prayer (Lc 22,42): "Not m.y will, but 

Thine be done" has reversed the situation. , 
I t has m.ade Gethsem.ane the gateway to 

heaven. FAST, and so, soberly, like a 

judge, deny yourselves the pleasures of the 

m.om.ent for the sake of an eternity. Self-

indulgence has brought down curses upon 

m.an, wom.an, and country; but self-denial 

will lift the curse, and leave a blessing 

behind (Joel 2,14). GIVE ALMS, and so, 

charitably, like a friend, treat your neigh-

85 



bor as you would have him to treat you. 

Man's inhumanity to man makes count-

less thousands mourn, but Christ's charity 

to man reverses all that. It makes count-

less thousands smile again. 

These are the exercises that set us and 

keep us aright in our relation with God, 

with self, and with neighbor. They make 

·for righteousness in every direction. Not 

occasionally, therefore, but regularly, 

should these exercises be taken up. Pray 

always; but be humble, simple, sincere, 

penitent, pious, and resigned before God, 

as our Lord illustrated it in the parable of 

the Publican and Pharisee, that went up 

to the temple to pray. Fast often; and 

thus work up the virtues of soberness, 

thrift, perseverance, content, self-re-

straint, and self-denial, till you have your-

self in power, knowing how to possess your 

body in sanctification and honor, not in 

the passion of lust, like heathens who know 

not God. Give alms, or be compassionate, 
\ 

on every occasion, that so you may flourish 

and grow (Col 1,10) by the knowledge of 

God in every virtue, made virtuous accord-

ing to the might of His glory unto all 

patience ·and long-suffering. Never forget, 

the fruit depends upon the leaf for its life 

and health. 

86 



You now know the virtues which con-

stitute the leaf of righteousness, the leaf 

(Apos 22,2) which is for healing, for healing 

and hallowing the soul in the Truth. 

These are not listed in the letter to the 

Galatians, because there the Apostle was 

primarily concerned with the grace of 

Christian life, with the social side of the 

Christian, with the relation of neighbor 

to neighbor, lest "biting and devouring 

one another they should be consumed (Gal 

5,15) one by another". 

TENTH DAY 

The Fruits are Evidence of Grace 
or Loving Kindness 

Indeed, the virtues listed as fruits show 

that they are for the benefit of others. All 

show this clearly, except the three not 

listed in the Greek text: patience (stead-

fastness), propriety, and purity. These 

adorn the person himself who has them. 

Bu t they may also be exercised in behalf 

of others, and thus be numbered among 

the fruits, in which the Christian denies 

himself that he might answer the need of 

others. The fruits accentuate the grace, 

rather than the truth which came by 

Jesus Christ. "Ye know the grace of 

Christ, who tho he was rich yet for 

87 



our sake became poor that w e thru His 

poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8,9). 

The fruits are the virtues that grow out of 

the bloom of self-denial on the branches 

of love. They evidence love, not lust. 

Agape, not eros, is the Greek word. In 

these virtues Christians seek the welfare 

of others, not their own (2 Cor 12,14), to 

serve, not to be served, following Christ 

who said: 'I carne not to be ministered 

unto, but to minister; and to give my life 

as a ransom for many' (Mt 20,28). 

Note, that to be useful was in the mind 

of the Apostle the same as to be fruitfuL 

'Let our people', he writes to Titus (Tit 3, 

14), 'learn to excel in good works for neces-

sary uses, that they be not unfruitful'; 

'unfruitful in spite of their knowledge of 

our Lord Jesus Christ', as Saint Peter 

seems to say. Usefulness is Christianity 

practically applied. 'Faithful is the word, 

and concerning these things I will have 

thee to speak with assurance, that they 

who have believed God set their mind on 

excelling in good works' (Tit 3,8). 'The 

kingdom of God is not eating and drink-

ing, but righteousness and peace and joy 

in the Holy Spirit. For he that herein 

serveth Christ is pleasing to God and ap-

proved by men. Let us therefore follow 

88 



after things which m.ake for peace, and 

things whereby we m.ay edify one another' 

(Rm. 14,19). 

'Love', listed as the first fruit, therefore, 

m.eans loving kindness, or if we choose the 

word charity, charitableness; 'joy' m.eans 

joyfulness, m.aking others happy; peace 

m.eans peacefulness. 'Long-suffering' is as 

m.uch m.agnanim.ity as it is longanim.ity. 

The long-suffering Christian, like God, 

'wishes not that anyone should perish, but 

that all should com.e to repentance' (2 Pet 

3,8) ; and he works to that end. 'Kindness' 

and 'goodness' bear the stam.p of grace 

toward others plainly enough. 'Patience', 

'm.eekness', and 'faithfulness' also com.e 

fully into their own when practised in 

behalf of others. And when 'propriety' is 

understood according to the Greek origi-

nal, its_ graciousness is evident ·enough. 

Epikia is that even tem.per in m.an which 

disposes him. to do the fitting thing in view 

of actual circum.stances. 'Self-control' is 

that inward poise which enables a m.an to 

prom.ote the good of others even at his own 

expense, protecting his neighbor even from. 

his own natural desire. It enables him. to 

do the truth and the grace in behalf of 

neighbors even when they in their ignor-

ance would have it otherwise. And 'purity' 

89 



has no other will than good will, and shows 

this will in every twinkle of its eye. 

The fruits of the Spirit therefore are 

outward proofs of a God-like~ Christ-like, 
Spirit-like disposition toward neighbors. 

They are evidence of a love such as God's, 

who 'loved us while we were yet sinners' 

(Rm 5,8); of a grace such as Christ's, who 

spent (2 Cor 12,15) Himself for the good of 

all, even His enemies; of a communication 

such as the Spirit's, who lends Himself in 

His gifts to every comer, of none despair-

ing. 

Of course, to have such a disposition and 

to yield such fruit, your righteousness 

must indeed be planted like a tree in the 

garden of God, by the water course of His 

Spirit, and branching out in the sunlight 

of Christ. To be a friend and a brother to 
others in all circumstances of life is indeed 
a superhuman task. To realize this ideal, 

you must indeed be full of the Spirit; have 
the grace (Chris.tianity), abounding in 
faith, hope, and love. The root, the trunk, 

and crown of the tree must be sound. Its 
foliage must be green and vigorous, able 
to turn the truth springing out of the 
earth, and the grace coming down from 
heaven, to full account. Your humility 

before God and your denial of self must be 

genuine. 

90 



Now, tho these virtues are sublime 

they are not beyond reach. They are given 

by God when prayed for, and at the same 

time worked on, by us. "Exercise your-

selves unto godliness", says the Apostle. 

The exercises, as already said, are prayer, 

fasting, and almsgiving; these three, the 

most telling of which is almsgiving; alms-

giving, not in the sense of handing out 

mere pittance from our abundance; but 

going the full length of pity for others, 

sharing with them our time, our comforts, 

our strength, whatever we have. It means 

being a friend, a paraclete to them, a good 

samaritan, taking up their burdens, when 

they are too weak to help themselves. It 

means proving our love toward them as 

God has proven His toward us in Christ, 

yea, as He proves it toward us today in His' 

Paraclete. It is godliness abloom, spend-

ing its fragrance (2 Cor 2, 14), the knowledge 

of God, in every place, and yielding its fruit 

as needs suggest it. 

PRAYER 
FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT 

Come, Holy Spirit, cause Thy righteous-

ness, the fountain of bliss and blessing, 

ever to spring up in the cen ter of our hearts; 

and divide its waters into the four heads 

91 



of temperance and prudence and justice 

and fortitude , so that every Christian 

virtue or every tree of righteousness, plant- · 

ed by the river of life upon the bank there-

of, in this side and on that side, may grow 

and flourish. May its leaf never fall, and its 

fruit never fail. 

Mature and color our faith and our vir-

tue, like leaves and fruits, with Thy light 

from above in all trueness and goodness 

and rightness and holiness, till we are 

found worthy of God, (Wis 3,5) fit to be 

seen at the everlasting fair, for praise and 

glory and honor (l Pet 1,7) in the light of 

Jesus Christ. 

Mature and color in us that charity of 

heart, looking out for others in the struggle 

of life as we do for ourselves, and carrying 

their burdens, as Jesus did ours; thus ful-

filling the Law; as Christ did, so let us 

Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that joy of soul, 

welling up from a good conscience, and 

spreading happiness on all around, like a 

sunrise, rejoicing in the Lord; thus radiat-

ing the grace; as Christ did, so let us 

Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that peace of 

mind, assuring while being assured of the 

92 



truth of, God, the rock of ages, amidst the 

winds and waves of a changing world; thus 

living the faith; as Christ did, so let us 

Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that long-suffer-

ing of a generous heart, taking no account 

of evil said or done against us, seeking not 

our own, but the good of others; as Christ 

did, so let us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that kindness of 

a noble soul, having help for all, because 

of a love for all, healing the hurt of human-

kind; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that goodness of 

will, harboring no ill will, but excusing the 

accused as long as we can, sweetening the 

bitterness of society; as Christ did, so let 

us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that meekness of 

an even temper, well ruled at horne and 

ruling well abroad, as Moses did, leading 

the way to the Promised Land; as Christ 

did, so let us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that patience of 

a solid character, never wearying of well-

doing, possessing our soul, as Job did, 

whether crossed or crowned; as Christ did, 

so let us Christians do. 

93 



Mature and color in us that faithfulness 

of a sacred devotion, doing the co:m:mon 

chores and doing the:m weJI, as Saint 

Joseph did, 'anything for God'; as Christ 

did, so let us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that propriety of 

ways and conduct, never offending, but 

ever finding what is proper before God and 

:men with the sense of a Christened gentle-

:man; as Christ did, so let us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that self-control 

in wants and :moods, ruling our i:mpulses 

for our own and for other's sake with the 

virtue .of a sainted knight; as Christ did, 

so let us Christians do. 

Mature and color in us that purity of 

thought and purpose, banishing the spirits 

of the lower world, and hallowing the at-

~osphere about our person with the eye 

of a blessed angel; as Christ did, so let us 

Christians do. · . 

Oh Holy Spirit, so holy in Thyself that 

by Thy presence, pleas (R:m , 8,26), and 

precepts Thou dost ever :make holy all 
the:m that let Thee; grant that we also, 

being filled with Thy Spirit, :may by our 

appearance, address, and action edify all 

around us. 

As Christ did, so let us Christians do. 

94 









For copies address 

FATHERS RUMBLE AND CARTY 
Radio Replies Press 

St. Paul I, Minn., U.S.A. 

Copyrlllht 

RADIO REPLIES PRESS - 1946 


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