by M. J. Joachim

Created on: January 24, 2009

When the Spirit Shares Its Fruit

Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there's doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

This simple prayer, known as the Prayer of St. Francis, pleads for the Fruits of the Spirit to boldly integrate themselves into our lives. The gifts of the Holy Spirit received through the Sacrament of Confirmation are truly the gifts of life, freely given from the Spirit of Jesus.

When Jesus taught parables, He imparted the gift of wisdom to the crowd. When Jesus healed the sick, comforted the mourning, and welcomed the children, the gift of understanding was shared with all who chose to follow Him. Through trials and persecutions, Jesus had the courage to persevere.

The Pharisees challenged Jesus, and the gift of right judgment baffled them. Jesus was called to discern His Father's will, enabling the gift of knowledge to express itself. He loved His Father, always acting with the utmost reverence toward Him. Jesus humbly exercised the gift of awe and wonder, as He taught everyone to seek the Kingdom of Heaven first.

Through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, people are able to practice true Christianity, living lives that are fruitful in the world. Love grows as people share with each other, forgiving offenses of every kind. We do not exercise this on our own. It is not always easy to overcome things that have hurt us deeply. Only the counsel of the Holy Spirit can enable us to follow Christ, trusting in His goodness when things are painful and challenging in our world.

We are called to stand firmly against hatred, not with violence, but love. We are commissioned to overcome doubt with faith, ever increasing the light in our world. It is our duty to comfort and console those who are sad and disheartened. It is our obligation to be understanding to those who might seek our friendship. We are required to love as we have been loved. In essence, we are to know our dignity, accepting the total gift of the Spirit imparted to us in the Sacrament of Confirmation, as it was so long ago to the apostles at Pentecost.

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