According to Christian belief, the Apostles discovered the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when "tongues of fire" descended from heaven and entered into each one of them giving them the ability to speak and understand the Gospel in every language.
What are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
According to Catholic Theology, the seven gifts include the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of strength, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of piety and the spirit of the fear of the Lord.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, defined them originally by utilizing a verse from Isaiah 11:2 where it is said that there are seven gifts of the spirit which would rest upon the messiah, and these seven are then laid out.
Most of the early Church fathers also explained and defined the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they did so from following the Vulgate or Latin translation of the bible.
St. Thomas Aquinas also stated that even those who had perfected themselves in the moral life by practicing the Cardinal and Theological Virtues must be led by the promptings of the Holy Spirit in order to make it possible for them to follow the leading of God in their lives, but most especially in the moral order.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Churchstates that charisms should be received gratefully by not only the person who receives it but every one of the faithful who benefits from the rich grace and apostolic vitality which such genuine gifts of the holy spirit bring into the Church.
Ephesians 5: 31-23 speaks to this point, as it reads, “What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the church.”
The Liturgy and Tradition of Pentecost
In the Liturgy of the Church for Pentecost, it is stated that the gifts are not singular actions or passing movements of grace. Rather, they are qualities or "infused dispositions" in the believer which make them docile to the inspiration of the divine.
The Liturgy of Pentecost reflects the prayer of the Holy Spirit that Catholics often pray: “Come, O Holy Ghost, and send from heaven a ray of Thy light. Come, father of the poor. Come, Giver of graces. Come, Light of hearts, excellent Counselor, sweet Guest of our soul, sweet Refreshment, Rest in labor, Coolness in heat, Comfort in tears.”
Or in the Latin Rite: “Veni sancte Spiritus / Et emitte coelitus / Lucis tuae radium”
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are of great importance in the Moral and Dogmatic Theology of the Church, but are defined with the most depth in Mystical Theology.
Sources:
- A Catholic Dictionary, by William E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- The Three Ages of the Interior Life: Prelude of Eternal Life, by Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.
- The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology, by Reverend Adolphe Tanquerray.
 |
