*Discovering our Spiritual Gifts*- _the Holy Spirit Gifts explained_ *Overview* Bearing fruit by abiding in Him means to stay connected with our Creator at all times. It’s the *vertical relationship* we share with Christ through _Prayer_ and the _Eucharist_. The deeper we are in that relationship, the stronger is that bond and we experience those fruits of that relationship. ♦️In a fallen world, Gifts of the Holy Spirit are a ‘desanctifier’, helping us in our *sactification* and *help build the Body of the Church*; that is the true purpose for which it is given. There are *4* different kinds/classes of Gifts from the Holy Spirit and they follow a specific pattern and sequence: A] The *Isaiah Gifts of Sanctification* are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might (Fortitude), Knowledge, Fear of the Lord and Piety (Love) _(Isaiah 11:2-3)_. ♦️These Gifts are like tools that help us *become more like Jesus*. They *help us on our path of holiness*. B] Only when we become more like Him we bear *fruit* and that’s the second level of Gifts, the *fruit of the Holy Spirit*: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self control _(Gal 5:22-23)_. ♦️These gifts *show our character as Christians*. Do we bear them consistently? When you start to bear these fruits people gravitate to you for counsel. C] The *third* bag is the *Gifts of Service* when *God uses us to grow His Kingdom*; gifts of Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Preaching, Encouraging, Healing, Giving, Leadership and Mercy _(Rom 12:6-8)_ come into play. D] And finally when we start using the Gifts of Service, the fourth basket of gifts are unloaded; the *Charismatic Gifts*: Intellectual gifts (Discerning Spirits, Wisdom, Knowledge), Sign Gifts (Faith, Healing, Miracles) and Word gifts (Prohecy, Speaking in Tongues, Interpreting Tongues) _(1 Cor 12: 8-10)_ ❤️Living a life of abundance simply means discovering all these gifts to enjoy that abundant life. So how do we discover our gifts? Let’s start working on that *vertical relationship*. Get into intense prayer; seeking him wholeheartedly. He desires a fuller relationship with us; he wants us to move on from a superficial relationship to a more private intimacy like that of a lover. Read his Word constantly seeking his Counsel continuously, to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of God. Through this intense intimate prayer will we able to start discerning our Gifts. Then start putting our gifts into practice and using them to grown His Kingdom. *Wisdom. Understanding.* Six Isaiah Gifts are listed in the “Immanuel Prophecy,” which describes an expected future ideal Davidic king: wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength (fortitude), knowledge and fear of the Lord (Is 11:2). The translators of the Hebrew Bible to Greek, the Septuagint, added a seventh gift, *piety*, to achieve the symbolic number for completeness. St. Thomas Aquinas says 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) *direct the will toward God*. In some respects, the gifts are similar to the virtues, but a key distinction is that the *virtues operate under the impetus of human reason* (prompted by grace), whereas the *gifts operate under the impetus of the Holy Spirit*; the former can be used when one wishes, but the latter operate only when the Holy Spirit wishes. *Gift of Wisdom* This gift illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine. But our spiritual attention deficit disorder easily distracts us. Even the fleeting work of human hands can distract us – and the distractions today are more sophisticated than ever. Wisdom is not the quoting of facts. Wisdom is a gift that allows a person to understand things from God's point of view. In other words, *Wisdom allows a person to recognize truth*. ♦️A person with the Gift of Wisdom is able to take this truth and use it to glorify God by choosing _Godly solutions_ to problems. *Gift of Understanding* This gift connects the various truths and orders our thinking in a heavenly direction. With understanding, we begin to see the hand of God in every event of our lives and to recognize that the Cross is the key to unlocking the mystery of our suffering. God’s providence can be temporarily thwarted through the misuse of our freedom, but never ultimately defeated. Renewing a desire for the gift of understanding reignites our trust in His providence. Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes have a hard time understanding (no pun intended) how it differs from wisdom. While _wisdom_ is the desire to contemplate the things of God, _understanding_ allows us grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith. ♦️Understanding is the gift of intelligence and enlightenment. It is the ability to think clearly; to perceive, comprehend and interpret information; and to have insight and discern meaning. Counsel. Fortitude. Knowledge* *Gift of Counsel* This gift perfects the virtue of prudence in us, illuminating the will of God in particular circumstances. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to inflame the gift of counsel to fortify our prudence. The Gift of Counsel is also known as a _Gift of Right Judgment_. Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition. ♦️Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need not fear to stand up for the truths of the Faith, because the Holy Spirit will guide us in defending those truths. *Gift of Fortitude* This gift is courage under fire, enduring some evil while holding fast to the truth. The gift of fortitude is vital if we are to avoid mortal sin and confront evil according to our means and state of life. The Gift of Fortitude is also known as the _Gift of Courage_. Through this Gift a person is no longer afraid to stand up for God and His truths. A person who has the Gift of Fortitude will stand up for good against evil and is convicted to take a stand when the occasion arises. ♦️Fortitude is an unwavering commitment to God or a proper course of action, and it shows itself is moral strength, courage, determination, patient endurance, long suffering, a resolute spirit, stamina, and resiliency. *Gift of Knowledge* This gift enables us to perceive reality as God sees it. The Gift of Knowledge allows a person to understand the meaning and purpose God has for him and to live up to this meaning. It differs from _wisdom_ in that it is an action, not just a desire to live up to the ways of God. It differs from _Understanding_ in that it is not just ability, it is a knowing. ♦️With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts. _pre-Pentecost series_ *Piety. Fear of the Lord.* *Gift of Piety* This gift reverences the almighty God and elevates religious practices with humility, trust, and love for His Majesty. Piety is the perfection of the virtue of religion. Piety takes that willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God and to serve Him out of love, the way that we desire to honor our parents and do what they wish. ♦️Piety is the only gift not part of Isaiah’s original list. Piety is personal holiness, the ability to live a decent life, free of sin, devoted to God, and obedient to God’s will. *Fear of the Lord* This gift is a sense of awe in the divine presence and causes us to fear separation from His love. The Gift of Fear of the Lord puts God in the proper perspective. A person with this Gift understands the greatness and awesomeness of the Lord. They want to serve Him because of who He is. A person with the Gift of Fear of the Lord understands who they are and why they are here in relationship to God; In other words, everything they are is due to the wonder, love, grace, and perfection of God. They are totally dependent on the Lord as a child is to a parent. The Gift of Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. ♦️This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is awe, reverence and respect for God. It acknowledges that everything comes as a gift from God, downplays personal achievement and self-sufficiency, and gladly offers praise, worship and adoration to God. *Conclusion* The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, but they are also found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. We first receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism; these gifts are strengthened in the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is one of the reasons why the Catholic Church teaches that confirmation is properly viewed as the completion of baptism. ❤️The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are without question great gifts essential for our sanctification and salvation. Each baptized and confirmed Christian should implore the Holy Spirit to inflame in his soul these gifts. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II said, _"With gifts and qualities such as these, we are equal to any task and capable of overcoming any difficulties