The
Apostles, as saint Luke says (Acts 2, 2), were also replenished and filled with
the Holy Ghost; for they received a wonderful increase of justifying grace of a
most exalted degree. The twelve Apostles were confirmed in this sanctifying
grace and were never to lose it. In all of them, according to each one’s
condition, were infused the habits of the seven gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Counsel, Fortitude and Fear. (Is. 11:1-3)
In this magnificent blessing, as
new as it was admirable in the world, the twelve Apostles were
created fit
ministers of the new Testament and founders of the evangelical Church for the
whole world: for this new grace and blessing communicated to them a divine
strength most efficacious and sweet, which inclined them to practice the most
heroic virtue and the highest sanctity. Thus strengthened they prayed, they laboured
willingly and accomplished the most difficult and arduous tasks, engaging in
their labours not with sorrow or from necessity, but with the greatest joy and
alacrity.
In
all the rest of the disciples and the faithful, who received the Holy Ghost in
the Cenacle, the Most High wrought proportionally and respectively the same
effects, except that they were not confirmed in grace like the Apostles.
According to the disposition of each the gifts of grace were communicated in
greater or less abundance in view of the ministry they were to hold in the holy
Church. The same proportion was maintained in regard to the Apostles; yet Saint
Peter and Saint John were more singularly favoured on account of the high
offices assigned to them: the one to
govern the Church as its head, and the other to attend upon and serve the Queen
and Mistress of heaven and of earth, most holy Mary. The sacred text of
saint Luke says, that the Holy Ghost filled the whole house in which this happy
congregation was gathered (Acts 2, 2), not only because all of them were filled
with the Holy Ghost and his admirable gifts, but because the house itself was
filled with wonderful light and splendour.
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| The effect ofthe Holy Ghost on the other faithful |
This
plenitude of wonders and prodigies overflowed and communicated itself also to
others outside of the Cenacle; for it caused diverse and various effects of the
Holy Spirit among the inhabitants of Jerusalem and its vicinity. All those, who
with some piety had compassioned our Saviour Jesus in his Passion and Death,
deprecating his most bitter torments and reverencing his sacred Person, were
interiorly visited with new light and grace, which disposed them afterwards to
accept the doctrine of the Apostles. Those that were converted by the first
sermon of Saint Peter, were to a great extent of the number of those who, by
their compassion and sorrow at the death of the Lord, had merited for
themselves such a great blessing. Others of the just who were in Jerusalem
outside of the Cenacle, also felt great interior consolations, by which they
were moved and predisposed by new effects of grace wrought in each one
proportionately by the Holy Ghost.
