January 22, 2010

The Tennessee Register is publishing Faith Sharing, a series of articles exploring various elements of our faith. The article, many of them written by faculty and staff at Aquinas College, will follow the general curriculum of the Why Catholic? small faith community and adult formation program. This year, the second of the Why Catholic? program, the articles will examine the Sacraments.

Gifts of Holy Spirit help us conform our lives to Christ

Sister Mary Aquinas Halbmaier, O.P., Sister Jean Marie Warner, O.P.

Between the Lord’s Resurrection and the Ascension, the apostles enjoyed the glorified presence of Christ among them. During this time Christ opened their minds to understand the scriptures and all that had been prophesied about him. He told them: “You are my witnesses ... and behold I send the promise of my Father upon you.”(Lk. 24:45-49)

While they were waiting in the upper room in Jerusalem, this promise, the Holy Spirit, came upon them. “And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2: 2-4)

The apostles went out from the upper room and preached the Gospel message even to the ends of the earth. They were transformed into men who were convinced of the truth of Christ’s message and were willing to give their lives for Christ.

Likewise at Confirmation we are transformed into apostles who also should be willing to preach the message of Christ to the ends of the earth.

We are called to preach the Gospel message to those we encounter in our daily lives. In some situations it may take courage to give witness to Gospel values in our secular, relativistic culture. Many times the witness we are asked to give is simply to live the Gospel’s message in its fullness.

Confirmation calls us to move from living the Christian life minimally to living attentively, taking as our ultimate guide the Holy Spirit, who challenges us to live a more active Christian witness in the world. To live this witness, we receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Old and the New Testament are the source of the Church’s teaching on the gifts. The Holy Spirit is promised in Isaiah: “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.” (Is 11:1-3)

The Spirit is manifested at the baptism of Jesus and is communicated to the apostles at Pentecost. The gifts promised in Isaiah are realized first in Christ and then in his Church.

At Confirmation the bishop extends his hands over the candidates and prays: “Send you Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church,” paragraph 1299).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit complete and perfect the virtues (CCC, #1831). The Gifts are lasting, habitual dispositions that keep us attuned and responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They make us ready to act in a God-like way. Through the Gifts, the Holy Spirit moves us as his instruments.

None of the actions of the Holy Spirit operates against our wills. We have to will to cooperate with the actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We do this by avoiding sin and removing any obstacle that could hinder the actions of the Holy Spirit.

In receiving the Gifts, we are brought into deeper conformity to Christ. In addition, the Gifts allow us to participate in the life of the Blessed Trinity in a way that God can only teach us. This is a foretaste of the total communion with God that we will enjoy in heaven.

These Gifts are marvelous helps in achieving our eternal goal of union with God. Each of them gives us different perspective in living the Christian life.

Wisdom allows us to see the world from God’s perspective, to see God’s plan and purpose in the events of life. It gives us the “big picture,” and helps us examine the present in the light of the past and future. Wisdom empowers us to direct human affairs according to divine standards. The wise person puts first things first and arranges everything in harmony with God. From the viewpoint of wisdom, we also can see God’s providential hand in the events of history.

The Gift of Knowledge directs us to contemplation of the mystery of God and the truths of the faith. Under the action of the Holy Spirit we are led to closer intimacy with God. We have an innate longing for meditative prayer. Today meditation is touted as the remedy for high blood pressure and as relief for the effects of stress. Actually, the world has missed the point. We are made for communion with God. We should have a longing for his divine presence in our lives. The Gift of Knowledge helps us to achieve this intimacy: the desire to know God. This Gift also enables us to value created things as manifestations of the goodness of God the Creator.

The Gift of Understanding stimulates us to examine ourselves so that we may be conformed to Christ. As we enter greater intimacy with God, we see our natural talents and weaknesses. These areas in our lives should be developed and strengthened accordingly for God’s purposes. The Gift of Understanding allows us to begin to truly know ourselves and have the courage to take the means necessary to live a more virtuous life, reflecting God’s gifts and grace more perfectly through our natural goodness.

Fortitude means courage. This Gift of the Holy Spirit does exactly that. It gives us the courage to face the challenges of living the Gospel message in today’s world. It also, in conjunction with the virtue of prudence, allows us to take a stand when the teachings of Christ are ignored or distorted. We need the Gift of Fortitude to live the Christian life in our culture, for to do so is viewed by many as counter-cultural.

Forming our conscience according to the teaching of Christ and his Church is an important aspect of the Christian life. The Holy Spirit through the Gift of Counsel helps us to understand the moral teachings of the Church and their application in our lives. We are directed to prayerfully develop our consciences according to the moral law, and then to reach out to others to do likewise.

The Gift of Piety is reverence for the Father who created us, the Son who redeemed us and the Spirit who is sanctifying us. We also honor and respect all human beings made in the image and likeness of God. This Gift prompts us to self-giving service to those in need or distress. The Gift of Piety is manifested in our participation in the Liturgy and in our prayer life. Our prayerful participation in the liturgy, especially on Sunday, shows our reverence for God who has been so good to us.

The Gift of Fear of the Lord is actually wonder and awe at the majesty of God. Through this gift we realize our total dependence on God and his infinite goodness to us. It makes us grateful for the graces God has bestowed on us. When we acknowledge this majesty and goodness, it makes us more determined not to displease God through our sinful actions. The Gift of Fear of the Lord makes us want to live in the intimacy of God, striving to please him, aware of the pleasure God takes in us as his children.

Confirmation calls us to a maturity in the spiritual life, from childish minimalism to childlike abandon and trust. Through the action of the Holy Spirit, especially through his seven-fold gifts, we are given marvelous helps in living out our life in conformity to Christ. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit give us the help we need in striving to live so that we will achieve our ultimate goal: union with God on earth and everlasting beatitude with him in heaven.

Sister Mary Aquinas Halbmaier, O.P., is the prioress at the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation. Sister Jean Marie Warner, O.P., is a history and philosophy instructor at Aquinas College in Nashville.