Gifts Of The Holy Spirit — Knowledge
By DON FIER
Fortitude, as we saw last week, is both an infused moral virtue (one of the four cardinal virtues) and a gift of the Holy Spirit. As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, in order to differentiate the virtue from the gift, “we must be guided by the way in which Scripture expresses itself, for we find there that the term employed is spirit rather than gift” (Summa Theologiae [STh] I-II, Q. 68, art. 1).
If we examine the familiar verse from Scripture that enumerates the seven gifts, this is precisely what we see: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, . . . the spirit of counsel and might [fortitude], . . .” (Isaiah 11:2). The word “spirit” denotes that the source of inspiration for an act proceeding from the gift of fortitude is divine — it comes directly from the Holy Spirit.
The virtue of fortitude, when operating properly, enables a person to strike the proper balance between the opposing passions of fear and audacity. Practically speaking, it most often manifests itself by giving the faithful courage to stand firm in difficult moral situations or when faced with danger, even the threat of death, in defense of a just cause.
The gift of fortitude, however, takes courage to a whole new level. Through strength provided directly by the Holy Spirit, it gives one the mettle to joyfully undertake great things and to bear crushing trials for love of God, to stand firm in a manner that may appear to be utter folly in the eyes of the world.
Consider the martyrdom of the elderly man Eleazar or the seven brothers and their mother in the Old Testament accounts of the Maccabean martyrs (see 2 Macc. 6:30-7:41). It is inconceivable that these heroic souls could have willingly endured their excruciatingly painful torture and execution except for the gift of fortitude.
Or consider St. Lawrence, the third-century martyr who defied his executioners as they grilled him alive on a gridiron. As he was being roasted, it is reported that he said to his torturers, “You can turn me over now; I’m done on this side!”
Without the gift of fortitude, would it have been possible for St. Maximilian Kolbe to volunteer to die in the place of another Auschwitz death camp prisoner who had a family?
Could St. Maria Goretti have held fast in resisting the lust-filled young man to preserve her purity — and to forgive her assailant before she passed into eternity — without that same gift?
We come now to the fifth of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, that of knowledge. Along with wisdom, understanding, and counsel, it is related to the human intellect, but in its own distinct way. As defined by Fr. Jordan Aumann, OP, the gift of knowledge enables one “to judge rightly concerning the truths of faith in accordance with their proper causes and the principles of revealed faith” (Spiritual Theology [SpT], p. 97). In particular, it enables those in whom it is operative to “judge rightly the connection between created things and the supernatural ultimate end” (ibid., p. 255).
The Angelic Doctor assigns it to the perfection of the virtue of faith, but some authors also associate it with the virtues of hope, prudence, temperance, and justice.
The object of the gift of knowledge, explains Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, “is the whole spectrum of created things insofar as they lead one to God. Through infused knowledge the faithful can see the providential purpose of whatever enters their lives, and they are able to put creatures to the right use according to God’s will for themselves and for others” (Modern Catholic Dictionary [MCD], p. 230).
It especially involves knowledge of the human heart which is in so many ways fragile, vulnerable, and subject to misery. As expressed by the Prophet Jeremiah, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).
Before examining the supernatural gift of knowledge in more depth, let us consider knowledge from a purely natural perspective, from the viewpoint of human beings endowed with the use of reason. As defined in the dictionary, knowledge consists of “facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.”
Knowledge pertaining to the various physical sciences is acquired through the investigation and discovery of material causes, philosophical knowledge through the exercise of reason, and theological knowledge by applying reason to the data furnished by Revelation and faith.
The supernatural knowledge associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, comes to us through an illuminating action of the Holy Spirit. “Without the instrumentality of the senses, without the aid of reason, it makes known to the soul the dependence of each creature upon God,” says Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey, DD.
“This knowledge is acquired instantly and without labor” (The Spiritual Life, p. 625). It is sometimes referred to as the “science of the saints.” Fr. Hardon further explains that “it enables those who have the gift to discern easily and effectively between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace” (MCD, p. 230).
The gift of knowledge especially concerns self-knowledge, of seeing ourselves as we truly stand before God. Our natural inclination is to think well of ourselves — we are very good at spotting defects in others, but often fail to recognize major faults in ourselves. Furthermore, we are naturally attracted to the fleeting things of this earth.
The gift of knowledge, explains Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, “shows us vividly the vanity of all passing things, of honors, titles, the praises of men; it makes us see especially the infinite gravity of mortal sin as an offense against God and a disease of the soul” (The Three Ages of the Interior Life, pp. 227-228).
Fr. Lagrange goes on to submit that the gift of knowledge acts to strengthen hope because it shows us that every human help is as fragile as a reed; it causes us to place our confidence in God by making us see the nothingness of earthly goods.
In his classic spiritual work entitled The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis speaks strikingly of this: “Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone. This is the greatest wisdom — to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world” (Book 1, Chapter 1).
Simply stated, knowledge assists us in making the right use of creatures, to use them as means rather than ends in our journey to eternal beatitude, to see in them only that which can lead us to our Creator.
St. Thomas relates the gift of knowledge to the third beatitude: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). Following the thought of St. Augustine, the Angelic Doctor writes, “Knowledge befits the mourner, who has discovered that he has been mastered by the evil which he coveted as though it were good” (STh II-II, Q. 9, art. 4).
With his typical insight, Fr. Hardon explains the connection: “Sorrow for past mistakes answers to the gift of knowledge; then comes consolation when creatures are accepted as God would have us do so….Mourning is by way of merit, comfort by way of reward. In the measure that a person knows the vanity of this world, his comfort begins already now and is destined to reach fruition in heaven, when all things on earth will pass away” (The Catholic Catechism, p. 202).
Purity Of Heart
The gift of knowledge produces several admirable and profound effects in souls in which it has been actuated. Fr. Aumann lists seven of the principal effects: 1) teaches us to judge rightly with regard to created things in relation to God — to perceive the transitory nature and emptiness of them in comparison to their Creator; 2) guides us instinctively and with certitude about what is in accord with and what is in opposition to faith — gives us a “Catholic nose,” so to speak; 3) enables us to see, with moral certitude, the true state of our soul in the eyes of God; 4) inspires us in properly conducting ourselves with our neighbor (influences prudence) and how to govern and direct (influences justice). Here it is especially applicable for preachers to know what to say to listeners and for spiritual directors to provide proper guidance.
The gift of understanding also 5) inspires us to detach ourselves from the things of this world so as not to hinder our flight to God; 6) teaches us to use holy things in a befitting manner — to see in them a likeness or vestige of their Creator (influences temperance); and 7) fills us with sorrow and a spirit of repentance for our past sins — allows us to perceive their great harm and their inability to make us truly happy (cf. SpT, pp. 255-257).
Like each of the other gifts of the Holy Spirit that we have examined thus far, there are specific dispositions that are beneficial to cultivate to best dispose ourselves to receive the gift of knowledge.
Once again, Fr. Aumann is our guide in summarizing the principal ways: 1) ponder and meditate often upon the vanity of created things; 2) look for a trace or vestige of God in all created things (e.g., St. Francis of Assisi was specially attuned in this manner); 3) reject the false maxims and the spirit of this world; 4) strive to see the hand of God in everything that happens in life; and 5) cultivate simplicity and purity of heart (cf. SpT, pp. 257-258).
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(Don Fier serves on the board of directors for The Catholic Servant, a Minneapolis-based monthly publication. He and his wife are the parents of seven children. Fier is a 2009 graduate of Ave Maria University’s Institute for Pastoral Theology. He is doing research for writing a definitive biography of Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
