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.  

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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.   

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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.

The Fruits: Self-control

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Last but not least: self-control. We struggle. I struggle. Even Saint Paul said "I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." (Romans 7: 18-19)

That brings us back to where I started.  The fruits of the spirit are those things that manifest themselves in our lives when we've surrendered to the Holy Spirit and live in the spirit. They are signs not of our own efforts or holiness but of the Spirit itself working in us. It behooves us to remember that.

On my own I can do nothing. In God's grace I can do anything. 

 

 

The Fruits: Gentleness

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Gentleness of manner or disposition--this quality is very close to kindness, but it has more to do with mild temper or sweet disposition than anything else. It is how we approach the people we have in our life.

God presents each of us with people every day, passing acquaintances as well as family, friends, and coworkers. In every category, some are more likable than others but we're called to love them all. "Gentleness" is how someone who lives in the spirit approaches the people we are given, particularly those we find hard to get along with.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about relationships with people whose political or religious views and values differ sharply from ours. Worse is when those we're given to love are opinionated, judgmental, and harsh with anyone who differs from them. We're living in an age where political tribalism, religious dogmatism, and so on have us so divided into camps that conversations have ceased to be about ideas and often deteriorate into name-calling and labels. The problems in families over these differences have made holiday dinners with those we ought to feel close to tense and sometimes miserable. It has become such a widespread problem, jokes and self-help solutions proliferate.

Here's a solution: pray for the Holy Spirit to so fill us that we bear fruit in gentleness especially when the people we encounter are difficult and prickly. We can't and shouldn't agree with everyone, but we can treat them with gentleness.  Need a model? The portrayal of Jesus on The Chosen is an example that combines strength and firmness of purpose with gentleness beautifully.

The Fruits: Faithfulness

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

If the Holy Spirit manifests her fruits in my life at all, this one is probably it. Fifty-two years of marriage is one manifestation. Of course, there are kinds and degrees of fidelity in marriage. The absence of adultery is only one. True single-hearted love in the face of illnesses, family stress, career stress, is harder, as is the distraction of other shiny things. Still, we persist.

I'm a tough friend to lose. Close friendships stay with me decade after decade, some of them for 60, 50, 40 years. 

I could not stay steady in all these things without an enormous flood of grace. That I've been able to do so is nothing but a gift from God who does all. He is he who is God. I am she who is not.

The greatest gift of all and the foundational faithfulness, however, is that I have never wavered in my belief since the day I understood that God existed, and because of that nothing else --NOTHING--matters. I may have struggled with the institutional church but never with that foundational faith. For that grace I am grateful.

The Fruits: Goodness

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

What is goodness? It is the nature of humans to choose what is good. Of course what an individual perceives as good generally is "good for me."

To give a petty example, I may choose pie for breakfast and ice cream for lunch. I crave them and perceive them as very good. In the context of my health and overall well-being, however, they are not so good for me. It is a matter of judgment and perception. On a much greater scale, Hitler did what he thought of as good for himself and even good for Germany. We think of him as a madman, but even madmen choose their perceived good. 

To bear fruit in true goodness, we have to have the wisdom—and selflessness—that only comes from the Holy Spirit.

What then is goodness? The etymological dictionary on historic principles says:

Old English gōd (with a long "o") "excellent, fine; valuable; desirable, favorable, beneficial; full, entire, complete;" of abstractions, actions, etc., "beneficial, effective; righteous, pious;" of persons or souls, "righteous, pious, virtuous;" probably originally "having the right or desirable quality,"

It is tempting to think that good and God have the same English root but the etymological dictionary argues otherwise. It doesn't matter. Goodness is closest to the scriptural idea of righteousness.

As a fruit of the Spirit and life under the guidance of the Spirit, goodness means displaying in my life that string of qualities in definition, things that are fine and valuable, and my particular favorite, "beneficial." I believe it means that the way I live makes the lives of those around me, the life of the church and the community, the natural world as I find it, all better--or at least as fine as God made them. Goodness is to build up, to give life. 

The Fruits: Kindness

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Surely kindness ought to be abundant fruit in the life of the spirit, if only because every day of our lives presents us with opportunities to practice it.

The worm in the apple, er, orange is the hidden desire that our kindness be seen, be dramatic, bring us admiration. Little kindnesses, especially those in our own households, especially those that go unnoticed have no appeal. It isn't my turn to do dishes. Do I do them? Do I do them and make sure my beloved knows that I did, so he can be suitably grateful? Worse, do I do them and complain loudly? The lurking sin of pride is never of God. Kindness, especially unsung hidden kindness, is always of God and to our benefit.

Do it and to God alone be the glory. Soli Deo gloria!

The Fruits: Patience

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Patience! So many opportunities to practice it! Modern life is hurried and frenzied, and we are surrounded with the opposite.

The kind of patience that its the fruit of the Spirit, however, wells up at key times. The fruit of patience pays huge dividends in relationships too. Small children with learn slowly. Husbands who can't seem to handle emotions clearly. Co-workers who ignore our requests. Family members who just don't see things my way. Patience buys me room for healing, bonding, communicating—whatever it takes to love them as we are commanded. Easy? No. Source of grace? You bet. Do I do it well? Ah....

There are other impacts of spiritual patience. Waiting in traffic or in line become opportunities for prayer and praise.

A deeper more profound aspect of patience deals with the advent that is our life in this world. We are always, always waiting for the coming of Jesus. He comes to us in prayer. He comes to us in the Eucharist. He'll come for us at the end of our lives. He'll come at the end of time. Sometimes I want to stomp my foot and say "COME lord Jesus." He smiles and the Spirit says, "Patience."

The Fruits: Peace

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Today  is Ascension Thursday.  The first, original, most meaningful novena of them all commences. It seems expedient for me to complete this series over the next nine days. 

As I write about peace my city had more shootings overnight. They come daily now. Jerusalem is burning, Gaza is being flattened, and civil war has erupted in some Israeli towns. Afghanistan has erupted as troops withdraw, the latest atrocity, the bombing of a girls' school with many deaths, hints at what may come. Cyber attacks on various power grids feel like the opening shots in a new form of warfare. Political polarization, anger, and yes, hatred continues to seethe. Attacks on Asian Americans are climbing, anti-semitism rises, and bigotry, the legacy of slavery, continues to manifest itself in violence and echoing hatred. Where is this peace?

My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. (John 14:27)

Jesus gives us His peace! If you search the gospels you'll find Him wishing/offering peace over and over. You'll find Him urging his followers to be peacemakers, to offer peace, to bring peace. He does not promise that the world, ever the opposite of God, will have peace. In fact, he goes on to say:

In this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33)

Period. Full stop. You will. He continues:

But take heart! I have overcome the world. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

(John 16:33)

So what is this peace that his followers ought to manifest, that will blossom from the seeds the Holy Spirit sows in our souls? Is it merely  a calm, untroubled manner in the face of all this violence and hatred, or is it something more? I won't pretend I can even do that. When faced with violence and anger I cringe.

Here's what I do know: forgiveness, acceptance and patience with the people in our lives feel good and they are good. Anger, resentment, and vengence do not and are not. In the face of injustice we ought to speak up, but we can still forgive and offer the world His love. To forgive, accept and offer everyone we encounter love we have to dig deep because conflict abounds. Our Lord wants us to be overflowing with peace in this troubled world and he sends the Holy Spirit to help us do it. Once again He demands we do the good that He presents in front of us, the peace that we and only we can make. Imbedded in the life of the Holy Spirit, we can bear the fruit that is peace in our own sphere of life.

The Fruits: Joy

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

This fruit of life lived in the Spirit can feel illusive. As the scripture reminds us in Psalm 30, "Weeping may endure for a night." The Good Lord knows our lives frequently give us cause to weep: illness and financial upheaval, not to mention pandemic, unemployment, and the ominous drumbeat of division and anger that seems to afflict our politics, our families, and even our church in recent years. Worst of all is conflict in family.

Still the psalm goes on, "… joy cometh in the morning."

It took me a long time to realize that the joy in question wasn't some sort of surface happiness dependent on external realities of life. Joy comes from the depths, the river of grace running through the souls of those who live in the union with the Holy Spirit. It is the result of allowing the Gifts of the Spirit to take root and grow. 

I have come to believe that joy is the most obvious sign of a Christian who walks in grace with God. You see it in their faces, you hear it in their voices, and you find it even when life is knocking them around. They radiate joy. In those times of anger and conflict, this joy is closely linked to peace which is closely linked to forgiveness, loving God's children as he loves them. Some people can manage it.

I'm struggling to learn to look for it in myself, and to note when it does not appear, so I can remind myself to pray and tap into the Spirit who just waits to be asked.

The Fruits: Love

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

When we measure our spiritual life agains the fruits we are meant to produce, there is nothing more important than the first one: Love. Saint Paul tells us, all things pass away but love never ends. (1Cor 13:8)

God is by nature love, entirely love, flowing out over all of us. As we give ourselves over to him entirely and become more like him, our very nature shifts to become, like His, love. 

The catechism of my childhood taught that entire meaning of life is that God made us. Why? God made us to love and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next. In other words, He wishes to be united to us utterly. So love of God implies service and that love drives us, as all love does, toward union, with the Beloved.

But how is it fruit? As we empty ourselves in order to let God in, our capacity for love grows. We begin to see the world and the people in it as God sees them, to love them as God does.

Imperfect person that I am, people irritate. People anger. People make demands that are inconvenient, imposing, and annoying. Imperfect person that I am I prefer my own will, and yet I get up every morning and tell Him I will do His will. When his love bears fruit, I forgive, I give of time and treasure, I build bridges to those who different, difficult, and demanding. When it doesn't, I crawl back into my cave.

In a recent speech Pope Francis called love of neighbor "a daily gymnasium in which we train love for God."

What of marriage? Marriage is the great school of love; done well it burns off selfishness year after year. At a profoundly spiritual moment once He told me I would never learn to love Him until I learned to love in marriage. My vocation has always been clear.

So the mechanism of love goes both directions. Insofar as I learn selfless love and practice it, however imperfectly, I make room for God to pour his love in me. Insofar as I let God pour His love in me, it overflows, bearing fruit in the world. Allow the Holy Spirit full rein, and love takes root to bear fruit.

Fruits

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

 

How can the world recognize a Christian? By the words they quote? The symbols they wear? The laws they uphold? No. Not even by their virtues, per se, but by their fruits, 

You will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16)

In a time when the Church calls us to the New Evangelization, it seems like we ought to start with the fruits our lives bear. If we aren't producing good fruit, no amount of speechifying, apologetics or (saints preserve us) argumentation will attract people to Christ.

And the scriptures give us a clue by listing the fruits of some one in union with the Holy Spirit. What what we to make of that? How shall each of us judge ourselves? Perhaps a good examination of conscience might start with examining my life for signs of:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control

I stumble right out the gate on that second one if not the first. In the next few posts, I think I'll examine those one by one.

Emptiness

 Last week I found a little book I had forgotten, shoved back on my bookshelf behind heavier things. It was The Reed of God, one once dear to my heart. I've been reading it every night and so it is again.

She begins with emptiness, the necessity if we are to be filled with Christ, We must be empty; we must be filled; and then—only then—and can we be the hands, the feet, and the beating heart that carries Christ where He wishes to go.

She speaks of three kinds of emptiness. The reed is the delicate emptiness through which the music of God can flow. The chalice is the solid emptiness in which sacrifice, necessary, and needed, can occur. A next is a soft emptiness in which life can be nurtured. We are, she says, all called to our own specific emptiness in order to be what He wishes.

My first image of God was of as the hub of the wheel that is my life. In that vision, a world of people, things, issues, worries, activity flowed in a chaotic circle held in place and given meaning by that hub.  She suggests a different image, one in which we enter into the emptiness at the center, by freeing our minds and souls of the chatter and the noise. It is harder than it sounds. I'm reminded of a mantra He gave me long ago: Listen; don't talk.

Advent is a good time to let the quiet seep in.