The Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier (2)

I am finding so much to mull over in the concise choice of words of this book. The challenge is to find the right words and phrases in my own vocabulary to convey my own thoughts and understanding of the author’s meaning clearly. I hope I can do it justice, I’d love to have feedback that can further sharpen me in this important topic.
Continuing on.

– still in Chapter 1 – The Devotion of the Catholic Church to the Holy Ghost

2. We should contemplate the operations of the Holy Ghost in the souls of the faithful, in the Church, and in the blessed in heaven. These operations are common to all three persons in the Godhead, but appropriated to the Holy Ghost: The Spirit of Truth, The Illuminator, and The Sanctifier. It is the Holy Spirit’s appropriated mission, operation, job, or activity to dispense God’s grace to man, and to make us holy, according to Romans 5:5.

Romans 5:5b (NAB): …the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Sanctify: set apart as or declare holy; consecrate.
Illuminate: Shed light upon…help to clarify or explain (a subject or matter). (late Middle English: from Latin illuminat- ‘illuminated’, from the verb illuminare, from in- ‘upon’ + lumen, lumin- ‘light’.)

The Holy Spirit’s title is the Spirit of Truth, this is His character, His Name, His role…to impart Truth to our hearts. He helps us to discern the Truth, (Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…no one comes to the Father but by me”), Jesus, who leads us to the Father. Again, when we adore the Holy Ghost, we do not exclude the others, or separate the three since the three are one, but we can recognize their distinct missions…as individual persons in the One God. I’m seeing the whole Godhead here. The Holy Spirit lights up our path, pours God’s love into our hearts and imparts the grace and Truth we need to obey God’s command to be holy as HE is holy.

3. All the works of God are activities of the One Triune God. God is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. He is One God. The Creator and the Redeemer are not excluded from the work of Sanctification, neither is the Holy Spirit from the works of Creation and Redemption.

“We shall never exclude the Father and the Son from the divine action of our sanctification, which is proper to all the Three Persons as God; but we may speak of the office which is appropriate in the divine economy to the Third Person, that is, to the Holy Ghost. This appropriation, then, as we have seen, arises from two distinct reasons : the one is that the communication of sanctity has a special affinity to the Person of the Holy Ghost ; the other, that as the Son had a special mission into the world to redeem mankind, so the Holy Ghost has a special mission into the world to sanctify those who are faithful to the Redeemer.”

The author makes good use of repetition for important points. Over and over, God is One. The works and appropriations of the three in One, are all works of God, but appropriated to individual persons in the Godhead to dispense, according to their interaction with us. If I can ever get my brain wrapped around that, I’ll be doing good.  Though the Trinity is a mystery and not meant to be understood fully on this side of glory, it is an area in which we are called to exercise our faith, and not lean on our own understanding, but trust that God’s Word revealed to His Church is faithful and true.

My brain hurts. More to come.

What I’m Reading This Year

I’d love to have feedback, has anyone else read The Holy Ghost, The Sanctifier – written by Henry Edward, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster?  Hopefully the link above works, if not, you can find a free ebook version on googlebooks.com.

A dear friend introduced me to this little treasure, and we decided to read it together and text our thoughts about it to one another. This seemed like a good idea at the time, but I quickly found that I needed a dictionary and a thesaurus for the sake of breaking down words I did not understand and my Verbum Bible study software for theological truths that were way too lofty for my little brain to reach. Also, and mostly, my thumbs couldn’t text as fast as I could formulate a thought. Since I find I learn best when I re-write what I read, and include my thoughts and understandings with the text I am reading, I had the brilliant idea to use all ten fingers on the laptop and attempt to make it coherent enough for new blog content.

This series will be a compilation of snippets of text from the book and my thoughts, musings and questions for my own personal study and comprehension. I’ll share it here on New Things, for the sake of anyone who wants and dares to attempt to glean from the mess of a tired brain with scattered thoughts and storms.
Okay…Chapter I

– The Devotion of the Catholic Church to the Holy Ghost

1. God is One in absolute perfection. Three Persons exist in the One; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. All divine worship is given to all Three Persons in The One God.

Though each Person of the Godhead is one in unity and purpose with the other, and share in the divine operations in man (who He made in His image), they each have unique and individual missions and activity in their presence and relationships with man.

God the Son, Jesus, the Redeemer has a relationship with man that is unique to His Person…by the combination of divine and human natures in the single person of Christ (hypostatic union), He has united man to God because He alone is God embodied in flesh; God in human form (incarnate). In the same way, the Holy Spirit has a unique relationship with man, as Sanctifier. I am looking forward to learning about this role, and so far, in chapter one am only getting hints at what this word means. This does not exclude the other Divine Persons of the Godhead from the work of redemption, because they are One. If I understand correctly, the role of the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier is in relation to the equipping man with what is needed for him to live a holy life. I know that is a very simplified understanding, but for now it is good enough for me, as it makes my head hurt to try and break it down further. I look forward to diving a little deeper as I continue.

 

Stream in Desert Devotional, http://dailybread.cn/?p=137, Checkout app at: https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/stream-in-desert-devotional/id1458111077?mt=8

A good reminder if you find yourself in the waiting rom of God’s timing.

Quotes

Twelve years ago, I started a journal for quotes.

Today, I found it…again…seems this poor journal is bound to be buried and forgotten, neglected and alone…much like my blog.  As my husband says, quoting from one of our favorite movies:  “that is something we shall have to remedy, then.”

So, I’ve named my journal Lazarus, and will be locating it back into a more prominent space so that I can add to it.  Many of them are concerning children…and today’s fits well with the theme.  It is a quote by Mother Teresa, one that I think I’d like to have in vinyl on my wall (or stapled to my forehead, whichever proves simplest), for a constant reminder of what seems to be simple advice, but is never easy.

You will teach them to fly, but they will not fly your flight.
You will teach them to dream, but they will not dream your dream.
You will teach them to live, but they will not live your life.
Nevertheless, in every flight, in every life, in every dream,
the print of the way you taught will always remain.        —Mother Teresa

Of Hope

This is a bit late coming, but…better late than never…and I need to get it documented, hopefully before 2020.  My one word for the year 2019 is Hope.

I haven’t had the words, or the time, or the motivation to process where the thought of hope came from…or how or why I think that word is for me this year, in fact, it sometimes feels like I may have picked the wrong word…circumstances have not really changed, my prayers–when finally verbalized or written–seem to hit the ceiling, and return empty to me…but yet…hope.  I know I heard it.  I know it’s mine…and by the Bible dictionary definition, I know there is a lesson in the not seeing, and I am determined to apprehend it in some way this year.

To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.

How I long for these benefits!

Redemption
Healing
Peace
Security
Unity

All these things, I hope for, but do not see with my eyes yet….Yet…I know they will come to pass, I know I heard God’s gentle whisper to my heart for mercy, trust, obedience, and now hope.  Even (and especially) in the dark…when the waves crash in on me and I feel as if I’m drowning…I find my anchor and hold on as if for dear life…

Even through the ugly…

Rebellion
Illness and Injury
Turmoil
Fretful anxieties
Broken hearts, homes, and families

I picture the father of the prodigal son when I think of the word hope.  That father who watched and waited for his erring son to return, and saw him coming when he was still a long way off.  THAT is hope.

When that foolish boy was leaving the security of home with everything he owned
While he was squandering his inheritance
when his money ran out, and he was left without means to support himself
when his so-called friends had nothing left to gain from him

the father waited in hope.

when in desperation, his beloved son resorted to dining with the swine
When finally coming to his senses
while he hatched the plan to serve his father
while he traveled the long road home, rehearsing his apology,

his father was there, waiting in hope, watching for his return.

And here I am with that father.  Praying.  Waiting.  Watching.  Ready for hope and faith and trust to mature and materialize into what can be seen…touched…and fully apprehended.  Making myself ready for the coming home party.

Did It Myself Curry Powder – Take 1

One of the things I came to love from our stay in Atlantic Canada was their curry.  Hubs’ dad had a good recipe, and showed me the basics of a good curry sauce for chicken, beef, and veggies.  I bought his Venetian Gold recommendation, and used it up.  On one of our return trips there, I procured another bottle, and have since used it up.  All my attempts to find the stuff here have fallen flat, even Amazon failed me…so, I am on a mission to find a good diy recipe to rival it….stay tuned.

I found this recipe on deliciousobsessions.com.  I love how it is in parts, so I can make large amounts or small, without having to “math”.  Today I used tablespoons, and a repurposed jelly jar…if it works, I’ll use 1/8 cup and store in a larger jar.  It smells like heaven!

Here is the recipe:

4 parts coriander
2 parts turmeric
2 parts dry mustard
2 parts chili powder
1 part cayenne
1 part cumin
1/2 part cardamom

I am not a product snob by nature.  The spices I used are not fancy ones, I usually pick them up on sale.  Again…my house smells amazing and I haven’t even started cooking yet.  I believe tomorrow we will have chicken and veggie curry with cauli-rice.  I can’t wait.

Last week’s “one thing” collection

This journal collection is fast becoming my favorite part of my day. I love to look back over the week and see how each day’s one thing that stands out from the mass reading builds on the previous day, until there is a theme to reflect on at the end of the week. In this case, obedience, which just so happens to be the word I was given at the beginning of this year, how cool is that!?

Incidentally, I resumed my reading of the catechism again this week which dovetailed beautifully as well, I love how that worked.

This is a good way to reflect on and record what I have learned from Sacred Scripture, and it really only takes a few minutes to do so, but the ability to look back and meditate on that time is so highly beneficial, it saddens me that I didn’t think of it sooner!

Psalm 139

My Bible memory for the month of June…Psalm 139. This is a great passage to meditate on during adoration in my prayer time. I hope to have it hidden deep in my heart by the end of June. Each day after I give my day, myself and all I have, desire, and plan to do to my blessed Jesus, I read thru the entire passage out loud, then ink out a word or phrase and read through it again. I do this for 5-15 minutes every morning before I read the daily Mass readings. My pie in the sky plan is to have one chapter of Sacred Scripture memorized each month.

Do you memorize Sacred Scripture? Share your best tips and favorite passages with me.