We Catholics are fairly familiar with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, there are also the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit taught by the Catholic Church come from the Vulgate Latin translation of the Bible by St Jerome of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Matthew 7:17-20 states: “Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” A follower of Christ who lives out his faith and who is led by the Holy Spirit will produce these fruits of the Holy Spirit in his life.
1. Charity - In charity, we express love of God and love of neighbor unconditionally, expecting nothing in return. Our charity comes out of our faith.
2. Joy - The joy we experience in our lives comes from putting God at the center.
3. Peace - Our peace comes from our reliance on God, putting our faith in our future in him.
4. Patience - Our patience allows us to have compassion for others in spite of all of our flaws and our weaknesses.
5. Kindness - Kindness goes beyond just being kind to others. Kindness calls us to have a heart that reaches out in acts of compassion, going above and beyond what is expected of us.
6. Goodness - Goodness calls us to renew our relationship with God each day, to renounce our sins and renounce the works of the Devil. In goodness, we seek the path of righteousness and we seek to do God’s will in all things.
7. Generosity - in generosity, we carry our crosses and endure our sufferings. We remain steadfast on the ups and downs of our journey.
8. Gentleness - In gentleness, we have a heart of forgiveness and grace, we choose to reconcile and heal rather than to take revenge and attack.
9. Faithfulness - Our faith is to be the core of our Christian life. In faith, we seek to discern the will of God in our lives and to follow that will. In faith, we live out a life of discipleship.
10. Modesty - In modesty, we are called to humility, knowing that our successes, blessings, and talents come from God. In modesty, we leave behind our selfishness and self-centeredness.
11. Self-control - Through self-control and temperance, we exercise moderation in all we do.
12. Chastity - In chastity, we give ourselves completely to Christ no matter what our state of life, whether we be an ordained priest or deacon, a professed member of a religious order, or a layman or laywoman living a single or married life. No matter what our vocation or state of life, we are called to chase in our way of living.
This weekend, we will celebrate Pentecost, the end of the season of Easter, with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Blessings to all of you as we celebrate the Holy Spirit in our lives in a special way. Have a blessed week everyone.
Father Lincoln
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