The Gifts of the Holy Spirit – secret of Christ-likeness
What is the gift of piety or the Spirit of piety, as it is called in Isaiah 11:2, describing the anointing of the Messiah?
Foundations for a Relationship with God and Others
The Gift of Piety
“LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me. Rather, I have stilled my soul, like a weaned child to its mother; weaned is my soul. O Israel, hope in the LORD, now and forever” (Ps 131).
What is the gift of piety or the Spirit of piety, as it is called in Isaiah 11:2, describing the anointing of the Messiah? It can be said this way: The gift of Piety is a deep feeling of being a child – an intimate feeling of someone who calls God “Father”. Piety is the basis of every authentic devotion, spirituality, and Christian prayer. The Spirit of piety leads to a familiarity, an ease in relating to God as Father, the spontaneity, the pleasure of feeling good with Him.
St. Thomas Aquinas says, “Among other movements of the Holy Spirit, is one that encourages us to have a filial affection for God, in the words of Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’, and, as the essence of piety, for which we give our submission and worship God as Father at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, is a gift of the Holy Spirit .” (Summa Theologiae)
Isn’t this fantastic? Not only are we loved by God, but he puts into our hearts through the Holy Spirit the ability to love and honor Him!
Jesus experienced all the love expressed by the Father: “… and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” ( Lk 3,22 ). In fact, all of Jesus’ life was an expression of love and devotion to the Father. He exercised the gift of piety.
The gift of piety encompasses affection to others, especially Christians and God’s creation. St. Thomas says, “… the gift of piety not only attributes honor and worship to God, but to all, as they pertain to God … piety does works of mercy for the needy.”
Piety perfects – in a supernatural way – especially exercise of the virtue of Justice and of all virtues derived from it. The stronghold of the enemy contrary to the gift of Piety is the hardness of heart that comes from a disordered self-love: “rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Rom 1:30-31). Indeed, “hardness of heart ” makes ruthless people who have not been renewed in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The gift of Piety, however, perfects the exercise of charity, removing the person from the prison of his own selfishness, which continuously orients him toward God and others with a love and a diligence in having a divine bearing and supernatural perfection.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, enlighten my prayer so that I can pray as you prayed to the Father, in the way of hearing his voice. May I feel what you felt in your heart when, on the cross, you declared for the last time your total abandonment to the Father: “Abba, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Fr. Alejandro is an associate of NPCM; he is head of the Evangelistic Association Gesù Amore, Florence, Italy.
