Spiritual Gifts Discernment

God is calling you to a unique purpose in life, a work of love that only you can do. . . You have received gifts from the Holy Spirit, through your Baptism and Confirmation, that give evidence to the ways in which God intends his love to reach others through you. The St. Catherine of Siena Institute's Called & Gifted™  Workshop is a discernment process that teaches the nature of the spiritual gifts, how to begin the process of discernment, and how to discern how God's calling for you.

Charism is the Greek word used in the New Testament for ‘favor’ or ‘gratuitous gift’. Charisms, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to Christians by the Holy Spirit to enable them to be powerful channels of God’s love and redeeming presence in the world. Whether extraordinary or ordinary, charisms are to be used in charity or service to build up the Church. (CCC, 2003)

Here is a brief description of some key charisms from the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, The Siena Institute Press, Colorado Springs CO, © 1997 by Sherry Weddell. For an in-depth look at the gifts and how to discern them, sign up for our Called & Gifted™ class this fall.

The Charism of Administration
The charism of administration empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God's wisdom by providing the planning and coordination needed to accomplish good things.

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

The Charism of Craftsmanship
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.

The Charism of Encouragement
The charism of encouragement empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God's love by nurturing others through his or her presence and words of comfort, encouragement and counsel.

The Charism of Evangelism
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.

The Charism of Faith
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.

The Charism of Giving
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.

The Charism of Healing
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.

The Charism of Helps
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.

The Charism of Hospitality
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.

The Charism of Intercessory Prayer
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.

The Charism of Knowledge
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.

The Charism of Leadership
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.

The Charism of Mercy
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.

The Charism of Missionary
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.

The Charism of Music
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.

The Charism of Pastoring
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.

The Charism of Prophecy
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.

The Charism of Service
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.

The Charism of Teaching
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.

The Charism of Voluntary Poverty
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.

The Charism of Wisdom
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.

The Charism of Writing
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.