THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING


THURSDAY, SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTERTIDE   

Acts 22:30,23:6-11; Ps 16:1-2,5,7-11; Jn 17:20-26

The Spirit of Understanding

We arrive at truth through understanding, and truths offer us knowledge. The gift of understanding by the Holy Spirit is a spiritual support to our intellect, enabling us to grasp the mysteries of God and receive divine illumination on the things and events of life. The spiritual gift of understanding is key to our easy and successful journey into the mysteries of Jesus Christ. Our journey to the mountain of God is not a physical journey, like Elijah’s journey to Mount Sinai, but a spiritual journey into the mysteries of Jesus Christ. The gift of spiritual understanding enables us to penetrate the mysteries of God, human affairs, and situations. This gift, in a special way, renews the image of God in us, for it quickens the working of our rational faculty to see beyond the physical, to the foundations of things in God’s will. We must maintain purity of heart for the optimal functioning of this gift, for impurities cloud the mind and hinder it from penetrating the façade of physical reality. Similar to the other seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, constant meditation and contemplation of the word of God greatly increase our facility in spiritual understanding, which deepens our spiritual life. Hence, the psalmist says: “You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand, happiness forever.” Spiritual understanding enables us to remain in the presence of God.

As mentioned above, spiritual understanding is not only for spiritual realities; the reception of this wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit enriches our human or natural understanding. Given that our intellect is a spiritual faculty, sin prevents it from penetrating the physical realities to reach their foundation in God. Our conversion and spiritual birth in Jesus Christ also renew our various faculties to serve our new spiritual life. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are for this end. Saint Paul’s action in the passage from Acts is a good illustration of the use of this gift. With the gift of understanding, he was able to make use of the situation of his trial before the tribune, the Pharisees, and Sadducees, to his advantage. “Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ As soon as he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties.” Thus, the gift of spiritual understanding enriches our human understanding and helps us to profit even in earthly affairs.

The main gain of the gift of understanding is the ability it offers to penetrate divine mysteries. Through consistent usage of this gift, we gradually grow in our knowledge and possession of divine truth. Since it offers insight into divine mysteries and reality, living and acting in accordance with the Gospel truths brings us into union with God. This is what the Lord prayed for us. “Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.” Our Lord recognises that the unity he prayed for can only be attained through our understanding of the divine mysteries or the Father’s will. When our minds are illuminated through spiritual understanding of the divine truths, our hearts will be inflamed with the love of God through the Holy Spirit. Our Lord, therefore, continued: “Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.” Subsequently, spiritual understanding facilitates our spiritual growth into Jesus Christ. As we grow into Christ, we grow in the knowledge and love of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and the Son. So, his gift of spiritual understanding deepens our communion with God.

Let us pray: May your Spirit, O Lord, we pray, imbue us powerfully with spiritual gifts, that he may give us a mind pleasing to you and graciously conform us to your will. Through our Lord Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  

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