Spiritual Fruit: Temperance (i.e. Moderation or Self-Control)

Gift of the Holy Spirit: These are concluded for the year, but we continue to ask the Holy Spirit to increase and strengthen all seven within us, and ask him to help us know in what gift(s) we are particularly strongest and how God desires that we use it/them to build up his Kingdom especially in our own family, parish, and wider local community.

Exemplifying the Fruit of Temperance: St. Augustine Article on St. Augustine as Patron Saint of Temperance.
Video (9 mins 31 sec) on the Life of Saint Augustine: St. Augustine of Hippo
Longer video here (1 hour): Saint Augustine: A Voice For All Generations

(said in addition to the other opening prayers to the Holy Spirit)
“Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.”

Week 1: Galatians 5:1-26
Week 2: Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-12
Week 3: 1 Cor 15:1-28
Week 4: Romans 1: 16-32, 2:10-11
Week 5 (if needed or may be used as a substitute reading): Acts 1:1-14

(To be used for the closing prayer of the Cenacle)
Heavenly Father, in this month of April in which we celebrate your victory over death and your glorious resurrection, we ask you to send down your Holy Spirit upon us to increase and strengthen within us his seven-fold gifts. We ask you to help show us our particular strengths with which you have blessed us and move us to use those gifts for the service of your Kingdom in our homes, our parishes, and our communities. We beseech you as well this month to increase the fruit of your Spirit within us, especially the fruit of temperance that we may always overcome all temptations of our weak flesh, against slothfulness, against chastity, against gluttony, against all addiction, against any sins that impede us from fully accomplishing your will, that we may share in your victory over sin and death and rejoice triumphantly in your resurrection. We ask this through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord who lives and reigns, God forever and ever, Amen.

Jubilee Year of the Holy Spirit—The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Sacrifices of Lent
Throughout this special year, we have looked at each of the Holy Spirit’s seven gifts. Between now and Pentecost, which the universal Church will celebrate on June 4 this year, we should ask the Holy Spirit in prayer in which gifts we are strongest asking God how He desires that we use it/them to build up his Kingdom, especially in our own family, parish, and wider local community. Lent is most especially a time in which to hear God speaking to us. Do we have loved ones fallen away from the faith and in danger of the loss of salvation? Even if we cannot see what strengths with which God has blessed us all of us who are of healthy mind can pray fervently for our loved ones and others, offer in union with Christ’s sufferings on the cross our daily difficulties, and make daily sacrifices for them. Through the grace of Christ’s death and resurrection, suffering is redemptive! Let us not waste ours.

Jubilee Year of the Holy Spirit: Focus on Bearing the Fruit of Temperance
This month we also ask the Holy Spirit to stir up within us the fruit of Temperance. Temperance is that fruit of moderation or self-control which enables us to “tame the flesh” which, in turn, helps us to overcome sins of the flesh, which are the easiest sins Satan uses to destroy us. By temperance, we are able resist not only the sins of the flesh, but temptations to over-do the good things of the earth God allows us. By over-doing even good things God allows us, and here we do not mean those things which gain us merit, we can fall into addiction or experience health problems caused by, for instance, over-eating, over-drinking sweet or alcoholic drinks, etc., or the even the overuse of our Smartphones as we waste precious time looking at media rather than doing good. By failing to exercise temperance, we begin to put material things that draw us away from God over the spiritual things that draw us to God. How can we know when we’re addicted to something? A good indication is when we try to give something up and we continue to be drawn back to it unable to stop ourselves. As our diocesan patron, Saint Augustine stated, “Temperance is love surrendering itself wholly to Him who is it’s object.” This includes even common things we might not even consider to be harmful. Let us modify the use of those things which addict us for the sake of the love of the One who loves us.