These fruits enrich the Christian’s life and manifest God’s glory: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15:8), Jesus said at the Last Supper. St Paul specifies twelve fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, modesty, chastity continence, self-control, faithfulness (cf Gal 5:22).
Love or charity is the most excellent fruit. “There is no sign or mark which distinguishes the Christian and the lover of Christ greater than the care of our brothers and sisters and zeal for the salvation of souls.” (St John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the incomprehensible”, 6, 3)
This fruit is “followed necessarily by joy since the lover rejoices in union with his beloved”. (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, I-II, 70, 3) Joy is the result of love. Therefore, the Christian is distinguished by his joy which persists through sorrow and failure.
“To rejoice under trial, to smile in sufferings, to sing in our heart ever more clearly, the longer and sharper the thorns ... all this for the sake of love ... this is, together with love, the fruit that the divine Vinedresser wishes to gather from the branches of the mystic Vine. ... fruits which only the Holy Spirit can produce in us.” (A Riaud, “The Action of the Holy Spirit in souls”, Madrid)
“Love and joy leave in the soul the peace of God which passes all understanding” (Phil 4:7); “tranquility in order” (St Augustine, “The City of God”, 19, 13, 1). A false peace based on disorder is, eg, where parents yield to the children’s whims. Or in a city where criminals are tolerated on the pretext of not wishing to upset anyone.
Peace, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, is the absence of unrest. The will rests in the stable possession of good. This peace supposes a constant battle waged upon the disordered tendencies of one’s own passions.
Only in heaven shall we find fulness of love, joy and peace. Here we have a foretaste of eternal happiness according to our fidelity. In the presence of obstacles, the souls which are docile to the Paraclete produce the fruit of patience. They silently bear with serenity the physical and moral sufferings we all experience in life.
“Charity is the bond which unites brothers, the cement of peace, the crossbeam which gives solidity to unity ... Only take patience from it, however, and it will remain desolate; take from it the sap of suffering and of resignation and it will lose its roots and its vigor.” (St Cyprian, “The good of patience”)
Longanimity is like patience by which we wait serenely without valid complaint or bitterness and for as long as God wishes. Longanimity is the perfect unfolding of the virtue of hope.
Goodness is a virtue which makes us desire the good of others. The soul feels itself beloved by God, frees it from jealousy or envy. It sees children of God whom He loves and for whom Christ has died.
True charity is love transformed into deeds. “Charity is beneficent.” (1 Cor 13:4) Kindness is precisely that virtue which inclines us to do good to others. (cf A Riaud, “The Action of the Holy Spirit in souls”, Madrid) It inspires us to bring peace and joy wherever we go.
Gentleness is intimately united to goodness and perfection. It opposes barren outbursts of anger which really are a sign of weakness. Charity is not irritable or resentful (cf 1 Cor 13:5) but always gentle and refined.
Faithfulness follows gentleness. A faithful friend is precious; his excellence, beyond measure. (cf Sir 6:15) Fidelity is one way of living justice and charity.
The three last fruits refer to the virtue of temperance which produces modesty, continence and chastity as influenced by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A modest person always appreciates his or her talents, knowing them to be God’s gift for serving others. Modesty reflects simplicity and inner order.
In continence and chastity, the soul is extremely vigilant to avoid what might damage interior and exterior purity. These fruits can be gathered even amidst great temptations, if one avoids the occasion and struggles with determination, knowing the grace of God will never be lacking.
Let us draw near the Most Blessed Virgin, “the Mother of fair love, of fear, of knowledge and of holy hope. Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill of my produce. For the remembrance of me is sweeter than honey and my inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb.” (Sir 6:19-20)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:579-84
` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` `
Mary Ever Virgin -- “The purity, humility and generosity of Mary are in sharp contrast to our wretchedness and selfishness. To the extent we realize this, we should feel moved to imitate her. We, too, are creatures of God; and if we strive to imitate her fidelity, God will surely do great things in us. Our little worth is no obstacle, because God chooses what is of little value so the power of his love be more manifest.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 172)
Let us offer our Mother: “The prayer, ‘Blessed be your purity’.” (In Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias [Eds], “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p15)
“Blessed be your purity, / May it be blessed for ever.
“For not less than God takes delight, / In such exalted beauty.
“To you, heavenly Princess, Holy Virgin Mary, / I offer on this day My whole heart, life and soul.
“Look upon me with compassion, Do not leave me, my Mother.”
Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p311
· “I love Mary, I cannot live without her: she is my real mother; the other mother is only my nurse!” -- St Joseph da Copertino (In Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, p28)
· St Rita of Cascia: -- Patroness of impossible cases. (Rev Hugo Hoever, SOCist, PhD, “Lives of the Saints”, p204)
Fruitfulness -- “Rectitude of intention consists in seeking ‘only and in all things’ the glory of God.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 921)
• Our Lady of “Monte Vergine”, near Naples. This image preserved from flames the monastery and church consecrated in her honor. — P. Spinelli, Tractatus de exemplis et miraculis, last chapter. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of “Monte Vergine”, near Naples, Italy (1119). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
• “Madonna della Monte Vergine” (Virgin's Mount) Naples, 1119. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of the Virgin’s Mount. Naples, Italy 1119. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of the Virgin's Mount (Naples, Italy). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Light (Lujan, Argentina). Moveable feast -- 4th Sunday after Easter. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Consolation (Luxemburg). Moveable feast -- 4th Sunday after Easter. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Publito (Queretaro, Latin America). Moveable feast -- 4th Sunday after Easter. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
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