VICAR
Rev. Joseph Esper
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
-
PDF Documents
-
QUICK LINKS!
-
ALL SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRITThe seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord or wonder and awe) direct the will toward God.
In baptism, we receive an infusion of all these gifts of the Holy Spirit but, like gifts under the Christmas tree, they must be unwrapped, opened and put to good use for their full potential to be realized. Otherwise, they operate on half speed, accomplishing only a fraction of what they were designed to fulfill.
St. Ambrose, in De mysteriis, taught, "Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with His sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed His pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts" (7, 42).
YOUR FAITH LIBRARY
To view an extensive reference listing for each of the 7 Gifts from the Holy Spirit, please explore the links above in the first paragraph and/or in the upper and lower sidebar. Each page includes a black and white printer friendly version, formatted with wide left margins for 3 hole punching for placing into your personal "Faith Library" binder! These are Holy Spirit-filled resources for use in Religious Education, small Faith sharing groups, Bible Studies and/or personal Faith enrichment!