Lessons –
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is sometimes called “The Forgotten Person of the
Blessed Trinity.” We know He exists, but who is He, exactly? The Holy
Spirit is theThird Person of the BlessedTrinity, and is the manifestation
of the mutual love between the Father and the Son in the form of a
Divine Person. The Holy Spirit is known by many titles and is referred
to in many different ways in Scripture. He is often depicted as a dove
(
Luke 3:21-22), as wind (Acts 2:2) as the breath of God (Gen 2:7,
Ezek 37:5-14), as living water (John 3:8), and as tongues of flame
(
Acts 2:3). He proceeds from the Father and the Son as we profess
in our Nicene Creed, and it is in Scripture where we find the Holy
Spirit referred to as the goodness and charity of God (Romans 5:5; 2
Corinthians 13:13). It is from the Holy Spirit that we receive the gift
of sanctifying grace through the sacraments - first through Baptism,
and again every time we receive the sacraments. There are other gifts,
however, that the Holy Spirit bestows upon those who seek Him.
TheHoly Spirit sustains us with gifts that, according to theCatechism
of the Catholic Church, are “permanent dispositions which make
man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit” (1830).
They are specially intended for the sanctification of the person who
receives them. These gifts “complete and perfect the virtues of those
who receive them” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1831). They
are known as the gifts of wisdom, understanding, good counsel (right
judgment), fortitude, knowledge, piety (reverence), and wonder and
awe (fear of the Lord), and come to us from the Book of the prophet,
Isaiah (11:2-3).
The
gift of wisdom
,
by detaching us from the world, makes us relish
and love only the things of heaven. For the wise person, the wonders
of nature, historical events, and even the happenings of our daily lives
take on deeper meaning. The wise person can see God in all things and
in all people, no matter the circumstance.
The
gift of understanding
helps us to grasp the truths of faith.
Understanding helps us comprehend those truths that God has
revealed to us through His Son, Jesus, and through His Holy Bride,
the Church. We can see more clearly because we begin to understand
the God in Whose image we are made. A person who possesses
understanding knows how to live as a Christian and does not let the
messages of this world be confused with the message of Christ.
The
gift of good counsel, also called Right Judgment,
springs
from supernatural prudence, and enables us to see and choose correctly
those things that give God glory and allow us to continue on the path
toward salvation. It is this gift that helps us see that time is better
spent with God than with things of this world that cannot nourish
our souls. Good counsel helps us to turn off the TV (or whatever we’re
attached to) and pray, either through a devotional prayer or through
Scripture, or read something that will feed our minds and souls in a
way pleasing to God. This gift enables us to choose what is right and
good and stay away from evil. Right Judgment helps us to see God
more clearly by focusing on Him and not the things of this world that
distract us from Him.
Through the
gift of fortitude,
we receive courage to overcome the
obstacles and difficulties that arise in the practice of our religious
duties. This gift helps us stand up for what is right and to live our
lives as true Christian disciples, especially in the face of opposition
from others. Courage is what helps us both in doing what is right and
in enduring trials which befall us in this life. The holy martyrs knew
this well, and so should we if we are to call ourselves true followers of
Christ. The one who possesses fortitude is not concerned about what
others think of them - only what God thinks of them.
The
gift of knowledge
points out to us the path to follow and the
dangers to avoid in order to reach heaven. Knowledge is much more
than what we learn from books. Knowledge is the gift that draws us
closer to God because we have come to know Him better and more
intimately. One who is knowledgeable has also gained experience
about what brings one closer to God and what one should avoid at
all costs.
The
gift of piety, also called reverence
,
by inspiring us with a
tender and filial confidence in God, makes us joyfully embrace all that
pertains to His service. Those with the gift of piety have a profound
respect for God, the saints, and the Church, and come to God with
humility and trust in all things.
Finally, t
he gift of wonder and awe (also called fear of the Lord)
fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread, above all
things, to offend Him. St. Thomas Aquinas describes this gift as a fear
of separating oneself from God. Proverbs 1:7 calls wonder and awe
the beginning of knowledge, because we come to recognize that we
are finite, sinful creatures who dare to come before the omnipotent,
all-perfect God of all creation.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are of inestimable value to our spiritual
lives. Seek the Holy Spirit in all you do. Seek His wisdom before you
speak or act, pray for understanding and knowledge of the things of
God, choose wisely and well in all things, be courageous in your life as
Christian disciple, trust Him and submit to His will in humility, and
give God the glory and honor He is due as your Creator.
Dining by Design 2012
On the next two pages you
will find our Save the Date
flyer for the 2012 Dining
by Design fundraising
event. At this time, table sponsorship and
individual ticket reservation and purchases
are open to everyone and we hope that you
will prayerfully consider participating in
Dining by Design being held in August,
2012.
Please read the flyer for more
important information, including how your
sponsorship of a table or purchase of an
individual ticket doubles the dollars in our
Ignite Your Match Campaign.
