In the First Reading from today?s Mass (Is 11:1-10), the prophet Isaiah mentions a subject that isn?t discussed very much anymore ? The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those of you who remember the Baltimore Catechism will probably be able to rattle them off instinctively. For the benefit of those who aren?t familiar with them, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.

Over the course of the next several days, we?ll discuss each gift in detail. Today, I?d just like to present a general overview of them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that we initially receive the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Baptism.

The anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one “anointed” by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet, and king.
(CCC 1241)

The sacrament of Confirmation then ?completes? the grace received at Baptism.

1. From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace.
2. It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!
3. It unites us more firmly to Christ.
4. It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us.
5. It renders our bond with the Church more perfect.
6. It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.
(CCC 1303)

Those of us who have received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation possess the Holy Spirit and the seven gifts. As I mentioned earlier, we?ll discuss each gift in the days to come. But for now, let?s be thankful for the grace of the Holy Spirit in our soul. We?ll close today?s entry with a prayer taken from a novena to the Holy Spirit. It’s a nice prayer to say daily as we ask The Holy Spirit to continue to grow in us:

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

Today I had the day off and I had the privilege of attending daily Mass with my wife. In today?s gospel (Mt 8:5-11), a centurion approaches Jesus and lets Him know that his servant is ill. When Jesus offers to come and cure the servant, the centurion replies, ?Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.? While the obvious thing that stands out is the centurion?s faith, what strikes me even more is his humility. He knows that he isn?t worthy to receive Jesus.

Even though we say the words ?Lord I am not worthy…? at Mass prior to receiving Holy Communion, how many of us really think about our unworthiness when we receive Our Lord? I know that there have been many occasions when I stood in line to receive The Body and Blood of Jesus and allowed various distracting thoughts to enter my mind. I?ve also caught myself looking around to see who was at Mass that day. If I genuinely felt unworthy, could I possibly be that nonchalant? Many years ago, a priest friend of mine said that if we ?really? understood the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we would go down the aisle on our knees!

The Advent season is a good time to reflect upon how seriously we take the gift of receiving Our Lord in the Eucharist. At Mass, when we echo the words of the centurion, do we truly appreciate Who we are receiving? Do we strive to understand how unworthy any of us are to receive Him into our bodies? If you conclude that something may be lacking in your humility, don?t be too hard on yourself. Instead, let?s be thankful for the season of Advent, which gives us the chance to work out some of our imperfections.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and I?d like to open with the thoughts of my 11 year old daughter, Elizabeth:

Well, today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a special time, and it means that it?s almost Christmas!!! Christmas is exciting?.the presents, the dinner, the guests, but it?s not the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Jesus was born on that date, you know. I believe we should celebrate Jesus? birthday on Christmas, too. Maybe while you and your family are eating the turkey and stuffing and corn that night (yum), say a prayer to Jesus asking him to bless you and everyone this Christmas.

After Elizabeth wrote this, I was reading an article about Advent by Aux. Bishop Daniel Thomas in Philadelphia?s Catholic Standard and Times. Bishop Thomas writes, ?Are you getting ready for Christmas or are you preparing for the coming of The Lord?? He then goes on to suggest that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is a great way to prepare for the birth of the Christ child. How many times do we get caught up in the trap of the Christmas ?rat race? without taking a look at our spiritual life? Our faith teaches us that Jesus will come again in glory someday. He will come again sooner than that for many of us, as we will all see Him immediately after our death. It is at that time that we will be judged. Are we prepared to meet Him? In today?s gospel reading Jesus tells us, ?Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.? (Mk 13:33)

Both my daughter and Bishop Thomas hit the nail on the head with their comments. Are we truly preparing for the coming of The Lord this Advent? Has the Christmas season become nothing more than additional stress for our already hectic lives? Why not begin our preparation for the Lord’s coming by receiving the Sacrament of Confession? This great sacrament will give us a ?fresh start? and provide grace which will help eliminate some of the imperfections from our lives.

As we begin this holy season, let’s try to keep things in the proper perspective. Eliminating some of our shortcomings would be a great present for the newborn King!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, a holiday in the United States, and I?ll be taking a day off from blogging. When I reflect on all of the things that I have to be thankful for it is overwhelming.

I?m thankful for my lovely wife, Eileen, to whom I?ve been married for 14 years today! I never thought that I would get married because I had very high standards for a wife. Eileen has far exceeded those standards and makes my life better than I could have ever imagined. I am also thankful for my twin daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Most of the medical experts predicted that they wouldn?t be born alive, but The Lord had another plan. They have added much joy to my life and I am very grateful for them. I?m also thankful that my mother is still alive, although she is suffering from advanced Alzheimer?s disease. Her current condition provides me with the opportunity to return some of the love that I received for so many years. I?m thankful that I have the ability to share the Good News of Jesus Christ over the Internet. This kind of evangelization wouldn?t have been possible a few years ago.

Most of all, I?m thankful that Jesus became man to suffer and die in my place, in order that I may live forever with Him in Heaven someday. How can you ever fully appreciate such a great and totally undeserved gift?

Happy Thanksgiving!

We?ve all heard the expression, ?All good things must come to an end?. Not only have I used this phrase, but I?ve experienced it many times in my life. Many of my favorite childhood things are no longer around: favorite stores, candy, good friends, TV shows, the feeling of security in my parents? house. They only exist as memories now.

On the other hand, when I am going through an especially difficult time, I console myself with the fact that it won?t last forever. This has helped me to endure many an unpleasant work assignment, illness, cold winter day, etc.

The final two ?Last Things? are Heaven and Hell. Unlike all of the things in this life, they won?t come to an end. They really will last forever. Today, let?s take some time to think about this concept.

If we are faithful to The Lord in this life and follow His instructions as put forth in Sacred Scripture and Tradition (through the teaching authority of the Church), we can cautiously expect to be rewarded with the gift of eternal life in Heaven: A life where there will be no suffering, no illness, no tiredness, no hunger or thirst, no unhappiness and, unlike anything in this world? it will last forever.

If we willingly turn away from God by rejecting His commands without repentance, there exists a real possibility that we could spend eternity in Hell, where there will be nothing but pain, suffering and misery and, unlike anything in this world?it will last forever.

As we conclude our reflection on the Four Last Things, let?s take a good look at where we stand with The Lord. Is our eternal life in danger? Do we need to repent while we still have a chance? Let?s also look at the lives of our family and friends. Are they in need of repentance? If so, wouldn?t be a good idea to charitably warn them before it?s too late?

Heaven and Hell?Total Happiness vs. Total Misery?Two completely opposite eternities with one thing in common?They will both last forever.

Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King, a day when we contemplate Jesus in all of His glory, as King of the Universe. It is also a time to anticipate His second coming, at which time the world as we know it will end and He will present His glorified kingdom to The Father (1 Cor 15:9-10). In his encyclical Quas Primas (12/11/25), Pope Pius XI wrote, ?This feast was a special remembrance to modern man who seems somewhat indifferent to his supernatural destiny.? When we think about the ?end ?, are we prepared to accept our judgment from a loving, but just God? Are we doing our part now to advance the Kingdom on earth?

As it exists today, Christ?s Kingdom is not what we would traditionally expect. He reigns as a humble king, making His Body and Blood present to us under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine. Instead of coming to earth in glory and majesty, Jesus came as a servant. It is this spirit of service to others that we are called to imitate. In his book In Conversation With God, author Francis Fernandez states ?His throne was a manger in Bethlehem and a cross on Calvary.?

If Christ is indeed our King, does he reign in our mind, our heart and our will? Are we ready to advance His Kingdom by reaching out to others? Are we willing to stand up for our Catholic Faith when it is criticized? Do we put God first in our lives? Do we give alms to those less fortunate, either monetarily or by the gift of our time?

Next week, we?ll discuss the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. It will help us to reflect on our readiness for the final judgment as we wrap up the last few days of the liturgical year.