Reflection from Fr. David: Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation indelibly mark us as belonging to Christ. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in these sacraments also makes us more attuned to God's voice in our lives, and it is through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that we are strengthened each day in becoming the person that God created each of us to be.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are first mentioned in the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah describes the ideal Davidic king with these words: 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. (Isaiah 11:2-3).

Our Christian faith teaches us that Jesus, the Son of God, expressed each of these 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 these 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.

1. Wisdom is first gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the ability to exercise good judgment. It is grounded in common sense and comes from life experience, thoughtful reflection, and learning life's lessons in "The School of Hard Knocks." Wisdom distinguishes between right and wrong, seeks and upholds truth and justice, and balances personal good with the common good. In the Old Testament wisdom is personified in Sophia, the mythical mother of faith, hope, and love; while in the New Testament wisdom is personified in Jesus himself.

2. Understanding is the gift of intelligence and enlightenment. It is the ability to perceive, comprehend, and interpret information; to have insight and discern meaning.

3. Counsel is good advice. It is the ability to teach and inform, guide and direct, warn and admonish, recommend and encourage. The Holy Spirit offers this special gift to parents, teachers, coaches, mentors, advisors, supervisors, elders, and the like. Counsel is not only the ability to give good advice, but to receive it as well.

4. Fortitude is an unwavering commitment to God or a proper course of action, and it shows itself is moral strength, courage, determination, patient endurance, long suffering, a resolute spirit, stamina, and resiliency.

5. Knowledge is the ability to study and learn; to acquire, retain, and master a wide spectrum of information; and to put it to good use for constructive purposes.

6. Fear of the Lord is awe, reverence, and respect for God. It downplays human self-sufficiency and acknowledges that everything comes from God. Consequently, those who "Fear the Lord" gladly offer their praise, worship, and adoration to God alone.

7. Piety is the only gift not part of Isaiah's original list. Piety is personal holiness, the ability to live a decent life, free of sin, devoted to God, and obedient to God's will.

One particular way that we can grow in our awareness of the activity of the Holy Spirit through these seven gifts is through prayer. God wishes to abundantly share the gifts of the Holy Spirit with each of us; He asks only for our docility and openness in receiving these gifts freely given. Let us pray that we continue to grow from the graces we received at Baptism and Confirmation and to encourage one another along our pilgrim journey!