Thursday, May 25, 2006

Preparing for Pentecost

Moneybags at A Catholic Life is carrying out a very interesting devotion. Earlier, he promoted the "Saint of the Year" devotion—allowing the saints to pick us for a change—and now he has this devotion:

The creator of that devotion (ed: Saints of the Year) had the brillant idea of starting another devotion where we receive a fruit/gift of the Holy Spirit. With Pentecost approaching, it would be great not just to pray for all the gifts/fruits but to focus on one special one.
...

Traditionally, the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity. These are human qualities that can be activated by the Holy Spirit. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are supernatural graces given to the soul.

When was the last time you thought about these blessing bestowed upon you? Have some of your "fruits" rotted or dried up? Are your gifts sitting on a shelf, collecting dust?

To commemorate Pentecost, how about asking the Holy Spirit to look inside you, deep inside you and pick out one particular fruit and one particular gift that is unique to you that He wants you to pray about? He may want you to develop this gift and fruit. He may want you to share this gift and fruit. He may want you to be an example of your fruit and gift. Only you and the Holy Spirit will know.
...

Well, Moneybags' friend did draw for me and I'm going to start reflecting on the gift of knowledge and peace. Do check it out, and I pray you may grow ever closer to God.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Antonia,

A great post and a timely reminder to all (especially our brothers and sisters of the charismatic persuasion) that although the gifts and fruits we desire so much are attributed to the Holy Spirit, they manifest in the form of human virtues.

Here's another gift I sometimes pray for: the gift of availability. I don't see the point in having the 12 fruits and 7 gifts, if we cannot find the time or place to share them with others.

Antonia said...

JT,

How true! Not living with my family, I feel my lack of availability very keenly. Thanks for the reminder... will remember to pray for this. Wishing you a blessed Pentecost!