The Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit In The Souls Of The Just. Part 26.

According To The Teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas

PART SECOND

GOD'S SPECIAL PRESENCE OR THE INDWELLING 

OF THE HOLY GHOST IN THE SOULS 

OF THE JUST

CHAPTER I

The Fact of God's Special Presence in the Just. 

The Sending and the Bestowal of God the 

Holy Ghost; His Indwelling 

in the Soul

"Over and above the ordinary and common manner in which God is present in all things (namely, by His essence, His power, and His presence, as the cause is present in the effects which are a participation in His goodness), there is another and a special presence which is appropriate to rational nature, a presence by which God is said to be present as that which is known is present to the being who knows, and as that which is loved is present to the being who loves. And because a rational and a loving creature by its operation in knowing and loving is placed in contact with God Himself, for that reason it is said that God by this special manner of presence is not only in a rational creature, but also that He dwells in it as in His temple. No other effect than sanctifying grace can be the reason why of this new manner of presence of the Divine Person. It is therefore solely by sanctifying grace that the Divine Person is thus sent forth and proceeds temporarily. . . . And always, together with grace, one receives also the Holy Spirit Himself, Who is thus given and sent.''

Despite their brevity, these words of St. Thomas contain a wonderful summary of the question we are studying. Here we find clear mention of, first, the! fact of this special presence of God in the soul which is in the state of grace; second, the nature of this presence; it is a substantial, that is to say, a most real presence; God is present not merely by His favors, but in: Person; third, the mode of this presence: He is there no longer in the capacity of an active or efficient cause, but as a Guest and a Friend, as an object of knowledge and love; fourth, the subjects who alone can benefit by such a gift, must be rational beings; fifth, the condition for this presence is the state of grace.

To be well understood, these considerations should each be deeply pondered; they shall receive a treatment proportioned to the difficulties each may present, and to the degree of their importance. We shall devote our attention first to the fact of this special presence of God in the souls of the just.