An Explanation of the Ceremonies and
of the Wonderful Effects of the
Sacrament of Confirmation
By
A Sister of Charity of Providence
THE GREATEST GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The greatest gift which the Holy Spirit imparts to our soul is Sanctifying Grace, which He brings with Him into our heart at Baptism, along with His sevenfold gifts. It is something so precious and divine that it cannot be explained. It makes our soul so holy and pleasing to God that He delights to live with us, and He makes our heart His home.
When in Baptism He first comes to us with His most precious gifts, our whole heart belongs to Him without any reserve. Oh, if we could only always make Him feel at home there! But, as children grow older they often grow selfish; they want to have their own way, and will not do as God urges them. Then, too, they learn to love other persons and things better than they love God, and they naturally give them the first place in their heart,—God’s place; while they force Him to take perhaps a little room in the garret, where they will not hear His voice so clearly, nor see His dear eyes pleading with them to let Him have His place again. If this is what we too have done with our sweet Guest, let us hasten at once to give Him all our heart, to make Him so much at home with us that He can urge us to do just what He wants. And we will try to make His home more bright and beautiful each day by increasing that grace which is so pleasing to Him.
How can we increase this grace? We can increase our degree of sanctifying grace by every good work, not only by great deeds, but by every little act done for His love. Every prayer said devoutly, every holy wish, every devout glance at the Sacred Host, or at a holy picture, every time that we say no to temptation, we receive at once a new degree of grace. Each time that we wash our soul in the Sacrament of Penance we receive a big share of grace, for the sacraments give not only sanctifying grace, but sacramental grace as well. Above all times we increase this grace when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, for His Heart touches our heart and makes it more like His own, and at the same time makes it easier for us to be good.
Let us then do all that we can to make God take more delight in His little home, our heart. Let us try to keep it as clean and as pure as we can, by never offending Him deliberately. If we should have this misfortune, let us hasten to make an act of perfect sorrow for having offended our God who is so good to us, and as soon as possible go to Confession to get our soul washed in Jesus’ Precious Blood, that it may once more be bright and beautiful for our Divine Guest.
Let us also profit by all the actual graces that the Holy Spirit gives us; for every time that we do a good act it is the Holy Ghost who urges us to do it, and gives us strength to do it; which means, 'that He gives us His own actual help, called actual grace. We cannot have even one good and holy thought without His putting it in our mind. We cannot say our dear Lord Jesus’ Name piously, unless the Holy Spirit helps us. Without His grace, then, we can do nothing that is good. Without His Presence in our heart, we lose all that holy beauty which makes us pleasing to God. Only mortal sin can force Him to leave us, for He cannot live with those who serve the devil. Let us always, then, do what God wants of us, what He tells us to do in His commandments and those of His Church; and then the misfortune of losing His Presence will never befall us.
