I was moved by the following quote from Father Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M.Cap, regarding the Holy Spirit:

Every time someone has a genuine, strong experience of the Spirit, the most vivid memory of the moment that the person retains is of an intense perception of the Father’s love. Witnessing to this, someone said: “All my life long, I had felt unloved. The next day, that feeling vanished entirely. I felt myself immersed in a new experience of the love of God, and from that day it has never left me.”
This is the most beautiful moment of any creature’s life: to know that one is loved, personally, by God, and to find oneself in the flood of love that flows between Father and Son, enfolded in their love, sharing their passionate love for the world. And all of this in one instant, without any need to think about it or for words to say it.

More from Beliefnet and our partners