Salesian Literature

Chapter 13:  The union of the saints with God in the vision of the Holy Spirit proceeding from Father and Son

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The eternal Father sees his own infinite beauty and goodness expressed to the life, essentially and substantially, in his Son; conversely, the Son sees that his own essence, goodness and beauty originate from his Father, as from a source or well-spring.  Inevitably Father and Son love each other with a love that is infinite, since the will by which each loves is infinite; infinite too is the goodness which each loves in the other.

 

Love, in God, of the Father for his Son, is expressed in a single breath, mutually exhaled by Father and Son, who – in this way – enjoy the embrace of unity.  Although there are two lovers, Father and Son, the goodness which they love is unique, common to both, and the will by which they love is also unique; so there can be only one single love, expressed by one single loving aspiration.

 

The Father breathes out this love; so does the Son. The Father’s love is breathed out by the same will, and towards the same goodness, which he holds in common with his Son; the Son mutually breathes out the same loving aspiration towards the same goodness, by the same will as the Father – so this breath of love is simply one single Spirit, issuing from two persons.

 

Since those two persons who breath out love have one essence, one infinite will, by which they breathe; and since the goodness which attracts their love is infinite, their breath cannot but be infinite too.  It cannot be infinite, however, unless it is God; so this Spirit breathed forth from Father and Son is truly God.  as there can be only one God, it is one single true God with the Father and the Son.

 

Furthermore, since this love is a mutual activity on the part of Father and Son, it must be distinct from those two persons from whom it proceeds, although it shares with them the same goodness, the same substance.  It must be a third divine person, who is one same God with the Father and the Son; and because the expression of this love takes the form of a breathing out, or aspiration, it is called the Holy Spirit.

 

Dear God above! – What will be the effect on us, Theotimus, when we view the expression of that mutual love which exists between the Father and his eternal Son?  The human heart will find itself lost in loving wonderment at the beauty, the charm of God’s love which the eternal Father and his infinite son express everlastingly each for the other.

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