Gifts Of The Spirit

It is an amazing scene that Saint Luke describes for us in today’s first reading.

On that first Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit descends in dramatic fashion upon the place where the disciples were gathered. Imagine what it must have been like to witness it. Like a driving wind, the Spirit of God shook the house. Then, the air burst into fire. Everyone there was then touched by that fire. With the Holy Spirit moving within them, they began to praise God loudly in languages they didn’t even know. Their prayers were so loud, in fact, that it got the attention of the people passing by on the street.

What was going on? As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles to empower them to bring the good news of salvation into the world. As God, the Holy Spirit cannot be seen. However, as we read throughout the Acts of the Apostles, He is made manifest in works of power. As they preach the gospel, the apostles heal the sick and raise the dead as Jesus did. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit manifests Himself by giving them words of truth which change the hearts of those who hear their message.

The Holy Spirit that the apostles received on that first Pentecost Sunday is the same Holy Spirit we received in baptism and confirmation. That same Holy Spirit continues to be at work in the Church so that the world can come to believe in Jesus Christ. Sometimes the Holy Spirit works in dramatic ways giving people the power to heal or to speak in tongues. Most of the time, however, the Spirit of God works silently in our souls, calling us to a change of heart and inspiring us to perform works of mercy for our neighbor.

While, as Saint Paul tells us in today’s second reading, there are special kinds of spiritual gifts given to believers, there are also gifts that all of us receive through baptism and confirmation. These gifts transform us interiorly so that we can live the gospel with sincerity and conviction. These gifts are - wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. Let’s take a look at all these gifts to understand how they work in the lives of believers.

The first gift of the Spirit is wisdom. Through this gift, the Holy Spirit leads us into a love for the truths of our faith. Those who receive wisdom do not see the truths of faith as mere doctrines to accept but as revelations of the nature of God Himself. It leads us to not only acknowledge those truths but to contemplate them and take joy in them. If you have ever found yourself thinking about our faith and are led to marvel at God’s power and goodness, then you may have experienced the gift of wisdom.

The second gift is understanding. As the name suggests, through this gift we are lead into a deeper understanding of our faith. It helps us to recognize the truth of what we believe even when we cannot fully understand it.  It also gives us a firm conviction about our faith. If you have ever found yourself thinking about a mystery of the faith and, all of a sudden, you achieve some clarity about it, you may have experienced the gift of understanding.

The third gift, counsel, helps us to put faith into practice. For instance, we know that we must  love our neighbor, but how must we show that love? The gift of counsel helps us to figure out how we should put our love into action in the circumstances of daily life. If you have ever wondered how you should act in a certain situation and the answer became clear to you, you may have experienced the Spirit’s gift of counsel.

The fourth gift is fortitude which is also known as courage. It helps us to live our faith even when it is difficult. It strengthens us to speak and act with conviction in the face of opposition and persecution. If you have ever spoken up to defend your beliefs even when you were afraid you might be ridiculed or criticized, you may have experienced the gift of fortitude.

The fifth gift is knowledge. It is closely related to the gifts of wisdom, counsel and understanding. It helps us to see things as God sees them. Through this gift, the mind of God forms our mind so that it more like His. God’s will and purpose for our life become clearer to us. If you have ever found yourself asking yourself, “What would Jesus do?”, then you may have experienced the Spirit’s gift of knowledge.

The sixth gift of piety gives us a profound desire to worship and serve God. It moves us from within to seek a union of our heart with our Heavenly Father. Through this gift, prayers go from being a rote recitation of words to an expression of our desire to know, love and serve God. When this gift is operative in our lives, we no longer go to Mass out of a sense of obligation but because we truly want to hear God’s word and receive communion. If you have ever felt the need to sit quietly in God’s presence, then you may have experienced the gift of piety.

The seventh gift is fear of the Lord. Through this gift, the Holy Spirit gives us the respect for God that a child would have for his father. In many ways, it is the opposite of fear. Through this gift we learn to live the faith not out of fear of punishment but out of a desire to please God, just as a child wants to please his father. This gift also gives us the conviction that God will always provide for us. If you have ever stopped yourself from doing or saying something because you knew God wouldn’t approve, then you may have experienced the gift of the fear of the Lord.

We have only taken a short look at each of these gifts. We should all spend some time this week reading more about them and praying to receive them.  We should also ask the Holy Spirit to help us put them to use in our lives. Then we will see the hand of God at work in us and be more open to the ways He is leading us to speak and act. No gift is of any use unless we unwrap it and use it. The Holy Spirit wants us to make use of all these amazing ways that He manifests Himself in us so that God may be glorified, we may be transformed in His image and the power of that first Pentecost Sunday may continue to be a reality in our world.