Discovering Your Charisms

Charisms, spiritual gifts, are special abilities, a special empowerment, given to a Christian by the Holy Spirit to enable them to be powerful channels of God’s love and redeeming presence in the World.  Whether extraordinary or ordinary, charisms are to be used in charity or service to build up the Church (CCC, 2003)

 A charism is always deeply connected with our faith and is an expression of our relationship with God.  In this way it differs from a natural or learned ability.  A charism, exercised correctly, draws  other people to God.  For instance, we can take art courses and learn to paint a picture. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, however, draws people to God. Stained glass windows in a church do the same.

 A charism must be exercised in the context of the Christian’s overall discipleship in submission to Jesus Christ and His Church.

 Three signposts of a Charism:

          1.  An unmistakable inner experience of peace, energy and joy when you are using the gift. 

              It energizes you!

          2.  Unusually effective and successful results in what you’re trying to accomplish

          3.  Other people’s direct or indirect recognition of the gift’s presence

 When exercising your charism there is a natural flow and ease about the whole experience, a sense that we “fit” that we have found our place, that we can be most truly ourselves and, at the same time, an agent of a Goodness that far exceeds our natural abilities.

What is the difference between the seven “gifts of the Holy Spirit” found in Isaiah 11, (Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord) the “fruits of the Holy Spirit” listed in Galatians 5, and the spiritual gifts (charisms)?

“There are gifts of the Holy Spirit that we are given to keep and gifts we are given to give away. The traditional “seven gifts of the Holy Spirit” and the “fruits” of the Spirit are gifts given to us to keep.  They are part of our inner transformation as Christians and provide the inner “Christ-likeness” necessary for the effective use of our charisms (CCC1830-1832).

Pope Francis challenges us to become missionary disciples with our focus on Christ.*  Abba House of Mercy and Prayer invites individuals seeking a deeper understanding of God's purpose for their lives to participate in a one-day seminar called: "Equipped for the Mission." 

** https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/angelus/2018-07/pope-francis-angelus-15-july-2018.html#play

Administration, Celibacy, Craftsmanship, Discernment of Spirits, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, Giving, Healing, Helps, Hospitality, Intercessory Prayer, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Missionary, Music, Pastoring, Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Voluntary Poverty, Wisdom, Writing, Public Tongues and the Interpretation of tongues.

The charism of Administration empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s wisdom by providing the planning and coordination needed to accomplish good things.  (sometimes confused with the charism of leadership or the charism of service)

The charism of Celibacy empowers a Christian to be most fulfilled and spiritually fruitful by remaining unmarried and celibate for the sake of Christ. (The charism of celibacy does not stand on its own. Christians with this gift are being “freed up” for something else.) 

The charism of Craftsmanship empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s goodness to others through artistic or creative work that beautifies and/or orders the physical world. More than just enjoying creating, it is the outpouring of love of God and an expression of faith.  

The charism of Discernment of Spirits empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s wisdom by accurately perceiving a divine or demonic presence in certain people, places or things.

The charism of Encouragement empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s love – nurturing others through his or her presence and words of comfort, encouragement and counsel.

(huge difference between the empowered gift and intuitive empathy).  

The charism of Evangelism empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s love by sharing the faith with others in a way that draws them to become disciples of Jesus and responsible members of His Church.  True test of this charism is what happens when one shares the faith – are others drawn?

The charism of Faith empowers a Christian to be an effective agent of God’s purposes through an unusual trust in the love, power, and provision of God and a remarkable freedom to act on this trust.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta left her convent with 5 rupees (about $1.00) and walked into the streets of Calcutta.  Those with the charism of Faith routinely tackle big visions with little or no visible means of support.  

The charism of Giving empowers a Christian to be a cheerful channel of God’s provision by giving with exceptional generosity to those in need.  Those with this charism find giving their idea of a really good time and God seems to grant some “givers” a special ability to make money or provides them with unexpected resources in often surprising ways.

The charism of Healing empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s love through whom God cures illness and restores health when healing is unlikely to occur quickly or to happen at all.  This charism is relatively rare.  Sometimes this gift is granted on once and done basis.

The charism of Helps empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s goodness by using his or her talents and charisms to enable other individuals to serve God and people more effectively. The charism of helps is very personal.  The helper is committed primarily to enabling the individual being helped, rather than to the particular task being done. Our Blessed Mother is the Queen of Helps.  (can be confused with the charism of Service which is focused around the organizational “gaps” or undone tasks.)

The charism of Hospitality empowers a Christian to be a generous channel of God’s love by warmly welcoming and caring for those in need of food, shelter, and friendship. “Whoever welcomes the stranger welcomes Jesus”   People are first attracted to a church because of preaching or worship, but they stay because of the hospitality and ensuing friendships built there.

The charism of Intercessory Prayer empowers the intense prayer of a Christian for others to be the means by which God’s love and deliverance reaches those in need.  In intercessory prayer, the pray-er offers one’s self and one’s prayer as a channel through which God’s deliverance can reach those in need.  Christians with this charism love to pray for others and can do so for hours without tiring.

The charism of Knowledge empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s truth through diligent study and intellectual activity that enables us to better understand God, ourselves, and the universe.

Not a natural love of learning.  Usually manifests in a love to learn through books.   Often accompanies other charisms such as teaching, writing, prophecy, encouragement, or leadership, which enable the “know-er” to effectively share the knowledge they have been empowered to acquire.

A “word of knowledge,” a sudden intuitive insight or idea through which the Holy Spirit reveals what He is doing in the life of an individual or community, is different from a charism of knowledge which involves sustained intellectual work.    Word of knowledge/wisdom comes under the charism of prophecy.

The charism of Leadership empowers a Christian to be an agent of God’s purposes by sharing a compelling vision of a better future with others and by directing the overall efforts of a group as they work together to make the vision a reality.  They are great motivators.  (can be confused with the charism of administration – administrators specialize in problem solving and efficiently meeting the already recognized needs – they make the visions happen) 

The charism of Mercy empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s love through practical deeds of compassion that relieve the distress of those who suffer and help them experience God’s love.  The charisms of encouragement and mercy are often confused because they both involve great sensitivity to the feelings of others.  The response is different, however. For someone with the charism of Mercy, talking just isn’t enough. They need to do something concrete.  

The charism of Missionary empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s goodness to others by effectively and joyfully using their charisms in a second culture.  Like celibacy, the charism of Missionary never stands alone. The culture and language of childhood remains the “heart” culture, but those with this charism are able to enter into the hearts and minds of those from another culture with remarkable ease and grace.

The charism of Music empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s creative goodness to others through writing or performing music for the delight of others and the praise of God.  For Christians with a charism of music, music is always a powerful expression of their faith and an important way to nurture their relationship with God.

The charism of Pastoring empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s love and build Christian community by nurturing the relationships and long-term spiritual growth of a group.

The charism of Prophecy empowers a Christian to be a channel of divine truth and wisdom by communicating a word or call of God to individuals or a group through inspired words or actions.  Christians with the charism of prophecy are not ecstatic visionaries  They are quite ordinary people who know that it is vital that God’s people respond to His call TODAY with their whole hearts and will do everything they can to make this clear to others.  This charism requires a great deal of on-going pastoral discernment and nurture if the community is going to fully benefit from this gift of God.

The charism of Service empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s purposes by recognizing the logistical gaps or unmet needs that can prevent good things from happening, and by personally doing whatever it takes to solve the problem and meet the need.  The eagerness of servers to move in and solve problems that others have not yet recognized can sometimes irritate others.  (a servers energy can be mistaken for a charism of leadership or administration.  Administrators delegate, servers find delegation frustrating and would rather do it themselves. They tend to be practical rather than visionary.

The charism of Teaching empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s truth and wisdom by enabling others to learn information and skills that help them reach their fullest spiritual and personal potential.  If you have a charism of teaching, others will learn.  The joy of those with this charism is knowing that they have been a catalyst for the “ah-ha” experience in those they teach.  Teachers are motivated to learn new ideas or skills and are constantly looking for effective ways to pass on what they learn to others.

The charism of Voluntary Poverty empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s loving presence by living a life of cheerful, voluntary simplicity or poverty in order to identify with Jesus and the poor.  It is important not to confuse the charisms of giving and of voluntary poverty. There is a significant difference between empowered acts of giving, which can be done by Christians with access to great wealth, and the call to a particular lifestyle.  

We also need to distinguish between the vow of poverty taken by members of religious orders and the charism of voluntary poverty.  Members of a religious community who do not have the charism of voluntary poverty are able to live the discipline of poverty as a Christian role for which God will provide the grace necessary.  Some lay Christians who have the charism of voluntary poverty live joyfully although they have never taken the vow of poverty.  Missionaries are often gifted with this charism.

The charism of Wisdom empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s goodness through remarkable insight that enables him or her to come up with creative solutions to specific problems and make good decisions.  The charism of Wisdom is the special ability to receive inspired insights that enable a Christian to come up with creative solutions to specific problems.  The charism is more than normal human intuition.   Those with the gift of knowledge are focused on the big picture. Christians with a charism of wisdom are more interested in the specific and practical application of those big ideas.

The charism of Writing empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s creativity by using words to create works of truth or beauty that reflect the fullness of human experience and bring glory to God.  Those who are seeking to discern between a charism of writing and a skill or natural ability might ask ourselves the following questions:  Is writing a form of prayer or contemplation? Is it one of my favorite spiritual exercises. When I seek to express my love for God or serve the Kingdom of God, is writing one of the first activities that I turn to.  Do others tell me that my writing has nurtured their faith and encouraged them to seek out the good and true, has brought them closer to God?

The charism of Public Tongues empowers a Christian to speak a divinely-inspired message in a language he or she has never learned.  The charism is different from the private prayer language enjoyed by many Catholics.  When Catholics refer to “praying in tongues” they are usually referring to the experience of letting the Holy Spirit pray through them in a non-rational (but not irrational) manner.  In miraculous tongues, which has been recorded throughout Church history, the speaker is enabled to speak a message in an existing human language that the speaker has never learned and which can be clearly understood by those listening.