A.M.D.G.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
By Oswald
Sobrino, M.A. (Theology)
I. Clearing Up Misconceptions About Charisms: It’s in the Catechism at 2003: They are “special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning ‘favor,’ ‘gratuitous gift,’ ‘benefit’ [citing 1 Cor. 12]. Whatever their character—sometimes it is extraordinary [amazingly supernatural], such as the gift of miracles or of tongues—charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church [citing Romans 12:6-8].” [Explanatory words in brackets added by me.]
A. About the word “charism”: As one author put it, the charisms are manifestations of grace. Our word grace disguises the original Greek word used by Paul: charis. You see the connection with charism. The grace or charis received in the sacraments manifests in charisms or charismata. Note that charisms are different from talents because they are not inherited. Charisms, unlike talents, are “supernaturally empowered” (Weddell).
B. Seek them, but not rashly: You will sometimes hear some say that they believe the charisms exist (well, they had better if they are Catholics since it’s in the Catechism), but that they do not seek them.
1. Well, if Scripture is the voice of God, God commands us to seek them at least twice in 1 Corinthians 12:31: “But earnestly desire the higher gifts,” and in 1 Cor. 14:1: “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
2. Vatican II told us how to seek them (beware of misleading translations; I am using the Austin Flannery translation): “Extraordinary gifts are not to be rashly desired, nor is it from them that the fruits of apostolic labors are to be presumptuously expected.” (Lumen Gentium, 12). The key word is “rashly.” In the original Latin, the word (temere) means “blindly, recklessly, heedlessly, without reason.” We should do nothing in that way.
3. You will sometimes hear someone say that we should “seek the Giver, not the gifts.”
a. Well, the Holy Spirit himself is called the Gift by Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2:38: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Let us not try to drive a wedge between the Holy Spirit and his gifts: his gifts are from him.
b. St. Augustine said that the Bible speaks “of gifts in the plural because by the work of the Gift which is the Holy Spirit who is given to all the members of Christ alike, a multitude of special gifts is distributed, each one receiving what benefits each” (cited by Cantalamessa, Come, Creator Spirit, p. 172). Let us not try to pull apart what the New Testament puts together.
C. Use them in Charity or Agape: That’s why 1 Cor. 13 was written—not so much for weddings, but to make clear to the Cornithians that the charisms were to be exercised in agape (the self-sacrificing love of Jesus on the cross), as the Catechism states.
D. They Build Up Everybody: The charisms are for the building up of the Church, as Catechism 2003 tells us. But by building up others, we build up ourselves.
1. That is the golden key to the Chrisitian life, as Vatican II pointed out: “man can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself” (Gaudium et Spes, 24; one of the favorite passages in Vatican II of John Paul the Great).
2. Fr. Cantalamessa, the papal preacher, makes the same point: “a charism, properly put to use, also makes us pleasing to God and helps toward our sanctification, especially if it is one of the charisms in which the personal aspect of the gift is primary” (Cantalamessa, p. 174).
II. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
A. The Isaian Gifts: When you receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, you
receive the 7 gifts listed in Isaiah 11:1-2 and listed in Catechism, 1830:
wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Weddell says the Isaian gifts are “given to keep,” while the charisms are “to give away.”
C. Nine Charismatic (“Charis/Grace-Manifesting”) Gifts: 1 Cor. 12:8-10
1. Word/Utterance of Wisdom: communicates theological data;
2. Word/Utterance of Knowledge: applied to a particular situation or circumstance;
3. Faith: capacity to do supernatural miracles; Weddell, p. 31: “an unusual trust in the love, power, & provision of God and a remarkable freedom to act on this trust.”
4. Healing: accelerates what the body could do; ask Jesus first if He wants to heal;
5. Miracles: what the body can’t do;
6. Prophecy: God’s message in first person (“I” statement) for a particular situation and time;
7. Discernment of Spirits: Is something from God or the Devil or my own imagination? Weddell, p. 27: “accurately perceiving a divine or demonic presence in certain people, places or things.”
8. Tongues: praying or singing in tongues given for the edification (building up) of the recipient (1 Cor. 14:2,4); increases faith in face of temptation, especially sexual temptation; commonly given (Fr. Cantalamessa, p. 221: “the most elementary of the gifts”); can apparently be in a human or an angelic language (1 Cor. 13:1);
9.
Interpretation of Tongues: required for public speaking
in tongues which is “intended to communicate a specific message
to others” (Weddell, p. 58) before the listening assembly of Christians
(see 1 Cor. 14:28).
D. Grouping the Charismatic Gifts
1. Word Gifts: prophecy, tongues, interpretation;
2. Power Gifts: faith, healing, miracles;
3. Revealing: word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discernment.
E. More Lists of Charisms:
1. Romans 12:6-8: prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, generosity, leadership, acts of mercy;
2. Ephesians 4:11-12: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.
Sources: Fr. Ed Fride Remarks to Confirmation Class, 2006; Fr. Cantalamessa, Come, Creator Spirit; Sherry Weddell, The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Any errors are the sole responsibility of Oswald Sobrino, not the responsibility of the above sources.