Second, it also assists us in drawing conclusions based upon our relationship to God, his role in the world and our call to share in his mission.Īs this gift grows in us, we order the actions of our lives toward our final end, which is God. First, it helps us to be convinced of the truths of our faith. The gift of understanding works in multiple ways.
It challenges us to move beyond asking “what would Jesus do,” to decide to actually follow his example. This gift helps us to see our everyday circumstances in light of God’s revelation. Pope Francis has further clarified that understanding moves us beyond merely agreeing with what God has revealed to taking seriously what His revelation means for our everyday decisions. While wisdom desires to contemplate the things of God, understanding leads us from merely knowing what God has revealed to living like that revelation matters. The gift of understanding, described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, differs from wisdom (CCC 1831). But to understand a situation in depth, as God understands it, is the effect of this gift.” - Pope Francis, papal audience April 30, 2014. For one can understand a situation with human understanding, with prudence, and this is good. Photo Credits: Illustration by Abigail Witte “This gift enables us to understand things as God understands them, with the mind of God. It calls for a willingness to discover, to discern what a situation staring us in the face involves and what others genuinely need, not solely what we need or want. In simpler terms, wisdom means exercising good judgment. Wisdom is geared to making decisions that demonstrate awareness of what truly is at stake in situations involving oneself, others and the world - situations that call us all to give the best of ourselves. Wisdom moves people into action, but not the reckless action of those who rush in where angels fear to tread. The wisdom Christian tradition speaks of seems more multidimensional than that, however. Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that “complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them.” (CCC 1831).Ĭommon notions of wisdom tend to reduce it to a set-in-stone quality “possessed by” those who know what to do and when to do it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that giving the best of ourselves lies at the heart of the virtues (CCC 1803), and wisdom is virtuous. Youthful confidence in the future may combine with faith in life’s goodness to motivate both the young and old to offer the best they can to make it better. Typical images of wise people depict them as aged beneficiaries of long experience with handling life’s realities. It is simply this: it is to see the world, to see situations, circumstances, problems, everything through God’s eyes.” - Pope Francis, papal audience April 9, 2014. Photo Credits: Illustration by Abigail Witte “And wisdom is precisely this: it is the grace of being able to see everything with the eyes of God.
They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations” (1831). They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes them by saying, “They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. The gifts of the Holy Spirit - wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord - help us to live our lives conformed to God’s plan.
SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD CATHOLIC SERIES
In beginning a series of audience talks on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis explained that “The Spirit Himself is ‘the gift of God’ par excellence (John 4:10), He is a gift of God, and He in turn communicates various spiritual gifts to those who receive Him.”
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