¹ Today, dearest brothers, all the readings presented to us are perfectly suited to the feast we celebrate. The psalm says: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit”. The Gospel proclaims: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth”. And the Scripture from the Acts of the Apostles declares: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit”.

² Thus, everything has been fulfilled and brought to completion. The psalm petitions for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel promises that He will come, and the Scripture from the Acts of the Apostles testifies that He has indeed arrived. Therefore, nothing is lacking in the divine plan presented through the readings: in the prophet, there is supplication; in the Gospel, a promise; and in the Acts, the fulfillment.

³ Regarding this same Holy Spirit, the blessed Apostle Paul also testifies, saying: “To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit”. And he continues: “All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as he wills”.

⁴ But perhaps someone might say at this point: “If the Spirit distributes His gifts only to those whom He wills, then the one who does not receive a gift is without blame, since the distribution of grace depends not on the desire of the recipient but on the will of the One who gives.” This is true, dearest ones, but it is true in such a way that we must understand it as applying only to virtues, not to life itself. For while we cannot all possess every virtue, even if we desire them, we can all attain eternal life—if we seek it. As it is written: “For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds”.

⁵ The distribution of lofty and exceptional gifts depends on the will and dispensation of the Holy Spirit. But the pursuit of a good life depends on human faith and effort, for again it is written: “Everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds”. Let a person therefore ask with their whole heart and seek earnestly, for the One who commanded you to seek will surely grant that you may find. Does the divine Word lie? Certainly not! It says: “Knock, and it will be opened to you”. Why would He command us to knock if He did not intend to open the door to those who knock? Even among men, such injustice does not exist—a person would not ask to be begged if they had no intention of granting the request. Indeed, no one wishes to be entreated unless they have first decided to give. Thus, God, who desires to give to all, wills to be asked by all, saying: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find”.

⁶ But perhaps someone might say: “if everyone who asks receives, then surely if we ask for virtues, we will also receive them. Why, then, should we not ask for virtues, since we can receive whatever we ask for?” It is not so, beloved. For it is arrogant and beyond the condition of man to demand the grace of virtues. Human prayer ought to be humble, not presumptuous, seeking only salvation, not perfection. Since no human being can be without sin, how brazen it is for someone to ask for virtues when they cannot even be fully assured of pardon!

⁷ Therefore, it is sufficient for a person to seek the mercy of the Lord. One should believe they have obtained the greatest grace of virtues from God if they have been able to attain His forgiveness. For the one who presumptuously asks for something receives less precisely by presuming to ask for greater things.

⁸ Moreover, when a person asks for the grace of virtues, even if they do not offend God by the presumption of their prayer, they may still put their unity at risk. For it is not beneficial for everyone to possess the grace to exercise virtues. Some are better off remaining in humility than being puffed up with the pride of sanctity. For some, the very height of grace is dangerous. The one who does not know how to stand firm in an elevated place falls all the more heavily by having climbed higher.

⁹ Thus, the blessed Apostle says: “There are different kinds of gifts” and, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who distributes them to each one, just as he determines”. He rightly says: “just as he determines”, because nothing is better for a person than what He wills. For the will of the Holy Spirit knows well how to distribute His gifts. There is nothing more beneficial than for a person to possess only those virtues that the Holy Spirit has judged fitting to bestow upon them.

¹⁰ Surely, if someone desires to obtain the grace of virtues, there are virtues they can innocently seek. Let them pursue chastity, embrace sobriety, hold fast to discipline, and love charity. For with God’s grace, we can and should all possess these virtues. Virtues should not be believed to consist only in casting out demons, healing diseases, or granting physical health. Every good work is a virtue. If you act rightly each day, if you live in holiness and justice, you fulfil the works of virtue daily.

¹¹ If someone cannot cast out a demon from another person, let them at least cast out the vices of demonic temptation from themselves. If they cannot heal another’s bodily illness, let them heal the sickness of their own soul. No one is required to bestow the grace of healing if it has not been given to them by divine favour. Nothing greater can be achieved than if a person is found worthy to attain the health of their own soul.

¹² After the labour of your vigils, it is not fitting that a lengthy sermon should further weary you. Therefore, whoever is spiritual and desires to hear a fuller discourse on the divinity of the Holy Spirit should come eagerly and faithfully to the church tomorrow, early and thirsting for the Word. For anyone who neglects to come will clearly show that they are not spiritual. Yet, we trust in God’s mercy that the grace of the Holy Spirit will prevail in you over the concerns of this world—through the favor of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory forever and ever. Amen.