Talents aka Spiritual Gifts

Following this information about charisms, there is a complete description and a lists of ministries, where you can find an opportunity to serve God with your gifts.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  To one is given through the Spirit the speaking of wisdom, and to another the speaking 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 ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues…. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

WHAT IS A CHARISM (SPIRITUAL GIFT)?

“Charism” is a Greek word used in the New Testament for “favor” or “gratuitous gift.”  Charism, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to all Christians by the Holy Spirit to give them the power both to represent Christ and to be a channel of God’s goodness for people.   Whether extraordinary or ordinary, all charisms ought to be exercised in the service of God (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2003).

ARE ALL BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS GIVEN CHARISMS?

Yes.  According to Catholic teachings it is the faith of the Church that you possess one or more of the charisms (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 951).

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL SEVEN “GIFTS OF     THE HOLY SPIRIT,” THE “FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,” AND CHARISMS?

These 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 “Christlikeness”  necessary for the effective use of our charisms (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1830-1832).  Charisms, on the other hand, are given to us to give away, and are one of the ways God continues to enter the world through our assent and cooperation.  They always benefit other people.

HOW MANY CHARISMS EXIST?

There are three primary lists of gifts in the New Testament (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4), and St. Thomas Aquinas lists about 14 charisms in his Summa.  We have no reason to believe that these lists are meant to be exhaustive.

HOW DO CHARISMS DIFFER FROM NATURAL TALENTS?

Charisms differ from natural talents in several important ways. Charisms are not “in-born,” that is inherited from our parents, but are given to us by the Holy Spirit, whom we received through Baptism and Confirmation.  Secondly, charisms are supernaturally empowering. In other words, they enable us to have an effectiveness that surposses our natural, human abilities. Finally, we could use a natural talent for an evil purpose, or for our own enjoyment.  God will not allow himself to be used for evil, and charisms are always for the benefit of others, rather than ourselves.As disciples, we offer our entire selves to God – including our personalities, natural talents, education, life experience, and background – to be use for his purposes.  But when we serve God, we are not limited to just the gifts with which we were born!  Our natural talents can be wonderful tools for God’s purposes, and sometimes a charism is added to an existing natural talent by the Holy Spirit after an individual has undergone a deepening conversation.Some charisms may seem “extraodinary” (such as prophecy, healing, or discernment of spirits) and others quite “ordinary” (such as administration, service, hospitality, or mercy), but all charisms are empowered by God.  We use our charisms together with our natural talents and all that we are to serve God and our neighbor.

From fact sheet of Catherine of Siena Institute, Colorado Springs, Colorado, www.siena.org.

What are charisms?

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.
Nativity Helping Hands Ministry	Iconographer/Sacred artist-architecht
“To paint Christ, one must live Christ.” Bl. John of Fiescol (Fra Angelico) (1386-1455)

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.
Faith Formation	Spiritual Director
Pastor
“It is impossible to enumerate the charisms which the Church throughout the world has received from God.”  St. Cyril of Jerusalem (310-386) Catechetical Lectures

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.
Grief Ministry	Small Group Facilitator
Eucharistic Minister to the Sick	RCIA Volunteers
Home Visitation Ministry	Sunday Nursery Volunteers
“Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy.” CCC, 2447

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.
Baptismal Godparents	Military Support Ministry
Teacher	Music Ministry
Confirmation Sponsors	Prayer Ministry
Extraordinary Ministers of Communion	RCIA Volunteers & Sponsors
Home Visitation Volunteers	Rosary Makers Ministry
Lectors	Apologist/Writer
“Missionary evangelism is…the primary service that the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity in the modern world.”  Pope John Paul II

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.

“God has determined, unless I interfere with his plan, that I should reach that which will be my greatest happiness.  He looks on me individually, he calls me by name, he knows what I can do, what I can best be, what is my greatest happiness, and he means to give it to me.”  St. John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890)

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.
Food Pantry Volunteers	Meals & Ride Volunteers
Funeral Reception Volunteers	Fund Raiser
Grief Ministry	Rosary Makers
Home Visitation Volunteers	Shawl Ministry
Knights of Columbus Members
“When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours.  More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice.”  Pastoral ruleof St. Gregory the Great (540-604)

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.
Addiction Ministry	Home Visitation Volunteers
Funeral Ministry Volunteers	Eucharistic Minister to the Sick
Funeral Reception	RCIA Volunteers
Grief Ministry	Helping Hands Ministry
Prayer Group Ministry	Pastoral Staff
“The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the grace of the risen Lord.”  CCC, 1508

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.
Spiritual Director	Guardian Angel Volunteers
Altar Linen Volunteer	Hospitality Volunteers
Altar Servers	Pastoral Staff
Boy Scouts	RCIA Volunteers
Funeral Ministry Volunteers	Sacristan Volunteers
“And in the Church God has appointed…those able to help others.”  St. Paul, First Epistle to the Corinthians, 12:28

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.
St. Vincent de Paul	Men’s Club
Hospitality Committee	Women’s Club
Coffee & Donuts	Music & Choirs
Food Pantry Volunteers	Prayer Ministry
Funeral Ministry Volunteers	Pro-Life Volunteer
Funeral Reception Volunteers	RCIA Volunteers
Grief Ministry Volunteers	Helping Hands Ministry
Meals & Rides Volunteers	Sunday Nursery Volunteers
Home Visitation Volunteers	Ushers
Parish Receptionist	Homeless/Poor Volunteer
“All guests to the monastery should be welcomed as Christ, because he will say, “I was a stranger and you took me in.”  Rule of St. Benedict (480-547)

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.
Addiction Ministry	MOMs
Altar Servers	Outreach Volunteers
Funeral Reception Volunteers	Prayer Ministry
Grief Ministry Volunteers	Pro-Life Committee
Spiritual Director	RCIA Volunteers
Home Visitation Volunteers	Rosary Makers
Meals & Rides Volunteers	Helping Hands Ministry
“But I beg you…to help me through my dangers by praying to God for me.”  St. Paul, Epistle to the Romans, 15:30

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.
Faith Formation Teachers	Lectors
“I feel I can personally guarantee that St. Thomas.”  Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964)

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.
Altar Servers	Boy Scouts
Altar Linen Volunteer	Sacristan
“Only love is creative.”  St. Maximilian Kolbe, (1894-1941)

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.
Addiction Ministry	Home Visitation Volunteers
Altar Linen Volunteer	Knights of Columbus Members
Altar Servers	Meals & Rides Volunteers
Extraordinary Ministers of Communion	Rosary Makers
Food Pantry Volunteers	Helping Hands Ministry
Funeral Ministry Volunteers	Sunday Nursery Volunteers
Funeral Reception Volunteers	Ushers
Grief Ministry Volunteers	Welcome Committee
“My poor ones in the world’s slums are like the suffering Christ.  In them God’s Son lives and dies, and through them God shows me his true face.”  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, (1910-1997)

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.
Vocation Awareness	Pastoral Work
“Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.”  Jesus’ instructions to his disciples in the Gospel according to Matthew, 28:18-16

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.
Music & Choir Ministry
Music “helps man to build a bridge of holiness between this world and the World of all Beauty and Music.”   St. Hildegard of Bingen, (1098-1179)

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.
Priest	Bible Study Ministry
Hospitality Committee	Coffee and Donuts
Knights of Columbus Members	Women’s Club
Men’s Club	Pastoral Staff
“Thus to Saint Paul the Church of the living Christ does not appear as some kind of administrative organization but as a living web of gifts, of charisms, of ministries.” Leon-Joseph Cardinal Suenens, in a speech to the second session of the Second Vatican Council, October 22, 1963

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.
Extraordinary Ministers of Communion	Music & Choir Ministry
Lectors	Prayer Ministry
“They are truly unfortunate who, realizing there are false prophets, take this as a pretext for expelling the grace of prophecy from the Church.”  St. Irenaeus, Against the Heresies (c. 175-195)

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.
Altar Servers	Sunday Nursery Volunteers
Boy Scouts	Ushers
Knights of Columbus Members	Welcome Committee
Men’s Club	Women’s Club
Outreach Volunteers
“Where there is not love, put love, and you will find love.”   St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)

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.
Altar Servers	Men’s Club
Lectors	Women’s Club
Faith Formation Catechist	Music & Choir Ministry
Grief Ministry Volunteers	Outreach Volunteers
“I eat questions the way other people eat steak.” A professor of philosophy

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.
“My personal definition of voluntary poverty is this:  the sincere will to do without as much as one can in order to be free to live a full human life.”   William Gauchat (1907-1975), friend of Dorothy Day

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.
Spiritual Director	Ushers
Parish Office Volunteers	Welcome Committee
“God of my fathers, Lord of mercy…Give me Wisdom, the attendant of your throne.” Wisdom 9:1a, 4a

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.
Music & Choirs Ministry
“The difference between ordinary people and saints is not that saints fulfill the plain duties that ordinary men neglect.  The things saints do have not usually occurred to ordinary people at all…’Gracious’ conduct is somehow like the work of an artist.  It needs imagination and spontaneity.  It is not a choice between presented alternatives but the creation of something new.”  A.D. Lindsey (1879-1952)

The Charism of Celibacy empowers a Christian to be most fulfilled and spiritually fruitful by remaining unmarried and celibate for the sake of Christ.

“There are three forms of the virtue of chastity:  the first is that of spouses, the second that of widows, and the third that of virgins.  We do not praise any one of them to the exclusion of the others.”  St. Amborse (339-397)