Apostolic Tracts What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Part 1
What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Part 1
We cannot talk about
the Holy Spirit without talking about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit. We
read in Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: “There are different gifts but
the same Spirit; there are different ministries but the same Lord; there are
different works but the same God who accomplishes all of them in everyone” (1
Corinthians 12:4-6).
First of all, we
need to distinguish the gifts from the ministries and works, even though they
are evidence of the power of the same Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit are
different from the natural talents which come through birth and acquired skills
which come through development. The source of the spiritual gifts, works and
ministries flow from the anointing power of the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, the gifts
of the Spirit are divided into two main categories:
· Sanctifying gifts: wisdom, knowledge, understanding,
counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).
· Charismatic gifts: words of wisdom, words of knowledge,
faith, healing, miracles, prophecy,
distinguishing of spirit, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues
and exhortation (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 and Romans 12:8). (This list is not
meant to be exhaustive.)
Thirdly, the charismatic
ministries are identified as:
Apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers (Ephesians 4:11). (This list also is
not meant to be exhaustive.)
Fourthly, the
charismatic works are described as:
· Service (1 Peter 4:11)
· Giving, leadership, mercy, almsgiving (Romans 12:8)
We want to begin to
look at the sanctifying gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, knowledge,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).
We read in the Catechism
of the Catholic Church (CCC): “The moral life of Christians is sustained by
the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man
docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit” (CCC No. 1830).
When we are
baptized, we become adopted sons and daughters of God, sharing his own divine
life. We were anointed with the Oil of Chrism as an external sign of the
anointing of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit which we receive are
given to enable us to grow in our new life as sons and daughters of the Father,
to grow in holiness.
The first four of
the sanctifying gifts (wisdom, knowledge, understanding and counsel) help our
minds to know God and the revealed truths he has given us in his Word so as to
grow in our relationship with him.
1. Wisdom: This gift of
the Spirit enables one to see things from God’s perspective, that is “what is
good, pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
According to the Scriptures, “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the
Lord.” Once there is a relationship with God initiated in baptism and nurtured through the other sacraments and
once God begins to be the All in All in our lives, then we, through the gift of
wisdom seek to perceive things through the eyes of God. We look at reality
through the lens of God’s revelation and insight.
“Yet God
has revealed this wisdom to us through the Spirit. The Spirit scrutinizes all
matters, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).
2. Knowledge: This gift
of the Spirit enables one to recognize and accept with conviction the revealed
truths given by God. Through this gift one is able to know what is of God and
what is not: to know what leads to eternal life and what does not. This gift
was manifested by the scribe who asked Jesus what was the greatest of the
Commandments. Jesus responded: to love God with your whole mind, heart and soul
and to love your neighbor as yourself. The gift of knowledge was given the
scribe who affirmed and accepted the insight Jesus gave him as what he needed
to hear.
“May he
enlighten your innermost vision that you may know the great hope to which he
has called you, the wealth of his glorious heritage to be distributed among the
members of the church!” (Ephesians 1:18).
3. Understanding: As
one reflects on the Word of God this gift of the Spirit gives the person
greater clarity and insight into the revealed mysteries of God. The individual
is more freely and fully able to penetrate into the truths that will lead one
to a deeper life with God.
“May he
strengthen you inwardly through the working of his Spirit…. thus you will be
able to grasp fully … the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s
love” (Ephesians 3:16, 18).
4. Counsel: This gift
enable one to see and choose correctly what will help the person to make the
right decisions in life. These are the decisions which truly give glory to God
and lead me correctly on the journey to eternal life with God. Counsel empowers
the individual to choose the way of the Lord, the way that leads to eternal
life, not the way of the wicked or the way that leads to eternal death. Counsel
enables one to receive the word of God concerning right living that comes from
others.
“It is
given to the Christian to enlighten the conscience in moral choices which daily
life presents … . (it also enlightens one to choose correctly) what to do,
especially when it is a matter of important choices (for example, of responding
to a vocation), or about a path to be followed among difficulties and obstacle”
(John Paul II).
The last three gifts
(fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord) are those gifts which assist one’s will
and strengthen the person to love God more ardently.
1. Fortitude: This gift
of the Spirit strengthens one to remain faithful to God when confronted by
temptations. It is the gift of courage that comes from God to overcome the
assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil which threaten one’s
relationship with God and ultimately the person’s eternal salvation.
“By the
might of his glory you will be endowed
with the strength needed to stand fast, even to endure joyfully whatever may
come, giving thanks to the Father for having made you worthy to share the lot
of the saints in light” (1 Corinthians 1:11).
2. Piety: This gift of
the Spirit enables one to fall more and more in love with God. It empowers the
person to think, say and do what pleases the Lord simply out of filial love and
devotion. More and more through this gift the individual grows to love God with
one’s whole mind, soul and strength. At the same time, the gift enables one to
truly love others as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
“With
the gift of piety the Spirit infuses into the believer a new capacity for love
of the brethren, making his heart participate in some manner in the very
meekness of the Heart of Christ” (John Paul II).
3. Fear of the Lord:
The word fear here is not our human fear of things or others because something
bad could happen to the person. The biblical understanding of “Fear of the
Lord” rather is that of being in awe and wonder in the divine presence of the
One who is almighty, everlasting, infinite, other, etc. On one’s own, the
person could not be in the presence of God, but through the gift of the Spirit,
one can come into the presence of God, unworthy and imperfect, and not be
afraid. Fear of the Lord enables the individual to truly gaze on the loveliness of God with an attitude of
worship, adoration, thanksgiving and praise, even as the person acknowledges a
sinful past.
“It is a
sincere and reverential feeling that a person experiences before the tremendous
majesty of God … . (The person comes) with faith in the divine mercy and with
the certitude of the fatherly concern of God who wills the eternal salvation of
each one. With this gift, however, the Holy Spirit instills in the soul most of
all a filial love which is a sentiment rooted in love of God. The soul is now
concerned not to displease God, whom he loves as a Father, not to offend him in
anything” (John Paul II).
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