As the Feast of Pentecost draws near, we invoke the Holy Spirit to come and enlighten us. We pray to experience the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. Which of the seven gifts attributed to the Holy Spirit do I need most at this time in my life? First, let me call the seven to mind: Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, Understanding, Counsel, Wisdom and I am missing one. Maybe that is the very one I need. It is Knowledge and comes before Understanding! Actually, in the list of the gifts as I learned them, Fear of the Lord is first and Wisdom is the highest; some begin with the highest and then Fear of the Lord becomes the seventh gift.
The seventh and final gift of the Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord, and perhaps no other gift of the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood. We think of fear and hope as opposites, but the fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of hope. This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God, as well as the certainty that God will supply us the grace that we need in order to keep from offending Him. Our desire not to offend God is more than simply a sense of duty; like piety, the fear of the Lord arises out of love. (copied from the Internet).
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