True Devotion to the Holy Spirit

by Luis M. Martínez

Huge in scope, yet simple and readable, True Devotion to the Holy Spirit covers virtually everything there is to know about the Spirit's role in our salvation -- and it does so with a refreshing reliance on God s Word, not on opinions or subjective visions. Luis M. Martinez, the former Archbishop of Mexico City, maintains that as the Spirit is God's supreme gift, so your devotion to Him should be profound and encompassing. In beautiful, practical terms, Martinez illuminates the difference the Spirit can make when He's given His proper place in your soul. This handbook explains how you should respond to the Spirit, how the Spirit helps you grow in virtue, and the characteristics of true love of the Spirit. All the actions of the Holy Spirit -- in detail Even more, each of the Spirit's gifts and fruits get detailed treatment here. Martinez shows how each contributes to the maturing of the soul, so that by means of the Spirit's active help, you can conquer your sins, learn how to make proper use of the things of this world, become master of yourself, and fully realize the greatness that is available to you as a Christian. This is an essential guide for everyone who longs to know and to love the Holy Spirit more fully. You'll learn virtually everything we can know about the Holy Spirit's work in the world and in your soul,

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith, Theology

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Luis María Martínez y Rodríguez was the Catholic archbishop of Mexico and a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua ("Mexican Language Academy").

He was born in Molinos de Caballeros, Epitacio Huerta, Michoacán. A philosopher of the scholastic tradition, his focus on the ultimate nature of things led him to theology. He was also a writer of spiritual poetry.

While his traditional values provoked his criticisms of some aspects of Mexico's modernization, he always retained a special relationship with the people. He presided over the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe, declaring, "I am Zumárraga" in order to draw Mexicans who has "wandered" back to the church. He joined the Academy in 1953, and many of his sermons were translated into French, Italian, and German.

He died on February 9, 1956 in Mexico City.

Reviews

[booklady]

WARNING! Before you go out and purchase this book (as I did) you may want to reconsider and get the unabridged and slightly newer version, The Sanctifier: The Classic Work on the Holy Spirit, published by The Daughters of St. Paul. My first version of this review had me puzzling because I knew I had read something else by this marvelous man, but I couldn’t remember what it was and Goodreads, which is my database for my terrible memory showed that I only read his book, Worshipping a Hidden God.

I would have gone on blissfully reading this, unaware there was another book if the dear Holy Spirit, Soul of my Soul, hadn’t wanted me to find the Truth. Last evening I was looking for something else (of course!) and discovered The Sanctifier where it wasn’t supposed to be. It was published in 2003 (verses 2000 for this book) and is the complete work by Archbishop Martinez. True Devotion to the Holy Spirit is abridged; it is missing a couple of chapters and the entire fourth section on the Beatitudes!

I will be finishing this as I started it but will mark it down a star because of what is missing. It is still wonderful for what is here, but unfortunate for what isn’t.

The reason I did not see The Sanctifier before is because it was under a different name for the author: Archbishop Luis Martinez v. Luis M. Martínez. I have since consolidated all the books under the latter name. Either name would be fine, but since most of the books were under that name, it was easier to move two books than many more. Goodreads librarians need to exercise great caution when listing books.

[Josef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the Holy Spirit. I like the use of images, ex.: "A piece of wood is thrown into the fire. The fire envelops, penetrates, and possesses it. To the wood, being possessed by the fire and burning are the same thing. But, at first, the wood is not wholly burned, because the fire has not penetrated it completely. Penetration and possession come about little by little as the wood burns, until, perfectly penetrated by the fire, it is converted into it and burns with the same fire and has all the characteristics of fire."

[Carlos R. Esguerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to the Holy Spirit and following his inspirations are essential to one’s faith. This book is for those who want to more aware of the Sanctifier who is a Guest waiting to be welcomed into our hearts. This book is thoroughly good in describing he gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and how they are interconnected with the human virtues and theological virtues.

[Maisy Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book! If you haven’t been invoking and praying to the the third person of the Most Holy Trinity enough, this book is invaluable. Learn how the Holy Spirit brings about our sanctification, how important it is to foster devotion to the Holy Spirit. Includes chapters on The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. A wonderful addition to any Catholic’s home library.

[Cornelius Pulung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku terbaik tentang Roh Kudus. Ditulis dengan indah dan mendalam sehingga setiap babnya mengundang kita untuk merenung dan meresapinya.

[Theophilus Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I read it ? I need help

[Michelle Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is magnificent. It has really shed light on fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Love it so far.

[Erik]

Included in the "Spiritual Reading" section of Fr. John McCloskey's 100-book Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan.

[Fr-corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-published edition of the Sanctifier. For some reason I had difficulty in reading the previous version, but this one I found very readable. I highly recommend it.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as part of the Read Your Way to Heaven spiritual reading list. This was a very in-depth exploration of the Holy Spirit and its place in our lives. Once I became accustomed to the writing style, which is very lyrical and poetic at times, I enjoyed it immensely. The author uses some beautiful imagery to explain subjective concepts, which I found very helpful. Great book for reflection and meditation.