Conversion and the New Man
17. The Fruits of the New Man: Visible Charity, Humility, and Stability in Life
A gate in the exiled city.
"The fruit of the Spirit is , joy, peace, ..." - Galatians 5:22
Conversion cannot remain invisible forever. The interior life is real, but it does not stay buried without effect. The new man begins to appear in speech, tone, household order, , , gratitude, and endurance.
St. Paul does not leave the matter vague. , joy, peace, , benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, , continency, and chastity belong to the Spirit's fruit.[1] These are not decorations placed upon an otherwise unchanged life. They are evidence that is beginning to govern.
This is why the faithful must not be satisfied with intensity alone. A man may be strong in controversy and still weak in . A household may be externally serious and still inwardly governed by irritation, vanity, and fear. Fruit tests reality.
This is especially needed now. Many souls rightly reject , yet remain difficult to live with. Their judgment is stronger than their . Their conclusions are clearer than their . Their zeal outruns their .
But the new man is not proved only by what he opposes. He is proved by what he has become under .
The fruit of conversion is not softness, but sanctity made visible. Where Christ truly rules, life begins to smell less of self and more of .