…altogether we have 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit in Catholic Tradition. As we can see many of them speak to zeal, while others in a way that seeks to set forth a virtue rooted in moderateness.
One of the great gifts the Spirit seeks to give us is not a rejection of passion or other human gifts, but a moderation and proper appropriation of them. For God the Holy Spirit has given all the gifts of the World, including beauty, and human passions for a reason and for a good end. But the Fruits of the Spirit are gifts to both to inspire zeal and to regulate and appreciate what God has given for a reason and a purpose. By these gifts we steer a middle ground between rejection and indulgence, excess and defect, enjoyment and hedonism. Modus omnibus in rebus (All things in moderation (including moderation)). The Sequence Hymn for Pentecost says of the Holy Spirit:
- Flecte quod est rigidum (Bend what is rigid),
- fove quod est frigidum (warm what is cold),
- rege quod est devium. (rule what deviates).
And thus we see both zeal and moderation in these gifts and in all things a ruling over anything that deviates. Come Holy Holy Spirit, rule our hearts and inflame them with your love.
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