Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/302

 happy is  that  man  whom  He  satiates;  there  is  nothing left for  him  to  desire."

III. Consider the  effects  which  the  presence  of  the Holy Ghost  produces  in  the  soul. " Be  filled, "  says St. Paul,  "  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  speaking  to  yourselves  in psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  canticles,  singing  and making  melody  in  your  hearts  to  the  Lord." (Eph. v. 18.)  Excite  in  yourself  those  feelings  which  prompted that line  of  conduct  in  those  to  whom  the  Apostle  wrote.

I. The  Divine  Spirit,  who  does  not  stand  in  need  of our  exertions,  bestows,  nevertheless,  His  most  precious gifts on  those  who  are  disposed  to  receive  them. "These gifts are,"  as  the  Angel  of  the  Schools  teaches,  "certain habits  which  enable  a  man  to  follow  promptly  the  instinct of  the  Holy  Ghost,  chiefly  in  relation  to  noble  and  heroic actions." These gifts  are,  according  to  Isaias,  seven: "The spirit  of  wisdom  and  of  understanding,  the  spirit of  counsel  and  of  fortitude,  the  spirit  of  knowledge  and of  godliness,  and  the  spirit  of  the  fear  of  our  Lord." (Is. xi.  2.)

II. These gifts  supply  us  with  spiritual  armor  to  protect and  aid  us  in  all  our  infirmities. "The spirit,"  says St. Paul, "also  helpeth  our  infirmity." (Rom. viii.  26.) " Therefore,"  writes  St.  Gregory,  "  He  gives  us  wisdom to  counteract  our  folly;  understanding,  our  dulness; counsel,  our  rashness;  fortitude,  our  fear;  knowledge, our  ignorance;  piety,  our  indevotion;  and  the  fear  of God,  our  pride."

III. How frequently  you  are  subject  to  all  these  in-