DAY 6

THE GIFT OF COUNSEL.

• ACT OF CONTRITION.

  O my God I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because of your punishments, but most of all because they offended you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

• Act OF FAITH.

  My God, I believe in you and all that your Church teaches, because you have said it and your love is true.

• ACT OF HOPE.

  My God, I hope in you for grace and for glory, because of your promises, your mercy and your power.

• HYMN: HOLY SPIRIT LORD OF LIGHT

  Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
  From the clear celestial height,
  Thy pure beaming radiance give,
  Come, thou Father of the poor,
  Come with treasures that endure,
  Come, thou light of all that live!
  Thou, of all consolers best,
  

  Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
  Dost refreshing peace bestow
  Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
  Pleasant coolness in the heat;
  Solace in the midst of woe...

• SCRIPTURE READING (Joshua 24:14-28)

• CONSIDERATION.

  The gift of counsel is a disposition in the soul through which the Holy Spirit prompts us to choose to do the better of two good actions. It is the elder sister of the supernatural prudence. Prudence teaches us the A, B, C, of the Christian life, the gift of counsel trains us in fine arts of Christian perfection. As the gift gains greater influence over our actions, the soul begins to realize the words of St. Paul; "All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient" (1Cor.6:12). This gift can never be developed in the Christian soul which stops short only of mortal sin in its use of liberty. Such a ruler of conduct will not keep us ling from mortal sin entering the soul, grace and all the supernatural gifts depart. Because my use of the things of this world may give my neighbor a pretext for abusing them it is often expedient for me to hearken to the counsel of my divine guide and refrain from illicit pleasures and actions. Above all, as Catholics, we should be as shining lights to our neighbors, going before them in the path of virtue. To do so, we need the gift of counsel, and therefore, let us pray for it.

• PRAYER.

  Come, O Spirit of counsel, help and guide me in all ways, that I may always do thy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long.
  Amen.