Ember Wed of Pentecost: Gift of Counsel

Statue of St. Peter by Arnulfo di Cambio

Today, what is traditionally Ember Wednesday of Pentecost, we move to a consideration of the third of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: the Gift of Counsel.

For more on what is meant by an Ember Day, you might note: Ars bene moriendi: Ember Days?

The Catechism, referring to Isaiah, lists the Gifts thus: "The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord." (CCC1831)

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that counsel is among four of the gifts that belong especially to reason, rather than to the will: "For, seeing that of the seven gifts, four belong to the reason, viz. wisdom, knowledge, understanding and counsel." (STh, I-II, q. 68, a. 1)


Of the Gift of Counsel, the third listed, the Angelic Doctor says, "Since, however, human reason is unable to grasp the singular and contingent things which may occur, the result is that 'the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain' (Wis. 9:14). Hence in the research of counsel, man requires to be directed by God who comprehends all things: and this is done through the gift of counsel, whereby man is directed as though counseled by God, just as, in human affairs, those who are unable to take counsel for themselves, seek counsel from those who are wiser." (STh, II-II, q. 52, a. 1)  Further, he mentions of this gift in his introduction to the gifts that, "Accordingly, for the apprehension of truth, the speculative reason is perfected by 'understanding'; the practical reason, by 'counsel.'" (STh, I-II, q. 68, a. 4)

John of St. Thomas adds that, "The gift of counsel does have a certitude from the Holy Spirit, not indeed that of faith, but a prudential certitude founded upon the motion of the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit wishes to prove that the spirit is from God. He also wishes to have a man proceed humbly without presuming that of himself he can order all things which belong to the gift of counsel. The counsel of God is especially a counsel of humility and examination. Hence a person should not be led by a private spirit, but by one which has been examined." (Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Ch. V, 23)

St. Thomas Aquinas associates the Gift of Counsel with the cardinal virtue of Prudence, both, obviously, involve a practical judgment of what ought to be done.  John of St. Thomas, in his Introduction to the Summa Theologiae, does explain why the gift is called counsel, rather than prudence: "The Gift of the Holy Spirit corresponding to prudence is the gift of counsel. It is called the gift of counsel rather than of prudence because the chief act of prudence is to command, which implies to move rather than to be moved. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, however, make a man responsive to movement by the Holy Spirit rather than moving, and this is why it is called the gift of counsel rather than prudence." (Commenting on STh, II-II, q. 52 of Aquinas)


St. Augustine of Hippo, for his part, in On the Sermon on the Mount, associates the Gift of Counsel with the Beatitude "Blessed are the Merciful," explaining that, "Counsel corresponds to the merciful: for this is the one remedy for escaping from so great evils, that we forgive, as we wish to be ourselves forgiven; and that we assist others so far as we are able, as we ourselves desire to be assisted where we are not able: and of them it is here said, Blessed are the merciful." (Book I, chapter 4, 11)

St. Thomas explains, "Counsel is properly about things useful for an end. Hence such things as are of most use for an end, should above all correspond to the gift of counsel. Now such is mercy, according to 1 Tim. 4:8, 'Godliness [pietas] is profitable to all things.' Therefore the beatitude of mercy specially corresponds to the gift of counsel, not as eliciting but as directing mercy." (STh, II-II, q. 52, a. 4)

John of St. Thomas associates the Beatitudes focused on justice and mercy with the active live; fitting, indeed, for the Gift of Counsel: "The fourth and fifth beatitudes are ordained to the attainment of true beatitude through the works of the active life. The fourth beatitude is a thirst and hunger after justice -- a giving to each his due with a burning heart. The fifth beatitude, 'blessed are the merciful,' gives justice and mercy and alms to friends, neighbours, foreigners and enemies." (Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Ch. IX, 4)

On this Ember Wednesday after Pentecost, let us pray for the Gift of Counsel, and that we might be merciful!

Veni, Sancte Spiritus!  Live well!