Happy Birthday!

It's time we "open" our gifts.

This weekend we will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, when God sends the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. The Jewish people were gathered in Jerusalem for the festival of Shavuot when the Holy Spirit came down as tongues of fire and the Apostles were miraculously able to speak in every language to proclaim the good news. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift after the Ascension of Jesus, a guide as promised to the Apostles.

The Holy Spirit brings to us many gifts, or graces. We receive sacramental graces such as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit at Baptism which are perfected or strengthened during Confirmation. There are also special graces, including but not limited to sanctifying or deifying grace and actual grace. Actual grace, or gifts that help us to act in accordance with God’s will are sometimes referred to as charismatic graces, charisms, or charismata. Some graces are for our personal growth and sanctification while others are for the kingdom and given to an individual for the good of others. While all of these graces are important in our relationship with God and journey toward heaven, I want to focus on the latter group, the charismata, grace given “for the common good” called spiritual gifts (CCC799).

Spiritual gifts are not merely talents. As Christians, we must discern our gifts through prayer and use them in accordance with God’s will in the context of our vocation. Jesus tells us in John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” This should be our foundation through which we discover our charisms and use our gifts.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul provides a lesson on spiritual gifts at length. He explains that there are many different gifts, given to all people, by one God. St. Paul lists many of the specific gifts but through 2,000 years of Church teaching, we know this list isn’t exhaustive. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each individual according to His will. Each person with his or her individual gift plays an important role within the Church. In his very familiar example, St. Paul explains that we cannot all be the hand or the eye, and the eye cannot tell the hand that it has no need of it (1 Cor 12:14-26). We all play an important part in the body of Christ with the unique gifts we have been given.

As St. Paul and the Catechism state, spiritual gifts are not for one’s personal use or benefit. The Holy Spirit has given particular charisms and commissioned individuals with a specific role within the body of Christ. Mordecai issues a challenge to Esther in Chapter 4 of the Book of Esther with the famous line “for such a time as this,” referring to her role in facing the king. The Holy Spirit too has not only challenged each of us for such a time as this, but He has also equipped us with the gifts we are to use. In Acts, chapter 5, an angel of the Lord releases Peter and other apostles from prison and tells them to go stand and take their place in the temple. We are called to do the same. It is our duty as Christians to know our gifts, our “place in the temple”, and use them for the building up of the kingdom.

This Pentecost weekend, ask the Holy Spirit to show you your gifts and guide you to use them according to His will. If you need a place to start, take this Spiritual Gifts QUIZ created by Sonja Corbitt. She has also released a Spiritual Gifts Series podcast this Spring that dives deeper into discernment and each of the types of spiritual gifts to better understand your “place in the temple.” Check out the podcast HERE.

What spiritual gifts has the Holy Spirit given to you? How are you using them right now? What do you think He may be calling you to? I’d love to read your comments below.

~Talitha Koum~