"Moneybags" at A Catholic Life points to a quirky prayer suggestion for the year that begins on Pentecost 2006 (that’s this June 4, in case you’ve lost track) to Pentecost 2007.
The idea is to pick one — just one — of the traditional "fruits of the Holy Spirit," and spend that whole year praying for an increase of that fruit in your own soul. You could choose the one you know you need most, or you could pick one at random.
What are these fruits? Wikipedia says they are "virtues engendered in an individual by the acceptance of the Spirit and His actions in one’s life." They number either nine or twelve, depending on the tradition you look to. You can get nine of them straight from Galatians 5:22:
- love (charity)
- joy
- peace
- patience
- kindness
- generosity
- faithfulness
- gentleness
- self-control.
Traditionally, Catholics count twelve, adding
- goodness
- modesty
- chastity.
Alternatively, you could pray for one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are supposed to help you to bear the aforementioned fruits. They are
- wisdom
- understanding
- counsel
- fortitude
- knowledge
- piety
- fear of the Lord.
I’m never quite sure of the differences among some of these (wisdom/understanding/counsel, for example)…
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