On this thirteenth Tuesday in the series of 15 Tuesdays in honor of our Holy Father St. Dominic, our reflection considers the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit in the life of St. Dominic.
If you are joining us now towards the end of 15 Tuesdays, don’t worry! These fifteen weeks have been a delightful opportunity for us to share our reflections, which you can read at any point to grow in love of God and devotion to St. Dominic.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles. At Pentecost this promise was fulfilled in the Descent of the Holy Spirit pouring out upon them His Gifts. In the Sacrament of Confirmation we too receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit through the hands of the Apostle’s successors, our Bishops. These Gifts are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
According to the Baltimore Catechism, we receive the gift of Fear of the Lord to fill us with a dread of sin, that is, fear of offending so good a Father. We receive the gift of Piety to make us love God as a Father, and obey Him because we love Him. We receive the gift of Knowledge to enable us to discover the will of God in all things. We receive the gift of Fortitude to strengthen us to do the will of God in all things. We receive the gift of Counsel to warn us of the deceits of the devil, and of the dangers to salvation. We receive the gift of Understanding to enable us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith. We receive the gift of Wisdom to give us a relish for the things of God, and to direct our whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory.
It is the sweet study to seek in the life of St. Dominic the ways in which he was guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. From his childhood, like many saints, St. Dominic was singularly graced with gifts of Piety and Fear of the Lord, especially drawn to prayer and with a delicate sensitivity to all that might offend God. He had excellent examples in his saintly parents and his brother, Bl. Mannes, who was already a priest when St. Dominic was young. He continued to grow in grace with God and man and in his young adulthood, showing forth striking examples of Fortitude and Knowledge. We see in St. Dominic the Holy Spirit’s strength to overcome obstacles of all sorts and to discern and follow the will of God, alive and at work, as he pursued his holy vocation, first as a priestly canon at Osma and then as founder of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans.
Attentive to Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, St. Dominic especially embraced and preached the Rosary, a powerful instrument inspiring in souls docility and openness to the movements of the Spirit. The Gifts of Counsel and Understanding were extremely active in his preaching to convert those who had lost their way in the error of heresy. With these he shepherded numerous souls to return to the fold. But above all, the crowning gift of the Spirit, Wisdom, shone forth like a star on St. Dominic’s brow. He was strongly characterized by his all-consuming love of God, always speaking with God or of God. The contemplative gift of Wisdom directed all things to God, and fired his great zeal for God’s honor and the salvation of souls. St. Dominic was aflame with desire to love and please God, and to see Him greatly loved by souls everywhere.
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
With the Gifts we also receive the Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Long Suffering, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty and Chastity. St. Dominic was known as the “Joyful Friar” singing the praises of God as he trudged along the roads, showing kindness to fellow Pilgrims, enduring rejection and opposition with patience, everywhere and in all circumstances giving to souls in charity, modesty and chastity the riches of the love for God that filled his own heart. Today these same blessings are bestowed through the intercession of St. Dominic.
When someone gives a gift, the surest response of gratitude from the one who receives it is to use the gift! So too, the Holy Spirit is pleased when we make daily efforts to put into practice those Gifts with which He has blessed us.
Additional Prayers
If you would like to observe this day with additional devotions, we have posted the following prayers in the past: