Come Holy Spirit Series: Week 2 Part B: The Fruit of Love

Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit.

Week 2: The Fruit of the Spirit is Love

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” — Galatians 5:22

Perhaps when you received the sacrament of Confirmation, you were like me and were able to recite all the gifts of the Spirit and perhaps even the fruits of the Spirit.  However, as the years pass the memory fades and the way to connect the fruits of the Spirit with the gifts of the Spirit has disappeared. 

Perhaps, like me, you have not given the fruits of the Spirit much thought at all.   This is my motivation for writing this series.  I decided to imagine I had never been confirmed before and learn what I can about the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit as if I had never heard of them before. I desire to have a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.

The Gift of Love

The Church has always held love (caritas) as the highest of the virtues and the very heartbeat of the Christian life. It is not a fruit we manufacture on our own—it is the natural outpouring of the Holy Spirit at work within us. Love is first in the list of the fruits of the Spirit because all the others flow from it.

As we begin this 12-week journey into the fruits of the Spirit, we start with love—not simply emotion, but divine action; not sentimentality, but sacrificial and faithful presence.

What Does Scripture Say?

• 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, love is kind…” This passage remains the clearest portrait of love lived in the Spirit.
  
  
• Romans 5:5: “The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
  
  
• John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you.”

In these verses, we see that love is not only a commandment but a gift, presence, and proof of the Spirit’s indwelling.

What Does the Church Say?

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (383–385) affirms that the fruits of the Spirit are “perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory.”

In paragraph 1822 of the full Catechism:

“Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbour as ourselves for the love of God.”

When we speak of love as a fruit, it is deeply theological—it connects heaven and earth in us.

 How Does Love Connect with the Gifts of the Spirit?

• Wisdom allows us to see with God’s eyes—and love with God’s heart.
• Piety gives us the tenderness of devotion toward God and others.
• Counsel helps us act in love when we are unsure.
• Fortitude gives us the strength to love when it is difficult.

Love is not just a fruit—it is the expression of all the gifts taking root.

 Practicing the Fruit of Love

To grow in love is to allow the Holy Spirit to widen our hearts—gradually, humbly, and consistently. This love is not reserved for the extraordinary moments, but revealed in the ordinary, daily acts of grace. Here are some ways to let the fruit of love take deeper root in your life:

• Begin each day with a quiet offering: Before speaking or acting, ask: Holy Spirit, help me to love well today—through my words, my tone, my choices.
  
  
• Listen attentively: Make a conscious effort to be fully present when someone speaks. Set aside distractions. Let love be shown in undivided attention.
  
  
• Notice and affirm the good in others: Send a message, write a note, or speak a kind word that reminds someone of their value—especially when they least expect it.
  
  
• Love in patience: When frustrated, pause. Breathe. Delay a reaction. Choose a softer response. This is love in action.
  
  
• Forgive with gentleness: If a memory of hurt surfaces, pray: Holy Spirit, soften my heart. Teach me to forgive with freedom.
  
  
• Stretch your circle: Look around your parish, workplace, or neighbourhood. Is there someone who might feel overlooked or disconnected? Extend warmth, an invitation, a kind gesture.
  
  
• Serve in hidden ways: Do something kind without needing recognition—return a shopping trolley, wash someone else’s mug, tidy up after a meeting.
  
  
• Pray intentionally for someone each day: Choose one person each morning and hold them in prayer, especially with someone you may find difficult to understand or connect.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14

 Journal Opportunity: Reflecting on Love

Here are a few journaling prompts to sit with this week:

1. When I think of love, what images or memories come to mind?
2. In what ways do I already see the fruit of love in my life?
3. Where am I struggling to show love right now?
4. What does it mean for me to love as Christ loves?
5. How can I invite the Holy Spirit to help me love more deeply this week?

You may like to print and keep these in your prayer journal or spiritual notebook.

 Closing Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your divine fire.
Teach me how to love when I feel dry, wounded, or afraid.
Let my life speak of your love—not just in words, but in every choice I make.
Holy Spirit, grow your fruit in me. Amen.