Intelligence / the Intellect / Understanding
Catechesis by Pope Francis on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (2nd of 7)
General Audience, Wednesday 30 April 2014 - in Arabic, Croatian, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese & Spanish
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning.
After having considered wisdom as the first of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, today I would like to focus on the second gift, that is, understanding. We are not dealing here with human understanding, with the intellectual prowess with which we may be more or less endowed. Rather, it is a grace which only the Holy Spirit can infuse and which awakens in a Christian the ability to go beyond the outward appearance of reality and to probe the depths of the thoughts of God and his plan of salvation.
The Apostle Paul, addressing the community at Corinth, aptly describes the effects of this gift — that is, what the gift of understanding does in us — and Paul says this: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him, God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:9-10). This of course does not mean that a Christian can comprehend all things and have full knowledge of the designs of God: all of this waits to be revealed in all its clarity once we stand in the sight of God and are truly one with Him. However, as the very word suggests, understanding allows us to “intus legere”, or “to read inwardly”: this gift enables us to understand things as God understands them, with the mind of God. For one can understand a situation with human understanding, with prudence, and this is good. But to understand a situation in depth, as God understands it, is the effect of this gift. And Jesus desired to send us the Holy Spirit so that we might have this gift, so that all of us might understand things as God understands them, with the mind of God. What a beautiful gift the Lord has given us. It is the gift with which the Holy Spirit introduces us into intimacy with God and makes us sharers in the plan of love which he has for us.
It is clear then that the gift of understanding is closely connected to faith. When the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and enlightens our minds, he makes us grow day by day in the understanding of what the Lord has said and accomplished. Jesus himself told his disciples: I will send you the Holy Spirit and he will enable you to understand all that I have taught you. To understand the teachings of Jesus, to understand his Word, to understand the Gospel, to understand the Word of God. One can read the Gospel and understand something, but if we read the Gospel with this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can understand the depths of God’s words. And this is a great gift, a great gift for which we all must ask and ask together: Give us, Lord, the gift of understanding.
There is an episode in the Gospel of Luke which aptly expresses the depths and power of this gift. After witnessing the death on the Cross and burial of Jesus, two of his disciples, disappointed and grief stricken, leave Jerusalem and return to their village called Emmaus. As they are on their way, the risen Jesus draws near and begins talking with them, but their eyes, veiled with sadness and despair, are unable to recognize him. Jesus walks with them, but they are so sad, in such deep despair, that they do not recognize him. When, however, the Lord explains the Scriptures to them so that they might understand that he had to suffer and die in order then to rise again, their minds are opened and hope is rekindled in their hearts (cf. Lk 24:13-27). And this is what the Holy Spirit does with us: he opens our minds, he opens us to understand better, to understand better the things of God, human things, situations, all things. The gift of understanding is important for our Christian life. Let us ask it of the Lord, that he may give us, that he may give us all this gift to understand the things that happen as he understands them, and to understand, above all, the Word of God in the Gospel. Thank you."
Greetings:
"Je salue cordialement les pèlerins francophones, en particulier les jeunes venus de France, et les pèlerins du Bénin. Comme les disciples d’Emmaüs, laissons-nous enseigner par l’esprit d’intelligence pour que nous puissions reconnaître, dans les évènements de nos vies, le dessein de Dieu et de son amour.
I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England, Ireland, Finland, Norway, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Uganda, South Africa, Canada and the United States. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the Risen Lord. God bless you all!
Herzlich grüße ich die Pilger aus den Ländern deutscher Sprache, vor allem die zahlreichen jungen Menschen und insbesondere die Gruppe der Katholischen Johannesschule Meppen. Bitten wir den Heiligen Geist, uns mit der Gabe der Einsicht zu helfen, dass wir Gottes Plan für unser Leben immer besser verstehen. Der auferstandene Herr schenke euch Hoffnung und seinen österlichen Frieden.
Saludo a los peregrinos de lengua española, en particular a los grupos venidos de España, Honduras, México, Uruguay, Argentina, y otros países latinoamericanos. Invito a todos a dejar al Espíritu Santo rasgar el velo de oscuridad que ciega nuestra mente y nuestro corazón, para hacer de nosotros verdaderos creyentes, capaces de gustar cuanto el Señor nos revela en su Palabra y de alegrarnos con su designio de amor en nuestras vidas. Que Jesús los bendiga y la Virgen Santa los cuide.
Dirijo uma cordial saudação aos peregrinos de língua portuguesa, nomeadamente ao Rancho Folclórico de Macieira da Lixa e ao grupo brasileiro de Araraquara. Agradeço a vossa presença e encorajo-vos a continuar a dar o vosso fiel testemunho cristão na sociedade. Deixai-vos guiar pelo Espírito Santo para entenderdes o verdadeiro sentido da história. De bom grado abençoo a vós e aos vossos entes queridos.
أُرحّبُ بالحجّاجِ الناطقينَ باللغةِ العربية، وخاصةً بالقادمينَ منالشرق الأوسط. أيها الإخوة والأخوات الأعزاء، من خلال موهبة الفهم يُدخلنا الروح القدس في السرّ الثالوثي، فيفتحنا على الإيمان ويسمح لنا بأن نعيشه بملئه يومًا بعد يوم. اسمحوا للروح القدس بأن يقودكم فيشعل فيكم نار المحبة ويجعلكم رسل محبة الله! ليبارككم الرب!
Pozdrawiam serdecznie Rodaków świętego Jana Pawła II. Bracia i Siostry, świadectwo Jego wiary, nadziei, miłości i zawierzenia Bożemu Miłosierdziu, pozostaje w nas w tych dniach niezwykle żywe. Niech Jego wstawiennictwo wspiera życie i dobre zamiary każdego z was, troski i radości waszych bliskich, rozwój i pomyślną przyszłość Kościoła w Polsce oraz całej waszej Ojczyzny. Z serca wam błogosławię. Niech będzie pochwalony Jezus Chrystus.
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Cari pellegrini di lingua italiana: benvenuti! Saluto i cresimandi della Diocesi di Teggiano-Policastro con il Vescovo Mons. Antonio De Luca; le Suore Salesiane dei Sacri Cuori; i seminaristi di Catania e Caltagirone; i Diaconi del Collegio Maronita di Roma. Saluto inoltre i partecipanti al Seminario promosso dall’Università della Santa Croce e i fedeli di Montecchio per l’anniversario di fondazione della loro parrocchia. La vostra visita alle Tombe degli Apostoli e dei Papi, a pochi giorni dalla Canonizzazione di San Giovanni XXIII e San Giovanni Paolo II sia occasione per approfondire la propria appartenenza al Popolo santo di Dio.
Un pensiero speciale rivolgo ai giovani, agli ammalati e agli sposi novelli. Ieri abbiamo celebrato la festa liturgica di Santa Caterina da Siena, patrona d’Italia e d’Europa. Cari giovani, imparate da lei a vivere con la coscienza retta di chi non cede ai compromessi umani. Cari malati, ispiratevi al suo esempio di fortezza nei momenti di maggiore dolore. E voi, cari sposi novelli, imitate la solidità della fede di chi si fida di Dio."
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