The Gifts of the Holy Spirit...(Cont.)
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 fromHim.
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, the 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 rom 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.
St. Thomas Aquinas, in his monumental work, Summa
Theologica, made comparisons between the gifts of the Spirit
and the virtues. He stated that four of these gifts (wisdom,
understanding, knowledge, and good counsel) direct the intellect,
while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord)
direct the will toward God. The gifts of the Spirit are similar to the
virtues, but a key distinction is that the virtues operate under the
promptings of human reason through the grace of God, whereas
the gifts operate under the promptings of the Holy Spirit; the
former can be used when one wishes, but the latter operate only
when the Holy Spirit wishes. According to Aquinas, the gifts of the
Spirit correspond to the cardinal and theological virtues as follows:
•
The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity.
•
The gifts of understanding and knowledge correspond to
the virtue of faith.
•
The gift of good counsel (right judgment) corresponds to
the virtue of prudence.
•
The gift of courage corresponds to the virtue of fortitude.
•
The gift of fear of the Lord (wonder and awe) corresponds
to the virtue of hope.
•
The gift of piety (reverence) corresponds to the virtue
of justice.
No gift of the Spirit is directly associated with the virtue
of temperance, but one could argue that Fear of the Lord and
temperance (the ability to enjoy good things in moderation)
are connected, since Fear of the Lord will help prevent us from
pursuing immoral pleasures.
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 a Christian disciple, trust Him and
submit to His will in humility, and give God the glory and honor
He is due as your Creator.
