The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The gift of wisdom, by detaching us from the world, makes us relish and love only the things of heaven.

The gift of understanding helps us to grasp the truths of religion as far as is necessary.

The gift of counsel springs from supernatural prudence, and enables us to see and choose correctly what will help most to the glory of God and our own salvation.

By the gift of fortitude we receive courage to overcome the obstacles and difficulties that arise in the practice of our religious duties.

The gift of knowledge points out to us the path to follow and the dangers to avoid in order to reach heaven.

The gift of piety, by inspiring us with a tender and filial confidence in God, makes us joyfully embrace all that pertains to His service.

Lastly, the gift of fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread, above all things, to offend Him.

Our Declaration of Independence

Does our “Declaration of Independence” mean anything?

        Reject the far-left progressive agenda of our present leadership and the Social Media that demeans the value of every unborn child that God has created and return to freedom, free enterprise, decency, and our traditional values, especially, the value of every unborn child that God has created.

As our Declaration of Independence says: …”ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,” that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Our Soul is God’s Temple

Not your own, [Pope] Francis warns
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Mar 4, 2018 / 05:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Like Jesus cast out the merchants from the temple in Jerusalem, we should drive the desire for personal gain and advantage from our hearts, replacing it with love, Pope Francis said Sunday.

“We are called to keep in mind those strong words of Jesus: ‘Do not make a market of my Father’s house.’”

“They help us to reject the danger of making our soul, which is the abode of God, a marketplace,” the Pope said March 4, “living in continuous search of our personal profit, rather than in generous and supportive love.”

Speaking before the Angelus, Francis noted that “this teaching of Jesus is always relevant, not only for ecclesial communities, but also for individuals, for civil communities and for societies.”
Recounting the day’s Gospel reading from John, he said that it is a common temptation to want to take advantage of some good and necessary activity in order to cultivate “private, if not even illicit, interests.”

“It is a serious danger, especially when it exploits God himself and the worship due to him, or service to man, [who is made in God’s] image. So Jesus used ‘strong ways’ that time to shake us from this deadly danger,” he explained.

The Pope also pointed out that when Jesus drove out the merchants and money-changers from the temple, it wasn’t considered a violent act by those who witnessed it, but a typical action of prophets, who would often denounce abuses and excesses in the name of God.

That is why in the Gospel passage the Jews ask Jesus: “What sign do you show us to do these things?” They are asking what authority Jesus has to speak and act in the name of God.
The “sign” that Jesus will give as proof of his authority is his death and resurrection, the Pope continued. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,” and as the evangelist notes: “He spoke of the temple of his body.”

“The attitude of Jesus recounted in today’s Gospel passage urges us to live our lives not in search of our advantages and interests, but for the glory of God, who is love,” he said.

St. Paul wrote about wisdom

There is a certain wisdom which we express among the spiritually mature. It is not a wisdom of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are men headed for destruction. No what we utter is God’s wisdom, a mysterious, a hidden wisdom. … Of this wisdom
it is written:
“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard,
nor had it so much as dawned on man
what God has prepared for those who love Him”
See 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10a