I. It was already long since the Prophet had announced this great day, and more than eighteen centuries have elapsed after it. God's promises always have their performance, though this appears us far. So it is of our death, and of the decision of our eternal lot, and of the day of final judgment. These things appear to us far off; but they shall undoubtedly be performed.

     Jesus before his Ascension has said to his Apostles: John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. And I send the promise of my Father upon you, but stay in the city, till you be endured with power from on high. And they were arrived (in the city) and went up into an upper room, where above were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Phili and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James. All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus. And they were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God.

     Penetrate, o my soul, into the Caenaculum: Mary Moher of Jesus is praying with the Apostles and Disciples, one hundred and fifty in number, and they confidently join in the prayers of this Blessed Virgin, to solicit the descent of the Holy Ghost. What must we hope in our petitions, when we wish to solicit such a powerful Advocate? She is the Mother of Jesus; this title alone is a pledge of her goodness and power.

     Let us contemplate them all together, now prostrated to the ground with deep humility, now lifting up their hands and eyes to heaven, now ardently sighing to call the Holy Ghost; now at last in deep silence, while their spirits and hearts inwardly pray, and express themselves with as much greater strength, as their wishes and love form their whole language. What faith, what respect, what composure!

     Here are the efficacious and necessary dispositions to receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Ghost: the devotion to the Blessed Virgin, his most beloved Spouse, and a fervid and constant prayer, especially in common, because it shows the union of faith and charity with the Catholic Church, in which all the faithful are members of one body, and the Sovereign Pontiff is its visible Chief.

     O Mary, who wast always the Mistress of the Church, and full of all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, do thou teach me to pray well: pray for me, and draw from the recesses of draw the Holy Ghost on myself. Inspire my soul with, and put on my lips the prayers most comfortable to thy Heart, that they may be most agreeable to thee, and fully heard by this bountiful God.

     And thou, Spirit of Goodness and Love, penetrate my heart also, and wound it with the dart of thy divine fire, that it never cease praying, according to the Savior's advice, with a lively faith, exact attention, deep humility, unchangeable confidence, and above all with such a fervent love, that nothing may ever weaken it.  Jesus made us this promise: He who prays so, obtains what he asks for, he who seeks, finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

 

     ll. Consider, my soul, that as the Patriarchs and Prophets contributed by their sighs to draw on earth the Divine World, so the Holy Ghost must be asked and invoked by our desires. Let us, therefore, open to him not only our mouth, as the Royal Prophet, but our whole heart and soul, that we may say with this holy King: I opened my mouth and expected in me the Spirit of God, because I wished to submit myself to his laws. 

     But this bountiful God always gets the start of his creatures; therefore he says to his people by Jeremias the Prophet: I have loved with an everlasting love, therefore have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee. And Jesus said to his Apostles: When I am lifted up on the Cross, I will draw all thigs to myself. Repeat then often, my soul, with the Spouse of the Sacred Canticles: Draw me, o Lord after thee, we will run to the odour of thy ointments.

     Contemplate, my soul, what happened on the day of Pentecost. They were all together in one place, and suddenly at the third hour of the morning (about 9 o'clock) there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house, where they were sitting. Understand that, as the wind disperses the clouds, purifies the air and drives pernicious influences away from it; so the Holy Ghost entering our soul purges first our mind from evil thoughts, our heart from earthly affections, dispels the darkness of our intellect, and makes our soul live quite divine a life. By his breath He first called mankind to life, and then the Church of God; and by it He will preserve it for ever against all the plots of its enemies. That breath drives away the deceits of the devil, the false maxims of the world, the allurements of the flesh, and recalls to the mind of the faithful the revealed truths, that they may live according to their faith.

     -And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and they sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. See those tongues of fire elevated , shining, parted, resting on each one of these Saints... Here are expressions of divine goodness. This Spirit descends under the symbol of tongues. The  pride of the children of men was the cause  of the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel, that parted them from each other; the descent of the Holy Ghost brought to the Apostles the gift of tongues, by which the people of every nation were united in the unity of Faith and Baptism in the Catholic Church. The Holy Ghost is a tongue of fire, because He is a lively force of charity. As fire is not idle, but purifies metals from the filthiness of earth, destroying their impurity; so the Holy Ghost is like a burning fire, purifying our souls from all defilements. It consumes every obstacle, as affections to decaying goods, fears; and He raises to heaven all the affections of our heart, and all the thoughts of our mind, and loosens our tongue to divine praise. He is a luminous fire, illuminating our spirit, and giving it a clear idea of the wickedness of the faults committed, and of our unthanfulness towards God our benefactor. He is a sweet fire, insinuating itself into our heart, penetrating, warming and inflaming it. At last He is a fire, rising to Heaven with its flames, He is a fire of love: this is essential by his nature, because he proceeds from the Father and the Son by way of love; therefore he likes to communicate what He has, or what He is, and He infuses charity and zeal into our soul.

     O the depth and greatness of the goodness of God! He propagates his truth, his Church, by means of twelve abjects fishermen of Judea, whom the world considered as foolish and common people in comparison to the wisdom of the Greeks and Romans! Those rough, ignorant and so timid men, who cowardly abandoned their Master at the time of his Passion, now lit with this Divine fire communicated to them by the Holy Ghost, confess in all languages the glories of his name.

     And they began to speak with different tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. They preach in the midst of Jerusalem Jesus crucified and the Gospel to all nations of earth. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because every man heard them speak in his own tongue. They announce to the world the greatness and wonders of Jesus of Nazareth, they fight like heroes; and pushed by an ardent zeal, they encounter torments, they expose themselves to death, and by undergoing it they triumph over all the wisdom and power of men, and cause even the tyrants to tremble.

     And what of us?... Ah! we know well how to imitate the Apostles in their unfaithfulness, pusillanimity, and flights, but we do not wish to imitate them in their composture and incessant prayers. Therefore, my soul, pray now fervently the Holy Ghost, that He may descend on this day, and then you can ask him for the Spirit of fervor and the fruit of zeal.

     

    III. Fervour, say the holy Fathers, is a supernatural movement of the soul, that incessantly tends to unite herself to God by love, and does not suffer any obstacle that may render this union less perfect. It is a divine fire, a heavenly flame coming from the Holy Ghost, that produces zeal, viz makes the soul ready and courageous to undertake and fulfill everything God commands her, notwithstanding all contrary difficulties. All that this soul thinks and wishes, all that she says and does, shows the ardour with which she is inflamed. By repeating acts of love her heart unites itself to God in such a way, that like the Apostle, she defiles all creatures to separate her from it. Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Not the sword, not hunger, not the tyranny of men, or passions.

     Always watchful over herself, she corrects in herself every worldly complacency: an indiscreet word is a silent reproach to her: she does not allow herself even a curious look at creatures, unless it is directed to the God she loves.

     She moans with St. Paul to be still on earth; her exile is a burden to her: but her fervid desires incessantly raise her towards Heaven. Whether she walks, says St. Bernard, or is silent, whether she acts or rests, she never quits the loving presence of her Beloved.  She would have everyone burn with his love. But always bountiful, always merciful, she prays and suffers for others.

     Ah! this spirit of holiness and purity will not sanctify us, unless we make as many sacrifices to it, as there are secrets defilements and extraneous affections in our heart. This heart cannot remain empty: in proportion as it lays aside itself and its fellow creatures, God fills it with his spirit. But alas! I am so sensible to the least displeasing word, that I am disconcerted and disturbed; so pusillanimous that I dare not rebuke other people's blasphemies, or mockeries against God, the Virgin and the Pope.

     O divine Spirit, enlighten my heart with thy irresistible love. But alas! how many times was thy voice heard by my soul, without her listening to it! Ah, if I had been faithful to thee, how many virtues accumulated, and what rapid progress should I have made in the perfection of my state! I should be quite full of thee, O my God; and on the contrary. I find myself so full of myself, and of all the things of this miserable world! I should be quite burning with thy divine love, while I am now so languid, that neither dare I say I love thee! Forgive, O Divine Spirit, all my past unfaithfulness, that I bitterly weep for. Break my chains, draw me to thee, for I have resolved upon being henceforth faithful to thee. Bow the heavens and come down to my nothingness: let me so mean a creature posses thee. I will welcome thee with joy and faithfully keep thee. Heavenly fire, purify my heart.

     O holy Apostles, pray for me, communicate me your ardour, your lively faith your ardent zeal. make me a partaker of the gifts you received from this Sovereign Spirit of goodness and love, that I may like you firmly believe and strongly work for Jesus, and come with you to enjoy him in Heaven for ever. So be it.