Pastor’s Letter: November 23, 2025

Pastor’s Letter: November 23, 2025

21 Nov 2025 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear St. Philomena Parish Family,

Blessings to you this Christ the King weekend! It is always such a joy to reflect on the type of King Jesus is for us—one who truly loves His people and is willing to sacrifice Himself for our good. What a great gift! As we are finishing up our Church year and beginning with Advent the following week, I am beginning to think about the joys of Jesus the Messiah dwelling among us. One passage which foretells the Messiah (born of the line of David, son of Jesse) is this one from Isaiah 11:1-3…
  “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of piety, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.”

We may recognize this list as the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit! According to our Catholic Tradition, these are heroic character traits of Jesus that he freely shares with the members of His Body. Sometime in the past, I read this description of how Jesus lived/shared these gifts: “Consider the wisdom expressed in his parables; his understanding of the poor and the sick; his right judgment when tested by the Pharisees; his courage to continue the journey to Jerusalem where he knew death awaited him; his knowledge of God’s will; his reverence for his heavenly Father; his awe before the wonders of creation.”

As we have been reviewing Confirmation, it seems fitting to review through these Gifts of the Holy Spirt, reflecting on how they help strengthen us to live our faithful life in Christ.

 Wisdom is both the knowledge of and judgment about “divine things” and the ability to judge human affairs according to Divine Truth.  It orders our lives so that love and harmony will be in our souls. Wisdom helps us seek God and make Him the center of our life; directs our actions to God’s glory; helps us love the things that are eternal and detach from things of this world; and helps us understand that God is our Father, and that Jesus loved us so much that he died on a Cross for us and is waiting for us every day in the Eucharist.

Understanding is penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths necessary for salvation. Understanding enables us to know more clearly our Faith and make it our own; helps to enlighten our minds; and helps us to grasp the truths of religion—to understand and live the value of prayer, love, faith, hope, the Trinity, and of one another.

Counsel allows us to be directed by God in matters necessary for salvation. It guides us in the ways of God and warns us of dangers to our salvation. Counsel enables us to see and choose correctly the most helpful ways to give glory to God, to look toward our own salvation, and to find the good of the Church and people around us. It helps us seek the surest ways of pleasing God and obtaining Heaven.

Fortitude is a firmness of mind about doing good and avoiding evil, especially when it is difficult or dangerous to do so. It gives us the confidence to overcome all obstacles, even grave ones and helps us overcome with courage all the obstacles to our salvation in daily life. Fortitude strengthens us to do the will of God in all things; and makes us loyal and confident in our faith.

Knowledge is the ability to judge correctly about matters of faith and right action so we don’t wander from the straight path. It helps us clearly know good from evil and teaches us to do what is right. Knowledge enables us to know God’s will in all things, and points out the path to follow and the dangers to avoid in order to reach Heaven.

Piety, principally, is about revering God with filial affection. Piety helps clarify our worship and duty to God. It guides us in honoring people on account of their relationship to God, honoring the saints, and Sacred Scripture. Piety inspires us with a tender confidence in God and makes us joyfully embrace with love all that pertains to His service, the liturgy, the sacraments, and prayers. It inclines our hearts to true Faith in God and love of Him…and helps us love God as Father and obey Him because we love Him.

Fear of the Lord is loving awe by which we revere God and avoid separating ourselves from him. As opposed to servile fear where we fear punishment, this gift is focused on love. It penetrates our inmost hearts and shines on them with the continuing presence of God. Fear of the Lord helps us have a loving reverence toward God and fills us with a dread of offending Him. It gives us reverence for God and for others who are made in his image.

I don’t know about all of you, but reflecting on these Gifts of the Holy Spirit remind me just how much the Holy Spirit can be at work in us! As we prepare for Thanksgiving this coming week, I invite you to offer a prayer of thanks for how these gifts can help us…and especially to pray for those preparing to receive these Gifts in a fuller way through the Sacrament of Confirmation this spring! Know of my prayers and blessing for you all this week!

In Christ,
Father Luke