December 2, 2014

Isaiah, Chapter 11, verse 2-3:

² The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:  a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, ³ and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

In Jeremiah 1:8 the Lord called the prophet and if we accept the call like him we will be empowered or prepared for our work from on high with wisdom and understanding and fear of the Lord.  In fact the Church has traditionally enumerated seven gifts of the spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.  Fear of the Lord enamors the soul with an intense respect for the Church and the commandments of God.  This reverence frees the soul and lightens a person’s worldly fears and concerns.  This is what happens to the happy soul that accepts the “Yoke” of Christ.  ²⁹"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ³⁰"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30)

It is essential that we pass through worldly fear to grow to Godly fear; getting to the point where we love the Lord so much we desire to prove our love to him by keeping his commandments.   ²³Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (John 14: 23)  Saint John Paul II wrote “Doctrine of the gifts of the Holy Spirit [is] a very useful teaching of the spiritual life [And] when applied to the Christian soul, it teaches us the fundamental moments in the … interior life: to understand (wisdom, knowledge, and understanding); to decide (counsel and fortitude); to remain and grow in a personal relationship with God, in the life of prayer and in an upright life according to the Gospel (piety and fear of the Lord).” [1]

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[1] Saint John Paul II, A Catechesis on the Creed: The Spirit, Giver of Life and Love, entry of April 3, 1991.