Come, Creator Spirit

by Cantalamessa, Raniero

• ISBN13: 9780814628713
• ISBN10: 0814628710
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-01
• Publisher: Liturgical Pr

Summary

Ever since its composition in the ninth century, the use of the Veni Creator in the liturgy of Pentecost and in Christian assemblies has been constant, as one continuous, solemn invocation of the Paraclete. With its wealth of insights and thought-provoking images, this hymn is like a magnificent fresco of the Holy Spirit at work in slavation history and in the life of the Church. Following the structure of the ancient hymn, Father Cantalamessa gives us a meditation for each verse and builds a complete treatise -- a theological and spiritual Summa, no less -- on the Holy Spirit, drawn from Scripture, the Church Fathers, the liturgy and from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. Its language, however, is far removed from theological discourse but inspired by symbol, image and song, by poetry and liturgy, by prophecy and living models of holiness. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M.Cap., who taught the history of Christian origins at the Catholic University of Milan and served on the International Theological Commission, devotes his ministry to preaching and writing. Since 1980 he has been the Preacher to the Papal Household

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	ix
Introduction	1	(6)
Spirit, Come! The Holy Spirit, mystery of strength and tenderness	7	(16)
Ruach, the Spirit's Name	7	(4)
The Holy Spirit Comes to Help Us in Our Weakness	11	(3)
The Holy Spirit Fills Our Loneliness	14	(4)
In the School of ``Brother Wind''	18	(5)
Creator: The Holy Spirit changes chaos into cosmos	23	(18)
The Spirit as Creator in Tradition	23	(3)
The Creator Spirit in Scripture	26	(3)
The Title ``Creator,'' an ``Open Structure''	29	(3)
Experience of the Spirit as Creator	32	(4)
Come, Creator Spirit	36	(5)
Fill with Heavenly Grace the Hearts that you have made: The Holy Spirit renews the prodigies of the first Pentecost	41	(20)
The Holy Spirit and the Creatures' Return to God	42	(3)
What Did the Spirit Bring at Pentecost that Was New?	45	(3)
The Spirit of Grace	48	(5)
The Baptism of the Spirit	53	(4)
Come, Visit, Fill!	57	(4)
You Whom We Name the Paraclete: The Holy Spirit teaches us to be paracletes too	61	(18)
The Sanctifying Work of the Spirit	62	(2)
A Name Born of Experience	64	(2)
Advocate, Consoler, and Spirit of Truth	66	(3)
The Paraclete, a ``Person''	69	(5)
Be Paracletes	74	(5)
Most High Gift of God: The Holy Spirit teaches us to make our own life a gift	79	(16)
The Holy Spirit's Very Own Name	80	(2)
The Holy Spirit, God's ``Gift'' and God's ``Self-Giving''	82	(2)
Make Yourself Gift	84	(4)
The Holy Spirit Gives New Life to the Mutual Self-Giving of Husband and Wife	88	(7)
Living Water: The Holy Spirit communicates the divine life to us	95	(18)
Water, Life, and the Spirit	96	(4)
What Life?	100	(3)
Supernatural Life, or a Natural Super-Life?	103	(3)
The Life of the Spirit	106	(3)
Water the Thirsty Soil	109	(4)
Fire: The Holy Spirit frees us from sin and from lukewarm half-heartedness	113	(18)
He Will Baptize You with the Holy Spirit and Fire	113	(3)
The Holy Spirit Is the Remission of All Sins	116	(3)
A Penitential Pathway with the Holy Spirit	119	(4)
From Remorse to the Joy of Being Forgiven	123	(3)
Afire with the Spirit	126	(5)
Love: The Holy Spirit leads us to experience the love of God	131	(20)
New Wine in New Wineskins!	131	(3)
The Holy Spirit, Love of the Father and the Son	134	(5)
The Spirit Who Is Love, in the Church	139	(5)
All Were Filled with the Love of God!	144	(7)
Anointing for the Soul: The Holy Spirit makes us share the fragrance of Christ's holiness	151	(20)
Anointing: Figure, Event, and Sacrament	152	(2)
The Anointing in Christ: The Event	154	(4)
The Anointing in the Church: The Sacrament	158	(4)
Anointed in Spirit: A Way of Life	162	(3)
How to Receive the Anointing of the Spirit	165	(3)
Anointed to Spread the Pure Odor of Christ	168	(3)
Sevenfold in Your Gifts: The Holy Spirit adorns the Church with many charisms	171	(20)
What Is a Charism?	173	(2)
Seven Gifts, or Seven Charisms?	175	(6)
Vatican II: The Rediscovery of the Charisms	181	(3)
Pentecost Is Today!	184	(2)
Exercise of the Charisms	186	(5)
Finger of God's Right Hand: The Holy Spirit brings the power of God to us	191	(14)
It Is through the Finger of God That I Cast out Devils	192	(3)
To Another Is Given the Gift of Working Miracles	195	(2)
Why Miracles?	197	(3)
In the Power of the Spirit	200	(5)
The Father's Solemn Promise: The Holy Spirit enlivens our hope	205	(14)
The Spirit ``Already'' and ``Not Yet''	205	(1)
The Spirit and the Promise	206	(5)
The Spirit, God's Future	211	(2)
The Holy Spirit Gives Us Abundant Hope	213	(3)
The Promise Is for You!	216	(3)
Gifting Lips with the Word to say: The Holy Spirit gives power to our proclaiming	219	(18)
Spirit and Word	219	(2)
Glossolalia and Singing in Tongues	221	(7)
Other Charisms Linked to the Word	228	(3)
Something Appeared to Them that Seemed like Tongues of Fire	231	(2)
From Babel to Pentecost	233	(4)
Kindle Your Light in Our Minds: The Holy Spirit guides us to the fullness of truth	237	(18)
The Spirit Works in the Individual Believer	237	(2)
The Holy Spirit as Light, in the Bible and in the Fathers	239	(6)
What Light Does the Spirit Kindle, and What Does It Light Up?	245	(3)
Be Cleansed So As to Receive the Light	248	(7)
Pour Love Into Our Hearts: The Holy Spirit draws us from love of self to love of God	255	(16)
Light and Love	255	(3)
Love, the Christian's New Law	258	(3)
The Holy Spirit Sets Us Free from Self-Love	261	(4)
Let Us No Longer Live for Ourselves	265	(2)
A Theology of the Spirit for the Computer Age	267	(4)
Infirmity in This Body of Ours Overcoming with Strength Secure: The Holy Spirit prepares the way for the redemption of our body	271	(14)
Brother Body and Sister Soul	271	(2)
The Charism of Healings	273	(5)
From What Does the Holy Spirit Heal Us?	278	(2)
What about Those Who Are Not Healed?	280	(2)
A Spiritual Therapy	282	(3)
The Enemy Drive From Us Away: The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of victory over evil	285	(18)
The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Combat	285	(2)
I Drive Out Devils with the Spirit of God	287	(3)
Does the ``Enemy'' Still Exist?	290	(6)
The Devil and Anxiety	296	(3)
The Holy Spirit Frees Us from All Fear	299	(4)
Peace Then Give Without Delay: The Holy Spirit gives us the wonderful peace of God	303	(20)
The Dove of Peace	303	(3)
The Fruits of the Spirit	306	(3)
Peace Is God!	309	(3)
In His Will Is Our Peace	312	(4)
How Happy the Peacemakers!	316	(7)
With You as Guide We Avoid All Cause of Harm: The Holy Spirit is our guide in spiritual discernment	323	(16)
The Spirit as ``Guide,'' in Scripture and Through Tradition	324	(2)
Where the Spirit Provides Guidance: Conscience and the Church	326	(4)
The Spirit Helps Us Discern the Signs of the Times	330	(2)
Discernment in Our Personal Life	332	(4)
Allow the Holy Spirit to Guide Us	336	(3)
Through You May We The Father Know: The Holy Spirit enables us to cry out, Abba, Father!	339	(14)
From History to the Trinity	339	(2)
The Holy Spirit Leads Us to Know God as the ``Father of His Son Jesus Christ''	341	(4)
The Holy Spirit Helps Us to Know God as ``Our Father''	345	(5)
Make Us Know the Father's Love!	350	(3)
Through You May We Know the Son as Well: The Holy Spirit teaches us to proclaim that Jesus is Lord	353	(16)
He Will Bear Witness to Me	354	(4)
The Surpassing Knowledge of Christ	358	(4)
``All I Want to Know Is Christ''	362	(3)
Where the Holy Spirit Leads Us to Know the Son	365	(4)
And You, The Spirit of Them Both, May We Always Believe: The Holy Spirit gives us light to know the mystery of his own Person	369	(16)
The Problem of the Filioque	369	(6)
New Perspectives on the Origin of the Holy Spirit from the Father	375	(4)
The Eternal Anointing of the Word in the Holy Spirit	379	(3)
We Thank You, Holy Spirit!	382	(3)
Excursus: The Veni Creator and the Doctrine of the Filioque	385	(6)
Index of Authors	391	(4)
Index of Subjects	395