for, as Christ has declared, "If any man love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and will make Our abode with him."[1]
From these words the Doctors of the Church and theologians conclude that the Holy Spirit resides in a special manner in the soul of a just man, and, distinguishing between the Holy Spirit and His gifts, they declare that the soul not only enjoys these gifts but also the real presence of their Divine Author. Entering such a soul, God transforms her into a magnificent temple. He Himself purifies, sanctifies, and adorns her, making her a fitting habitation for her Supreme Guest. Contrast this glorious state with the miserable condition of a soul in sin, the abode of evil spirits and of every abomination.[2]
Still another more marvellous benefit of justification is that it transforms the soul into a living member of Christ. This, again, is the source of new graces and privileges, for the Son of God, loving and cherishing us as His own members, infuses into us that virtue which is His life, and, as our Head, continually guides and directs us. How tenderly, too, does the Heavenly Father look upon such souls, as members of His Divine Son, united to Him by the participation of the same Holy Spirit! Their works, therefore, are pleasing to Him, and meritorious in His sight, since it is Jesus Christ, His only Son, who lives and acts in them. Hence, with what confidence they address God in prayer, because it is not so much for them-
