If you’ve gone through Confirmation Class and were confirmed, you received the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the seven gifts that began to work in you at your Baptism. Can you name them? Have you used them? Do you still have them? Do you feel alive spiritually, or are you “going through the motions”?
Reality is both physical and spiritual. The only difference is our physical eyes cannot see the spiritual. But, we can “feel” the Spirit and be in touch with the Spirit and know of His power.
We speak of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For most of us, the Father and Son are pretty easy to relate to. For many Catholics, the Holy Spirit is another matter. Let’s lay a foundation first, then I’ll explain how you can deepen your spirituality and “get in touch” with the Spirit.
The traditional Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are listed in Isaiah 11:2. The Hebrew text lists only six, but the Greek has seven. The Early Church used the Greek version of the Old Testament as its official text, and so today, we speak of seven gifts rather than six.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Holy Spirit guides our moral life (our relationship with others) through: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel.
Wisdom – Wisdom sees as God sees, and knows God and divine things, loves God and His ways. It’s linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” This gift directs the person to order his life in every way according to God. From this order comes peace. The effect is an indivisible union with God. Disordered desires, affections, and attachments destroy peace.
Understanding – Understanding gives insight and applies faith to life. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God.” On our own, we cannot penetrate the divine. This gift enlightens us to the Way of Jesus. This gift moves us beyond attachment to creatures and things and purifies us by means of sacrifice and detachment. In an ever growing purity, we come to see Jesus and learn to follow Him.
Knowledge – Knowledge gives us the ability to comprehend the meaning and message of Jesus and connect our experience to faith. It’s linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted.” This gift instructs us of the “nothingness” of being human and the “all” and infinite goodness of God. We weep for the time spent seeking anything but God. We are comforted with hope in our sufferings and embrace what makes us more like Jesus.
Right Judgement/Counsel – Counsel is the ability to know right from wrong and to make good decisions. It helps us to fulfill the divine commandments, especially love. The more developed this gift becomes in us, the more we are able to listen to the Holy Spirit. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Christ’s love cannot be separated from His mercy. To love as Jesus loves, we must be merciful.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Holy Spirit guides our theological life (our relationship with God) and directs our will towards God through fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Courage/Strength/Fortitude – This gift enables us to overcome our fear, take risks, and be heroic in following Jesus. It is linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice), for they will be satisfied.” This gift strengthens us to bear any suffering for what is good and to do God’s will.
Reverence/Piety – (Only in the Septuagint) This gift equips us with a deep sense of respect and love for the Lord. When we allow this gift to work in us, our love and worship of Jesus becomes intimate and strong. Instead of going through the motions of worship, we have a sense of relationship with Jesus. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the land.” Piety makes us meek and gentle desiring only to please God. The land is our heart and it is changed into the heart of Jesus. This means that to win someone over to Christ, we must never use force, but rather meekness and patience.
Wonder and Awe/Fear of the Lord – This gift completes the attitude we must have towards God. He is “Daddy,” yet He is also “Majesty.” This gift causes us to marvel at anything that is God’s work and we become speechless when we behold Him in creation, or other people. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The gift liberates us from sin by extinguishing our desire for earthly things (self-detachment). The effect is to abstain from evil deeds.
Reality is both physical and spiritual. The only difference is our physical eyes cannot see the spiritual. But, we can “feel” the Spirit and be in touch with the Spirit and know of His power.
We speak of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For most of us, the Father and Son are pretty easy to relate to. For many Catholics, the Holy Spirit is another matter. Let’s lay a foundation first, then I’ll explain how you can deepen your spirituality and “get in touch” with the Spirit.
The traditional Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are listed in Isaiah 11:2. The Hebrew text lists only six, but the Greek has seven. The Early Church used the Greek version of the Old Testament as its official text, and so today, we speak of seven gifts rather than six.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Holy Spirit guides our moral life (our relationship with others) through: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel.
Wisdom – Wisdom sees as God sees, and knows God and divine things, loves God and His ways. It’s linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” This gift directs the person to order his life in every way according to God. From this order comes peace. The effect is an indivisible union with God. Disordered desires, affections, and attachments destroy peace.
Understanding – Understanding gives insight and applies faith to life. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God.” On our own, we cannot penetrate the divine. This gift enlightens us to the Way of Jesus. This gift moves us beyond attachment to creatures and things and purifies us by means of sacrifice and detachment. In an ever growing purity, we come to see Jesus and learn to follow Him.
Knowledge – Knowledge gives us the ability to comprehend the meaning and message of Jesus and connect our experience to faith. It’s linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted.” This gift instructs us of the “nothingness” of being human and the “all” and infinite goodness of God. We weep for the time spent seeking anything but God. We are comforted with hope in our sufferings and embrace what makes us more like Jesus.
Right Judgement/Counsel – Counsel is the ability to know right from wrong and to make good decisions. It helps us to fulfill the divine commandments, especially love. The more developed this gift becomes in us, the more we are able to listen to the Holy Spirit. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Christ’s love cannot be separated from His mercy. To love as Jesus loves, we must be merciful.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Holy Spirit guides our theological life (our relationship with God) and directs our will towards God through fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Courage/Strength/Fortitude – This gift enables us to overcome our fear, take risks, and be heroic in following Jesus. It is linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice), for they will be satisfied.” This gift strengthens us to bear any suffering for what is good and to do God’s will.
Reverence/Piety – (Only in the Septuagint) This gift equips us with a deep sense of respect and love for the Lord. When we allow this gift to work in us, our love and worship of Jesus becomes intimate and strong. Instead of going through the motions of worship, we have a sense of relationship with Jesus. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the land.” Piety makes us meek and gentle desiring only to please God. The land is our heart and it is changed into the heart of Jesus. This means that to win someone over to Christ, we must never use force, but rather meekness and patience.
Wonder and Awe/Fear of the Lord – This gift completes the attitude we must have towards God. He is “Daddy,” yet He is also “Majesty.” This gift causes us to marvel at anything that is God’s work and we become speechless when we behold Him in creation, or other people. Linked to the Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The gift liberates us from sin by extinguishing our desire for earthly things (self-detachment). The effect is to abstain from evil deeds.
The Virtues
Cardinal, Theological, and Moral
How do we live a Christian life? The Gifts of the Holy Spirit empower us. They help us to live the virtues. Here is a short discussion about the three categories of virtues.
The Cardinal virtues are originally from Plato. The name comes from the Latin word “cardo” which means hinge. They are the hinge upon which the door of the moral life swings. Find them in the Bible in Wisdom 8:7.
Prudence – The “mother of all virtues,” a discretion and carefulness in deciding the good of an action. It is associated with wisdom, insight, knowledge. It’s chief rule is Matthew 6:19-20, 33.
Justice – Sometimes ranked as the most important virtue, it gives to each what is due. Closely associated with love (charity), it judges properly with regard to persons rights and interests.
Temperance – The practice of self control and moderation.
Courage or Fortitude – The ability to confront fear, uncertainty or intimidation.
The Theological virtues, found in 1 Corinthians 13:13, are so named because their object is God Himself.
Faith – Faith is steadfastness in belief. Hope – The expectation of good. Love or Charity – Being selfless,
unconditional, having a loving kindness.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the gifts roughly correspond to the virtues (theological and cardinal) in this manner:
Wisdom to Charity Knowledge to Faith.
Counsel to Prudence Fortitude to Fortitude
Understanding to Faith Piety to Justice Fear of the Lord to Hope
The Moral virtues (and the Seven Capital sins they oppose)
Chastity (Lust) Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of body and thought through education and betterment.
Temperance (Gluttony) Practicing self control and moderation.
Charity (Greed or avarice) Generosity, a willingness to give, a nobility of thought and action.
Diligence (Sloth) A zealous and careful nature in one’s actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one’s time. Monitoring activity to guard against laziness.
Patience (Wrath or anger) Resolving conflicts peacefully rather than using violence. The ability to forgive and show mercy to sinners.
Kindness (Envy) Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice for its own sake.
Humility (Pride) Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due, not unfairly glorifying one’s own self.
Gifts and the moral virtues have similarities. However, though helped and given by grace, virtues operate by human reason and at our will or decision. Gifts are the decision of the Holy Spirit. Virtues can be used when we wish. Gifts operate when the Holy Spirit wishes. Virtues are like an oar in the water that we use to move a boat. Gifts are like a sail. We are in the boat, but it is the Holy Spirit who moves it.
Of course, even when it is the Holy Spirit’s decision to move the boat using the sail, we always have the option to “drop anchor.” It takes a habit of prayer and silence to listen well to the Spirit so we do not work against Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment