The
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Isaiah 11:1-3 reads:
"But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from
his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest
upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel
and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord." This
week we read: "This too comes from the LORD of hosts; wonderful
is his counsel and great his wisdom" (28:29). The first
quotation lists what we call Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The second makes further reference to two of these gifts: counsel
and wisdom.
The revelation of the gifts
of the Holy Spirit is rooted in the Prophecy of Isaiah
and pertains specifically to the Messiah. But the tradition
of the Christian Church expanded this understanding and came to
believe that these gifts are extended to all of the faithful through
the sacraments of Baptism and especially Confirmation.
We see this belief expressed
by St. Ambrose in his De Mysteriis: "Recall then that you have
received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge
and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. . . .
Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed His pledge, the
Spirit, in your hearts."
In the Mass of Pentecost,
the faithful pray the Sequence, saying, "On the faithful, who
adore and confess you evermore, in your sevenfold gift descend."
In the administration of
the Sacrament of Confirmation, the bishop prays over the confirmandi:
"All powerful God. . . . Give them the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the
spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit
of wonder and awe in your presence."
Traditionally, the seven
gifts are listed as fear of the Lord, piety, knowledge, understanding,
counsel, wisdom and fortitude. Note that while the Hebrew
text of Isaiah lists only six gifts with fear of the Lord
being mentioned twice, the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate
add "piety," eliminating the repetition of "fear
of the Lord."
The "Gifts of the Holy
Spirit" are charisms operating in a supernatural way.
As such, these gifts help a person attain virtue and sanctification
and thus help a person to share in the very life and nature of God.
Here are explanations of each gift based upon Aquinas, Gregory the
Great, and others.
1. The Gift of Fear
of the Lord engenders a profound respect for the majesty of God
and thus enables the person to avoid sin out of reverence and love
of God. This is not a servile fear whereby we serve God simply
because we fear eternal punishment. Rather, fear of the Lord
is reverential in that it moves a person to do God's will and avoid
sin because of love for God. This gift is also the launch
pad for the other gifts, for, as Sacred Scripture attests, "The
beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord" (Sir 1:12).
2. The Gift of Piety
is the giving of worship to God precisely as a child relates to
its parents. Here a person shows reverence for God as a loving
Father, and respects others as children of God precisely because
that is who they are.
3. The Gift of Knowledge
enables us to learn more about God and God's plan. Guided
by the Holy Spirit, the human mind makes correct judgments regarding
earthly things and how they are related to eternal life and Christian
perfection. Knowledge helps us see how created things can
be obstacles in our journey to God, while enabling us to recognize
the hand of the Creator in all things. Therefore, a person
can view created things as instruments for union with God and see
how to use creation rightly in a holy way.
4. With the Gift of
Fortitude, a person is able to overcome difficulties, endure pain
and suffering, resist evil, and persevere to everlasting life.
The martyrs had great fortitude to lay down their lives in exchange
for eternal life. But our normal daily living also requires
this gift so that we live each moment faithfully.
5. The Gift of Counsel
enables a person to judge that certain acts are good and ought to
be done or are evil and ought to be avoided. This gift is
directed toward one's own personal sanctification. Therefore, this
gift prompts the person to ask, "Will this act lead to holiness?
Will this act lead to eternal life?" Also, counsel
preserves a good conscience, provides solutions to difficult situations,
and enables us to give good advice to others.
6. Understanding is
a gift to give a deeper penetration into divine truths held by faith.
The Holy Spirit brings a person an insight to move beyond the surface.
This gift discloses the deeper meaning of Sacred Scripture
and reveals the spiritual realities that underlie symbols such as
the bread and wine that are a sacred part of the mystery of the
Eucharist.
7. With the gift of
Wisdom, a person can see and evaluate all things, the good and the
bad, from God*s point of view, and accept them gracefully.
With Wisdom, all things are seen as having a supernatural value.
For example, the Gift of Wisdom gives value to martyrdom.
Here a person rises above the wisdom of this world, and lives in
the love of God.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
are without question, then, essential for our sanctification and
salvation. As Pope John Paul II said, "With gifts and qualities
such as these, we are equal to any task and capable of overcoming
any difficulties."
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