The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God’s charismatic presence in us. When the Holy Spirit fills us we have visions that defy facts. When God takes possession of us through the Holy Spirit, He gives us dreams and visions that force us to look beyond the facts and sometimes run counter to reason.

When we co-operate with God’s grace we experience both the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the spirit is the hallmark of Christianity. It is one fruit denoting a whole – example an orange. We shall further discuss the Fruit of the Holy Spirit later.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are greater than the theological and cardinal virtues. The theological virtues are Faith, Hope & Charity and the cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. These play a pivotal role and the others are grouped round them. The virtues operate to the limits of human power and will but the gifts bring divine assistance.

1. The Word of Wisdom supernaturally discloses the mind, purpose, and the way of God as applied to a specific situation. If we have the Wisdom of God, then we must have Love, for God is Love. If you search for the first gift of the Spirit, you must possess the first fruit of the Spirit. Mother Treasa says I would not touch a leper for a thousand pounds and yet I cure him for the love of God. She further says that when u stand at the door of Heaven, God will not ask you how many gifts did you use but will ask you how much love did u put in your deeds.

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God’s Plan to Prepare His Servants

“My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal” (Sir. 2:1)

When one is first called by the Lord into the seminary, convent or into Church ministry as a layperson we experience a great joy and euphoria. Jesus has called me! This is such an honor and the community joyfully celebrates with you this special vocation. But, as one knows, whatever goes up must also come down. The apostles had to return to the valley after climbing the mountain of Tabor and seeing the glory of Jesus. Soon they would experience many trials and perplexing teachings that would all lead to the rejection of Jesus and his death on another mountain—Golgotha. By the time Jesus rose from the dead, the apostles were utterly cleansed of their past live and were ready for Jesus to use them.

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2009 - Let’s be bearers of the Light

The year 2008 was a particularly challenging one for us here in India – attacks by outsiders and attacks by our own. The darkness of terror, hate and inhumanity interspersed the year. And yet, last week – exactly 7 days ago – we celebrated the ‘Light’.

“Not like the full daylight which illumines everything, but a glimmer beginning in the night and spreading out from a precise point in the universe: from the stable of Bethlehem, where the divine Child was born…..The grace of God has appeared.” (Pope Benedict XVI – Urbi et Orbi, Christmas 2008)

I am reminded of the book of Genesis. Seven days after God said “Let there be light”, He rested… because He beheld a new and fresh creation… and it was very good. May we, who truly desired and adored the light seven days ago at Christmas, be renewed and refreshed…firm in the blessed assurance that the Lord God is with us, Emmanuel.

Let us strive to be bearers of the light, channels of peace. Pope Benedict XVI in his message for celebrating Jan 1st 2009 as World Day of Peace proposes “a reflection on the theme:Fighting Poverty to Build Peace”. He states in his message, “At the start of the New Year, then, I extend to every disciple of Christ and to every person of good will a warm invitation to expand their hearts to meet the needs of the poor and to take whatever practical steps are possible in order to help them.” He reminds each of us of our own role, by restating ‘the command of the Prince of Peace to his Apostles: “Vos date illis manducare – Give them something to eat yourselves” (Lk 9:13)’.

To enable us to live this year in line with the will of God, we pray in a special way during this month, to God the Holy Spirit to equip us with His gifts. We also remember in prayer our brothers and sisters in Orissa, the youth who have attended Kairos and children preparing for examinations.

Once again thank you for your prayer support and assuring you of the prayers of the Sanctuary Intercessors – Fellowship of the Burning Bush. May we constantly be assured of the patronage of Mary, our Blessed Mother and Mother of God and all the saints (especially those whose feast we celebrate this month – Don Bosco, Agnes, Thomas Acquinas and others), on whose constant intercession we rely for help.

Once again, wish you a Blessed 2009.

January 2009

Daily Intercessions through the Word of God – January 2009
Sanctuary Intercessors – India Branch of FBB
International Catholic Charismatic Missionary Intercessors of the Fellowship of the Burning Bush (FBB)
The ‘Intercession Diary’ has the approval and blessings of the Bishops’ Team of the Archdiocese and contains intentions of our Cardinal and the Bishops
(Join us in agreement to intercede each day according to the Scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit how to pray to actualize God’s promises in each situation)

Day/Date Interceding According to the Mind of Christ
Thu
1/1/2009 Luke 1:28 And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you
Feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - truly the Mother of God and of the Redeemer…not merely passively engaged by God, but freely cooperating in the work of our salvation through faith and obedience.” (Lumen Gentium,53,56). On this feast of Mary, the Mother of God, we seek her intercession as we pray for ourselves and all God’s people that we would be given grace to cooperate with God’s will at all times, even in difficult moments, knowing that only in His Will shall our salvation will be brought to fulfillment. We especially remember our sisters and brothers in Orissa; may Mary cover them with her maternal mantle.

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