Arrupe — Veni, Creator Spiritus

556 ACTA CONGREGATIONIS PROCURATORUM LXVI This emphasis on reason is a characteristic of St. Ignatius's personal spirituality. It has been described as follows: This power of reason and judgment did not in any way diminish his enthusiasm and docility to divine guidance. Instead, it united itself with the enthusiasm. The result was a harmonious union between lgnatius's driving love and his strong power of reasoning, and this combination was devoted to the service of Christ 16• How much we ourselves also need this harmonious union of driving love and serene reasoning! But it is the spiritual drive, born of a passionate love of Christ, that we need to cultivate more if we wish to realize our dreams and ideals. 30. To conclude, let me confidently invoke the Holy Spirit, whose help we begged at the beginning of this Congregation. This prayer is a heartfelt reflection of what I desire for myself, for all of you, and for the entire Society: VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS Lord, I need your Spirit, that divine force that has transformed so many human personalities, making them capable of extraordinary deeds and extraordinary lives. Give me that Spirit which, coming from You and going to You, infinite Holiness 1, is a Holy Spirit. The judges of Israel, without expecting it, without inclination, without being able to resist, simple sons of villagers, Samson, Gideon, Saul ... were changed by You, abruptly and completely. Not only did they become capable of tremendous acts of boldness and strength, but took on new personalities and felt themselves capable of performing a mission as difficult as liberating a whole people. Your action in them was interior, although it is sometimes described by images that emphasize your sudden or strange intervention. You descend upon Samson as a bird of prey 2, and clothed Gideon as with armor 3• Feeling the difficulty of my mission, I desire your profound action in my soul, not only that You descend, but that You repose in me 4, and give me those wondrous gifts that 16 The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice, JOSEPH DE GUIBERT, p. 73. 1 Ex. 15,11. 2 Judg. 14,6. 3 Judg. 6,34. 4 Is. 11,2. 5 October 1978 ALLOCUTIO FINALIS P. GEN. - ANGLICE 557 You lavish on your elect: wisdom and intelligence, as to Bezalel 5 and Solomon; counsel and strength, as to David 6; knowledge and fear of God, which was the ideal of so many holy souls of Israel. These gifts will open up for the Society an era of happiness and holiness 7• Give me what you gave to the Prophets: even if my craven soul protests, force me to speak by your irresistible pressure 8• The word that came to them was not their own word but yours, of your Spirit sent to them not only to create a new personality for service but also to explain its sense and secrets, of your Spirit that is not only intelligence and strength but also knowledge of God and God's ways 9• Give me, then, the strength with which you not only opened up to the Prophets your word to the point of revealing to them your glory 10, but also that strength that kept them standing as they spoke to the people and announced their fate 11• With that voice that you make groan in the depths of my being 12, I seek the copious pouring out of yourself, like the rain that gives back life to the arid earth 13, and like a breath of life that comes to animate dry bones 14• Give me that Spirit that scrutinizes all, inspires all, teaches all, that will strengthen me to support what I am not able to support. Give me that Spirit that transformed the weak Galilean fishermen into the pillars of your Church and into Apostles who gave in the holocaust of their Jives the supreme testimony of their love for their brothers. Thus, this live-giving outpouring will be Hke a new creation, of hearts transformed, of a sensibility receptive to the voice of the Father, of a spontaneous fidelity to his word 15• Thus, You will find us again faithful and You will not hide your face from us because You will have poured your Spirit over us. Now I understand that in order to accomplish all this one needs a love like that of the Father, a love that in- 5 Ex. 35,31. 6 Is. 11,2. 7 Is. 11,9. 8 Amos 3,8; 7,14; Jer. 20,7. 9 Is. 11,2; Ef. 1,17; Col. 1,9. 10 Ez. 3,12; 8,3. 11 Ez. 2,1; 3,24; 11,5. 12 Rom. 8,26. 13 Is. 12,3; 44,3; Ez. 36,25. 14 Ez. 27,1-14; 1 Cor. 2,12; Jn. 16,22. 15 Is. 59,21; Ps. 143,10. 558 ACTA CONGREGATIONIS PROCURATORUM LXVI tervenes personally. «You, Yahweh, are our Father ... why do You let us stray from your ways?... Oh, that You would tear the heavens open and come down» 16. Such was your definitive manifestation: the heavens open, a God the Father visible, a God the Son coming down to the earth and becoming man to save the world: « This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations ... This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father,, 11. Veni Sancte Spiritus! «The one who guarantees these revelations repeats his promise: I shall indeed be with you soon. Amen; come, Lord Jesus. May the grace of the Lord be with you all. Amen» 18•

16 Is. 63,15-19. 11 Ef. 3,5-14. 1s Rv. 22,20-21.

Acta Romana Societatis Jesu 17 (1978) 556-558.