Day 19 of Embracing Your Creative Gifts: Use Your Charism

 

Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world. – Catechism of the Catholic Church 799

 

If someone asked you what your charism is, what would you answer? A charism is a gift from the Holy Spirit to help build up the Church. Some of these are prophecy, interpretation, knowledge, healing, tears, and speaking in tongues. The Vatican II document Lumen Gentium describes charism as the Holy Spirit “allotting his gifts according as he wills . . . By these gifts he makes them fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church” (LG 12)

What gifts has the Holy Spirit given you to help build up the Church and the world? Sometimes it can be hard to see those gifts in ourselves but easy to recognize them in others. Think of a close friend or family member. What gifts do he or she possess? If you are struggling to determine what your particular charism might be, ask someone close to you. They may be able to offer some insight and clarity. We all have gifts that are meant to be used for the good of others. Once you have determined your gift, think about how you can better use it.

Sometimes we are tempted to think that God only calls people to use their gifts in dramatic fashion, that if we aren’t doing something “big” in the world, it doesn’t matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Big or small, we all have a sphere of influence. Just as a stone thrown into a still body of water creates endless ripples, we may never know the way that our gifts may touch others and impact the wider world. Extraordinary to humble, we each have charisms that God is calling us to use.

Prayer

Dear Holy Spirit, please help me to recognize the charisms you have given me and help me to use them to build up the Church and the world.

Action

Spend some time thinking about what your charism might be. If need be, ask a close friend or relative to help you. How might God be calling you to use that charism today?

This is an excerpt from The Work of Our Hands. (Amazon affiliate link)