I love asking the Holy Spirit to give me a word to guide my new year, which usually ends up being some kind of virtue that needs cultivating in my life: discipline, docility (teachability), etc.

This New Year’s Eve morning, before I even had a chance to pray, I awoke with the Latin word “sapientia” repeating in my mind. I realized that this was my “word” from God, though I couldn’t remember what it meant exactly and had to look it up.

(Drumroll…)

It means “wisdom,” (I can always use more of that!) and it is considered the first and greatest of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit received at baptism. According to St. Bernard, it both illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine.

So how do I grow in wisdom if it is a gift? I can think of only one way: By spending more time with the gift-giver. 💗

I encourage you to pray for a word to guide you in the new year. Please feel free to share it below!

P.S. As I looked for an image for this post, I came across this one from McEwan Hall at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland—where I went to school! God is so fun.

Collection: University of Edinburgh; Persons: N/A; Event: N/A; Place: McEwan Hall; Edinburgh; Scotland; UK; Category: University Buildings; Description: Details from the ceiling spaceof the McEwan Hall during the 2016 refurbishment of the building.