According to Aquinas these first gifts are about the intellect. These
are gifts that we can assume God wants us to work at. The fact that
they are gifts from God informs us that we should take good care of
them, use them, and by using them sharpen and improve them. The nine
levels of the spiritual self journey are about sharpening and improving
these gifts. they all perfect certain virtues.
Intellect Gifts
Effect on Virtues of Society and the exterior life of the Objective
Understanding
> perfects truth.
Wisdom >
perfects charity
Knowledge >
perfects hope.
Counsel >
perfects prudence.
Wisdom
Knowledge
Understanding
Counsel
These gifts are about
strengthening our faith towards God and having his precepts working in
our lives. They teach us to prosper in Gods love and become all we were
created to become. The steps on the Heroes Journey of this web site
teach us how to live out our destiny.
Faith Gifts Effect
on Virtues of the Will - Desires, Passions, Cultures and the the
interior life of the Subjective
piety >
perfects justice
Fortitude >
perfects courage
Fear >
perfects risk taking and temperance
*
Wisdom - 7 Gifts
Holy Spirit
Solomon desired to see and know world but all he really
needed to do was follow God. He was however know as a man of good
judgment. He was also able to provide sound direction because of wise
decisions. This gift teaches us not to hide ourselves from the world
but to remain with God as we discover truth in all things.
*
Understanding
-
7 Gifts Holy Spirit
This gift reminds us not to become ignorant of peoples and cultures but
to understand individuals and cultures and societies from where they
are at. To comprehend and to hear others and the
Lord is to love them. The importance of maintaining an evolving
consciousness towards conciseness and truth is important.
Intellect and questioning is not the enemy but the ability to
have compassion and understanding in making good informed choices is a
gift from God. Accurate perceptions of the world and the times in which
we live lead to sound judgments and justice and forgiveness.
*
Knowledge
-7 Gifts Holy Spirit
Facts, information and know how are not limited to the historic
preposition view of the bible but to all gods creation and their place
in the great chain. Knowledge helps us to recognize the many ways of
knowing God not only as a subject but intimately in detail and passion.
True Knowledge leads to true conviction and faith in God and
dedication to the lost in this world. Knowledge is to see Jesus in the
stranger.
*
Counsel
-
7 Gifts Holy Spirit
Wise counsel helps others stay on the right path. Formal networks are
needed to structure a society to deliver justice truth and
righteousness. Good advice should begin with Christians. We should
assume our position as the head and not the tail of society.
That means less condemnation and more good news. That may mean speaking
a higher truth than mere reason alone and may require poetry and prose.
*
Fortitude
-
7 Gifts Holy Spirit
To have courage in a time of adversity and stay committed to truth and
justice and building a better community for our grandchildren. To stay
firm in the face of Christian rebels who would destroy the environment
or seek to hijack Christianity in the name of a conservative poetical
agenda. To have firmness of mind, bravery and strong character to grit
it out and represent God in an honorable way. Not to become
fainthearted and succumb, but to but your faith in the spiritual
foundations of all things.
*
Piety
-
7 Gifts Holy Spirit
Staying reverent to God and paying Him his full due and duty of the
Christian walk. Not accepting the survival of the fittest, scratch your
way to the top ethos preached by the corporate world against God is a
pious act. Observing all the words of Jesus and not omitting those that
are an "inconvenient truth" . Having a passionate religious zeal to
know Jesus better and become more like him on Earth and to continue
your commitment along the evolutional path of becoming more like Him.
*
Fear
of the Lord -
7 Gifts Holy Spirit
A preparedness to live dangerously and authentically for the gospel. To
take comfort that the Lord will take care of all our needs if we commit
to recognizing the spiritual essence of the universe. To allow the
treats of the condemnation to float right on by secure in the knowledge
that God is bigger than all of that. Becoming more anxious and stressed
to do the Gods work in our daily lives than we are to live up to
cultural norms.
