Theological Foundations new file

98 Theological Foundations Jesus to the Samaritan woman: “If you only knew the gift of God” (Jn 4, 10). The Holy Spirit is an infinite good for us because He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity which is the source of all good. He is the giver of all graces. It is the Holy Spirit who distributes among us the fruits of salvation won by Christ and then continues His work. He adapts these fruits to every man. He is our Steward, Defender, Comforter, Teacher and Executor of the work of salvation. If we compare Jesus to the trunk of a tree, the Holy Spirit is the fruit of this tree. If Christ is the sun, the Holy Spirit is its light and rays. Christ teaches us and the Holy Spirit writes these teachings down in our hearts. Christ is the King and the Holy Spirit introduces Him into our hearts as into a kingdom, thus becoming the foundation of our spiritual transformation. He personally reigns in the souls of the righteous. He enlightens and penetrates souls with sanctify- ing grace. He strengthens and empowers souls through the Divine virtues which He pours into them. He makes the human mind and will more receptive to the work of God through His seven gifts. Four of these gifts perfect our mind (sapientia, intelligentia, consilium, scientia) and the remaining three perfect our will (fortitudo [virtus], pietas, timor Dei) .5 Without the grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, man is completely helpless in his spiritual life. Just as the earth will not bear fruit without help from heaven, similarly, man will not grow in virtue and holiness without the grace of the Holy Spirit. This grace is the first and main con- dition of progress on the path to perfection. Therefore, the sending of the Holy Spirit to man and to the world is a mystery filled with consolation. The mystery endures and continues to renew itself. We are to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit just as Christ’s disciples had waited in Jerusalem. 6 We can do nothing towards our sanctification without the aid of God’s grace. Christ said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15, 5). Blessed George remarks that we tend to rely on ourselves alone and count only on our own strength. Meanwhile, Christ’s words should bring us back to reality. Without Him, without His