The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Every Spiritual Warrior's Guide to God's Invincible Gifts

by Kevin Vost

Overview

Many of us fail to recognize that obtaining the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to getting to heaven. We often block their reception through our own faults. We fail to see how they are passed on or strengthened in the sacraments. And, sadly, we forget to petition God in prayer to bestow these gifts upon us.

In these pages, Dr. Kevin Vost ' best-selling author of The One-Minute Aquinas ' provides us with a substantive yet readable introduction to the seven gifts and how we can humbly submit our wills to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit.

As Dr. Vost explains, these God-given gifts help us to conform our lives to His image, intellect and will. They prevent us from being drawn into frustration ' and possibly self-destruction ' by following our own sensual appetites. Indeed, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the only path to being fully happy on earth and in the life to come.

With St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure as his guides, Dr. Vost introduces you to the special charism of the Holy Spirit before explaining each gift one by one. You'll discover the special meaning behind each of the natural and theological virtues, and you'll learn the indispensible link between the seven gifts and the Beatitudes. You'll also learn:

• How the seven gifts differ from the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
  
• The three ways to perfect fear of the Lord.
  
• The one sacrament that helps you fortify fortitude ' it's not the one you think.
  
• How the gift of knowledge differs from the gift of understanding.
  
• The seven steps to unwrapping ' and sharing ' each of the Holy Spirit's gifts.
  
• The greatest of the seven gifts ' and why you must possess it to attain heaven.
  
• Are the seven gifts habits we must develop, or does the Holy Spirit instill the habits in us?

Don't let another year go by without unwrapping and enjoying the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Read this book, and then accept the seven gifts the Holy Spirit so desperately wants to give you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781622824120
Publisher:	Sophia Institute Press
Publication date:	12/01/2016
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,104,403
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Kevin Vost, Psy.D. (1961–2023), authored twenty books, including Memorize the Faith! and How to Think Like Aquinas. He taught psychology at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee, the University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, and MacMurray College. He was a member of the Research Review Committee for American Mensa, which promotes the scientific study of human intelligence.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Introduction: Seven Gifts That Are Out of This World 1

Prologue: Surrender Plans for Submitting to the Holy Spirit's Guidance 17

1 Fostering Fear of the Lord 23

Profile in Giftedness #1: From Saul to St. Paul with Fear and Trembling 43

Angelic Anaylsis #1: The Gifts in Sacred Scripture 45

Profile in Grace #1: St. Jerome and the Gift of the Latin Vulgate Bible 47

2 Practicing Piety 49

Profile in Giftedness #2: St. Thérèse of Lisieux and the Little Way of Piety 63

Angelic Anaylsis #2: The Holy Spirit as Love and Gift 66

Profile in Grace #2: St. Brigid of Kildare: Loving Giver of Gifts 70

3 Acknowledging Knowledge 73

Profile in Giftedness #3: St. Albert the Great: Doctor of Universal Knowledge 86

Angelic Anaylsis #3: The Special Charisms of the Holy Spirit 89

Profiles in Grace #3: Moses, Isaiah, and the Charism of Prophecy 93

4 Fortifying Fortitude 95

Profile in Giftedness #4: St. Ignatius of Antioch: God's Wheat 110

Angelic Anaylsis #4: Natural and Supernatural Virtues 112

Profile in Grace #4: Aristotle and Cicero 120

5 Counting on Counsel 123

Profile in Giftedness #5: St. Francis de Sales: God's Gifted Counselor 136

Angelic Analysis #5: The Seven Gifts 138

Profile in Grace #5: The Many Gifts of Pope St. Gregory the Great 144

6 Unwrapping Understanding 147

Profile in Giftedness #6: The Seraphic Doctor Sees and Understands 161

Angelic Analysis #6: The Gifts and the Beatitudes 163

Profile in Grace #6: Beatitudes Man: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassari 167

7 Welcoming Wisdom 169

Profile in Giftedness #7: St. Thomas Aquinas: God's Gift of Wisdom to the Catholic Church 186

Angelic Analysis #7: The Gifts and the Fruits 188

Profile in Grace #7: St. Patrick of Ireland: Fruits Worth Decades of Cultivation 191

Conclusion: It Is Better to "Re-Gift" Than to Receive 193

Appendix 199

The Angelic Doctor's Quick Guide to the Gifts 200

Human Powers, Actions, and Their Perfecting Gifts 202

The Seraphic Doctor Unwraps the Gifts in the Lord's Prayer 203

The Seven Deadly Sins Meet More Than Their Match in the Seven Holy Gifts 204

About the Author: Kevin Vost 207