The gift of knowledge enables us to understand the world in the light of God’s plan of creation and elevation to the supernatural order. St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that the knowledge of divine things is called wisdom, while the knowledge of human things is called knowledge.

According to St. Augustine and St. Thomas, the gift of knowledge corresponds to the beatitude, “Blessed are they who mourn.” St. Augustine wrote, “Knowledge befits the mourner, who has discovered that he has been mastered by the evil which he coveted as though it were good.”

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Right judgment about creatures belongs properly to knowledge. Now it is through creatures that man’s aversion from God is occasioned…. It is by forming a right judgment of creatures that man becomes aware of the loss…. Hence the beatitude of sorrow is said to correspond to the gift of knowledge.”

Praise God in creation

St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, “All creation, the movement of the earth and the other heavenly bodies, the good actions of creatures, and all the good that has been achieved in history, in short, everything, comes from God and is directed toward Him.”

A spiritual son of St. Josemaria, Father Francis Fernandez, wrote, “The hymn of the three young men in the book of Daniel, which many Catholics use for thanksgiving after Holy Communion, is a clear expression of the gift of knowledge. All created things are asked to bless and give glory to God.”

The hymn of the three young men (Dn 3:57-88) is recited at the Liturgy of the Hours during Morning Prayer every second Sunday: “Sun and moon, bless the Lord. Stars of heaven, bless the Lord…. Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord…. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.”

St. Jerome learned a practical lesson from this hymn. He wrote, “How can the sun and moon praise God, as the prophet exhorts them to? By performing well that task which has been imposed on them by the Lord. This is great praise which they give Him. Behold, then, an excellent way in which you can praise God at all times: by performing well your tasks and whatever you may have to do.”

Catechism in examples

Our Blessed Lord used daily events to illustrate divine truths. The saints, with the gift of knowledge, followed the example of their Master.

During school holidays, St. Dominic Savio loved to play with his relatives and friends. He was full of wisely pointed jokes and interesting stories, with which he would drive home catechism lessons. He wanted everyone to understand the love of God.

In his preaching and teaching, St. Francis de Sales loved to use creatures to illustrate divine truths. In his classic, Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis used the activities of bees to illustrate the spiritual life.

“The bumblebee makes no honey alone, but if it falls among bees it works with them. Our own devout life will be materially helped by intercourse with other devout souls.”

“The queen bee never takes wing without being surrounded by all her subjects; even so Love never enters the heart but it is sure to bring all other virtues in its train.”

“[During meditation] if your mind finds sufficient matter, light, and fruit wherein to rest in any one consideration, dwell upon it, even as the bee, which hovers over one flower so long as it affords honey.”

“Even as the bee touches naught save honey with his tongue, so should your lips be ever sweetened with your God, knowing nothing more pleasant than to praise and bless His Holy Name.”

聖神七恩的「聰敏」之恩，幫助我們在天主聖神光照下，領略天主創造的計劃，從而把世俗的事情，提升到超性的理解層面。聖多瑪斯指出，「上智」是用來理解超性的事情，「聰敏」是利用理解人性的事情。

聖奧斯定和聖多瑪斯，都把「聰敏」與「真福八端」中的「哀慟的人是有福的」連繫一起 —— 聖奧斯定寫道：「『聰敏』使哀慟的人哀慟，皆因他們察覺自己因貪戀世物的『善』而被『惡』所支配。」聖多瑪斯寫道：「『聰敏』善於作出正確的判斷。人經常因貪戀受造物被誘離天主… 只有對受造物作出正確的判斷才能察覺自己的失落… 故此，『聰敏』之恩與『哀慟』的真福是相連的。」

藉萬物讚揚天主

聖施禮華認為：「所有的受造物 —— 地球與星體的運行、世代萬物眾生的善果，都來自天主，也指向天主。」他其中一位神子、方濟.法蘭特神父寫道：「領聖體後常用的感謝詞，取材自達尼爾先知書中那三位年青人的讚詩，充份表現出『聰敏』的神恩。然而，萬物實在都應該讚美上主！」

達尼爾先知書中3:62-88那三位年青人的讚詩，亦在「時辰頌禱禮」中，應用在每月兩個主日的早禱：「太陽月亮，請讚美上主…，天上的星辰，請讚美上主…，夜和晝，請讚美上主…，光和暗，請讚美上主…，山嶽丘陵，請讚美上主…，地上的生物，請讚美上主…。」聖熱羅尼莫亦從這讚詩有感而發：「先知如何要太陽月亮讚美上主？它們盡忠職守受造的目的，已是對天主最好的讚美！看！同樣，我們遵從天主的使命，而又善盡本份，已經是無時無刻地讚美天主。」

要理中的舉例

天主藉著每日的事情顯示祂神聖的真理，諸聖藉著「聰敏」對主亦步亦趨。

聖多明我.沙維豪與同輩玩耍時，不忘巧妙地利用趣事或故事，帶出教會的要理，好讓每一個人，明白天主的愛。

聖方濟.沙雷訓導時，喜歡借助萬物去解說神聖的真理。在他的「步入虔誠」箸作中，聖方濟.沙雷以蜜蜂借喻神修生活

「大黃蜂只和工蜂一起時，才會製造蜜糖。我們與熱心的人一起，才容易渡虔敬的生活。」

「蜂后和工蜂一起時才顫翼；同樣，『愛』帶同其它德行，始進佔人心。」

「蜜蜂穿梭花叢只為那蘊藏豐富的花蜜。在默想時，感到當中的豐盛、光照和得著，便設法停留在那裡罷。」

「雖因反覆的採集而麻木，蜜蜂仍繼續努力採集花蜜。我們應該相信，頌揚上主聖名，常常是甜美喜悅，無以尚之。」