The water
I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living water, welling up into
eternal life. This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up
for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit
water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their
origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is
always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm
tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does
not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining
essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that
receives it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature
is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he
wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the
fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy
Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of his action, by the
will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvellous.
The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine
truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out
devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one
man’s self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast
and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the
body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different
people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture
says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.
The Spirit comes gently and makes himself
known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very
light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The
Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to
heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to
enlighten the mind first of the one who receives him, and then, through him,
the minds of others as well.
As light strikes the eyes of a man who comes
out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he
could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the man counted worthy of
receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him to see things beyond the range of
human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.
St.
Cyril of Jerusalem, Office of Readings, Monday of the 7th Week of
Easter
Reflection – Time for a little seasonal blogging, as
the great feast of Pentecost, in its solemnity exceeded only by Christmas and
Easter, is coming. This instruction by Cyril of Jerusalem is especially
beautiful, and I always look forward to it in the office each year. It is a
clear teaching on the nature of grace, its essentially divine quality, and its
created effects in the soul.
As we are in
this Pentecost ‘season’, so to speak, it is good to ponder a bit what kind of
plant you are. Are you a palm tree or a vine? Or some people are garden
vegetables, not too exciting perhaps, but bringing solid food to the table of
humanity day by day. Others are flowers, with a great capacity to beautify life
and delight their brothers and sisters.
And then there
are the great trees, oaks and maples and such, that are capacious and strong
enough to provide shelter and security to others, shade from the heat of the
day, respite from a harsh world. And others are the green grass of the world,
low to the ground, trodden on sometimes, seen as being of little account, yet
in their humility and meekness playing a more vital role in holding the dew of
the Spirit in the clay of the earth than most realize. The victim souls, who
are low and despicable in the eyes of the world yet hold so much together in hidden
fecundity.
We all of us
are something, and this something is
what the Spirit waters and nourishes and makes grow upwards from its human earthly
roots towards the heavens, the air and sky that is symbolic of the divine
sphere. I suppose ultimately we don’t have to know exactly what plant we are—probably
it is not given to us to see too clearly our precise place in the Body of
Christ and the Body of Man.
The key is to
have faith that we are there, and to call out to the Spirit to pour down his
gentle rain on us to make us grow to be who we are, become ourselves in the
deepest sense of that word, which is really to become Christ, and in this becoming
bear fruit in our lives with the beautiful fruits of the Spirit we find in
Galatians 5.
