The Gifts of the Holy Spirit-Hilary of Poitiers

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit  We are inundated by the River of God St. Hilary of Poitiers Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church Here the early Church Father and Doctor, Hilary of Poitiers, describes the experience of the first stirrings of the Holy Spirit which new Christians typically had in the Church of his day when they received the sacraments of initiation: baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.  He describes what many in the charismatic renewal movement today report, namely a sense of joy and the release of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including prophecy and healing.  Such experience appears to have been normal and expected in the Church 4th century Gaul (now France). The river of God is brimming with water.  You have provided their food, for this is your way of preparing them.  There can be no doubt about the river referred to, for the prophet says: There is a river whose  streams gladden the city of God; and in the gospel,  the Lord himself says: Streams of living water welling up to eternal life will flow from the heart of anyone who drinks the water I shall give him.  He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive.  The river of God is brimming with water; that is to say, we are inundated by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and from that fountain of life the river of God pours into us in full flood. We also have food prepared for us.  And who is this food?  It is he in whom we are prepared for life with God, for by receiving his holy body we receive a place in the communion of his holy body.  This is what is meant by the words of the psalm: You have provided their food, for this is your way of preparing them.  For as well as refreshing us now, that food also prepares us for the life to come. We who have been reborn through the sacrament of baptism experience intense joy when we feel within us the first stirrings of the Holy Spirit.  We begin to have an insight into the mysteries of faith, we are able to prophesy and to speak with wisdom.  We become steadfast in hope and receive the gift of healing.  Demons are made subject to our authority.  These gifts enter us like a gentle rain, and once having done so, little by little, they bring forth fruit in abundance. Click here to download, print and share Gifts of the Holy Spirit.     For more Catholic resources to feed your faith, visit the Crossroads Initiative Homepage.     To sign up for our free weekly e-mail with Dr. D'Ambrosio's commentary on the Sunday readings, liturgical feasts, updates on where Dr. D will be speaking, a chance to WIN a FREE CD and MORE, CLICK HERE!  The Early Church Fathers A society characterized by the loss of respect for life, violence, exotic religious cults, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and even pedophilia. Sound familiar?   Early Church Fathers like St. Athanasius succeeded in bringing a Pagan society to Christ. If we pay attention to what they taught, we will succeed in doing the same for our own de-Christianized society!   Album 1: The Apostolic Fathers and Irenaeus Album 2: The Apologists, Ambrose, and Augustine       Early Church Father VHS Set Early Church Father 2 DVD Set Early Church Fathers 2 CD Set    The Virtues: Seven Habits of Champions- DVD Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio offers a spirited 8-part meditation on the four moral virtues - fortitude, prudence, justice and temperance - as well as the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. This program lays out how God's inspiration for Christian living is accessible to everyone and demonstrated for us through the lives of the saints.