What if I told you that God has planted within you everything you need to become truly happy, truly free, and truly loving—but that it’s up to you to cultivate it? This is the reality of grace. Grace is the pure gift of God's own life dwelling within us, transforming us from within. It is especially appropriated to the Holy Spirit, who is not a passive force but an active one. He works within us because love is diffusive—it seeks to spread and transform. One of the key ways the Holy Spirit accomplishes this is through His gifts and fruits.
While many Christians recognize that the Holy Spirit bestows gifts, fewer understand what they are and why they matter. Ultimately, grace elevates our nature, making us more like God. But why does this matter? Because it is necessary for true happiness. As 2 Peter 1:4 tells us, through grace we become “partakers of the divine nature.” More concretely, grace enables our capacity to love in the fullest sense.
The Holy Spirit Strengthens the Intellect and Will
Grace transforms both our intellect and will. The intellect is our ability to know what is true and good, while the will is our ability to choose to do what is true and good. When Adam and Eve lost grace through their inordinate self-love, their intellects were darkened, and their wills were weakened. They struggled to know and to choose the good of the other. This original wound still affects us today. The gifts of the Holy Spirit restore and strengthen both faculties, enabling us to love rightly and live in accordance with God’s will.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
A closer look at these gifts reveals that there are seven, as listed in Isaiah 11:2-3: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. The first four—wisdom, understanding, counsel, and knowledge—are directed toward the intellect, while the last three—fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord—are ordered toward the will.
Wisdom enables us to know and judge divine things rightly and to see everything in its proper perspective.
Understanding penetrates to the heart of things, especially the deeper truths of faith.
Counsel allows us to be guided by God, discerning His will in our decisions.
Knowledge enables us to judge matters of faith and right action.
Even if we know what is right, we still need the strength to act. That’s where the will-oriented gifts come in:
Fortitude gives us the courage to do good and avoid evil, even in the face of difficulty.
Piety fosters reverence for God as our Father and a sense of duty toward Him and our neighbor.
Fear of the Lord instills in us a holy reverence, leading us to avoid anything that would separate us from Him.
Cultivating the Gifts
While these gifts are freely given at Baptism and strengthened at Confirmation, we are not compelled to use them. The Holy Spirit does not force Himself upon us—He is a gentleman. Yet, there are consequences for neglecting these gifts and great blessings for embracing them.
Imagine grace as a tree planted in your soul. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the tools given to cultivate and nourish that tree. If we tend to it—watering it with prayer, enriching it with the sacraments, exposing it to the light of God's Word—it will flourish, stretching its branches toward heaven and bearing fruit that nourishes not only us but those around us. But if we neglect it, the tree weakens, its leaves wither, and in time, it bears nothing at all.
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
When we cooperate with the Holy Spirit and allow His gifts to work within us, our lives produce visible results—what Galatians 5:22-23 calls the “fruit of the Spirit.” These fruits are the outward manifestations of His work in us:
Charity enables us to love as we ought, willing the good of others.
Joy keeps us undisturbed by life's troubles.
Peace frees us from anxiety.
Patience helps us bear the imperfections of others.
Kindness moves us to give freely without obligation.
Longanimity (long-suffering) is patience in the face of provocation and attacks.
Gentleness enables us to be forgiving rather than resentful.
Faith means living in accordance with God’s will.
Modesty fosters humility, recognizing that our talents and successes are gifts from God.
Self-control ensures that our passions serve what is true, good, and beautiful rather than enslaving us.
Chastity orders our physical desires to their proper purpose and context.
A Call to Action
When we use the gifts and receive the fruits, our lives become richer—more peaceful, more loving, more joyful, even in this life. And the rewards will be even greater in the next.
But if we fail to use them? The consequences of being a poor steward of grace are ultimately misery.
The Holy Spirit has already given you these gifts. Will you let them remain dormant, or will you cultivate them so that your life bears fruit? The choice is yours.
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