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Sober Intoxication of the Spirit: Filled With the Fullness of God
These are not drunk, as you suppose… (Acts 2:15). —Peter preaching to the crowd after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
We tend to overlook Peter's opening words to the crowd that first Pentecost morning, to our own peril. His denial of drunkenness in the wake of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit should stop us in our tracks. What was going on here? How did the apostles experience the Holy Spirit? What was he teaching them? How was he empowering them? What does this scene in the streets of Jerusalem mean for us today?
Father Raniero Cantalamessa offers pastoral advice and leads the reader through passages of Scripture and the Fathers of the Church to remind us of the incalculable power of the Spirit available to us. This spiritual "intoxication" is an infilling—through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and the action of God—that purifies us of sin, renews the heart and enlightens the mind. As St. Augustine said of the Spirit, "He found you empty and he filled you…I like this kind of intoxication. The Spirit of God is both drink and light."
We tend to overlook Peter's opening words to the crowd that first Pentecost morning, to our own peril. His denial of drunkenness in the wake of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit should stop us in our tracks. What was going on here? How did the apostles experience the Holy Spirit? What was he teaching them? How was he empowering them? What does this scene in the streets of Jerusalem mean for us today?
Father Raniero Cantalamessa offers pastoral advice and leads the reader through passages of Scripture and the Fathers of the Church to remind us of the incalculable power of the Spirit available to us. This spiritual "intoxication" is an infilling—through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and the action of God—that purifies us of sin, renews the heart and enlightens the mind. As St. Augustine said of the Spirit, "He found you empty and he filled you…I like this kind of intoxication. The Spirit of God is both drink and light."
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
122 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Raniero Cantalamessa
161 books84 followersFather Raniero Cantalamessa is a Franciscan Capuchin Catholic Priest. Born in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, 22 July 1934, ordained priest in 1958. Divinity Doctor (Fribourg 1962) and Doctor in classical literature (Milan 1966). Former Ordinary Professor of History of Ancient Christianity and Director of the Department of Religious Sciences at the Catholic University of Milan. Member of the International Theological Commission (1975-1981) and for 12 years member of the Catholic Delegation for the dialogue with the Pentecostal Churches.
In 1979 he resigned his teaching position to become a full time preacher of the Gospel. In 1980 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II Preacher to the Papal Household and confirmed in that position by pope Benedict XVI in 2005. In this capacity he preaches a weekly sermon in Advent and Lent in the presence of the Pope, the cardinals, bishops an prelates of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of religious orders. He is also frequently invited to speak in many countries around the world, both to Catholic and Protestant audiences.
He has received an Honorary degree in Laws from Notre Dame University (Indiana), in Sciences of communication from the University of Macerata (Italy) and in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio).
In addition to his early scholar books on patristic Christology, Easter in the Ancient Church and other topics he has published numerous books on spirituality fruit of his preaching to the papal Household, translated in more than twenty foreign languages.
For 14 years, from 1994 to 2010 he has run a weekly program on the first channel of the Italian state television (RAI) on the Gospel of the following Sunday.
From 2009, when he is not engaged in preaching, he lives in an hermitage, at Cittaducale (Rieti) ministering to a small community of cloistered nuns.
The 18 July 2013 he has been confirmed by pope Francis as Preacher to the Papal Household.
In 1979 he resigned his teaching position to become a full time preacher of the Gospel. In 1980 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II Preacher to the Papal Household and confirmed in that position by pope Benedict XVI in 2005. In this capacity he preaches a weekly sermon in Advent and Lent in the presence of the Pope, the cardinals, bishops an prelates of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of religious orders. He is also frequently invited to speak in many countries around the world, both to Catholic and Protestant audiences.
He has received an Honorary degree in Laws from Notre Dame University (Indiana), in Sciences of communication from the University of Macerata (Italy) and in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio).
In addition to his early scholar books on patristic Christology, Easter in the Ancient Church and other topics he has published numerous books on spirituality fruit of his preaching to the papal Household, translated in more than twenty foreign languages.
For 14 years, from 1994 to 2010 he has run a weekly program on the first channel of the Italian state television (RAI) on the Gospel of the following Sunday.
From 2009, when he is not engaged in preaching, he lives in an hermitage, at Cittaducale (Rieti) ministering to a small community of cloistered nuns.
The 18 July 2013 he has been confirmed by pope Francis as Preacher to the Papal Household.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 10, 2015
On my birthday last month I attended a ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar where I was ‘Baptized in the Spirit’*. At this seminar they quoted extensively from the writings of Father Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan Capuchin Catholic Priest, Doctor of Divinity (Fribourg 1962) and Doctor of Classical Literature (Milan 1966). He was also a Member of the International Theological Commission (1975-1981) and for 12 years a member of the Catholic Delegation for the dialogue with the Pentecostal Churches. Then he resigned to become a full-time preacher of the Gospel and has been the only priest to have preached homilies and retreats to all three of the last pontiffs. In July 2013, he became the official Preacher to the Papal Household. He’s written numerous works on patristic Christology, Easter in the Ancient Church and other topics of spirituality, the fruit of his preaching, translated in more than twenty foreign languages.
The focus of Sober Intoxication of the Spirit is to contextualize the rebirth, almost the rediscovery, of the Holy Spirit by late 20th century Catholics. Charismatic Renewal is an authentic, beautiful movement of the Holy Spirit within the Church. Cantalamessa gives some historical background, especially the tie-in between Scriptures and the Church Fathers, but he fails to go into the reasons the power of the Holy Spirit became so weakened or diluted. I’m hoping this is covered in Sober Intoxication of the Spirit Part Two: Born Again of Water and the Spirit, his second book.
Chapters cover: 1.) the absolute necessity of humility as a prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit; 2.) the outpouring or baptism of the Spirit; 3.) the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are sacraments (given to the whole Church to sanctify individuals) and charisms (given to individuals to sanctify the whole Church); 4.) the importance of the Holy Spirit’s role as the ‘oil of gladness (see Psalm 45:7) with which “the most handsome of men” (see Psalm 45:2) is anointed’ and our roles as anointed ones’; 5.) the healing power of the Holy Spirit; 6.) Pentecost, the way to conversion and unity—within families, neighborhoods, churches and beyond; 7.) the importance of sincere repentance to be able to receive the Holy Spirit; 8.) Old Testament water analogies and conclusion.
Having read very little about the Holy Spirit most of my life, I found this book very enlightening and encouraging. It was almost like I discovered a whole new part of my city which I’d never visited before, or a brand new section at the library—only way better of course.
Highly recommended. Looking forward to reading many other books by this author!
*For anyone unfamiliar with the Charismatic Movement Baptism in the Spirit ‘is a rite that occurs with gestures of great simplicity, in peace and joy, accompanied by an attitude of humility, repentance and openness to being children to enter the kingdom. It is a kind of epiclesis—that is, an invocation of the Spirit upon a member of the body of Christ. It recalls the invocation, in the Mass after the Consecration, for the Spirit to come on the assembly of the faithful and make them “a living sacrifice of praise.” It is a renewal and an actualization of the whole Christian initiation and not only of baptism. People prepare themselves for this by, in addition to making a good confession, availing themselves of teachings that put them in vital and joyful contact with the principal truths and realities of the faith: love of God, sin, salvation, new life, transformation in Christ, the charisms and the fruits of the Spirit. But is it right to expect that everything will happen through this experience? Is this the only possible way to experience the grace of Pentecost? If by the baptism in the Spirit we mean a certain ceremony, done in a certain way in a certain context, we have to say no; it is not the only way to have a strong experience of the Spirit. There have been and are numerous Christians who have had an analogous experience without knowing anything about the baptism in the Spirit or who have received a “spontaneous outpouring of the Spirit,” as we see in the lives of many saints. Nevertheless, this baptism in the Spirit has come forth in a simple and powerful way to renew the lives of millions of believers in almost all of the Christian churches. We should think very carefully, then, before saying that this is not for us or before automatically dismissing it if the Lord offers us an opportunity to receive it.’ Father Cantalamessa includes his own initial reluctance to being ‘baptized in the Spirit’ and how he overcame his own reservations.
====================================
There was a time in the life of the Church—for about a century—when all of Christendom was experiencing a spiritual intoxication, an inebriation of the Holy Spirit. Several voices from this chorus of Tradition can help us understand the kind of intoxication the Pope meant in his address. In 348 the bishop of Jerusalem, Cyril, commenting on the words of Peter at Pentecost—”These are not drunk, as you suppose” (Acts 2:15)—said to the catechumens: They are not drunk in the way you might think. They are indeed drunk, but with the sober intoxication (nephalios methē) which kills sin and gives life to the heart and which is the opposite of physical drunkenness. Drunkenness makes a person forget what he knows; this kind, instead, brings understanding of things that were not formerly known. They are drunk insofar as they have drunk the wine of that mystical vine which affirms,“I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). The inebriation that comes from the Holy Spirit thus purifies of sin, renews the heart in fervor and enlightens the mind by a special knowledge of God—not a rational but an intuitive, experiential knowledge, accompanied by inner joy.
The focus of Sober Intoxication of the Spirit is to contextualize the rebirth, almost the rediscovery, of the Holy Spirit by late 20th century Catholics. Charismatic Renewal is an authentic, beautiful movement of the Holy Spirit within the Church. Cantalamessa gives some historical background, especially the tie-in between Scriptures and the Church Fathers, but he fails to go into the reasons the power of the Holy Spirit became so weakened or diluted. I’m hoping this is covered in Sober Intoxication of the Spirit Part Two: Born Again of Water and the Spirit, his second book.
Chapters cover: 1.) the absolute necessity of humility as a prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit; 2.) the outpouring or baptism of the Spirit; 3.) the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are sacraments (given to the whole Church to sanctify individuals) and charisms (given to individuals to sanctify the whole Church); 4.) the importance of the Holy Spirit’s role as the ‘oil of gladness (see Psalm 45:7) with which “the most handsome of men” (see Psalm 45:2) is anointed’ and our roles as anointed ones’; 5.) the healing power of the Holy Spirit; 6.) Pentecost, the way to conversion and unity—within families, neighborhoods, churches and beyond; 7.) the importance of sincere repentance to be able to receive the Holy Spirit; 8.) Old Testament water analogies and conclusion.
Having read very little about the Holy Spirit most of my life, I found this book very enlightening and encouraging. It was almost like I discovered a whole new part of my city which I’d never visited before, or a brand new section at the library—only way better of course.
Highly recommended. Looking forward to reading many other books by this author!
*For anyone unfamiliar with the Charismatic Movement Baptism in the Spirit ‘is a rite that occurs with gestures of great simplicity, in peace and joy, accompanied by an attitude of humility, repentance and openness to being children to enter the kingdom. It is a kind of epiclesis—that is, an invocation of the Spirit upon a member of the body of Christ. It recalls the invocation, in the Mass after the Consecration, for the Spirit to come on the assembly of the faithful and make them “a living sacrifice of praise.” It is a renewal and an actualization of the whole Christian initiation and not only of baptism. People prepare themselves for this by, in addition to making a good confession, availing themselves of teachings that put them in vital and joyful contact with the principal truths and realities of the faith: love of God, sin, salvation, new life, transformation in Christ, the charisms and the fruits of the Spirit. But is it right to expect that everything will happen through this experience? Is this the only possible way to experience the grace of Pentecost? If by the baptism in the Spirit we mean a certain ceremony, done in a certain way in a certain context, we have to say no; it is not the only way to have a strong experience of the Spirit. There have been and are numerous Christians who have had an analogous experience without knowing anything about the baptism in the Spirit or who have received a “spontaneous outpouring of the Spirit,” as we see in the lives of many saints. Nevertheless, this baptism in the Spirit has come forth in a simple and powerful way to renew the lives of millions of believers in almost all of the Christian churches. We should think very carefully, then, before saying that this is not for us or before automatically dismissing it if the Lord offers us an opportunity to receive it.’ Father Cantalamessa includes his own initial reluctance to being ‘baptized in the Spirit’ and how he overcame his own reservations.
====================================
There was a time in the life of the Church—for about a century—when all of Christendom was experiencing a spiritual intoxication, an inebriation of the Holy Spirit. Several voices from this chorus of Tradition can help us understand the kind of intoxication the Pope meant in his address. In 348 the bishop of Jerusalem, Cyril, commenting on the words of Peter at Pentecost—”These are not drunk, as you suppose” (Acts 2:15)—said to the catechumens: They are not drunk in the way you might think. They are indeed drunk, but with the sober intoxication (nephalios methē) which kills sin and gives life to the heart and which is the opposite of physical drunkenness. Drunkenness makes a person forget what he knows; this kind, instead, brings understanding of things that were not formerly known. They are drunk insofar as they have drunk the wine of that mystical vine which affirms,“I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). The inebriation that comes from the Holy Spirit thus purifies of sin, renews the heart in fervor and enlightens the mind by a special knowledge of God—not a rational but an intuitive, experiential knowledge, accompanied by inner joy.
December 8, 2020
NOTE: This review comes from someone with a traditional leaning of the understanding and practice of the Catholic Faith. I am not what people would call a "charismatic Catholic" (in the strictest sense, as in someone who joins the Catholic Charismatic movement), nor I identify myself as such. I do, however, like to hope that I am charismatic in the wider sense, that is, that the Holy Spirit is working in me by virtue of my baptism and confirmation, and by the grace of God.
Why do I think the above note is important? Because some readers are bound to suspect my identity when they see me giving this book 5/5 stars. They would think that I might have come from a charismatic background anyway, and this book simply supports my rationalization of the crazy charismatic bunch, and that means I'm either pro-charismatic or a charismatic myself.
Come on, admit it. It's okay. I would suspect the same thing too if I were you. In all honesty I'm not particularly supportive of the so-called charismatic groups and individuals. I judge them by their fruits, and the fruits must include their faithfulness to the Church. I also try not to forget the teaching that charisms are not necessarily related to personal holiness—they should, but not necessarily so.
That was my mindset when I commenced reading this book. I promised myself that I would judge the book by its faithfulness to traditional Church teachings. And you know what? It is faithful! Actually the title is taken from what Church Father St. Ambrose wrote: Laeti bibamus sobriam profusionem Spiritus—"Let us drink the sober intoxication of the Spirit with joy!" Well whaddya know.
Fr. Cantalamessa is a faith-filled preacher and a gifted writer. Through this book he unearths the spiritual treasure of pneumatological teachings of the Church, both from Church Fathers and from Scripture. He presents a lot of cases that are eye-opening as much as they are theologically strong. For me this is a much welcome addition to our somewhat lacking pneumatology.
I don't get the impression that he is biased towards the Charismatic Renewal and against traditional Catholic practice/understanding. He does endorse the Renewal in the sense that he pleads us to be more open to it, while at the same time he warns everyone of its possible excesses, abuses, and deceptions. His writing in this book is more apologetic, more like "hey guys, here's what I have to say, let's discuss this over a cup of coffee", than argumentative and offensive. Fr. Cantalamessa is clearly enthusiastic, but never cocky.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all Catholics, be they "traditional" or "charismatic" (although, in the grand scheme of things this distinction should not exist at all—all traditionalists ought to be charismatic and all charismatics ought to be traditional).
Why do I think the above note is important? Because some readers are bound to suspect my identity when they see me giving this book 5/5 stars. They would think that I might have come from a charismatic background anyway, and this book simply supports my rationalization of the crazy charismatic bunch, and that means I'm either pro-charismatic or a charismatic myself.
Come on, admit it. It's okay. I would suspect the same thing too if I were you. In all honesty I'm not particularly supportive of the so-called charismatic groups and individuals. I judge them by their fruits, and the fruits must include their faithfulness to the Church. I also try not to forget the teaching that charisms are not necessarily related to personal holiness—they should, but not necessarily so.
That was my mindset when I commenced reading this book. I promised myself that I would judge the book by its faithfulness to traditional Church teachings. And you know what? It is faithful! Actually the title is taken from what Church Father St. Ambrose wrote: Laeti bibamus sobriam profusionem Spiritus—"Let us drink the sober intoxication of the Spirit with joy!" Well whaddya know.
Fr. Cantalamessa is a faith-filled preacher and a gifted writer. Through this book he unearths the spiritual treasure of pneumatological teachings of the Church, both from Church Fathers and from Scripture. He presents a lot of cases that are eye-opening as much as they are theologically strong. For me this is a much welcome addition to our somewhat lacking pneumatology.
I don't get the impression that he is biased towards the Charismatic Renewal and against traditional Catholic practice/understanding. He does endorse the Renewal in the sense that he pleads us to be more open to it, while at the same time he warns everyone of its possible excesses, abuses, and deceptions. His writing in this book is more apologetic, more like "hey guys, here's what I have to say, let's discuss this over a cup of coffee", than argumentative and offensive. Fr. Cantalamessa is clearly enthusiastic, but never cocky.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all Catholics, be they "traditional" or "charismatic" (although, in the grand scheme of things this distinction should not exist at all—all traditionalists ought to be charismatic and all charismatics ought to be traditional).
March 19, 2023
Tbh, I’d recommend this work to basically any standard Catholic for a good read-through.
It had some solid spiritual nuggets that had me nodding my head and snapping my fingers. There were other parts which I found less engaging, which make up the standard Kerygmatic catechesis. Now don’t get me wrong, that’s some good stuff, but it was clearly geared more towards a wider lay audience rather than a semi-learned, half-baked seminarian.
I’m also walking away from this lacking a precise definition for “Baptism in the Spirit.”
As far as I can gather, fancy jargon for a shift on the existential plane, in which a Baptized individual begins living from and out of their Baptismal grace. If I’m honest, I don’t think that merits a title suggesting the status of a sacrament. However, I very well may just have more to learn on the subject.
It had some solid spiritual nuggets that had me nodding my head and snapping my fingers. There were other parts which I found less engaging, which make up the standard Kerygmatic catechesis. Now don’t get me wrong, that’s some good stuff, but it was clearly geared more towards a wider lay audience rather than a semi-learned, half-baked seminarian.
I’m also walking away from this lacking a precise definition for “Baptism in the Spirit.”
As far as I can gather, fancy jargon for a shift on the existential plane, in which a Baptized individual begins living from and out of their Baptismal grace. If I’m honest, I don’t think that merits a title suggesting the status of a sacrament. However, I very well may just have more to learn on the subject.
May 9, 2009
Contalamessa is brilliant! His balanced teaching on the Holy Spirit is like a cup of clear cold water!
March 20, 2011
Spiritually articulate and breathtaking.
April 21, 2022
What a fabulous book! If I only read the chapter on anointing, this book would’ve been well worth the read. The book is indeed geared towards those involved with the charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church, but his insights on the Holy Spirit go far beyond those just involved in that movement. If anyone wishes to grow in knowledge regarding the Holy Spirit; this is a great book to read. He also gives a lot of practical things that one can be doing to cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
April 10, 2018
Pretty heavy theology for the casual reader. Read for Lent small group at parish and it was kind of a lot for most of us. But with group discussion and moving along at a slow pace it was definite worthwhile to read. Nice measured approach to the Holy Spirit without going too far to charismatic side.
May 17, 2020
Best Kept "Secret" - The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Read this book is you want a deeper relationship with The Holy Spirit. Powerful, simple, and profound book on how God wants to pour out his Holy Spirit on us not only in the Sacraments but also in The Baptism in The Holy Spirit.
Read this book is you want a deeper relationship with The Holy Spirit. Powerful, simple, and profound book on how God wants to pour out his Holy Spirit on us not only in the Sacraments but also in The Baptism in The Holy Spirit.
February 20, 2024
An interesting discussion on what being charismatic means especially in the context of the Roman Catholic Church & post Vatican II.
It can be very conservative in parts but a lot to think about nevertheless.
It can be very conservative in parts but a lot to think about nevertheless.
August 30, 2024
Simple to read. Lots of depth to reflect on and bring to prayer. My favorite chapters were 6 & 9. There was probably a lot of deep theology that I missed the meaning of. Learning more about the Holy Spirit and beginning a way of understanding the way He works was a major plus!
November 13, 2017
A must have book in the context of the new evangelization; to appropriate the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
February 14, 2021
Wow!!!! If you are interested in reading about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - this book is prime!
March 10, 2021
This book is life-changing so if you want to completely re-examine your relationship with the Lord and the Holy Spirit this is for you!
March 22, 2023
The book really stands for it's title: sober intoxication of the Holy Spirit
May 31, 2024
Ranieri Cantalamessa's Life in Christ was fantastic, so I gave this book a try. It is good and I may give it another read but it isn't as good.
June 19, 2024
The premise was interesting enough to get me to obtain this book; but it didn’t seem to have the same impact as his other books.
March 2, 2026
I… need to read it again
November 21, 2015
A collection of homilies by the preacher to the Papal Housefhold for the last 35 years. There is a focus on charismatic themes in this book's collection. The sober intoxication is a reference to a passage where witnesses are told that men aren't drunk in the morning but drunk on the Holy Spirit - a sober intoxication. Altogether you are meant to be inspired to accept the Holy Spirit in your life and also to better understand charisms especially their role in the life of the Church. These gifts are not meant for the individual but for the community that witnesses them. This is an important point as Fr Cantalamessa points out when he preaches to charismatic groups he urges them to remember this and when he preaches to the less inclined he urges the acceptance of gifts and openness. These are lovely homilies drawing on rich Bible passages and the early Fathers as well as real life lay people we can all relate to.
June 12, 2012
The last chapter in the book was a meditation, called "We Were All Made to Drink of the One Spirit" delivered to Pope John Paul II's Pontifical Household and the Roman Curia. Amazing...walked away with a fuller, deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit, the Charismatic Renewal in relation to the Old Testament, Church Fathers, and Sacraments. Fr. Contalamessa begins and concludes with St. Ambrose: Laeti bibamus sobriam profusionem Spiritus, "Let us drink the sober intoxication of the Spirit with joy!" Amen!
September 28, 2020
The best explanation of the theological underpinnings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal that started in Pittsburgh about fifty years ago and has reached hundreds of millions around the world, written by the Preacher to the Papal Household - the one who has provided spiritual meditations and teachings to the last three popes since 1980 - who himself testifies to an unexpected Pentecost-like experience in this book.
Read
March 23, 2012A wide-ranging, but not particularly thorough, introduction to Charismatic Catholicism. Those who benefit from a more devotionally-oriented style of writing will certainly benefit from this book more than I, and I would also commend it to my Catholic friends unfamiliar with the Charismatic movement.
August 16, 2012
Absolutely breathtaking! Read it.
May 17, 2013
Great introduction to the Charismatic Renewal. Inspiring!
November 13, 2015
Excellent discerning of spirit.
December 9, 2014
Very good book until one odd insertion in the last chapter dealing with domestic violence.
Read
September 6, 2018Not a fit for me.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews