The Gifts Fruits of the Holy Spirit The

The Gifts & Fruits of the Holy Spirit The Gifts and Fruits connect to one another as the roots of the tree with the fruits of the tree (in which you are the tree, the roots are the gifts of the Spirit and the fruits are His fruits)

The fruits of the Holy Spirit – Love/ Charity • ‘No subject is more important in • Popular definitions of love any day. And no subject is more • a. love is wanting and doing what is best for the other person (agape) misunderstood, in our day. ’ • b. You put yourself in your own (Peter Kreeft) hands and hand yourself over to • "God is love, " (1 John 1: 8), not another. And when you do this just loving or a lover, though He unthinkable thing, another unthinkable thing happens: you find is that too. (That's why He is a Trinity: He is Lover; Beloved, and yourself in losing yourself. You begin to be when you give yourself away. Loving, complete love in three You find that a new and more real self Persons. Love is God's essence, has somehow been given to you. (Mt His whole being. Everything in 10: 39) Him is Love. )

Love/ Charity • 1 st , 2 nd Commandment? • Charity is the fullness of the Law (Jn 15: 9 -10; Rom 13: 8 -10) • Love is divinely infused habit • Without love/charity we are nothing (1 (virtue), ‘by which we love God above all things for his own sake, Cor 13: 1 -3) and our neighbour as ourselves for • Charity/love inspires and animates all virtues and binds everything together in the love of God. ’ (CCC 1822) perfect harmony (Col 3: 14) – see • Jesus makes love/charity the new circular stained glass window commandment (Jn 13: 34 ; 15: 9) • He makes the Father’s love visible • The disciples imitate Jesus’ love which they have received

Love/ Charity • God is crazy for us and for His created world • His love is unconditional • His love never ends • His love is faithful • His love is transformative • This love of His is poured into our hearts by the Spirit (it changes all your relationships) With God’s love in you, you see everything with new eyes Love is more than feelings, because then you would only love what feels good (see Mt 5: 43 -48) But when you are plugged into the Lord you love everything that He loves; His ‘current’ of love flows through you towards all He loves

Love/Charity • Read 1 Cor 13 • ‘This love is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received ‘power’ from the Holy Spirit. ’ /CCC 735/ Give us examples when you recognised this fruit in anyone, or in yourself?

The fruits of the Holy Spirit - Joy • JOY: Joy in the Spirit comes from the Spirit, and it is about Jesus’ victory over sin in your life and in other people’s life and death in your life and in other people’s life and it is also about His promise of paradise, and we rejoice because of that. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit your joy cannot be taken away, even if you have problems to face. See also Lk 15: 1 -7 Can you give an example of such kind of joy experienced by you?

Joy • ‘Draw your strength simply from your joy in Jesus. Be happy and peaceful. Accept whatever he gives. And give whatever he takes, with a big smile. ’ /Mother Teresa/

The fruits of the Holy Spirit - Peace • PEACE: Wherever the Spirit is there is God’s peace • All inner unrest ceases • Sadness sinks away • Fear subsides • You find your inner balance and you are no longer driven by your own passions, desires and fears • Others notice it • ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5: 9) • Peace is also the outcome of justice • How do you understand this?

God’s Peace • Earthly peace is the image of the peace of Christ, who reconciled heaven and earth (CCC 2305) • Therefore peace is more than a carefully maintained balance of powers • In divine peace the dignity and the right of self-determination of individuals and of peoples are respected. • In divine peace human existence is characterised by brotherly solidarity. • Saint Charbel Makhlouf said: ‘When the peace of God has once taken root within you, then you will bring this peace to others and you will heal them of their fears and doubts. ’ Any thoughts about this?

The fruits of the Holy Spirit- Patience • PATIENCE: Wherever the Holy Spirit is there is patience. • Patience means having the courage to play the long game in life: where others throw in the towel you find that extra stamina; you can shrug off setbacks. The Holy Spirit makes you into a fighter who never quits. Others wonder where you got the stamina from, but you know. • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. Lwaik. E_M 9 g

The fruits of the Holy Spirit- Kindness • KINDNESS: Wherever the Holy Spirit, there is kindness. • You hold the door for someone else out of respect & care • You help others with their duties • Mother Teresa was always reminding her sisters who cared for the dying: ‘It is not enough just to care for them; you must do it with a smile. ’

The fruits of the Holy Spirit – God’s Goodness • GOODNESS: Wherever the Holy Spirit is there is goodness. • Anyone who continually does good is automatically a ‘good person’that is to say, habitually good to others. But Jesus tells the young rich man: ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good, but God alone. ’ (Mk 10: 17 -30) • So living a life of goodness is living the ‘lifestyle’ of God. • Eg. you talk to the homeless person to show God’s goodness • You spend a long time listening to someone (who can’t stop talking), because you believe God wants you to do so. • You take an interest in other people’s cares and worries, because God has prompted you to do so.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Faithfulness • FAITHFULNESS: Where there is the Spirit, there is faithfulness • Again Mother Teresa said: ‘If something seems difficult to you, then remember that we are not called to be successful, but to be faithful. ’ • God does not change from day to day. You can count on Him, even if your prayers are not answered the way you wanted or hoped. • He is faithful even when we betray him, because He cannot disown himself (see 2 Tim 2: 13) • The Holy Spirit helps you to become firm-hearted and ‘faithful until death’. • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=PGTZq 3 u. CPm 0

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Faithfulness Saint-Exupery says in his book called ‘The little prince’: The little fox tells the little prince: ‘You become responsible for what you have befriended. ’

The fruits of the Holy Spirit - Gentleness • Jesus walked the path of non • Gentleness means tender violence all the way to the cross courage that builds up, heals and • Blessed are the meek (Mt 5: 5) achieves something beautiful • It is courage combined with love and patience • It is not a violent courage • To bring about something great in loving patience is the kind of boldness that God loves

The fruits of the Holy Spirit – Self-control • Self-control: you are no longer • Blessed Charles de Foucauld driven by your desires, fears, says: ‘We are threatened not by passions. our enemies, but by ourselves. ’ • The Holy Spirit enables you to be fully yourself • You are free to do what your heart truly desires to do, namely the good for which God has created you. • What forms of self-control can you mention?

The fruits of the Holy Spirit song • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=DFumj. Sll 68 s • Try if you can sing together!!

Prayer Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit That my work too may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I may love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I may always be holy. Amen

The fruits of the Holy Spirit song • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=DFumj. Sll 68 s • Try if you can sing it again!!