An Explanation of the Ceremonies and
of the Wonderful Effects of the
Sacrament of Confirmation
By
A Sister of Charity of Providence
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit, as enumerated by St. Paul, are twelve: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity, Goodness, Longanimity, Mildness, Faith, Modesty, Continency, Chastity. These fruits should be visible in every Christian, for thereby we shall know that the Holy Spirit dwells in him; for the tree is known by its fruit.
If the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart, we may be compared to a tree full of vigor, which brings forth the best and sweetest fruit; that is, acts of virtue and of holiness. If the spirit c£ the world, the spirit of the flesh, and the spirit of pride have taken possession of our soul, we are like an evil tree, which brings forth bad and bitter fruit.
The Fruit of Charity most resembles the Holy Spirit, because He is Love itself. This fruit is like a mother to all the rest, for we must love God and our neighbor, or we cannot bear any spiritual fruit at all.
The Fruit of Joy is another proof that we possess the Holy Spirit in our heart, for He is Joy itself. He fills us with happiness for the very least thing that we do for Him. Nothing makes us so happy as being in the state of grace.
The Fruit of Peace causes God to rest in our heart, for it means that we want only what He wants, and that we avoid all that displeases Him; thus our conscience is at ease.
The Fruit of Patience keeps us from being troubled by any difficulty or disappointment. It also helps us to persevere in prayer, no matter how long we may have to wait for an answer.
The Fruit of Mildness helps us to be meek with those who try our temper or provoke us, and to return good for evil.
The Fruit of Goodness fills us with a desire to help others. It causes us to radiate kindness on every one.
The Fruit of Benignity helps us to oblige others willingly and gladly. It causes us to consider always the feelings of others, and to treat them with great kindness and gentleness.
The Fruit of Faith makes it easy for us to believe all the truths that our holy Faith teaches us.
The Fruit of Modesty makes us holy in our thoughts, watchful in our words, and grave in our behavior, because we realize that God is within us.
The Fruit of Continency helps us to use all creatures for God’s glory, and to restrain all our unruly passions, such as anger, sadness, pride, ambition, and all forbidden pleasures of our senses.
The Fruit of Chastity helps us to keep our soul and our body pure, because within us lives God, who is the Lover of holy purity.
Daily Communion is the best means of increasing the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit; for our Lord, uniting His Body to our body, and His Soul to our soul, burns and destroys within us the seeds of our vices, and communicates to us by degrees His own divine temperament and perfections, according as we prepare for His coming and allow Him to act in us.
Whenever we find that we are constantly failing in any one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we must do all that we can to discover the defect which causes this, so that all twelve fruits will shine in us like the stars encircling the head of the Mother of God.
