Learning about my gifts
Did you know that you have spiritual gifts?
God has given each baptized Christian two kinds of spiritual gifts: The gifts of the Holy Spirit, and charisms.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These are supernatural gifts given to us at baptism and sealed in the sacrament of confirmation. They are meant for us to keep. They help us to grow in holiness and aid us in our journey towards heaven. The struggle against sin and temptation is difficult, and we can ask the Holy Spirit to stir up these gifts within us to give us help.
Charisms
The second kind of spiritual gifts are charisms. Charism comes from a Greek word in the New Testament that means “favor” or “gratuitous gift.” These are unique gifts God has given you to serve others and build up the Church. Given supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, they differ from natural talents, and cannot be used for evil. Each baptized Christian has at least one charism.
“Within the communion of the Church, the Holy Spirit “distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank” for the building up of the Church. Now, “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 951).
The Catherine of Sienna Institute offers the “Called & Gifted” Program to help you discern your charisms. This is a wonderful way to learn more about the specific gifts God has given you, and how you can better utilize them. Visit their website for more information, or to get started.
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Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Corinthians 12: 4-11
