Pentacost: The Gifts

 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:3-4

On the ninth day it is good to consider the impact of the seven gifts. If we ask the Holy Spirit to enliven the gifts we received at Baptism and Confirmation, and to shine forth in us every part of every day, think how different life would be.

Our archbishop always says "Never underestimate the power of the Spirit of God in you, through you and in spite of you." 

Saint Paul pointed out what happens when we surrender to that power in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." We've written about those before. When we notice those things in our lives, they are the signs the Spirit has been at work in us, and we can only say, "Thank you."

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

Click here for full novena prayers

 

The Gift of Wisdom

  I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

Luke 21:15

Wisdom embodies all the other six gifts and is the queen of all of them.

Pope Francis said, "This is wisdom: it is the grace of being able to see everything with the eyes of God. It is simply this: Seeing the world.situations, conjunctures, problems, everything with God's eyes. This is wisdom. Often we see things as we want to see them or according to our heart, with love, with hate, with envy—no this is not God's eyes." (Catholic Online)

To see every human being we meet as God sees them is indeed beyond our capability. We know he loves everyone he as created, but it is hard to see people as he does. Only his gift enables us to do that. 

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

 Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and teach me to see as God sees. Reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.  

Click here for full novena prayers

 

The Gift of Counsel

 

I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you. Psalm 32:8 

 

The gift of Counsel is closely related to the virtue of prudence, and helps us in decision making. We're meant to apply Knowledge and Understanding to all our life decisions. The more confusing and complex the decisions, the more we need Counsel to sort through it. 

 

 Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.  

 

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Your holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Your teaching  to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.   

Click here for full novena prayers

The Gift of Understanding

Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.

2 Timothy 2:7

If the gift of Knowledge enables us to see God's truth, the gift of Understanding enables us to grasp those truths on the deepest spiritual level.

Catholic Answers calls it "penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation." It enables us to dig beneath the surface, and is a faculty of spirit rather than mind.

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Click here for full novena prayers

The Gift of Knowledge

 

The heart of the intelligent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15

There appear to be dozens of definitions of the spiritual gift of knowledge, but generally they boil down to an ability to absorb the truth of scripture, tradition and teaching. It can also enable one to see another person as they are and know their spiritual and practical needs. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the gift of knowledge as “the capacity to contemplate God in the created world, and to discern the supernatural in the midst of the natural” (CCC 1831).

The very protestant Spiritual Gifts Project adds this important point, "the gift of knowledge is a divine enablement, not driven by personal interest or curiosity"

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, enabling me to see the world only as it reflects the goodness and beauty of God, and help me to use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to You. Amen.

Click here for full novena prayers

 

The Gift of Fortitude

 At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27 

The gift of Fortitude gives us courage and strength. At its greatest it has give us the ability to withstand the vilest forms of persecution. In everyday life it enables us the strength to take on difficult tasks, to persist in God's work in spite of every barrier, and to overcome discouragement. It enables married people to weather inevitable ups and downs of a relationship. It helps the consecrated weather the challenges of lifelong vows. It gives the young the ability to take on heroic deeds and the old to endure.

 Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts in holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from You, my God and greatest Good. Amen.  

Click here for full novena prayers

 

The Gift of Piety

 

You should make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with piety, and piety with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

2Peter 1:5-7

Piety is the gift that inclines us to have great affection for God as his children, so much so that we are happily led to fully practice our faith and do the works he sends us. It brings about respect for legitimate authority, affection for the Blessed Mother, the saints and the people of God, and cheerful obiedience to the demands of faith.

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God that I may find satisfaction only in His service and, for His sake, lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Click here for full novena prayers

The Gift of Fear

 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!     Psalm 111:10

We've spoken about the fruits of the Spirit before, those lovely signs that a person is living in the life of the Holy Spirit. During the nine day Pentecost novena we pray for a renewal of the gifts we received at Confirmation, gifts meant to enable us to live that life and produce fruit. 

But the gift of fear? Seriously? Are we meant to shake in our boots? No.

The Hebrew words used in passages such as the psalms are yir’ah or yare’, which convey reverence and respect.  The Greek word used in later texts is phobos, which can describe both dread and veneration. Basically Fear of the Lord refers to giving God his due in awe, respect, and submission.

It is the beginning of wisdom because it puts creatures in right relationship with the creator and is the foundation of reverence and love.

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen.

Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set you, my Lord and God, before my face forever in reverence and awe, help me to shun all things that can offend You, and make me worthy to appear before You in heaven, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God world without end. Amen.   

Click on the full novena prayers here.

 

9 Days

 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

 

Philadelphia's archbishop likes to tell young people, "Never underestimate the Spirit of God in you, through you, and in spite of you."

The Feast of the Ascension always gives us the opportunity to observe the first and greatest novena—nine days of prayer leading up to the celebration of Pentecost. It is an opportunity to renew gifts and graces received in Confirmation and to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit.

 

Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen. 

 

Almighty and eternal God, Who has regenerated us by water and the Holy Spirit, and has given us forgiveness all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen. 

Click on the full novena prayers here.

Unplugging, the 21st Century Fast

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Lenten practices centered on discipline (i.e. "giving up") are many. So are ones centered on adding more (prayer, sacraments, alms-giving). At the end of the day they should all be aimed at helping us empty ourselves so we can be filled with God. I used to say, "so we can listen," but it is more becoming still so God can act in us.

For several years my fast has tended to focus on modern time wasters—video games, social media and so on—the things of this world. Lately it has been worse. The political situation. Waves of messages from friends. The daily news grind.

This year I decided to unplug completely one day a week. No TV. Turn off phone and ipad. Limit screen time to the printed word—word as in the word processor for writing and my e-reader.

Has it worked? Somewhat. Temptation to check email for that all important message or keep the phone handy for an all-important call is great. If I'm on the desk top writing, what about writing-related tasks or hopping on a messenger app to clarify a research issue with a friend? Is it my fault there are tempting icons everywhere?

Still, the quiet is soothing, prayer floats through the day, and when evening comes I'm curled up with a book and the noise in my head is at rest. I am seriously thinking I should continue this after Lent. It will have to be close to 100%. Compromises flourish if I let them.

Maybe I should do more than one day. Maybe not. I'm not ready to take to a hermitage yet. 

I hope I'm giving God room to act. Maybe he'll push me. Someday I'll know. 

The Deadlies: Pride

             

           When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. 

Proverbs 11:2

Pride, at the root of the first sin, is often what underlies all others. Pride is fundamentally refusal to submit to God, and the Fall in genesis is illustrative of that. We know what happened to Adam and Eve, the disgrace that follows pride.

Saint Gregory the Great wrote "Pride, the queen of vices, when it has vanquished and captured the heart, forthwith delivers it into the hands of its lieutenants the seven principal [i.e. deadly] vices, that they may despoil it and produce vices of all kinds." (Morals xxxi, 45) It is the insidious general sin that lurks inside and manifests in many ways.

Humility is the antidote. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches "humility is the foundation of prayer." (CCC 2559) When we prostrate ourselves in adoration, we place ourselves in right relationship to God. It is a basic act of humility.

In practical terms, the deep desire to be in control conflicts with humility. Jesus has given us the best example. It isn't an accident that the temptations in the desert (Luke 4:1-13) come right after His baptism by John. The devil prods him, "IF you are the Son of God" to test whether or not He is and whether or not he can be bent to the enemy's will. Jesus doesn't bite. He answers every offer remaining obedient to his father's will and reminding all of us, "Him alone shall you worship."

The entire arc of the spiritual life could be described as the gradual emptying out of self in order to be filled with God. Wait? Isn't that the temptation in the Garden again? No. We are called to be like God and with God but not to BE him or to be above him.

The temptation lurks and often becomes even more insidious as we progress in virtue. To take pride in our virtuous acts as if we are the author of them, rather than that they are powered by God's grace acting through us is one way the enemy uses pride to undermine goodness.

And yet, God gives us gifts, prosperity, and talents for his own reasons and for his service. Gratitude is one way to remember that our success are not ours. We aren't asked to hide our gifts under a bushel but to remember where they came from. True humility is to say my voice glorifies Him in song because He wills it. Or my business has prospered by his grace and He shows me how to use it for good. Or I must write the best stories I can and use His gift as effectively as I can for His service.

It's complicated. If you want a detailed picking apart of pride, humility, and the pitfalls, try Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Secunda Secundae Partis, Question 162.

Catherine of Siena is reputed to have heard God tell her, "I am He who is God. You are she who is not."  Sometimes just remembering that helps. I am she who is not.

GRAPHIC: Adam and Eve Temptation by the Serpent mediaeval painted panel on wood nave ceiling Ely Cathedral Photograph by David Lyons

The Deadlies: Envy

 

You shall not covet...anything that is your neighbors'.

Exodus 2:17, Deuteronomy 5:21

 

 

 An earlier post listed the seven deadly sins in rough order from least to most harmful. Envy resides near the bottom; it is one of the worst. Only pride is more insidious and harmful to the spiritual life than envy.

The scriptures' list of the things we ought not covet focuses on belongings: their house, their fields, their servants, their ox, and of course their wife. Alas, in ancient times, the wife was often considered as much a belonging as the herds, or close to.

In fact, envy can infest every part of our life. We may envy belongings, career, success, travel, position in the parish or company, popularity, fame, rewards, and so on. Worse, we  may envy romantic relationships or apparently successful marriages. We may come to envy families that appear to be happier or healthier than our own. We may envy others' dedication to exercise, healthy diet, or volunteer work. We may, in fact, envy virtue. It is an insidious trait.

Saint Augustine rated it as particularly diabolical. He wrote, "From envy are born hatred, detraction, calumny, joy caused by the misfortune of a neighbor, and displeasure caused by his prosperity."

Envy is one of those sins that embeds itself deep in the soul where it festers and grows before it even comes to our attention in the form of specific behaviors or resentments. Like all the deadly sins, it may grow unnoticed, damaging us from within.

The catechism teaches that envy is a form of sadness, and therefore a refusal of charity. When it reaches the point it causes us to actively wish harm on another, it has become truly mortal to the soul.

What is the cure? Repentance, of course. Reconciliation when needed. Then active charity. Turn to the sixth chapter of Luke. "Do good to those who hate you." Hate you? Do good to all. Go out of your way to do good to someone when resentment towards them builds up in your heart. If you've harmed them, make restitution. Pray for them.

The green eyed monster graphic is by Polina Sokolvav, Creative Commons 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons

 

The Deadlies: Sloth

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down 

and thrown into the fire.

                 Matthew 7:19 

 

This one took considerable thought, especially in my current situation. Images of sloth often show a man on a hammock ostensibly doing nothing. That man, however, might well be deep in prayer, busy working out a problem, or giving his system much needed rest in order to carry out his responsibilities. On the other hand his super busy neighbor might use work to avoid doing the spiritual or temporal good he is called to do.

In my current situation resting is what I need to do. The trauma of a double grief requires healing and rest, but that doesn't mean I'm neglecting prayer—at least I'm trying not to. Nor is it an excuse to neglect kindness when I have an opportunity to do it.

Aquinas wrote that sloth destroys the spiritual life because it stands in opposition to love--to charity. It is a sin of neglect, causing us to fail to do the good we're called to do. 

Sloth could be defined as wasting time that could be given to God. As some writers have indicated it is a sin of omission, the failure whether through laziness or fear to do good. 

 Neglect can take many forms—failure to pray, failure to take part in sacrament, failure to do domestic responsibilities, failure to care for others. Lying under it is a failure to rely on God's strength and grace, to be trapped in your own "woe is me." The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that spiritual sloth can go so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God!

In that sense, it sounds more related to depression, or more accurately, to refuse God's help when in the throes of clinical depression. I've been there too.

In the end I think it is "deadly" because of the good it causes us to neglect. Matthew 25 tells us quite clearly that at the last judgement we will be accountable for the good we do, and what we fail to do. The failure is sloth.

 

 

Grief Six: a Step Back

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet...

                        Psalm 119 

 Check up today:

Prayers — going well

Remembering God's presence—yes 

Daily Bible—fair

Sleep—moderately good

Depression—still there but mild

Energy—meh

Motivation—none (see below)

Walking—going well

Writing—up and down

Hip stretching—er...not so good

Reading—lots

Video Games—had to cut back

House keeping—not terrible

Not much else to report. File the rest under "Be kind to yourself." 

There will be no vegetable garden this year. Hired someone to help clean up flower beds. Plan to do some planting. I would like to do a Swedish Death Cleanse and get rid of half my belongings, but perhaps not this year. The basement files are begging for attention. Some things boxed for church rummage sale. Thinking about jumping in the car and going to visit Pam in Columbus. May do it.

Stay with me Lord for I am small and alone and there is darkness.

Grief 5: Peace

 As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for you alone, O LORD, bring security to my dwelling.

Psalm 4 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps it is the glorious sunshine, or the warmth in the air. Perhaps it is my beautiful daffodils—or the music of Easter—but today is a joyful one. OR maybe the privilege of being a Eucharistic minister today.

My last counseling session was simple and good. I think I've come to terms with the nature of grief.  It isn't collapsing in pain or uncontrollable tears. There is some sadness, yes, but not a debilitating amount. Regret? Not over my marriage, but I'm letting go of some over parenthood.

 

My grief is more general malaise and weariness as I adjust to new realities and expectations. It is an inability to imagine the future, which is undoubtedly a good thing. It is work, but it is manageable and it will pass. For now—one day at a time, one step at a time.

 

And I'm remembering His "word is a lamp unto my feet."

Grief 4: Life and Death

 

We had a glorious Easter—Alleluias, soaring music, sunshine, flowers, and warmth. I was reminded, though, that in order to have Easter, you must have Good Friday first. As CS Lewis famously said, "The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That is the deal."

My readers are probably aware this has been a difficult year. You may not know I lost both one of my daughters and my Beloved of 54 years in a space of three weeks at the beginning of the year. It is a lot to swallow. It will take a good long year of mourning before I can approach normal, if then.

This weekend I discovered the concept of "widow brain," a state that includes brain fog and fatigue. there is a growing body of science about the impact of loss on brain function. My whole brain is building new pathways and struggling with old ones. It explained a lot. Every thing I do from the time I get up until i go to bed (and especially then) is new and different. Expected stimuli are missing, new ones forming. No wonder I'm exhausted.

I continue to write daily, or try at least. This week I'm flying off to visit family. They live at an airport in a condo facing a pond visited by migrating birds. It will be a good break. This morning, I have to pack. And write. But first, coffee!

(This was originally posted on Caroline Warfield's blog. Caroline is Carol's pseudonym for novel writing.)

The Deadlies: Wrath

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander,    together with all malice...  

                                                                                    Ephesians 4:31

I am skipping Sloth for now because this one has been with me during my Lenten pondering this year. What is wrath? Though it is a synonym for anger, it is sometimes defined as forceful, vindictive anger. It implies resentment and vengeance.

It struck me recently that it is a good example for explaining the difference between petty sins and big sin. It is one thing to confess, time after time, "I snapped at my sister-in-law at a gathering" or "I yelled at my husband three times." It is quite another to dig out deep-seated long-term resentment and anger that lies under those frequent sins and pull it up by its roots. Without God's help, we have no hope of doing that. The snapping and yelling are manifestations of the sin we may be harboring.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa wrote about the origin of sin by saying anger produces murder and therefore it should be killed when it starts to avoid growing into the greater evil. We have to root it out.

the producer of evil gives birth to lust before adultery and anger before murder, in destroying the firstborn he certainly kills along with it the offspring which follows. (Nyssa, The Life of Moses)

To pull out anger and resentment, to foster forgiveness and love, is to contribute to the store of peace in the world. To harbor it is to contribute to the store of wrath. As I write this war is raging in Israel and Gaza, in Ukraine, in central Africa, in Haiti, and threatening in many other places as if Wrath is unleashed and the Enemy has free rein. We can pray for peace, and we can work for it too.

Grief 3: Alone

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

I've never lived alone before. The quiet is deafening, hence the need for the TV to be on. I'm talking to Ambrose, the bear every day. SIGH.

It occurred to me yesterday that I am reluctant to wake up in the morning. I get a decent night's sleep, wake at 7:30 or 8, and then roll over, letting melatonin hangover drop me back into dreams. I've been sleeping until 10! I may be using my need for sleep after hospice (which is very real) as an excuse to avoid getting up to an empty house.

I've also been pondering advance grief. Is it possible I'm finished already? I was relatively calm when the decision for hospice was made because Greg and I had had suspected heart failure all along. Dr. Yasmajian thinks not. She suspects that caregivers frequently experience relief in the immediate aftermath of death that masks other things and grief can come in a wave later. Everyone grieves differently. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I walk with God every day. I'm not alone.

Two Hours Later...

Walking out on a nippy afternoon, I thought about something else, the hermit saints. Starting with Anthony of Egypt to Thomas Merton we have a whole history of people being called to solitude. I am not one of them. I've never felt a strong contemplative call. I was called to marriage and family. So what are God's plans for me in widowhood? I'll find out eventually.

Grief 2: One step

I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me.

Cardinal Newman

 

 Another day and again I ask what am I to do. I've begun to write, and I put that in God's hands. Does He want me to spend my time or part of it writing novels of love and romance? Seems trivial, but then, he's never asked me to step out of the domestic sphere. The world of marriage and family is where he put me. It is the one thing he actually said to me. But without Greg...

I think of Greg with a smile, and I carry around a bear made of one of his shirts. I feel like a whole new life is flickering awake for me. I have no idea what it will bring. And what role with Rachel's sudden passing play? No idea.

One step...

Grief 1: Thy Will Be Done

Whenever we imagine we are in control of life—our own or someone else's—we have fallen prey to the ancient whisper in the Garden: "You shall be like gods."

Magnificat, Vol 24 Number 12, February 27, 2024

It is now forty-one days since my Beloved, my love for 54 years slipped gently away to God.  Suffering with his heart for all of his eighty years, it finally gave out after two particularly long difficult years of care. The last six months of in-home hospice care were a blessing. Every day from our anniversary July 26 until his death I knew exactly what God expected of me--caring for my husband round the clock. It was the longest period in my life when my calling was brilliantly clear. Every moment of it was a blessing.

Greg always said God would take him when He was ready and was perfectly at peace. We had lived every day of the last thirty years since the last crisis as if it could be our last. We had no regrets or work undone. we had traveled and spent endless time enjoying one another. We'd moved to be close to our Grandson and took full advantage of it. After some years of terrible estrangement, we had reconciled with our middle child, Rachel, and had her close for the last five years, seeing her at least weekly.

And then, God took Rachel too. On Christmas Eve. We had two funerals in three weeks. The burden of that added to months of sleepless and endlessly interrupted nights, left me numb. The exhaustion remains, and I still haven't relearned how to sleep through the night.  I still haven't cried or crumbled.

My calm concerned me. The counselor I'm seeing pointed out there is no one right way to grieve. Perhaps I was just ready. Perhaps Greg's faith and strength in the face of death sustain me. We'll see.

I've never lived alone before. I'm taking it one day at a time. I offer my day to God every morning. My theme song is now "Lead Kindly Light..."

Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th’encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

Yep. That was me. Telling God what I was going to do for him and never waiting to listen. I am so trying to wake up every morning and give my day, that one day, over to his will. I did that yesterday, and he gave me...  MICE. I'll be dealing with the mess in my garage for a long while. Such is real life.