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RS 1 - Note 10

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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.
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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.

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