Let us now examine the common conceptions we hold concerning the Spirit—both those gathered from Holy Scripture and those received from the unwritten tradition of the Fathers.
First, who hears the titles of the Spirit and is not lifted up in soul? Who does not raise his thought toward the highest nature? He is called “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father,” “right Spirit,” and “governing Spirit.” His proper and distinctive name is “Holy Spirit,” a name especially fitting to what is incorporeal, purely immaterial, and indivisible. Thus our Lord, teaching the woman who imagined God to be an object of local worship that the incorporeal cannot be confined, said, “God is Spirit.”
When we hear “Spirit,” then, we cannot conceive a nature bounded by place, subject to change and alteration, or in any way like created things. We are compelled to raise our thought to the highest and to conceive an intelligent essence, infinite in power, unlimited in greatness, unmeasured by times or ages, generous in the distribution of good gifts.
Toward him turn all things that need sanctification; after him reach all things that live in virtue, watered by his breath and assisted toward their natural and proper end. He perfects all other things while himself lacking nothing. He lives not because he needs restoration, but as the giver of life. He does not grow by additions but is full from the beginning, established in himself, present everywhere.
He is the source of sanctification, intelligible light, supplying through himself illumination to every rational power in its search for truth. By nature inaccessible, yet approachable through goodness; filling all things by his power, yet shared only by the worthy; not shared in one fixed measure, but distributing his energy “according to the proportion of faith.” Simple in essence, manifold in powers; wholly present in each and wholly everywhere; divided without suffering division, shared without being diminished or ceasing to remain whole.
He is like a ray of the sun. Its gracious light falls on the person enjoying it as though it shone for that person alone, yet at the same time it illumines land and sea and mingles with the air. So too the Spirit is present to each person capable of receiving him as though given to that person alone, while sending forth grace sufficient and complete for all. Those who share in him enjoy him according to the capacity not of his power, but of their own nature.
The Spirit does not become intimately united with the soul by drawing near in place. How could the incorporeal approach something by bodily distance? This union comes when the passions are withdrawn—the passions that later came upon the soul through its attachment to the flesh and alienated it from intimacy with God.
Only when a person has been cleansed from the shame whose stain came through wickedness, has returned to the beauty proper to nature, and has, as it were, cleaned the royal image and restored its ancient form, is it possible to draw near to the Paraclete. Then, like the sun shining upon a purified eye, he will show you in himself the image of the Invisible, and in the blessed vision of the image you will behold the inexpressible beauty of the archetype.
Through him hearts are lifted up, the weak are taken by the hand, and those who advance are brought to perfection. Shining on those who have been cleansed from every stain, he makes them spiritual through communion with himself. Just as bright and transparent bodies become radiant when a ray of sunlight falls on them and themselves send out a new brightness, so souls in whom the Spirit dwells, illumined by the Spirit, become spiritual themselves and send grace onward to others.
From this come foreknowledge of things to come, understanding of mysteries, comprehension of hidden things, distributions of gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, likeness to God, and—highest of all—to become God.
These, then, are some among the many conceptions concerning the Holy Spirit that the Spirit’s own oracles have taught us to hold concerning his greatness, dignity, and operations.