PARENTS > CONFIRMATION

Session 2: At Home This Week

Review

The Holy Spirit Gives Us Gifts

In this session, we learned how we receive the Holy Spirit and its gifts at Confirmation:
  • The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (with God the Father and the Son).
  • We receive gifts from the Holy Spirit -- such as wisdom, patience, courage, and endurance -- which help us keep living in God's way.
  • People can see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in us -- outcomes of life in the Spirit.
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Review the lesson with your child.  Look through the handouts with your child, asking what he or she remembers or has questions about.

Gifts of the 
Holy Spirit

Sustaining Us to Live in God's Way

The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which we sometimes refer to by different names. There are many, many gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it can be helpful to learn about these common ones.
  • Wisdom - ability to love and value God and see things from God's perspective; putting what we learn from God over everything else in the world.
  • Understanding - ability to know how to live as followers of Jesus without becoming confused.
  • Counsel (Right Judgment/Prudence) - knowing the difference between right and wrong, and being able to choose the right.
  • Courage (Fortitude) - being strong enough to overcome fear and take risks as Christian disciples.
  • Knowledge - a deep understanding of God's way.
  • Prayerfulness (Piety/Reverence) - a deep respect for God, the Church, and all of God's creation that remembers our complete dependence on God.
  • Awe (Wonder/Fear of the Lord) - an awareness of God's power, glory, and goodness; it is not about fear of punishment.
If you would like to go deeper in understanding these gifts, check out this series of videos by the Redemptorists, one for each gift.
Also, Wikipedia has a page on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Fruits of the 
Holy Spirit

Outcomes of Life in the Spirit

Fruits of the Holy Spirit are visible qualities in us that people can see when we live a Christian life. The Catechism identifies twelve:
  • Charity (Love/Agape) - An unconditional, freely offered, self-giving love. 
  • Joy - A deep, inner joy that comes from God.
  • Peace -  A tranquility and sense that everything is alright and in God's care.
  • Patience (Endurance) - An ability to endure bad treatment without seeking revenge.
  • Kindness - Doing what is best for others, regardless of how they act toward you.
  • Goodness - Doing what is right and best for others, even if it involves instructing them or setting limits. 
  • Generosity - Giving beyond what is required, especially financially or material gifts.
  • Gentleness - An ability to control emotions such as anger so they can be channelled appropriately (sometimes it is appropriate to express anger, and sometimes it's not helpful).
  • Faithfulness - A commitment to faith and promises.
  • Modesty - Appropriate respect for our bodies, in balance between prudishness and immodesty.
  • Self Control - Having control over our desires and behavior, so we can act based on our values.
  • Chastity - Respect and faithfulness for our sexuality and sexual expression, especially based on our state in life.
The Archdiocese of Washington has a great article on the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Wikipedia also has a page on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit.