The third gift of the Holy Spirit is counsel. This gift leads us to make right choices in things relating to our salvation. It also helps us to avoid the deceits of the devil. Under difficult circumstances, the gift of counsel enables us to know what the will of God is.

We might recall the answer made by Christ in Sacred Scripture to the question whether tribute should be paid to Caesar, and the judgment of King Solomon. Our Lord said, “When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say” (Lk 12:11-12).

Formation of conscience

In his meditation book, In Conversation with God, Father Francis Fernandez wrote, “The gift of counsel is a great help in keeping a true conscience, and not letting it get deformed. If we are docile, the Holy Spirit will illumine our conscience with light and advice. Our soul will not deviate or make excuses for faults and sins. Rather it will react with contrition, with a greater sorrow at having offended God.”

The gift of counsel helps us to apply moral norms to our behaviour.

Prudence and mercy

The gift of counsel corresponds to the virtue of prudence. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “The gift of counsel is about what has to be done for the sake of the end. Now prudence is about the same matter. Therefore they correspond to one another.”

According to St. Augustine and St. Thomas, the gift of counsel corresponds to the beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” St. Thomas wrote, “Counsel is properly about things useful for an end. Hence such things as are of most use for an end should above all correspond to the gift of counsel.”

The works of mercy, spiritual and corporal, are of the greatest service to us as means to get to heaven. Hence counsel is particularly concerned with works of mercy.

Spiritual good sense

An antique catechetical book from Hong Kong gave beautiful explanations and illustrations of the gift of counsel:

“By this precious gift we come to possess good sense. Good sense in business makes one a successful businessman. But here we mean good sense in a much more important business than mere money-making. The gift of counsel makes us show good sense in the way we keep our soul beautiful: shunning bad companions, dangerous occasions, and anything else that might do harm to it.”

“St. Dominic Savio gave striking illustrations of this gift. Even at games (and he played them with zest!) he would think of God’s business, and with remarkable tact win his companions over to more frequent confession and Communion.

“‘Say, Dominic, will you be along again tomorrow?’

“‘Why, of course! But… on condition!’

“‘What condition?’

“‘That you all, and this hard case here too, come with me to confession, first. Tomorrow is Saturday, you know!’

“‘Oh, sure thing, Dominic! We’ll be with you there!’ And they were.”

Docility to inspirations

Father Francis Fernandez pointed out that “the greatest obstacle to the gift of counsel taking root in our souls is attachment to our own judgment, not knowing how to give way, lack of humility, and hastiness in acting. We facilitate this gift if we become accustomed to bring to our prayer any important decisions we have to make.”

St. Josemaria Escriva advises: “Never make a decision without first stopping to consider the matter in the presence of God.”

聖神七恩中第三恩的「超見」，引領我們在得救恩的事情上，作出正確的抉擇，避受魔鬼的蒙騙，在困難處境中，辨識天主的聖意。

在聖經中，主耶穌解答關於給凱撒立稅的難題，以及撒羅滿王斷案的事情，都是「超見」的表達。

福音記載，對於面臨別人的責難或質問，耶穌勸勉道：「當人押送你們到會堂，到官長及有權柄的人面前，你們不要思慮怎樣申辯，或說什麼話，因為在那個時刻，聖神必要教給你們應說的話。（路加福音12:11-12）」

締造良心

在「與天主對話」一書中，方濟.范納迪神父寫道：「超見幫助我們保守良心的誠實，不讓變異。一顆受教的心，容易接受聖神的光照及勸導，不違背祂、不為己罪作任何開解的藉口；反而會因冒犯天主的罪而深深懊悔。」

「超見」幫助我們將道德誡律，在日常生活中實踐出來。

智德和憐憫

聖多瑪斯教導：「超見涉及有關為達致目標所應作的事，智德也涉及同樣的事；所以，超見和智德有連帶關係。」

聖奧斯定和聖多瑪斯，都把「超見」與「真福八端」中的「憐憫的人是有福的，因為他們要受憐憫。（瑪竇福音5:7）」相提並論。聖多瑪斯說：「超見是有關為達致目標而有用的事。因此愈有用的事就愈與超見有關。」

「憐憫的善功—-神形哀矜—-最能協助我們得到天堂之福；因此，超見與憐憫善功之間的關係，密不可脫。」

靈性的觸角

香港有一冊要理書本，美麗地解釋和表達「超見」之恩：「超見之恩讓我們有良好的觸角。良好的商場觸角造就成功的商人，但我們談的比滾滾財源更重要！超見叫我們躲避損友和犯罪的機會，警惕有損靈魂的事，守衛靈魂的美麗。」

聖多明我.沙維豪常顯出內在「超見」之恩，即使他與同齡小孩開心耍樂時，都不忘與天主有關的事，並且巧妙地誘導他們辦告解和領聖體：

「多明我，明天再一起玩耍，好嗎？」多明我：「為什麼不？當然好！不過，還是有條件的…。」「什麼條件？」多明我：「明天是星期六，你們先和我一起去辦告解，然後才玩耍，好嗎？」「當然！多明我，我們會與你一起！」

果然，所有孩童都和聖多明我.沙維豪一起辦了告解！

順從啟迪

范納迪神父指出：「超見神恩的根本障礙，來自內在的莽斷，不能寬大其心，缺乏謙遜，衝動行事。假如面臨諸凡要事，我們都能先祈禱，會容易領受超見之恩。」

聖施禮華勸道：「作出決定前，要先停下來，在天主面前考慮清楚。」