When a soul docilely responds to the action of the Holy Spirit, it produces exquisite acts of virtue that can be compared to the ripe fruits of a tree. These are characterized by their great softness and sweetness. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The image is biblical and precise. Saint Paul enumerates them in the original Greek of the letter to the Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). The Latin Vulgate expands the list to twelve by adding modesty, continence, and chastity.
Do you want to know more about the Holy Spirit and all the graces He has reserved for the baptized? Stay tuned. We will publish a series of articles about the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, so that He may be better known, more loved, and heard. A soul docile and obedient to His inspirations can attain holiness more easily and quickly.
Do you want to find Pentecost celebrations in a Catholic church? The Mass Times app shows you updated schedules for over 110,000 churches in 200 countries. Download it now.
What are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Catechism of the Catholic Church
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are exquisite acts of virtue that the soul produces when it docilely responds to the interior prompting of the Holy Spirit. Not all acts that proceed from grace are strictly fruits, but only those that are most ripe and perfect. They are, in the words of Saint Thomas, “the acts in which the soul finds spiritual consolation” (I-II q. 70 a. 2).
Fr. Royo Marín, in his work The Great Unknown, specifies that they are completely contrary to the works of the flesh: while the flesh tends towards sensible goods that are beneath man, the Holy Spirit moves the soul towards what is above it.
How many Fruits of the Holy Spirit are there?
Saint Paul cites nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in the original Greek text of Galatians 5:22-23: charity, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. The Latin Vulgate lists twelve, adding modesty, continence, and chastity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church adopts this latter enumeration (CCC 1832).
As Saint Thomas points out, following Saint Augustine, the Apostle did not intend to enumerate all of them, but cited some to exemplify. In reality, the fruits are or can be many more, since they are acts and not habits, like the gifts.
What is the difference between the fruits, the gifts, and the beatitudes?
Christian tradition distinguishes between the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the fruits, and the beatitudes, noting that each possesses its own nature, a specific causal relationship, and a distinct degree of perfection. The fundamental difference lies in that the gifts are permanent habits, while the fruits and beatitudes are concrete acts that manifest in the believer’s life.
The gifts are supernatural dispositions infused by God into the powers of the soul. Their function is to prepare and make human beings docile to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In contrast, the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the beatitudes are not habits, but actions derived from those gifts and virtues, that is, their visible expression.
To explain the relationship between them, Royo Marín uses the analogy of a tree. The gifts are compared to the branches, which represent the cause. The fruits are the mature product that springs from these branches and are distinguished from the gifts as the effect is distinguished from its cause. In this way, the gifts generate virtuous acts, and these acts, when they reach fullness, become fruits and eventually beatitudes.
Regarding the degree of perfection, a clear hierarchy is established. The fruits are acts of virtue characterized by their spiritual sweetness and gentleness. The beatitudes, on the other hand, represent more complete and perfect acts, as they represent the culmination of the Christian life on earth. Therefore, it can be affirmed that all beatitudes are fruits, but not all fruits become beatitudes, as the latter require a higher level of perfection and heroism.
In summary, the Holy Spirit moves the gifts, which are habits; from this movement spring the fruits of the Holy Spirit, virtuous and gentle acts; and when these acts reach their maximum perfection, they become beatitudes, crowning the Christian life.
These are three distinct but related realities within the supernatural life:
| Gifts | Fruits | Beatitudes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they are | Habits infused by the Spirit | Exquisite acts of virtue | More perfect and complete acts |
| Relationship | Like the branch of a tree | Like the fruit of the branch | Like the ripest and most seasoned fruit |
| Example | Gift of wisdom | Spiritual joy and peace | Blessed are the pure in heart |
What are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and their meaning?
1. Charity
Charity is the first of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the foundation and root of all others. The Holy Spirit, who is personally infinite Love, communicates His flame to the soul, making it love God with all its heart, with all its strength, and with all its mind, and its neighbor for the love of God.
Where this love is lacking, no supernatural action, no merit for eternal life, no true happiness can be found. Charity is a most sweet fruit because to love God is to achieve one’s purpose on earth and the beginning of eternal union with Him. Saint Paul confirms this: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5).
Fr. Royo Marín directly links it to the gift of wisdom: charity is the most proper fruit of one who has attained a taste and enjoyment of divine things through that gift.
2. Joy
Joy spontaneously emanates from charity, like perfume from a flower or light from the sun. It gives the soul a profound joy, a product of the satisfaction of victory over oneself and of having done good.
What distinguishes this joy from any other is its resilience: it is not extinguished in tribulations, but grows through them. It is the overflowing joy of which Saint Paul speaks when he writes from prison:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil 4:4).
Fr. Royo Marín links this fruit of the Holy Spirit to the gift of knowledge: spiritual joy is the fruit born from the taste and delight that the will experiences in supernatural truths known through that gift.
3. Peace
True joy carries peace within it as its perfection, because it presupposes and guarantees the tranquil enjoyment of the beloved object. The beloved object par excellence can be none other than God, and hence peace is the tranquil assurance of possessing Him and being in His grace.
This is the peace of the Lord that, as Saint Paul says, “surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7). It is a joy that surpasses all joy founded on the flesh or on material things. Fr. Royo Marín links this fruit of the Holy Spirit to the gift of wisdom: whoever savors God as the supreme good experiences a serenity in the soul that no external circumstance can take away.
4. Patience
Life is a constant struggle against visible and invisible enemies and against the forces of the world. Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit necessary to heroically endure sufferings and evils without disturbance destroying inner peace.
Fr. Royo Marín links it directly to the gift of fortitude: “the fruit of patience corresponds to the gift of fortitude to heroically endure sufferings and evils”. It is not passive resignation, but a supernatural strength that transforms pain into a path towards God.
5. Long-suffering
Long-suffering confers upon the soul a breadth of vision and generosity by which it knows how to await the hour of Divine Providence when it sees that the fulfillment of its designs is delayed, and it knows how to be kind and patient with its neighbor without growing weary of their resistance or opposition.
This fruit of the Holy Spirit gives great courage and great spirit in difficulties that oppose good, a spirit that is supernaturally great for conceiving and executing the works of God. Like patience, Fr. Royo Marín links it to the gift of fortitude: patience for present evils, long-suffering for not faltering in the prolonged practice of good.
6. Kindness
Kindness is the constant disposition to indulgence and affability in speaking, responding, and acting. One can be good without being kind, having a rough and harsh manner with others. Kindness, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, makes one sociable and gentle in words and demeanor, despite the rudeness and harshness of others.
It is a great sign of the holiness of a soul and of the action of the Holy Spirit within it. Fr. Royo Marín links it to the gift of piety: one who treats others as children of the same Father naturally tends towards gentleness and indulgence in their dealings.
7. Goodness
Goodness is the affection one has for always seeking the good of one’s neighbor, the practical fruit of kindness for those who suffer and need help. If kindness is the interior disposition, goodness is its exterior expression in concrete works.
Goodness, an effect of the soul’s union with God, who is infinite goodness, infuses the Christian spirit into one’s neighbor, moving one to do good in imitation of Jesus Christ. Fr. Royo Marín links this fruit of the Holy Spirit to the gift of piety and the gift of counsel: one who acts guided by divine mercy naturally seeks the concrete good of their neighbor.
8. Gentleness
Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that opposes anger and resentment. It opposes anger that seeks to impose itself on others; it opposes resentment that seeks revenge for offenses received. Gentleness gives the Christian sweetness in words and demeanor in the face of the arrogance of others.
Fr. Royo Marín links it indirectly to the gift of piety: gentleness removes impediments (anger, resentment) to acts of piety. It is also the trait that Jesus pointed out in the beatitudes: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:4).
9. Faithfulness
Faithfulness is keeping one’s word and being punctual in commitments. It is the virtue that glorifies God, who is truth. One who promises without fulfilling, who arrives late to meetings, who is courteous in front of a person and despises them behind their back, lacks the simplicity that Jesus Christ suggested with the image of the dove and induces others to uncertainty in social relationships.
Faithfulness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in which the veracity of God is manifested, reflected in the soul. Fr. Royo Marín links it to the gift of knowledge: supernatural certainty about the truths of faith naturally produces an upright and faithful soul in all its relationships.
10. Modesty
Modesty, as its name implies, regulates the appropriate and convenient manner in dressing, speaking, walking, laughing, and playing. As a reflection of inner calm, this fruit of the Holy Spirit keeps the eyes from dwelling on vulgar things, harmonizes the lips by uniting simplicity and charity with a smile, and excludes what is harsh and ill-mannered.
Fr. Royo Marín links it to the gift of fear: reverence before divine majesty naturally produces order and composure in all the soul’s external conduct.
11. Continence
Continence maintains order within man and contains concupiscence within just limits, not only concerning sensual pleasures, but also concerning eating, drinking, sleeping, recreation, and other pleasures of material life.
The disordered satisfaction of all these instincts that liken man to animals is regulated by continence, whose energy aims at the love of God. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit linked to the gift of fear: the soul that fears to offend God naturally regulates its appetites so as not to stray from Him.
12. Chastity
Chastity is the victory achieved over the flesh that makes the Christian a living temple of the Holy Spirit. There is virginal chastity and conjugal chastity — the perfect order and employment of marriage — because in both states the soul can reign over its body in great peace.
The chaste soul feels within itself the ineffable joy of intimate friendship with God, as Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). Fr. Royo Marín links it to the gift of fear: the moderation and channeling of concupiscible passions is a proper effect of one who fears to separate God from their soul.
How are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit related to the Gifts?
Fr. Royo Marín establishes a precise correspondence between the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit and the seven gifts. It is not a rigid correspondence—the same fruit can spring from more than one gift—but there is an inner logic:
| Gift of the Holy Spirit | Fruits it primarily produces |
|---|---|
| Wisdom | Charity, spiritual joy, peace |
| Knowledge | Faithfulness, spiritual joy |
| Understanding | Clarity in faith |
| Counsel | Goodness, kindness |
| Fortitude | Patience, long-suffering |
| Piety | Goodness, kindness, gentleness |
| Fear of the Lord | Modesty, continence, chastity |
The logic is clear: the gifts are the infused habits that the Holy Spirit deposits in the soul like branches of a tree. The fruits are the exquisite acts that these branches produce when the soul docilely cooperates with grace. The more the gifts develop, the more abundant and ripe the fruits of the Holy Spirit are.
Prayer to obtain the Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, eternal Love of the Father and the Son;
grant me the fruit of Charity, which unites me to You through love;the fruit of Joy which fills me with holy consolation;
the fruit of Peace which produces in me tranquility of soul;
the fruit of Patience, which makes me humbly endure everything that may go against my particular tastes;
the fruit of Kindness, which leads me to relieve the needs of my neighbor;
the fruit of Goodness, which makes me good to all:
the fruit of Long-suffering, which prevents me from being discouraged by any delay;
the fruit of Gentleness, which calms within me every movement of anger, stops all murmuring, suppresses all susceptibility in my relations with my neighbor;
the fruit of Faithfulness, which prompts me to trust with firm assurance in the word of God;
the fruit of Modesty, which regulates my outward demeanor;
the fruits of Continence and Chastity which preserve my body in the holiness proper to Your temple, so that after having preserved, with Your help, the purity of my heart on earth, I may merit in Jesus Christ, according to the words of the Gospel, to see my God forever in the dwelling of glory.
Amen.
Do you want to experience Pentecost with fervor? Check out these articles that can help you:
- What is the Easter Season and How Long Does It Last?: Complete guide to the Easter Season: meaning, Sundays, liturgical signs, Via Lucis, Regina Coeli, and the 2026 celebration calendar.
- Who is the Holy Spirit and What Does He Do?: The Holy Spirit is the Great Unknown. Who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do, what does the Bible say about Him, what does the Catholic Church teach?
What are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit?
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are exquisite acts of virtue that the soul produces when it docilely responds to the interior action of the Holy Spirit. They are called fruits because, like the fruits of a tree, they are the ripe and seasoned result of a well-cultivated supernatural life. The Catechism defines them as “perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory” (CCC 1832)
What are the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit?
The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit according to the Latin Vulgate, adopted by the Catechism (CCC 1832), are: charity, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, continence, and chastity. Saint Paul cites nine in the original Greek text (Gal 5:22-23), indicating—according to Saint Thomas—that he did not intend to enumerate all of them.
What is the difference between the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit?
The gifts are supernatural habits that the Holy Spirit infuses into the soul to dispose it to follow His promptings. They are like the branches of a tree. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the exquisite acts of virtue that those branches produce when the soul cooperates with grace. The gifts are more permanent; the fruits are concrete acts that manifest the presence of the Spirit.
What is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit?
The first and most important is charity: love for God and neighbor. It is the foundation and root of all other fruits. Without charity, no other fruit can truly exist, because all others are expressions or consequences of the love infused into the soul by the Holy Spirit.
How are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit obtained?
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are not obtained by purely human effort. They are the result of the soul’s cooperation with grace. The way is to dispose oneself to receive the Holy Spirit: through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation; through prayer; and through docility to His interior promptings, avoiding sin and cultivating virtues.
How do I find Mass times for Pentecost in nearby churches?
The fastest way is to download the Mass Times app, available on iOS and Android. It allows you to search by current location, parish name, or city, with real-time updated schedules in over 110,000 churches in 200 countries. You can also check your local parish’s website or social media.
