How are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit working in your life?

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Tantum_ergo

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White Dove, here is my thread on the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I’d like to ask people how these gifts are working in your lives, which one you most cherish, which one you most need, etc.

The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of The Lord.

What has been speaking to me most, as I read the Litany of the Holy Spirit, is the prayer, “Holy Spirit, grant me the only necessary knowledge”. As a “know-it-all” often given the half-derisory, half-complimentary nicknames of “Brainiac”, “Human Encyclopedia”, etc. I pride myself on knowledge and am always reading and exploring. . .but that sentence stopped me cold. I see that I need this ‘necessary’ knowledge, but I can only get it by finding wisdom, developing understanding, seeking counsel, being courageous, seeking in humility not just for self-gain, and above all doing this FOR God. Wow–now this is something I will REALLY need to work on. . .
 
Good question my dear friend. I charish most the gift of fortitude to make it through some very tough times.

What I need most is piety.
 
Dear Tantum Ergo,
As a “know-it-all” often given the half-derisory, half-complimentary nicknames of “Brainiac”, “Human Encyclopedia”, etc. I pride myself on knowledge and am always reading and exploring. . .but that sentence stopped me cold. I see that I need this ‘necessary’ knowledge, but I can only get it by finding wisdom . . .
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Can’t people be cruel sometimes? It breaks my heart to read about uncharitable nicknames such as this, for it speaks volumes about the ones who use them. I suffered so much in school from a remark that a classmate made in the sixth grade which generated a room full of laughter, that I became afraid to speak in public. It took a tremendous amount of courage to overcome it later in life!

Nevertheless, back to your difficulty. It is wonderful to have a gift for learning, and I cannot see any reason to stifle it. If we consecrate our day and activity to God, these explorations are virtuous blessings - unless they:
  • are sinful in themselves, such as porn
  • prevent us from fulfilling our vocational duties; i.e., spending the entire day reading every post on the Forum http://forum.catholic.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
  • are motivated by inordinate curiosity that is none of our business, such as things too sublime for us, beyond our ability to comprehend;
  • have no higher purpose, just filling up excessive recreational time that could be used more worthily
I think these few ideas will be enough to discern your motives and make adjustments, if necessary.

As for the gift I most treasure? That is a tough one to answer, for I see that all of them are necessary. As a beginner in spirituality, I was probably using “fear of the Lord,” but as I grew in maturity, the others took on more importance.

http://forum.catholic.com/images/smilies/ani/love.gif Carole
 
Tantum ergo:
I’d like to ask people how these gifts are working in your lives, which one you most cherish, which one you most need, etc.

The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of The Lord.
Click to expand...
I’m glad you posted this, as the Holy Spirit is something I’m wanting to learn more about more and more lately. In the line of work I’m in, most often I pray for the gift of counsel to really listen to what someone else is saying and advise them on what they need to hear at that moment. And the gift of understanding as well, as I tend to be judgmental and not see the “big picture” so to speak.
 
Tantum ergo:
The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of The Lord.
Click to expand...
I’m a persistent sinner, so I have a lot of trouble accepting the gifts of the Spirit:
  • Wisdom: only when I abide by the Church’s teachings. Otherwise, only through a miracle.
  • Understanding: seldom, except when Our Lord grants me His graces.
  • Counsel: my pride is always in the way of the Spirit.
  • Knowledge: I have good memory and sometimes encyclopedic knowledge, but seldom taken to heart.
  • Piety: I’m working on it, perhaps more than on the others.
  • Fear of the Lord: not as much as I should, sinning gravely against Him over and over again.
May God have mercy on us all.

:blessyou:
 
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