Pope Francis reflects on Holy Spirit’s gift of understanding
April 30, 2014
Continuing his weekly catechesis on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis devoted his April 30 general audience to the gift of understanding.
“It is not a question of human intelligence, the intellectual capacity with which we can be gifted to a greater or lesser degree,” the Pope said. “Instead, it is a grace that only the Holy Spirit can infuse and which awakens in the Christian the ability to go beyond the outward appearance of reality and scrutinize the depths of God’s thoughts and His plan of salvation.”
“This of course does not mean that a Christian can understand everything and have full knowledge of God’s plan: all of this will only be revealed in all its clarity when we find ourselves in the sight of God, and we are truly one with Him,” he continued. “Yet, as suggested by the word itself, understanding allows us to ‘intus legere,’ to ‘read into’: and this gift helps us understand things as God understands, with the intelligence of God.”
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Further information:
- Pope at General Audience: The gift of understanding (Vatican Radio)
- The Second Gift of the Holy Spirit: God's Understanding (VIS)
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