This article concerns the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Christian tradition. For general spiritual or charismatic gifts in the Christian tradition, see Spiritual Gift. Gifts of the Holy Spirit redirects here. ...

In this Tree of Jesse the seven gifts, represented as doves, encircle a bust of Christ. Capuchin Bible, c. 1180, BnF, Paris

The Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts which Anglicans, Catholics, and Lutherans believe the Holy Spirit gives to people to further their sanctification and help "complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."^[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x1233, 418 KB) from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x1233, 418 KB) from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 13th representation of the Tree of Jesse, ivory panel, Louvre The Tree of Jesse, in traditional Christian art, is a visual representation of Jesus ancestry. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream... Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means to set apart for special use or purpose, that is to make holy or sacred (compare Latin sanctus holy). Therefore sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i. ...

These gifts are enumerated (approximately) in Isaiah 11:2-3.

Here are the names of the the seven gifts, as given^[1] in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, along with a description of each gift, as defined^[2] by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... Aquinas redirects here. ... Summa theologiae, Pars secunda, prima pars. ...

• Wisdom - The gift of wisdom perfects a person's speculative reason in matters of judgment about the truth, Aquinas writes.

• Knowledge - The gift of knowledge perfects a person's practical reason in matters of judgment about the truth, Aquinas writes.

• Counsel - Also called "Right Judgment." The gift of counsel perfects a person's practical reason in the apprehension of truth and allows the person to respond prudently, "moved through the research of reason," Aquinas writes.

• Fortitude - Also called "Courage." The gift of fortitude allows people the "firmness of mind [that] is required both in doing good and in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods or evils that are difficult," Aquinas writes.

• Understanding - Also called "Common Sense." The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift "whereby self-evident principles are known," Aquinas writes[1].

• Piety - Piety is the gift "whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father," Aquinas writes.

• Fear of the Lord - Also called "Wonder and Awe in God." This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment.

Aquinas says the first four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God. For the apocryphal book of the Bible, see Book of Wisdom. ... Speculative reason is theoretical (or logical, deductive) thought (sometimes called theoretical reason), as opposed to practical (active, willing) thought. ... For other uses, see Knowledge (disambiguation). ... -- Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut In philosophy, practical reason is the application of reason to real-world decision-making (ie. ... Look up counsel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Four Cardinal Virtues of the Catholic Church doing bad to. ... Look up understanding in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue. ... Fear of the Lord is one of the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, as described in Isaiah 11:2-3. ...

Theologians consider the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be supernatural and permanent qualities given by God that are magnified after the Sacrament of Confirmation; that make one attentive to the voice of God; that render one susceptible to the workings of actual grace; that make one love the things of God; and that, consequently, render one more obedient and docile to the inspirations of the Holy Ghost.^[3]

In some respects, the gifts are similar to the virtues but a key distinction is that the virtues operate under the impetus of human reason (prompted by grace), whereas the gifts operate under the impetus of the Holy Spirit; the former can be used when one wishes, but the latter operate only when the Holy Spirit wishes. The former are like the oars of a boat; the latter, the sails.^{[citation needed]} The Seven Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia (Contest of the Soul), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. ...

Another related but distinct notion are the spiritual gifts that St. Paul describes in, for example, 1 Cor 12-14, which are, by contrast, given for the upbuilding of others. These are also part of the Catholic tradition but more commonly known as charisms or charismata.^[3] Gifts of the Holy Spirit redirects here. ... St. ...

In Summa Theologica II.2, Thomas Aquinas asserts the following correspondences between the seven Capital Virtues and the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:^[4] The Seven Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia (Contest of the Soul), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. ...

• The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity.
• The gift of understanding corresponds to the virtue of faith.
• The gift of knowledge corresponds to the virtue of faith.
• The gift of counsel corresponds to the virtue of prudence.
• The gift of fortitude corresponds to the virtue of fortitude.
• The gift of piety corresponds to the virtue of justice.
• The gift of fear of the Lord corresponds to the virtue of hope.

The seven gifts were often represented as doves in Medieval art, and especially figure in depictions of the Tree of Jesse which shows the Genealogy of Jesus. In many such depictions the doves encircle a bust of Christ. 13th representation of the Tree of Jesse, ivory panel, Louvre The Tree of Jesse, in traditional Christian art, is a visual representation of Jesus ancestry. ... Lukes genealogy of Jesus, from the Book of Kells transcribed by Celtic monks circa 800 The genealogy of Jesus through either one or both of his earthly parents (Mary and Joseph) is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew 1:2–16 and Luke 3:23–38. ...

References

• Gifts of the Holy Spirit, by Fr. William Saunders, Catholic Education Resource Center (Accessed 3 April 2008)