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RS 1 – Lecture Note 9
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Our Christian faith teaches us that Jesus, the Son of God, expressed each of the attributes of the “spirit of the Lord” in their perfect fullness. Because of our participation in Christ, we, too, are given a share of each of the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus himself assured us of this when He promised that His Father would send the Holy Spirit upon us in his name, to teach us everything and remind us of all that he told us (John 14:26). It is through these seven gifts–wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord–that we grow in holiness and are continually reminded of God’s loving presence within us and around us. This list of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit is based on Isaiah 11:2. The imparting of the gifts of the Spirit is associated with baptism, as well as Confirmation and Ordination. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and descriptions outlined by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica, the seven gifts are as follows: 1. Wisdom: Also, the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image of God. We see God as our Father and other people with dignity. Lastly, being able to see God in everyone and everything everywhere. 2. Understanding: In understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known, Aquinas writes. 3. Counsel (Right Judgment): With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus. The gift of truth that allows the person to respond prudently, and happily to believe our Christ the Lord. 4. Fortitude (Courage): With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing well and in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods or evils that are difficult, just like Joan of Arc did. 5. Knowledge: With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts. 6. Piety (Reverence): With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Aquinas writes. RS 1 – Essentials of Catholic Faith and Life | 1 7. Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe): With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Also known as knowing God is all powerful. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our mindset in its correct location with respect to God: we are the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator. The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit (CCC, 1830).
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity (CCC, 1832)." 1. Charity is the love of God and of neighbor, without any thought of receiving something in return. It is not a "warm and fuzzy" feeling, however; charity is expressed in concrete action toward God and our fellow man. 2. Joy isn't emotional, in the sense that we commonly think of joy; rather, it is the state of being undisturbed by the negative things in life. 3. Peace is a tranquility in our soul that comes from relying on God. Rather than getting caught up in anxiety for the future, Christians, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, trusts God to provide for them. 4. Patience is both the ability to endure difficult people and situations without giving into anger or giving up hope, and the state of remaining tranquil while awaiting an outcome. 5. Kindness is the willingness to give to others above and beyond what we owe them. 6. Goodness is the avoidance of evil and the embrace of what's right, even at the expense of one's earthly fame and fortune. 7. Generosity is about being honorable and charitable. For some, giving is even considered a spiritual gift. If God has given you much, you can serve Him by sharing it with others. 8. Gentleness in behavior is to be forgiving rather than angry, gracious rather than vengeful. The gentle person is meek; like Christ Himself, Who said that "I am gentle and humble of heart" (Matthew 11:29) he does not insist on having his own way but yields to others for the sake of the Kingdom of God. 9. Faithfulness, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, means living our life in accordance with God's will at all times.
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10. Modesty means humbling yourself, acknowledging that any of your successes, achievements, talents, or merits are not truly your own but gifts from God. 11. Self-control or temperance does not mean denying oneself what one needs or even necessarily what one wants (so long as what one wants is something good); rather, it is the exercise of moderation in all things. 12. Chastity is the submission of physical desire to right reason, subjugating it to one's spiritual nature. Chastity means indulging our physical desires only within the appropriate contexts—for instance, engaging in sexual activity only within marriage.