Imagine that you are a little child on Christmas morning. You have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to discover what gifts are waiting for you under the Christmas tree. You pick out the beautifully wrapped gift with your name on it and tear into the wrapping paper.
It is the gift you have been dreaming about for months. Shortly after unwrapping the presents, your parents inform you that you have to go – to Mass or to another family gathering – and playing with the gift must wait. As you are away, your mind is consumed with thoughts of playing with this newly received gift. You want to use it, to play with it, to enjoy being in possession of that gift. Imagine if we as Christians were as excited as that to receive gifts from God and to put them to use. We often say that God has given us many gifts. But I think we take that for granted, or sometimes even shrug it off as a cliché or trite saying that is supposed to make us feel better.
Sometimes in prayer we might express gratitude for God’s goodness in our lives: a roof over our head, food on the table, friends or family that love us, etc. But how often do we think about the spiritual gifts God gives us for the purpose of discipleship and evangelization? Do I believe that God has given me gifts to build up His kingdom? What gifts might those be? Can I even name any spiritual gifts? It is quite hard to put gifts to use if I cannot even recognize them; that is the f irst step of stewardship, to recognize the gifts that God has given us. Knights of Columbus Breakfast this weekend! Sunday, May 19 Pentecost is an opportunity for us to recognize the gifts God gives us, specifically the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Do we know these seven gifts? If we were handed a pop quiz, how many could we name? Pentecost is an opportunity for us to get excited about these seven gifts that God so desperately wants to give us: wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. These are the gifts that will enrich our lives and to help us keep the flame of love burning in our hearts. Imagine if all of us were striving to possess the wisdom of King Solomon, the fortitude of Fr. Kapaun, the piety of St. Dominic Savio, the respect and fear of the Lord of John the Beloved, the knowledge of the prophet Daniel, the counsel of St. John Vianney or St. Padre Pio, the understanding of Aquinas or Augustine.
Why do we not beg for these gifts on a daily basis? As we celebrate this great feast of Pentecost, I encourage all of us to think of a gift that we would like to receive from the Lord. Maybe it is fortitude in the face of suffering. Perhaps wisdom or counsel as you strive to live out the vocation of parenthood that God has called you to. Maybe God is calling you to an increase of piety by making regular visits to the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel on your way to or from work or school. Whatever that gift may be, ask God for that gift and pick a saint who embodied that gift by their way of life. Model your life after that saint, emulate them, incorporate their practices of holiness into your daily life. If you want to take your faith life to the next level, ask the Holy Spirit for His gifts and put them into practice with the help of the saints