Michael Brooks
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are an enumeration of seven spiritual gifts first found in the book of Isaiah. They are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are believed to be infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at their baptism, nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues, and sealed in the sacrament of confirmation. They are also known as the sanctifying gifts of the Spirit, because they help people grow in holiness and make them fit for heaven.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Gifts of the Holy Spirit | Wisdom |
| Understanding | |
| Counsel | |
| Fortitude | |
| Knowledge | |
| Piety | |
| Fear of the Lord | |
| Faith | |
| Healing | |
| Miracles | |
| Prophecy | |
| Discerning of spirits | |
| Speaking in tongues | |
| Interpreting tongues | |
| Administration | |
| Helps |
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What You'll Learn
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
The gifts are also known as the sanctifying gifts of the Spirit, as they help their recipients become more docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They enable Christians to transcend the limitations of human reason and human nature and participate in the very life of God.
The standard interpretation of the gifts has been the one that St. Thomas Aquinas worked out in the thirteenth century in his Summa Theologiae. According to Aquinas, these gifts are "habits," "instincts," or "dispositions" provided by God as supernatural helps to man in the process of his "perfection."
The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity and is the ability to judge and direct human affairs according to divine truth. Understanding is the penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation—in effect, the ability to "see" God. Counsel, also known as Right Judgment, is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Through this gift, Christians are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition and defend the truths of the Faith.
Fortitude denotes a firmness of mind in doing good and in avoiding evil, especially when it is difficult or dangerous to do so. Knowledge corresponds to the virtue of faith. Piety is also known as godliness. Finally, 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 and wants to serve Him.
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The gifts are heroic character traits
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are an enumeration of seven spiritual gifts first found in the book of Isaiah. According to Catholic tradition, these gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. These gifts are infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at their baptism and are nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues.
The gift of wisdom allows one to contemplate the things of God and make choices and give leadership according to God's will. Understanding grants people insight into the truths of the Catholic faith, allowing them to grasp its very essence. Counsel, also known as right judgment, is the perfection of prudence and allows Christians to judge how best to act, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Fortitude is a firmness of mind in doing good and avoiding evil, even in difficult or dangerous situations. Knowledge is the ability to comprehensively understand spiritual issues and circumstances. Piety, or godliness, is related to reverence and worship. Finally, the gift of fear of the Lord puts God in the proper perspective, filling one with wonder and reverence for the Lord, and it is considered the beginning of wisdom.
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The gifts are received at baptism
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are an enumeration of seven spiritual gifts first found in the book of Isaiah. According to Catholic tradition, these gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. They are bestowed upon every Christian at their baptism and are nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues. These gifts are not to be confused with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, or the infused virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are unique skills and abilities given by the Holy Spirit to faithful followers of Christ. They empower Christians to transcend the limitations of human nature and participate in the life of God. They are also known as the sanctifying gifts of the Spirit, as they render their recipients docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, helping them grow in holiness and making them fit for heaven.
The gift of wisdom allows one to contemplate the things of God and make choices according to His will. Understanding grants insight into the truths of the Catholic faith, allowing one to grasp the essence of these truths and move beyond faith. Counsel, or right judgment, is a supernatural gift that allows Christians to judge and act according to God's will, with the Holy Spirit guiding them in defending the truths of the faith.
Fortitude is a firmness of mind in doing good and avoiding evil, even in difficult or dangerous circumstances. Knowledge allows one to comprehensively understand spiritual issues and circumstances, while piety enables Christians to serve God and inspire others to do the same. Finally, the gift of fear of God places God in the proper perspective, filling one with wonder and reverence for the Lord and a desire to serve Him.
These gifts are received at baptism and are strengthened at confirmation, allowing Christians to proclaim the truths of the faith.
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The gifts are perfected by the exercise of virtues
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They are heroic character traits that Jesus Christ alone possesses in their totality, but he freely shares them with his Church. These gifts are infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at their baptism and are nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues: faith, hope, charity/love, prudence, justice, fortitude/courage, and temperance.
The gifts and virtues work together to help Christians grow in holiness and make them fit for heaven. The gifts enable Christians to transcend the limitations of human reason and human nature and participate in the very life of God. They are like "habits," "instincts," or "dispositions" that God provides as supernatural aids in the process of human "perfection."
The proper exercise of the gifts produces the fruits of the Spirit in the life of a Christian: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The goal of this cooperation between virtues and gifts is to attain the eight-fold state of beatitude described by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-10).
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The gifts empower us to have hearts and minds like that of Jesus Christ
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are an enumeration of seven spiritual gifts first found in the book of Isaiah. According to Catholic tradition, these gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
These gifts are not merely abstract concepts, but rather they are meant to empower Christians to have hearts and minds like that of Jesus Christ. They are "habits," "instincts," or "dispositions" provided by God as supernatural aids in the process of human "perfection." They enable Christians to transcend the limitations of human nature and participate in the very life of God, as Christ promised.
The gift of wisdom, for example, allows one to see everything through God's eyes and make choices according to His will. Understanding grants insight into the very heart of things, especially those truths necessary for salvation, allowing one to "see" God. Counsel enables Christians to be directed by God and judge how best to act, giving them the confidence to stand up for their faith.
Fortitude instills firmness of mind in doing good and avoiding evil, even in difficult circumstances. Knowledge brings awareness of personal sin and a deeper understanding of spiritual issues. Piety fosters reverence and a desire to serve God, while the fear of the Lord puts Him in the proper perspective, filling one with immense wonder and reverence.
These gifts are not just for emergency use but are present as long as one remains in a state of sanctifying grace. They empower Christians to serve God and His people, the Church, and help them grow in holiness, becoming more like Christ each day.
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Frequently asked questions
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in Catholicism are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
The seven gifts are first mentioned in the Old Testament, in the Book of Isaiah 11:1–2, which refers to the characteristics of a Messianic figure empowered by the "Spirit of the Lord".
The gifts are heroic character traits that Jesus Christ possesses, which he shares with members of his Church. They empower people to have hearts and minds like Jesus Christ and grant a foretaste of the divine life.
Initiates receive the gifts at Baptism and they are strengthened at Confirmation.
Virtues operate under the impetus of human reason, whereas the gifts operate under the impetus of the Holy Spirit.
