Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord

The seven gifts, asked for one at a time.

Isaiah listed them, Confirmation confers them, and most Catholics could not name more than three. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent dispositions that make a soul responsive to God’s promptings — and each can be asked for by name.

The Prayer

O Holy Spirit, divine Spirit of light and love,
I consecrate to You my understanding, my heart and my will,
my whole being, for time and for eternity.

Grant me the gift of wisdom,
that I may judge all things by the light of eternity.

Grant me the gift of understanding,
that I may grasp what I believe, and not only recite it.

Grant me the gift of counsel,
that I may choose rightly when the right choice is not obvious.

Grant me the gift of fortitude,
that I may do what is right when it costs me something.

Grant me the gift of knowledge,
that I may see created things as they truly are,
neither despising them nor worshipping them.

Grant me the gift of piety,
that I may love God as a child loves a father.

Grant me the gift of fear of the Lord,
that I may dread nothing but losing You.

Holy Spirit, make me docile to Your inspirations. Amen.

About the Gifts

Fear of the Lord is the most misunderstood. It is not terror of punishment but the reverence of someone who has grasped what is at stake — closer to the care a person takes with something precious and breakable than to fear of a tyrant.

The gifts are given at Baptism and strengthened at Confirmation. Asking for them is not asking for something new, but for the use of something already given.