Which gift of the Holy Spirit will you get?
Looking for an easy, last-minute idea to celebrate Pentecost with your family this Sunday? On seven different strips of red paper (red is the liturgical color for the feast day), write down each of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord
Put the strips of paper in a box, bag, or hat. At the end of your Sunday family meal, have each family member pick a strip of paper out of the box. Then, that person works and prays for God to increase in them that particular gift of the Spirit until Pentecost comes again.
Better yet, use my free Pentecost Activity Printout with all seven gift strips for cutting, followed by a prayer for each gift that you can cut and keep in your wallet, on your bathroom mirror, or stick in your Bible to remind you to pray for that gift every day!
This is an easy and powerful way to keep the spirit of Pentecost and the working of the Holy Spirit alive in your personal and family prayer life throughout the year.
Here is a great article on The Gifts of the Holy Spirit for you to read as a family (with older children) or as a couple, before or after choosing your gifts. If you have younger children, this short article on How to Talk to Your Children About the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirt is easier to understand and explain.
You can also begin or end your activity with this Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Customize the activity for your family, given the ages and number of your children. (You can always double up on certain gifts if you have a large family!) You can even do this activity by and for yourself. I’ll be working on making my “Holy Spirit gift box” this weekend, in addition to baking our Pentecost cake. Happy Solemnity of Pentecost and Happy Birthday, Church!
