Spirit in Life: The Fruits of the Spirit

Mom and Dad summarize the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in this episode. As well as a paragraph from the catechism. No fruit can be external without being internal. Just like any orchard, or tree, we need to cultivate it. -Nathaniel

What is Chastity? Mom and Dad explore this including the fact that it is not only, although it’s a big part of it, keeping our purity outside of marriage. There are so many opportunities for unchaste actions after marriage. Getting married does not automatically mean we are chaste! Chastity is the call to love sacrificially with our bodies.

Chastity is the fruit that is borne from a healthy relationship. We can be unchaste before or after marriage. There is always regret after we have been unchaste. Chastity is a fruit that is simply following natural law. -Nathaniel

Mom and Dad explore Self Control in this short video. Self Control is much like Temperance. Being Self Controlled is watching what we say, do, and think. When we have true Self Control, we recognize our sins immediately. When we lack self control, we can fall into a state of sin very easily.

It also provides us the grace in apologizing. The more we do it, the more we realize we should be doing it also the more we do it the less we need to do it. The true fruit of Self Control is how we act when we’re alone.

Mom and Dad explore Modesty in this episode. The thing that probably comes to mind first is CLOTHING! We seem to stretch the meaning of modesty in that regard, thinking that to look beautiful, we need to be immodest.

But, it’s not all about clothing! Remember, Fruits have multiple manifestations. We will automatically find that DOING Modest, or dressing appropriately, will come if we ARE Modest. Modesty has to do with how we think of our own selves.

Modesty is like the opposite of sinful Pride. It means we are selfless. A combination of Humility, selflessness, dignity and Prudence.

Modesty is also in thought, speech, and dress. Also, it is how we treat ourselves when we’re alone. -Nathaniel

What is the difference between Faithfulness and Faith? Mom and Dad explore this Fruit as we continue in this series.

Faithfulness is Fidelity not Faith. Faithfulness reminds us to not rationalize our actions. When you know God or the Truth, you cannot help but be Faithful. Faithfulness comes from confidence in the fact that God is in our Heart.

Faithfulness is that strength of remaining tied to the Lord.

Mom and dad explore the fruit of Gentleness. How is Mary related to Gentleness? Gentleness is probably the easiest Fruit to understand. Gentleness is having a soft touch in our truthfulness. In Gentleness we are called to “speak the Truth in Love”

It is the manifestation of the Golden Rule. We don’t know someone’s story. we don’t know where they came are coming from or where it is going. It’s one of those Fruits that we can “Fake it ’till i make it” -Nathaniel

Generosity come from the heart outward. IN this short video we discuss God’s Generosity and how our generosity comes from His.

How can we not be generous when He has given us everything?

None of this is ours. We are stewards meant to distribute the Love of God and all that comes with it. To do Generous one must be Generous, and that’s what we consider here.

Will Goodness always stay? What is it? Mom and Dad talk about how the Goodness that we practice is not done for a motive, but that it is natural for us to do it. They say that if we have God in us, we have Goodness. One of the Transcendentals, or attributes of God, is Goodness. The Fruit of Goodness is us cooperating with the Divine Life in us known as Grace; it is a reflection of God within us.

Remember those bracelets that said “What would Jesus do?” If we were using Goodness, we would not need to have the reminders. So, we should not DO good for the sake of DOING good; we should BE good, and the Doing will soon follow. Goodness comes from God; therefore, if we cooperate with the Big Guy, we will BE good. If we are not being good we soon realize it, and then we would have done good. Focus on BEING good as opposed to DOING good, and we are well on our way. -Nathaniel

What is Kindness? Is it Niceness? Learn the difference between the two words as well as if Jesus was one, and, if so, which one. Are you a chicken on a june-bug when something ticks you off? Learn how to be kind about everything. When Justice and Mercy are used in all things Kindness just exudes from that. When you are Kind, you are being Truthful; whereas niceness can feed sin and ego. When we practice Kindness, we take them “along side us” as Mom says. Being nice can be sinful if you do it too much, and Kindness is much a symptom of other virtues. It may not get that much air-play, but it is a very important Fruit as all of them are. -Nathaniel

Presented by Mom and Dad, this episode discusses Patience. What is Patience? Is it true that if you pray for patience God will give you lots of opportunities to practice it? Answers to these questions are addressed as well as the fact that human nature lends itself to stuff being done “our way” as opposed to Patiently waiting for God’s way. Thrown in are a few laughs, and anecdotes, and this will lead you to see the view of patience that Mom and Dad have. -Nathaniel.