Theological Foundations new file

102 Theological Foundations On the other hand, obedience, willingness to humble oneself, to bear burdens and suffer afflictions, to avoid honors and to put oneself at everyone’s disposal, the ability to recognize that we are all contemptible creatures — these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Whoever is filled with such a spirit, is a true disciple of Christ. 16 The one who is filled with the Holy Spirit, loves the truth. “For it is true that hiding the truth belongs to the spirit of the devil; forbidding the truth to speak is a matter of the evil spirit. Whoever does not proclaim the truth to others or does not allow it to be proclaimed to him; whoever does not listen to the words of God, which are the Truth, or does not proclaim them to others, is not of God. Therefore, if you accept reprimands and consider them to be valuable, you are filled with the Spirit of God. If you recognize the transgressions of your past and present life, if you do penance for them and reform your ways, you are filled with the Spirit of God. If you bring others to the recognition of their own transgressions, to remorse and contrition, to disgust with these transgressions, to reform and reparation, you are filled with the Spirit of God.” 17 A man who received the Holy Spirit ought to try to correct his errors and free others from them. It is not sufficient to receive Him only spiri- tually. We must reveal this externally by avoiding any kind of imperfec- tion and by practicing virtues with great zeal. We should keep in mind the remark made by St. Gregory, who said that while some people do receive the Holy Spirit, at times of temptation they forget what they had earlier renounced with compunction, and return to their old sins as if they had never deplored them. 18 Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit transforms people’s hearts with His love, just as He transformed the hearts of the Apostles. As the tongues of fire appeared over them, their hearts, too, were set aflame. 19 *** Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz takes up the issue of the role played by the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, especially a religious or a priest,