Come, Creator Spirit : meditations on the Veni Creator / Raniero Cantalamessa ; translated by Denis and Marlene Barrett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cantalamessa, Raniero.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Veni Creator Spiritus.

Physical Description:

x, 403 pages ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Collegeville, Minn. : Liturgical Press, [2003]

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.

Contents:

1. Spirit, Come! The Holy Spirit, mystery of strength and tenderness 7

1. Ruach, the Spirit's Name 7

2. 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

II. Creator: The Holy Spirit changes chaos into cosmos 23

1. The Spirit as Creator in Tradition 23

2. The Creator Spirit in Scripture 26

3. The Title "Creator," an "Open Structure" 29

4. Experience of the Spirit as Creator 32

5. Come, Creator Spirit 36

III. Fill with Heavenly Grace the Hearts That You Have Made: The Holy Spirit renews the prodigies of the first Pentecost 41

1. The Holy Spirit and the Creatures' Return to God 42

2. What Did the Spirit Bring at Pentecost that Was New? 45

3. The Spirit of Grace 48

4. The Baptism of the Spirit 53

5. Come, Visit, Fill! 57

IV. You Whom We Name the Paraclete: The Holy Spirit teaches us to be paracletes too 61

1. The Sanctifying Work of the Spirit 62

2. A Name Born of Experience 64

3. Advocate, Consoler, and Spirit of Truth 66

4. The Paraclete, a "Person" 69

5. Be Paracletes 74

V. Most High Gift of God: The Holy Spirit teaches us to make our own life a gift 79

1. The Holy Spirit's Very Own Name 80

2. The Holy Spirit, God's "Gift" and God's "Self-Giving" 82

3. Make Yourself Gift 84

4. The Holy Spirit Gives New Life to the Mutual Self-Giving of Husband and Wife 88

VI. Living Water: The Holy Spirit communicates the divine life to us 95

1. Water, Life, and the Spirit 96

2. What Life? 100

3. Supernatural Life, or a Natural Super-Life? 103

4. The Life of the Spirit 106

5. Water the Thirsty Soil 109

VII. Fire: The Holy Spirit frees us from sin and from lukewarm half-heartedness 113

1. He Will Baptize You with the Holy Spirit and Fire 113

2. 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

5. Afire with the Spirit 126

VIII. Love: The Holy Spirit leads us to experience the love of God 131

1. New Wine in New Wineskins! 131

2. The Holy Spirit, Love of the Father and the Son 134

3. The Spirit Who Is Love, in the Church 139

4. All Were Filled with the Love of God! 144

IX. Anointing for the Soul: The Holy Spirit makes us share the fragrance of Christ's holiness 151

1. Anointing: Figure, Event, and Sacrament 152

2. The Anointing in Christ: The Event 154

3. The Anointing in the Church: The Sacrament 158

4. Anointed in Spirit: A Way of Life 162

5. How to Receive the Anointing of the Spirit 165

6. Anointed to Spread the Pure Odor of Christ 168

X. Sevenfold in Your Gifts: The Holy Spirit adorns the Church with many charisms 171

1. What Is a Charism? 173

2. Seven Gifts, or Seven Charisms? 175

3. Vatican II: The Rediscovery of the Charisms 181

4. Pentecost Is Today! 184

5. Exercise of the Charisms 186

XI. Finger of God's Right Hand: The Holy Spirit brings the power of God to us 191

1. It Is through the Finger of God That I Cast out Devils 192

2. To Another Is Given the Gift of Working Miracles 195

3. Why Miracles? 197

4. In the Power of the Spirit 200

XII. The Father's Solemn Promise: The Holy Spirit enlivens our hope 205

1. The Spirit "Already" and "Not Yet" 205

2. The Spirit and the Promise 206

3. The Spirit, God's Future 211

4. The Holy Spirit Gives Us Abundant Hope 213

5. The Promise Is for You! 216

XIII. Gifting Lips with the Word to Say: The Holy Spirit gives power to our proclaiming 219

1. Spirit and Word 219

2. Glossolalia and Singing in Tongues 221

3. Other Charisms Linked to the Word 228

4. Something Appeared to Them that Seemed like Tongues of Fire 231

5. From Babel to Pentecost 233

XIV. Kindle Your Light in Our Minds: The Holy Spirit guides us to the fullness of truth 237

1. The Spirit Works in the Individual Believer 237

2. The Holy Spirit as Light, in the Bible and in the Fathers 239

3. What Light Does the Spirit Kindle, and What Does It Light Up? 245

4. Be Cleansed So As to Receive the Light 248

XV. Pour Love Into Our Hearts: The Holy Spirit draws us from love of self to love of God 255

1. Light and Love 255

2. 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

5. A Theology of the Spirit for the Computer Age 267

XVI. Infirmity in This Body of Ours Overcoming with Strength Secure: The Holy Spirit prepares the way for the redemption of our body 271

1. Brother Body and Sister Soul 271

2. The Charism of Healings 273

3. From What Does the Holy Spirit Heal Us? 278

4. What about Those Who Are Not Healed? 280

5. A Spiritual Therapy 282

XVII. The Enemey Drive from Us Away: The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of victory over evil 285

1. 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

4. The Devil and Anxiety 296

5. The Holy Spirit Frees Us from All Fear 299

XVIII. Peace Then Give Without Delay: The Holy Spirit gives us the wonderful peace of God 303

1. The Dove of Peace 303

2. The Fruits of the Spirit 306

3. Peace Is God! 309

4. In His Will Is Our Peace 312

5. How Happy the Peacemakers! 316

XIX. With You As Guide We Avoid all Cause of Harm: The Holy Spirit is our guide in spiritual discernment 323

1. The Spirit as "Guide," in Scripture and Through Tradition 324

2. Where the Spirit Provides Guidance: Conscience and the Church 326

3. The Spirit Helps Us Discern the Signs of the Times 330

4. Discernment in Our Personal Life 332

5. Allow the Holy Spirit to Guide Us 336

XX. Through You May We the Father Know: The Holy Spirit enables us to cry out, Abba, Father! 339

1. From History to the Trinity 339

2. The Holy Spirit Leads Us to Know God as the "Father of His Son Jesus Christ" 341

3. The Holy Spirit Helps Us to Know God as "Our Father" 345

4. Make Us Know the Father's Love! 350

XXI. Through You May We Know the Son As Well: The Holy Spirit teaches us to proclaim that Jesus is Lord 353

1. He Will Bear Witness to Me 354

2. The Surpassing Knowledge of Christ 358

3. "All I Want to Know Is Christ" 362

4. Where the Holy Spirit Leads Us to Know the Son 365

XXII. 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

1. The Problem of the Filioque 369

2. New Perspectives on the Origin of the Holy Spirit from the Father 375

3. The Eternal Anointing of the Word in the Holy Spirit 379

4. We Thank You, Holy Spirit! 382

Excursus: The Veni Creator and the Doctrine of the Filioque 385.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

0814628710

OCLC:

50479249