By Vivian Day
From the moment of our Baptism we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit and our lives are forever changed. Those spiritual gifts of love are for us – to nourish and strengthen us, to nurture our faith, and grow in our life with Christ. Some of us have a good amount of time between our Baptism and when we celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. We grow with the love and support of our families as we ourselves mature. For older children and adults, Confirmation immediately follows Baptism, being perfected and brought to completion through the Power of the Holy Spirit, and the anointing with Sacred Chrism oil and the words of the Priest in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).
There was a point in our diaconate formation when we were introduced to the spiritual gifts we receive from God that are meant to be given to others. They too, like the gifts we receive in Baptism and Confirmation, are supernatural – far beyond our talents or skills. When we cooperate with these spiritual gifts, or charisms, they are often sought from us by others.
This spring we will be offering a 5-week facilitated video workshop through the Catherine of Siena Institute, a Catholic organization that has been offering this program for 30 years. Whether you have participated in this workshop before or this is the first time you’ve heard it mentioned, I hope you will consider joining us to learn about and discern these gifts and God’s call in your life.
As we journey to Easter together, let us be mindful of the many gifts, blessings, and grace we receive freely from our Lord and how we are called to share them with the world.