Let us begin with the Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
I believe that these days, you will be hard-pressed to find a person who has nourished all Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. While many have taken care of, say, fortitude and piety, it seems that they have not fostered wisdom and counsel in themselves. And it seems that only the Saints raised to the altars were able to perfectly nourish all these gifts.
Why these gifts are important
We received the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and yes, they are sealed and strengthened in us in Confirmation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1830) states that these gifts “sustain the moral life of Christians, and make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.”
But along with the rise of modernity and inventions, so emerged the secular world and its effects, such as atheism, low moral standards, perversion, deviations and permissiveness. Even Catholics are not safe from these effects; for we often find ourselves struggling with the temptations from living in this secularized society. And unless fortified in the will and in good relationship with the Lord, which enable us to battle all these, many of us Catholics repeatedly fall into sin, which affects our sanctifying grace and the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
That is why more than ever, we need to be more conscious if we are truly cultivating the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit through prayers, the Sacraments, penances and sacrifices, to be able to fight off all the evils of the world, and therefore, lead good lives pleasing to God, and serve Him and our neighbors in perfect faith, hope and charity.
Confusion among the gifts
What I have always noticed in the articles you find on the internet is that they are using overlapping definitions of these Gifts instead of distinguishing them apart, which is rather confusing. They define Wisdom in similar terms with Counsel, for example. I also see ones with interchangeable meanings of Wisdom, Fortitude and Counsel. But while all related, the gifts of the Holy Spirit actually differ from each other. Each one is unique.
My Reflection
These Posts will explain the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. I tried to really comprehend what they actually mean and recognize what makes them different from each other. By using examples, I will define and distinguish every gift and give more clarity to it. This way, our Readers will be able to focus on cultivating each particular Gift of the Holy Spirit. I will also make the explanations more understandable for all laity, speaking in layman’s terms.
1. WISDOM
The Gift of Wisdom, the first gift of the Holy Spirit, enables us to distinguish right from wrong; between good and evil. Making use of a term we often say in spiritual direction, wisdom helps us “discern” what is right and what is wrong.
Because of the Ten Commandments of God and our natural instinct to preserve human life, we readily know that to commit murder is wrong. However, a person needs to be “wise,” or a “man or woman of wisdom” to be able to have a correct discernment of everyday matters—whether a thing is right or wrong; whether doing something a thing is sinful or not.
For example, where do you draw the line if dancing is sinful or not? I love dancing as a talent, to tell you the truth. But when you really think of it, so many solo or group dances (unless they are folk ones like the Filipino folk dances that usually depict courtship between respectful men and “reserved” women) have moves that are sexually suggestive, with bodies of these dance partners too close to each other, in addition to immodest dance outfits.
How about watching blockbuster movies and series, even those with great storylines, but most of the time have immoral elements, including nudity, sensuality, permissiveness, perversion and more often than not, curses against the Name of God (directors and producers think that the more curses, the cooler it is) If you have read my other posts, you must probably have remembered how I insist that those are offensive to God. Sadly, I always meet Catholics who try to reason with all their might why it’s ‘not sinful’ to watch such things.
Each day in our lives, we are faced with things and actions that need be discerned if right or wrong. So the Holy Spirit, as we are infused with sanctifying grace, such as when we receive a Sacrament worthily, gives us Wisdom to speak to our conscience, and help us discern and decide.
Wisdom as a gift of the Holy Spirit reminds me of Solomon, son of King David, and why God blessed him with immense wealth and glory. In his youth, God appeared to him in a dream, and said, “Whatever you ask I shall give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon’s response shows us just how important wisdom is for him, considering it more valuable than other temporal gains. He replied,
“Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil. For who is able to give judgment for this vast people of yours?”
– 1 Kings 3:9
Because of this, “The Lord was pleased by Solomon’s request” (1 Kings 3:10). The narration goes on,
“So God said to him: Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right—I now do as you request.
(*In the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible, it says, “asked for wisdom”)
I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for: I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days. And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments, as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”
– 1 Kings 3:11-14
And who would forget the most popular story about Solomon in which he was able to discern who the true mother of the child was (1 Kings 3:16-28)? All of Israel heard his judgment, and they were in awe of him. He was able to distinguish between good and evil, and made a rightful decision, because of the Gift of Wisdom that he received from the Holy Spirit.
This story shows that wisdom helps us discern people, and not just things or activities. And it could explain why many Catholics choose to let the wrong people into their lives. For example, choosing to be friends with the wrong person, which later on, would bring sadness, harm, evil or destruction in one’s life. Or sometimes, even Catholics become victims of whatever sort of fraud. These things happen because of a lack of wisdom to discern whether a person we give our trust, or deal with, is of God… or of the devil perhaps.
***
My other articles in this Series:
Understanding: The Second Gift of the Holy Spirit
Counsel: The Third Gift of the Holy Spirit
Fortitude: The Fourth Gift of the Holy Spirit
Saint Paul the Apostle, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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Thank you so much for this Mary.