Called & Gifted
@ CTK
“Charism” is the Greek word used in the New Testament for “favor” or “gratuitous gift.” Charisms, 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).
Join the class and begin discerning your unique charisms today! Cost of materials is $45 and you can register by emailing Jordan Lane at [email protected]
Why Should I Discern My Charisms?
God is calling you to a work of love that will fill your life with purpose and joy. Discerning your charisms can help you discover that call.
Knowing your God-given charisms can greatly clarify your decision-making. In particular, if you are wondering how you are to fulfill the mission God has for you, or navigate a life transition (entering retirement, changing jobs, re-entering the job market, etc.), you might find that gifts discernment helps you decide what turn to take next.
Understanding your charisms can help you simplify your life and avoid burnout. If you know your gifts, it becomes easier to say, “no” when people ask you for things that you don’t really have to give. And because it is unusually energizing and fulfilling to exercise a charism, you are much less likely to burn out if you are working in your area of giftedness.
Discerning your charisms can help you discover how God has gifted you to make you more effective at what you do for a living, no matter what kind of work you do.
Understanding your charisms can free you from the need to compare yourself to others. Participants in our workshops regularly comment how healing an experience it is to discern their gifts. If you find that you judge yourself for not measuring up to the standards of others, you can be freed by recognizing that your giftedness and calling are different from theirs. Understanding your charisms can make a big difference in life! It can enable you to understand and cherish the gifts of others and help you recognize and nurture the emerging gifts of those around you.
The discernment of charisms can help you understand and name what you are already experiencing. After interviewing thousands of average Catholics, we have discovered that many lay people are having remarkable experiences of God that they don’t understand, can’t put into perspective, and feel that they can’t talk about with anyone else. If this sounds like you, gifts discernment can help you to see that some of these experiences may be signs of a charism, a normal part of our lives as Christians.
The Church is calling all Catholics to participate in a new evangelization, and your charisms empower you to play an essential role. Catholics are to actively help spread the Faith through our relationships at work, in our families, and among friends. Our charisms are tools given to us both to help us convince people of the reality of Christ and to be a sign of God’s loving
presence in the world.