As the Baptism of the Spirit takes place we surely receive many Gifts of the Spirit. This Discovering Life in the Spirit episode contains an overview of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, expounding on the charismatic gifts of the Spirit, and some ways they can be used to bring benefit to the Church, for the good of men, and the needs of the world. For video and audio link, for a blog, and for group study discussion questions please continue reading.
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According to Sacred Scripture spiritual gifts cannot be bought nor are they available to the unrepentant. They are received as the Holy Spirit is received, yet we can pray to receive the gift of Interpretation of Tongues. Scripture tells us they are useless without love. They are so powerful that even the shadow of the anointed can heal. Gifts are given stronger in particular areas but all work together for common good. Prophecy is important in communal setting and for training; tongues edify the individual and show the unbeliever a sign. These things are key scriptures within the Acts of the Apostles, 1 Corinthians, and Romans.
You are listening to Truth of the Spirit. I’m Patti Brunner. In this episode, I want to give you an introduction to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. I am going to expound on the charismatic Gifts of the Spirit, and some ways they can be used to benefit the Church, and for the good of men, and the needs of the world.
Through life in the Spirit we desire to move deeper in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and accept more fully God’s gifts. As our lives are lived for the Lord we seek his help: to love and be loved, to comfort and be comforted, to heal and be healed. We desire to hear the Lord’s voice and to share His Words; we desire to be melted by His grace and rest in the Spirit—to be “drunk” in the Holy Spirit saturated by love and peace. We ask the Lord to help us to show signs and wonders to the world that they might see and believe. We need His help to overcome the evil and contrary spirits who mimic His power and lead so many away. Through the Gifts of the Spirit we are empowered with the knowledge to cleanse ourselves and others from obsessive, repressive and irritating spirits who seek to possess and drive wedges to separate us from God. We desire an increase of our faith, knowledge, and wisdom so that as His power gifts are available we use them in good order—following God’s will—reaching unto the depths of need and bringing Light and truth and thus healing, miracles, and an abundant life. The Good News is that each of these benefits are available now from the generous supply of graces and charisms of the Holy Spirit!
What does the phrase “Gifts of the Spirit” mean? Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12: “1 Now in regard to spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware.” NAB Dear listeners, I do not want you to be unaware either! When we are confirmed, we are generally taught about the sanctifying gifts of the Spirit from the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah chapter 11, verses 2-3. It says, “The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord [piety] and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” NAB These sanctifying gifts of the Holy Spirit are our firm base in living a Christian life. They start to work in us as we receive the sacraments of initiation to help us in making choices of following the Divine Will of God. They identify Jesus as the Messiah and us as his followers.
The New Testament does not replace these sanctifying gifts but rather expands the list of graces given to include other various gifts such as motivational gifts. Romans 12:6-8 says, 6“since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; 7 if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; 8 if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” In many Catholic parishes a formation program “Called and Gifted” has been helping fellow Christians identify particular motivational gifts of the Holy Spirit as God uniquely calls each of us to expand our unique role in the Body of Christ.
The New Testament also introduces the ministerial gifts in Ephesians 4:11-12 of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. They are functional gifts to lead and inspire us in our Christian mission. As we accept our “royal priesthood” we are called to participate in the various ministries of the Church. There is so much to do in the world and the Holy Spirit equips leaders to step forward. Through these gifts the Church recovers the domestic Church of family units, intended by God at creation but which had been surrendered to the Levitical priesthood during the time of Moses.
In the scripture of the Pentecost of the Coming of the Holy Spirit we see the manifestation of several gifts: Tongues of fire, Tongues of language and understanding, Boldness, Preaching, and Faith. In the Acts of the Apostles the early church received and shared gifts of healing, knowledge, raising the dead (miracles), visitations by angels, wisdom, and prophecy.
Today I will speak of special gifts such as these gifts of grace called charisms by the Church. When some of these gifts started manifesting in me, and in those around me, I wanted to find out more about them, but, at the time 25 years ago, it was very difficult to find resources. Over the years I continued to grow in the Spirit and came to a better understanding.
The charisms are to be requested, received and shared. It is for the express use of strengthening and building the Church that they are given. Without the charisms the Church would move very slowly in attaining wisdom, understanding, fortitude and faith. Charisms allow a “fast track” to receiving and sharing God’s love in “application”. Like an “I-Phone” the usability is in the availability and understanding; using the “apps” makes all the difference.
The Catechism teaches in Paragraph #800 “Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.253”
Paul taught converts of the early Church about these gifts. We see this in Romans 8 (and 12) and 1 Corinthians 12. As we step outside the time zone of scripture, we find that many saints also were given these gifts of grace—remember two miracles are required for ordained sainthood—and these saints used them for the benefit of God’s kingdom on earth—the building and strengthening of the Church again. One of the signs, to Peter and the early Church, of the acceptance of non-Jews—a.k.a. gentiles—was the appearance of the Holy Spirit especially through the ecstatic praise of tongues.
1st Corinthians Chapter 12 is the main source for what is called “The Manifestation Gifts” often referred to as the “Charismatic Gifts”. Chapter 12 of 1st Corinthians says, “4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. [Everyone!] 7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; 10 to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.” NAB These gifts are also mentioned in various other places in scripture especially as the gifts manifest.
Jesus used the gift of healing by laying on of hands and also by proclaiming healing from a distance; sometimes asking his Father to heal and sometimes he commanding the healing. Listen to Matthew 4: 23 “And he [Jesus] went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.” NAB
We can also identify other charisms in Jesus’ ministry. Through the charisms, Jesus shared the Word of Wisdom that Lazarus was not dead, even though he had been dead for three days. Through Word of Wisdom, he knew that the power had gone out to heal the woman with the hemorrhage. He used Words of Knowledge in evangelizing the woman at the well of her past towards inner healing, in John 4:17-27; to know there was a coin in the fish to pay the taxes in Matthew 17:27,and about the synagogue official’s daughter in Mark 5:36-40.
Jesus used the Gift of Faith to rebuke and quiet the storm and to walk on the water. Using the Charism of Miracles, of Mighty Deeds Jesus healed the withered hand (Luke 6:6-10), he created an eye for a man who was blind from birth, and multiplied the loaves and fishes. Jesus used the Charism of Prophecy to reveal the coming of his passion, death and resurrection and also to communicate with God. Using Discernment of Spirits he identified when demonic activity was causing infirmity and He cast out demons. Jesus groaned in the Spirit –the Gift of Tongues—in Mark 7:34 before healing the deaf mute. He uttered mysteries to his Father as he set himself apart and prayed with the Spirit. By all this Jesus taught us how to use these charisms.
The Holy Spirit gives us the graces or charisms to do the same thing Jesus did. You can see in the Acts of the Apostles [Acts 5:1-9, Acts 3:1-10] and other New Testament books how the Church received the Holy Spirit and used the charisms to build it up. Jesus tells us that if we are believers we should be laying hands on the sick and have them recover. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit fully, life doesn’t become a ‘bed of roses’ yet you can be filled with the joy and peace that the bed of roses portrays.
The Holy Spirit’s charism “Word of Knowledge is a supernatural revelation of facts past, present, or future which we did not learn through the efforts of the natural mind. … True supernatural knowledge starts with knowing God personally, through Jesus Christ. Jesus and the disciples received many ‘Words of Knowledge’ from the Holy Spirit.” [See John 4:17-27, Matthew 17:27, Mark 5:36-40, Acts 5:1-9, Acts 3:1-10 (only a few!)]
Bishop Sam Jacobs, an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Churchteaches: “Word of Knowledge gives specific words for others that will touch their heart to open them to the Word of God.”
A Word of Knowledge aides healing by opening “festered” areas in memory and body. These words help break the barriers that people have that limit the effect of grace.
One of the most dramatic times I have seen this gift was during a prayer group meeting of pre-teen boys. One day one of the boys was praying over the other spiritual director of our group and he got the word “spider” from the Lord. It seemed so strange but we had talked about the importance of speaking out what the Spirit had given us so he did. We were all thinking maybe she had a fear of spiders but she started remembering when she was 5 years old, she and a girl visiting her stomped a big wood spider and hundreds of baby spiders ran out and they had great fun stomping them, too. As we continued to pray for her, she shared with us that this young girl friend had contracted polio and died shortly after this incident and that it had affected her greatly. She had forgotten about it but said it kept her from forming friendships the rest of her life. We prayed for healing for her. Isn’t it interesting how the Holy Spirit can give the word “spider” at just the right time!
Often, when I am praying for someone, the Lord gives me a Word of Knowledge about a particular healing the person needs. I was praying after Church one Sunday; and a family came up to ask for prayer for the dad. As I prayed for him, the Lord revealed, to me, that his son was having trouble in school with reading. I asked him about it and he said “Yes”. As the Lord revealed their unspoken needs, the faith of this family grew by leaps and bounds. The family received healing and the next time I saw them they told me that their son was doing much better in school. When the Lord reveals He heals!
The gift Word of Wisdom is “a supernatural insight given to the members of the Body of Christ which reveals God’s timing and method of ministry in a given situation. It explains or illuminates a given revelation” –especially when and how to use some of the other charismatic gifts– “such as a Word of Knowledge, Discernment of Spirit or the communication of revealed Prophecy.” This is not the same as wisdom we gain from our experiences in life or intellectual pursuits. “It is not to be confused with the virtue of wisdom. The ‘virtue’ of wisdom given at Baptism and affirmed at Confirmation is a lifelong gift which increases in us as we submit to those who instruct us on our spiritual journey.” “A ‘Word of Wisdom’ is a supernatural revelation of God’s timing and method of ministry in a given situation.”
Often when I pray for people or with people the Lord will remind me of a scripture or a method of ministry I have learned. Once I was praying for a lady who could not recover from the grief over the death of her son. She had anxiety because she was not with her son when he died in an accident. Through a Word of Wisdom the Lord reminded me of a healing exercise I had learned and the Lord led me to ask her to think of three memories of her son, that she should then notice Jesus in the memories and then take note of what Jesus was doing. She began to cry and I began to cry. I asked her what Jesus was doing in her first memory and she said he was laughing. We were crying and Jesus was laughing? In the second memory Jesus was standing there with his arms folding and the third one he was praying. I asked her to share her memories with me. She said the first one was when her son was a toddler and running around with his diaper falling down and it was so funny; Jesus was watching her son and laughing. The second memory was her son about 10 years old and playing a board game with a friend, Jesus was standing there watching her son at play, and the third one was the morning before he was killed in the car wreck and Jesus was with him, praying. As we continued to hug each other, through the charismatic Gift of Wisdom, by the Spirit I “knew” God wanted her to know that Jesus was with her son all his life, laughing, watching, and praying. Even though she was not with her son when he died, Jesus was! She was greatly comforted and healed of her extensive grief.
The gift of “Discernment of Spirits is a supernatural ability to recognize whether a person or situation is being motivated by the Holy Spirit, their human spirit, an evil spirit or a combination of these spirits.” “This revelation can come through a vision, a sense, or a specific word similar to a word of knowledge.” The gifts of “Discernment of Spirits and Wisdom help judge and validate healings, miracles, the gifts of Prophecy, and Words of Knowledge. As with the other gifts, a Word of Wisdom should be sought through quiet prayer before bringing forth what is being revealed. Discretion and compassion to insure the dignity of the person receiving ministry are required.” This gift is used to discern if infirmity is caused by physical, emotional and spiritual boundaries or by demonic activity. This gift clears the way for binding and loosing. “In the Name of Jesus” the evil spirits are then overcome and can be cast down (and out).
I have learned that if we discern an evil spirit, we are not to automatically cast out demons. Often the demons are attached to a particular sin or woundedness. And if cast out would return with others as in Matthew 12:43. The person may need long term prayer ministry and reconciliation so that the demon will just let go. Father Phillip Scott, who has served as an exorcist, says that one good Sacrament of Reconciliation is more powerful than 100 exorcisms! Other times a word curse or judgment against them can be broken and the person receive immediate relief. Sometimes my prayer language will be a tip off that there is some demonic activity causing problems. I have come to recognize that. Other times, the charism makes it clear that we are dealing with a non-physical cause of infirmity. Unforgiveness or inner healing becomes obvious and so guides us in our prayer tactics. We also discern how to proceed when there is a demonic activity. Sometimes it is necessary to recommend a visit to a priest. Other times we can lead them in an unbound prayer. Other times we realize that inner healing will remove the ‘feeding frenzy’ of the demonic activity.
One time we prayed for a non- Catholic young woman who was sad and agitated. She had word curses spoken against her by her former clergyman including saying that her name was cursed. She had worked through forgiveness in the situation but had not healed. We led her in a cutting free prayer and broke the judgement and she immediately felt a release and felt a joy she had been missing in her life for over two years.
The charism of “Tongues” is a spontaneous, inspired utterance by the Holy Spirit in which we use our voice according to the Spirit’s prompting. To speak or sing in Tongues or “to pray in the Spirit,” as it’s called, is what happens when a believer allows the indwelling Spirit to guide and form the words they utter. To pray, to speak or to sing in Tongues is to pray in what could be an earthly or a heavenly language; a language current on the earth or one long dead, or it could be any one of countless dialects. Praying in Tongues brings deliverance, inspiration, refreshment (both spiritually and physically), revival, wisdom and is a means to victory in spiritual warfare.”
“Prayer Tongues is a permanent gift in which you are edified. The Spirit prays within you according to Romans 8:26: ‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.’ NAB “The ministerial Gift of Tongues is really ‘speaking’ in tongues… When you minister to the community by anointed utterance this is ‘speaking in tongues’. There is a distinction.” When the gift Varieties of Tongues is used for others it shows a manifestation of God’s power and the mysteries of the heavenly. It demonstrates surrender to the will of God. It also witnesses to the truth of the scripture—scripture is living word and still applicable as a sign of disciples accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.
1 Corinthians 14 says “2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God, for no one listens; he utters mysteries in spirit.” NAB “If we humble ourselves in our relationship with the Lord so much as to yield to His Holy Spirit within us in order to ‘babble’ in a ‘strange tongue’, then we open ourselves so much more to surrender to the other gifts to be manifest in us for the good of the Church.”
I pray in tongues often. It is a prayer of total surrender. It helps me to be more open to what the Lord wants. It also is a way of praying the perfect prayer for someone who needs healing. Very often when I pray in tongues during healing prayer the Lord will give me a Word of Wisdom or Knowledge to use for healing.
Sometimes when there is singing in tongues the Lord also gives me the melody. When singing in Tongues in a group there is beautiful harmony. The presence of God is evident.
I’ve never heard anyone who had the exact same prayer language as someone else. Some have only a phrase or two. Others are quite extensive. The Lord has given me various languages. Some sound oriental, some sound like French, sometimes it sounds like an American Indian language. I seem to have a main language that doesn’t sound like anything I have ever heard. As I said earlier, I can tell by how my prayer language changes that there is a problem with a harassing spirit.
Interpretation (Of Tongues) is a prophetic message given in response to God’s signal of ‘Speaking in Tongues’ (rather than ‘praying in tongues’). If someone ‘speaks’ out in a tongue, there ought to be an ‘interpretation’. This can be brought forth by the person who has given the tongue, or it can be given by someone else in the group. Interpretation may come in a variety of ways, similar to the length and style of the tongue spoken; or it may be completely different, expressed in longer or shorter words, as a vision, a sense, an inspired thought or a symbol in pictures. The person with the interpretation may receive it as if the person Speaking in Tongues was speaking to them directly in their own language, or it may just be a phrase or a word that comes as the individual is speaking in Tongues. Interpretation of Tongues builds up the community by the acceptance of the Word specifically for them. Even if the unbeliever will not accept the supernatural aspect they will see the wisdom, however, and will be built up by the revelation of the truth of the word.
Once when I was at a Life in the Spirit in Tontitown I could tell exactly what someone was saying when they stood up in our assembly and spoke in Tongues. Two or three people had the same interpretation. God spoke about his Love for us.
The Charism of Prophecy is a supernatural communication from God to an individual or a group of believers. “Prophecy is “forth-telling” of the mind and heart of God to His people. Prophecy can manifest through a vision, words, and thoughts or be prompted by a form of physical sensation to alert us to listen.” This is a gift of encouragement for the people. It is available, individually, to all who would listen and seek God’s face. The gift is used to manifest the love and the power of our Father.
1 Corinthians 14 says, “1 Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy”” “3b one who prophesies does speak to human beings, for their building up, encouragement, and solace.”
Sometimes as I pray for healing for someone, the Lord will tell me to tell them that he loves them, or that they are his princess, or that God is calling them to step out; He gives me unique words just for them from him. In my prayer time, the Lord has used this gift to train me in the ways of the Church and to encourage me personally. A lot of my talks are based on information He shares with me, things that the Church teaches. I have over 60 journals written by listening to his words. Sometimes when I am praying with a group, the Lord will give a Word of Prophecy for the whole group. Sometimes the Lord gives pictures or visions for us to consider. In group prayer ministry for a person, often the Lord will give words to one or two and a vision to another that confirm one another. This can be for healing, encouragement or to point out the direction for our ministry for the person. It also stirs up the faith of those praying.
One time I was praying during adoration and the Lord gave me a vision of someone shot in the head. It was startling. I lifted it into prayer. Several days later as I tucked my daughter in for the night the vision returned. It was a little frightening but I sensed that whatever this was it had to do with a child. I prayed it wasn’t my child. The next week we traveled to be part of a Living Life in the Spirit and during a healing service the Lord again gave me this vision. This time I was I was calm and realized that the Lord wanted to heal the person who this was for. Rather than being specific, I called out a healing for someone who had seen someone shot. To keep it private, I said, “it could have been something they saw on TV.” I knew that it wasn’t. Later a team member told me that someone came forward for prayer who had accidently shot a child in the head when they were a child. God is so loving and gentle. He wants us to be healed of all our issues, even our memories.
Bishop Sam Jacobs teaches:“TheVirtue of Faith is belief in truth in the person of Jesus. The Gift of Faith is to act in faith –like moving mountains!”
“This supernatural anointing of Faith is different than historical or intellectual faith.” “The charismatic Gift of Faith is a supernatural outpouring or anointing of the Holy Spirit which enables us to confidently believe without a doubt that what is spoken or undertaken in Jesus’ name will be accomplished. Faith involves entrusting oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely and completely what He reveals”. “The Gift of the Faith of God is the supernatural faith that will heal, bring about miracles, and move mountains! It is given spontaneously and lasts long enough for God’s purpose of the moment to be accomplished.” The charism of Faith is given to God’s followers when they are chosen to manifest His power and love to his people.
My husband and I pray as a team usually when we pray for others. He has the strong expectant faith that God will heal. This charismatic Gift of Faith can overcome the weak faith of the people we pray for. We also have been given this faith to pray for storms to break apart in the midst of tornado sirens.
“Gifts of Healing are supernatural outpourings of God’s power which result in the healing of sickness and disease without the use of medical means.” “Jesus used many different methods of healing, such as laying on of hands, casting out demons, spitting and making mud then applying it, and proclaiming healing from a distance. Jesus is the healer.” “Healing is given as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit to build up, encourage, strengthen, make new or whole an individual or a group for the glory of God and the blessing of His people – to sanctify or to make holy the recipient, to glorify God, to build faith, to be a sign of the power and presence of God, to meet the need, to change the circumstances, to build up the Church. Healing may be physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual or relational. When we pray for healing, some type of healing comes, though it may not be specifically what we asked for.” Bishop Jacobs reminds us: “God wants healing—the type of healing is up to Him.”
I do not keep track of people I have prayed for over the last 25 years. It can be pretty exciting when they receive an immediate healing. A lot of them were healed, and most of them felt God’s presence even when they did not receive a physical healing. I believe that anyone who feels God’s presence is receiving a unique inner healing. One time the Lord had me pray for two women of our parish who had been diagnosed with cancer. I barely knew who they were. The Lord told me they would be healed. One died and the other once is cancer free. In the eyes of the Lord they are both healed. It is the Lord’s gift and His power. Another time we prayed for a young boy undergoing a clinical trial for cancer treatment. He was the only one of the trial group to be healed. I have prayed for three different people for the repair of detached retina, and they were all healed. One time, when I was visiting my family and offered to pray for them, we had 5 healings including TMJ, a shoulder injury and a backache. I could continue, but surely you get the picture here. Our God still heals!
Mighty Deedsor “Miracles are interventions into the course of events which seem to contradict the so-called laws of nature. Through ‘working of miracles’ the Holy Spirit manifests the power of God to produce works which go beyond the natural: overriding natural laws, such as turning water into wine, multiplication of the loaves and fishes; healing beyond the ordinary, such as healing the withered hand (Luke 6:6-10), the replacement of an organ that is not there, disappearance of a tumor without surgery, making the blind see without surgery.” “Miracles, which always happen instantaneously, are a much more powerful sign of God’s presence and action than healings, which may be instantaneous, gradual or a speeded up recovery. The Gift of Faith of God certainly has to be involved in the ministry of working miracles as one speaks the word of command in Jesus’ name without a doubt and with full certitude and expectant faith.”
God used a unique miracle to heal our car one time. We were traveling to a Life in the Spirit and our car was pulling so hard to the right that my husband Rick was having trouble driving. I prayed with expectant faith and commanded the car to come under God’s perfect will and God gave us a supernatural alignment. Another time we prayed for a woman who was diagnosed with a miscarriage. That baby is now a young adult. I prayed with a couple who could not conceive a child, less than a year later their daughter was born.
There are other gifts that can manifest that are not listed in 1 Corinthians such as Resting in the Spirit that helps us experience God’s peace.
This gift is like getting bowled over with a wave of grace. It gently melts us. Often, this gift will manifest during a particular service. Generally, I can sense when a person is affected in that way—I can sense the power of God on them. On a few occasions I have seen large groups of people fall out all at the same time. It can be brief or last for a long time and can be a time of direct ministry by the Lord.
The gifts of Joy and Laughter can be given to protect the people from the enemy or for inner healing. The first time this happened to me, a priest who manifested this gift, was praying in tongues and it sounded so funny to me that I started giggling and couldn’t stop. Another time at a conference one of the team members was given a ministry of this gift and every time she looked at me I broke out laughing. Joy like that is very refreshing.
Bishop Jacobs has asked this question: “What do you say to fellow Catholics who say, ‘I don’t need the charismatic’?” He said, “Tell them they are charismatic because they are part of the Church. It is not a discipline like being a Carmelite. All by virtue of Baptism and Confirmation are charismatic. The movement in the Church called ‘Charismatic Renewal’ is a way to share the awareness of the truth that the Church is charismatic.”
History records so many saints who used the charisms of Healing, Miracles, Prophesy, and Words of Knowledge. Modern saints like Padre Pio and saints from long ago like St. Nicholas of Myra, also known as Santa Claus, who raised a child to life, used Word of Knowledge and quieted storms. Blessed Angelus of Acri had miraculous healings and converted thousands. He had the gifts of Prophecy, Bilocation, Visions and the ability to see into men’s souls in Confession. St. Ita of Killeedy had many extravagant miracles including healing a man who had been decapitated! Nothing is impossible for God!
Pope Paul VI said that charisms are given to make the Church richer, more lively, and more capable of defining and proving herself.
You don’t have to be a saint to be used by God. Do not fear asking the Holy Spirit for the charisms to be activated in your life. All Christians can be open to the spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit. “Do not fear praying and asking for healing. As you bring forth the people to prayer know that it is God who heals. The Presence of the Holy Spirit within us – both the person praying and the person receiving prayer and Jesus—the Holy Spirit connects us. The people become a part of the Body of Christ—both “pray-er” and “pray-ee” and in God is the power of the Resurrection Healing.
The Lord made this promise to me: “I will unleash My Spirit’s power in a way unseen in your time. I will send forth My love and break the barriers of the world. There are some who will run and hide. There are some who will turn away in disgust, but the remnant is strong and will become an army of the Lord. I will raise up My people to help man with his fears and doubts. My Spirit will provide the Truth.”
Please note that although these gifts manifest for all they are not used the same by all. One person might be called to heal in the home, another at the market, another at the office, another at the ball field; another might minister to hundreds or thousands, another to minister to one. Be open. What would happen if you were chosen to minister to one person in your life and you chose not to do so? What would the consequence be to that person who could only be healed by you? What if the Lord planned for you to minister to thousands and you did not accept his Holy Spirit in fullness and thus only ministered to 10 people? What would happen to the others? Who has rejected the Holy Spirit in the past decades? Has the Lord created you and given you the purpose of closing the gap others made?
As we conclude the episode on the Gifts of the Spirit, I ask you to listen to something that Saint Pope John Paul II said in 1998 in Rome preparing for the great Jubilee as he spoke to the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements: “5. Today the Church rejoices at the renewed confirmation of the prophet Joel’s words which we have just heard: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17). You, present here, are the tangible proof of this “outpouring” of the Spirit… Some charisms given by the Spirit burst in like an impetuous wind, which seizes people and carries them to new ways of missionary commitment to the radical service of the Gospel, by ceaselessly proclaiming the truths of faith, accepting the living stream of tradition as a gift and instilling in each person an ardent desire for holiness. Today, I would like to cry out to all of you gathered here in St Peter’s Square and to all Christians: Open yourselves docilely to the gifts of the Spirit! Accept gratefully and obediently the charisms which the Spirit never ceases to bestow on us! Do not forget that every charism is given for the common good, that is, for the benefit of the whole Church.”
You can find more detailed information on using the charisms on the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana website. I also highly recommend books by Father Robert DeGrandis and Dr. Dennis Holt.
As I close this episode, remember the Lord does not force the Holy Spirit. No one forced you to listen to this episode. The Lord called you and you responded with a ‘yes’. Continue to be docile and invite the Holy Spirit, like Mary did when she said “Let it be done to me according to thy Word”.
You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner. I invite you to subscribe and come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there is always more! Amen.
Discussion Questions:
1. Have you been aware of promptings of the Holy Spirit this week? Please share.
2. Have you personally witnessed any of the gifts mentioned in this week’s talk? Please share.
3. How much of this series has been ‘new’ to you?
4. What have you heard that appeals to you?
5. Do you have any questions about Discovering Life in the Spirit?
It is suggested that the Leaders offer individual prayer for participants and invite other participants to join in.
