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Question
Dear Father Angelo,
I’ve been reading your answers regarding Eucharistic adoration with great interest. I would like to know if, being the Christian Temple of the Holy Spirit, we can adore the Holy Spirit in ourselves while in a state of grace. Thank you for the good work that you do on this website.
Kindest regards
Nicola
Answer from the priest
Dear Nicola,
1. To your question I answer: without a doubt, yes.
In fact, Sacred Scripture says: “But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” (1 Peter 3,14-15).
2. Jesus in the Gospel of John, speaking with the Samaritan woman, says: “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth“. (John 4,24).
Shortly before he had said: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him”. (John 4,23).
3. Worshiping God or worshiping the Holy Spirit (which is the same thing) in our souls in grace and worshiping him in our neighbors’ souls is the most beautiful and highest event that can be experienced in this world.
It is the typical experience of contemplatives and saints.
4. St. Thomas affirms that this experience leads “to the enjoyment of the same divine Person” (Summa Theologiae, I, 43, 1, ad 1).
It is like saying that the soul in grace possesses the very Person of the Holy Spirit, indeed of the adorable Trinity, and enjoys his presence and his services. And he also says that this is the imperfect beginning of the future beatitude that the saints already experience in this life “(Summa Theologiae, II-II, 59, 2).
The perfect beginning can only be found in Heaven.
5. However, this adoration – which is necessary and very beautiful – is only spiritual. In fact, “as the Damascene says,” since we are made of two natures, intellectual and sensitive, we must offer God a double adoration“:
the spiritual one, which consists in the internal devotion of the soul;
and the corporal one, which consists in the external humiliation of the body.
And since in all acts of religion what is external is linked to the internal sentiment as to the main element, so the external worship is done in function of the internal one: so that the external signs of humility are made to stimulate our affection to submit to God, being connatural to us to reach intelligible things through sensitive things “(Summa Theologiae, II-II, 84, 2).
6. External worship – which is what we commonly call worship – requires a well-defined place. Indeed it also requires the sensitive sign.
St Thomas says again: “The choice of a specific place to worship is not made for God, as He is not confined to a single place, but for those who worship him. And this for three reasons:
First, for the consecration of the place which aids the faithful to reach spiritual devotion, so that they are more easily heard: as it is evident in the adoration of Solomon (1 Kings 8).
Second, for the sacred mysteries and for the other signs of holiness that are linked to the place itself.
Third, because of the participation of many worshipers, which makes the prayer more worthy of being answered. Since in the Gospel we read:
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”(Mt 18,20)” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, 84, 3, ad 2).
7. However, “the determination of place is not required of adoration as a main and necessary element: but as an element of convenience, just like other physical signs” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, 84, 3).
So that if bodily worship can be prevented, no one – not even if someone is in prison – can be prevented from spiritual worship.
In fact, “external worship can be done in spirit, insofar as it derives from spiritual devotion, and it is connected to it” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, 84, 2, ad 1).
I thank you for the question, I remind you to the Lord and I bless you.
Father Angelo