Harpa Dei

Rom 2:17-29 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon the law and boast of your relation to God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who […]

Rom 2:3-11 Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to

Having meditated on the entire Gospel of Saint John and the Acts of the Apostles, and after turning our attention to the Holy Spirit in the context of Pentecost, I would like to focus on Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans over the next few weeks. Of all his epistles, this is the most complete

If the gift of understanding enables us to penetrate the divine mysteries, the gift of wisdom grants us a “delightful” knowledge of God. “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” -exclaims the psalmist (Ps 34:8). First he invites us to taste, and only then to see. The gift of wisdom gives us an experience

“The Spirit explores the depths of everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10) While the gift of knowledge helps us to withdraw from the attraction of creatures, recognising in an inner sight their nothingness (inasmuch as they were created out of nothing), and makes us realise that all life and beauty proceed from

“What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life?” (Mt 16:26) Through the first four gifts (fear of the Lord, piety, fortitude and counsel), the Holy Spirit guides our moral life above all. Through the last three gifts (knowledge, understanding and wisdom) He directly guides our supernatural life, i.e. our

“Speak, O Lord; your servant listens” (1 Sam 3:9). The Holy Spirit reminds us of all that Jesus said and did (cf. Jn 14:26). He dwells in us and teaches us what to do in the concrete situations of our lives. Thanks to the gift of counsel, we become able to perceive within us the

“So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed” (Lk 11:21). The gift of fortitude is responsible for strengthening the soul to be ever more courageous in the service of the Lord. It gives us the strength to follow the motions and impulses of the Holy Spirit, to

“The Spirit himself joins with our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). The gift of piety leads us to adhere to God with filial love, not wanting to offend Him in any way. The spirit of piety touches and enlivens our spiritual life with a new, mild and gentle

On the Feast of Pentecost, we celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit. What an extraordinary change we see in the apostles! They, who were faint-hearted and fearful, become, thanks to the presence of the Holy Spirit, powerful messengers of God’s love; and they fearlessly proclaim the Gospel. The great miracle that each of the