SOUL OF MY SOUL

SOUL OF MY SOUL

Our soul is our human life. Being a spirit it is invisible, but very powerful. It is the seat of our intellect and free will. When our soul leaves our body at death it can still know and love. And it is immortal, but still finite.

Now the great news is that God, at Baptism, infuses into our soul the Holy Spirit, Who is God, to be the SOUL of our soul. What an awesome reality! Now we have “two different lives marvelously united at once. One is a natural and visible life, consisting in the union of the soul and body; the other is an invisible and interior life, consisting in the union of the soul with the Holy Spirit”. (from CREDO, by Bp Schneider)

We are truly DIVINIZED. We become god-men and god-women, that is, we share/participate in God's life. We are said to be in the ‘state of grace’. This state of grace “is a greater miracle than the creation of the universe, and infinitely more valuable than our earthly lives” (Bp Schneider). However, “this grace is immediately lost by any mortal sin, but no exterior power can make us lose it” (Schneider): “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).

How little do we reflect on this awesome reality. The Holy Spirit, Who is God, and therefore infinite, comes to us (INFUSED into our souls) with all His gifts. That is why the Catechism teaches us that all the virtues necessary to live a good, godly life is already given to us like so many seeds. We only have to nurture these seeds to make them grow, through cooperation with God's grace, by a life of prayer, frequent reception of the Sacraments, and good works. We have what it takes to be saints.

Think of all the implications of being possessed by the Holy Spirit– in our decisions, attitudes, affections, dealings with others, in the totality of our life. The Holy Spirit, the very anointing of Jesus, the Christ, becomes our very anointing. That is why we are called Christians, other christs. The Soul of the soul of Jesus becomes the Soul of our soul, too. We are united to Jesus through His Holy Spirit dwelling in our souls. We become Jesuses: Joseph-jesus, Marielle-jesus, Gail-jesus, Ria-jesus, etc.. This is divine life enhancing our finite human life. Think of how it bears on our capacity to love as God loves us. For "the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us". (Rom.5:5).

If only we will allow Him, the Holy Spirit will surely transform us little by little into the best that we can be. All He asks of us is that we make that Faith-commitment to constantly live in union with Jesus and live like Him through His Holy Spirit in us. Then surely He will transform us in ways we've never imagined. This is the peak of who we can be.

O how foolish and stupid we can be to think we can be great on our own. What a meaningless, futile life it is to be simply human, when we are called to and offered a share in God's life– to be SUPERNATURAL MEN and WOMEN (gods in God, cf. Ps 82: 6). May we never drive away the Holy Spirit by sin. And if we sin out of human weakness, may we immediately repent and approach the throne of God's Mercy in the Sacrament of Confession, and be restored to grace.

MAY WE PRAY: O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore Thee. Please enlighten, guide, strengthen, and console me. Tell me what I should do. Give me your orders. I promise to be submissive to your will, and to accept whatever you allow to happen to me. Grant only to me to know your will. Amen.
(A prayer to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier)