Among the collection of 35 mm slides from the late 50’s and early 60’s that I still have on the top shelf of my closet are scenes of our extended family gathered for Christmas, many of them showing us unwrapping and admiring (at least for the benefit of the audience gathered) what was inside those carefully wrapped boxes. A notable exception every year to these animated scenes was my grandfather, who in every picture is sitting stone-faced clutching his unwrapped gifts. Whether he ever actually opened them or not remains a mystery, since I never knew what was inside them. More than likely, he believed that opening gifts should be done in private and not in public. That was just one of his eccentricities. At family gatherings if he was ready to leave, he would simply get up and go sit in the car until everyone else came out. His favorite television show was Ed Sullivan’s variety show on Sunday night; but he always called Ed Sullivan “Eddy Nelson,” as in “It’s time for Eddy Nelson now.”

When it comes to Christmas gifts, I suspect that most of us have no reservations about opening our gifts and letting people see what we received. But I suspect that when it comes to the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit that were given to us in Baptism and had renewed in us at our Confirmation, we may be more like my grandfather in not unwrapping them in public. Today, as we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, we honor the member of the Holy Trinity who lives within us, reminding us of everything Jesus taught us and being our “Advocate” (our defense attorney) when we are in danger of being overwhelmed by the false promises of the world. These Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are the ways the Spirit works in our life. The words are taken from a text in the Prophet Isaiah, and together they enable us live a life of faithfulness and bring God’s Good News to the world. But they need be actualized. In other words, we have to unwrap them in public.

That is why for the Feast of Pentecost this year, our Adult Faith Board is inviting us to focus on the Gifts of the Spirit that we already have in our possession. Immediately after the homily, our ushers and helpers will pass around baskets with folders containing the name of one of the seven gifts. What we are asking you to do is that during this coming year, become more conscious of that particular gift, and let it become more visible in your public life. First up is the gift of wisdom. We often associate wisdom with age, because as we go through life, we learn what kinds of things are worth getting distracted by and what kinds of things matter in the long run. The word wisdom comes from a Latin word meaning ‘to savor”. We come to appreciate what matters by slowing down and taking time “to savor” the goodness of God and the wonder of the people around us. Understanding is the inner yearning to know more about God and our place in God’s creation. It is about remaining hungry for God and for the growth of God’s reign on earth, taking on more and more the mind of Christ. The gift of knowledge is the practical side of understanding. It teaches us how to get the most out of everything that happens in life, whether it is an opportunity to talk about Jesus, care for those in need, or put up with suffering and rejection ourselves. Counsel helps us make decisions when everyday common sense and reason are not enough. When we bring the Holy Spirit into our decision making, we call it discernment. What is God inviting us to do at this moment?

When I was confirmed in the third grade and had to memorize the Gifts of the Spirit, my favorite gift was piety. It contained the word pie and I always liked pie. But piety has nothing to do with pie or being excessively pious or sanctimonious. It is based on an old Roma virtue of being in right relationship with one’s family. Jesus extended that virtue to include being in right relationship with the whole human family. Everyone is our brother or sister. Today, we could expand that gift still further to include being in right relationship with all of God’s creation. Fortitude (or courage or strength) is about doing the right thing even when we are fearful of the consequences. It is also about refusing to do the wrong thing, when it is the easy thing to do. It is the gift that enables us to persist in doing what is right. Awe and wonder (fear of the Lord) is about never losing our sense of amazement at who God is or the universe God created. It is about living with humility and never trying to impress others with our complete knowledge and understanding of the world. We give God honor and glory for God’s own sake.

All those gifts taken together are quite a haul. They reveal to us in very concrete ways the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made to his followers two thousand years ago, “I will not leave you orphans.” They are the very means by which we are able to think as Jesus thought and act as Jesus would act and help our poor world become a better reflection of the kingdom of heaven. Treasure all your gifts, but especially the gift you are being reminded ot today. Try it on. I am sure it fits.

                                                                                                Fr. Joe