Pills of Faith 3 January "It is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit"

“A shoot will sprout from the trunk of Jesse (David's father), a shoot will sprout from its roots. Upon him the spirit of the Lord will rest ”(Is 11,1-2). This prophecy concerns Christ ... The sprout and the flower that will sprout from the lineage of Jesse, the Jews interpret them in reference to the Lord: for them the sprout is a symbol of the royal scepter; the flower, of its beauty. We Christians see in the sprout born from the lineage of Jesse the Most Holy Virgin Mary, with whom no one has joined to make her mother. It is she who was indicated shortly before by the prophet himself: "Behold: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son" (7,14:2,1). And in the flower we recognize the Lord our Savior who says in the Song of Canticles: "I am a narcissus of Saron, a lily of the valleys" (CC XNUMX) ...

On this flower that emerges from the stump and from the lineage of Jesse through the Virgin Mary, the spirit of the Lord rests, since "God is pleased to make the fullness of divinity dwell in Christ bodily" (Col 2,9). Not partially, as in other saints, but… according to what we read in Matthew's gospel: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen; my favorite, in whom I am pleased. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the nations "(Mt 12,18; Is 42,1). We connect this prophecy to the Savior on which the spirit of the Lord has rested, that is, he has established his dwelling in him forever ... As John the Baptist testifies, the spirit descends to remain forever in him: "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven and alight on him. I did not know him, but whoever sent me to baptize with water had told me: The man on whom you will see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit ”…. This Spirit is called "the Spirit of wisdom and intelligence, the Spirit of counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord" (Is 11,2: XNUMX) ... It is the one and same source of all gifts.

GIACULATORIA OF THE DAY
O God, Savior Crucified, inflame me with love, faith and courage for the salvation of the brothers.