As the Gift of God to us, the Holy Spirit gives us an abundance of gifts and thus he is the Giver of gifts. In Baptism we receive the sanctifying gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. Through these gifts the Holy Spirit helps us to grow in holiness.

 

In Confirmation we receive the charismatic gifts for the up building of the Church. Paul gives us a list of some of these gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11: ”To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.”

 

 

If we have received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and in a fresh new way in Confirmation, we have all the gifts of the Spirit.   As our body has many gifts, which we may not be aware of nor use, so, though we have the gifts of the Spirit, we may not know them or use them. If we pray to the Holy Spirit to stir up both an awareness of his gifts and an openness to them, the Spirit will renew those gifts dormant in us for our good and the good of others.