You Are Called and Gifted
Want to discern the gifts God gave you? Let's talk about charisms
Have you ever wondered if you’ve been gifted by God? A specific gift that you could use that would bring happiness to you and others? I have. Especially these past years with little children running my life and other such busy-ness, I’ve questioned God regarding where he wants me and what he wants me to do with this life that he’s given me.
I’m a mother and a wife and those are important callings that have a large place in my life. However even within these, I’ve often felt unfulfilled, still searching for a way in which to bring joy not only into my life and family, but also into the lives of others. Surely God wants this for me too, so what am I supposed to do?
Years ago when I lived in Ottawa, a couple of nearby parishes pooled their resources together and put on a workshop & process known as Called & Gifted Gifts Discernment. I was intrigued. It was a series of sessions centred on discerning the charisms that God may have gifted a person and how they can be used best. The two Youth Ministry Coordinators who were running the program spoke later about how it completely changed them and the people who participated it. It was freeing.
What is Gifts Discernment?
Fast-forward to seven years later; this time I have three young children, serious doubts regarding where I feel God is calling me, and a bad previous employment experience where I felt my gifts and talents were belittled and ignored. I’m feeling a little rough at the edges and my prayers to God mostly consist of ‘Where do you want me? What am I supposed to do? Why am I feeling frustrated and angry about this so often?’
Curiously, I find advertised a one-day workshop on the Called and Gifted Discernment Process by the Catherine of Siena Institute through my diocese. Call me baffled, but it seems that God is answering me with some work. A babysitter is now in order.
So in late October I attended the one-day session on gifts discernment. Here’s how it worked:
Learn about the history
Take a gifts inventory questionnaire. There are 120 questions to help narrow down what charisms you may have
Look over the charism descriptions
Schedule an appointment with an interviewer to go deeper and help discern which may be charisms and which may be more natural talent or skill
Continue experimenting with and discerning the charisms highlighted through the inventory questionnaire and the interview
Use the gifts given to bring glory to God and deep joy in your heart
What Kind of Charisms Are There?
There are seven types of charisms:
Some examples - charism of evangelisation is under the umbrella of communication charisms. It is where a person receives joy and is particularly effective when sharing their unique faith with others and inspires others to draw closer to Jesus. The charism of giving is under the umbrella of organisational charisms. This is where a person lives out God’s overflowing generosity through their own life by financial or material resources, given for the needs of others. With a charism of knowledge, a person is inspired to learn about creation, humanity, and/or God, combining study and prayer so as to share the amazing work that God has done.
A person usually has more than one charism and often they work together. For example, if one has the charism of knowledge, they may also have a charism of teaching, writing, prophecy, encouragement, or leadership that aide in the use of the charism of knowledge.
Katherine Coolidge, the Director for Parish and Diocesan Services, told us at our workshop that the less charisms one has, the better we are able to focus on what God is calling us to do with the ones we have. With fewer charisms, we do not have to over-worry where we spend time. Should I take up that open volunteer position organising all the liturgies? I ask instead, do I have the charism for Service, Leadership or Administration? If the answer is no, then I shouldn't carry guilt in saying "No" to the opportunity.
We understand the gifts God gave us and that there are others who do have this gift and need that opportunity to say “Yes” to that charism.
With fewer charisms, we have the opportunity to joyfully say "Yes" to God more often, and bring God’s glory to others.
Done the Questionnaire?
After discerning which charisms may be present, there is next an interview with a seasoned spiritual gifts interviewer. I engaged in this process and found it helpful to go through some charism possibilities that were confusing regarding the circumstance. I found that the interview helped me to affirm the charisms with which I should start off discerning more deeply.
If you do not do the interview, the next step is to immerse yourself in a charism and look for three things:
Effectiveness – when you experiment with the charism, is it effective? Like teaching - do people truly learn and grasp what you are presenting?
Your own experience of it – do you find joy and fulfillment in using this charism?
Response or affirmation of others - do others affirm the qualities of this charism in you? If a teaching charism, do they thank you for reaching them? Do they line up to hear you teach? Do people generally respond that you're a great teacher?
Through evaluation with these criterions, one can slowly but efficiently discern the charisms God has given.
What Does This All Mean?
Discerning my charisms has, oddly, explained a lot in my life. I am still on the journey of discernment, but as I look on my previous experiences in life I now have some reasons. They explain why tasks of administration completely tax me and I am horribly unreliable in them. Even though experience has taught me lessons in administration, I hold no joy or happiness in those tasks and often I desire to either procrastinate or nap when those tasks come up. It has explained why I do find much, much joy in academics and knowledge and have a deep thirst for knowing more and sharing more.
What does this mean for us, as mothers?
It means that for some of us, tasks like helping at every bake sale, ministry, care home, or school come naturally and with joy, but if that’s not our charism, then we don't need to bark up that tree. For others, teaching children, whether our own or others’, is where we find great fulfillment. And yet for others, talking with strangers about Jesus and his love is what brings happiness and delight. Our handmaid is not guilt - we do not have certain charisms and that is perfectly okay. We have our own charism to claim and we can use it in a way that no one else on earth can.
The message is just as St. Paul tells us: though many parts, we are one body. We can bring God glory and honour by using our unique charism, and we can be happy sharing it with others. Not only this, but we have a process that we can use to help us to figure it out. Isn't that a reassuring message?
What charism do you know or suspect you have?
For more information about the Called and Gifted Process, check out the Catherine of Siena Institute.
If you are in the diocese of Saskatoon, there are charism discernment workshops being held in three locations in autumns of 2024. You can find out more information and how to register for a Called and Gifted Discernment workshop here on the diocesan website.
The article You Are Called and Gifted appeared first on Catholic Mom in November 2017. It has been lightly edited/updated.