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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
What to do?	Mary	Sunday, April 8, 2018
Question: Dear Br. Ignatius, If someone has certain gifts, wouldn’t it make sense that God wanted them to use its? How does one discern how to use those gifts? Thanks
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCD, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Mary: St. Paul tells us to "fan into flame (rekindle) the gift of God that is within you" (2 Timothy 1:6). Certainly, God wants us to develop and use the gifts He has given us, be that natural talents and abilities, the gifts of the Spirit given to us at Baptism and strengthen at Conformation, or the spiritual charisms mentioned by St. Paul. Concerning the spiritual charisms, I have identified in Scripture thirty such gifts. We begin can looking at that list to give us the range of possibilities of gifts that God may have given us. Read the article Charism Gifts Building Up the Church to learn about the different possibilities. Once you have a good understanding of what is possible, then you can begin to discern what gifts God has given you. The discernment includes: what do others see in you (e.g., people coming to you for advice or say you are a good teacher)? what areas are you drawn to (e.g., teaching, counseling, encouraging people, etc)? what does God tell you in the still moments of prayer? which of the gifts you seem to be able to perform beyond your natural talents and abilities? Discuss all this with a spiritual director to confirm your discernment. We will be praying for you. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

What to do?

Mary

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Question:

Dear Br. Ignatius,

If someone has certain gifts, wouldn’t it make sense that God wanted them to use its? How does one discern how to use those gifts?

Thanks

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCD, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Mary:

St. Paul tells us to "fan into flame (rekindle) the gift of God that is within you" (2 Timothy 1:6). Certainly, God wants us to develop and use the gifts He has given us, be that natural talents and abilities, the gifts of the Spirit given to us at Baptism and strengthen at Conformation, or the spiritual charisms mentioned by St. Paul.

Concerning the spiritual charisms, I have identified in Scripture thirty such gifts. We begin can looking at that list to give us the range of possibilities of gifts that God may have given us. Read the article Charism Gifts Building Up the Church to learn about the different possibilities.

Once you have a good understanding of what is possible, then you can begin to discern what gifts God has given you. The discernment includes:

what do others see in you (e.g., people coming to you for advice or say you are a good teacher)?
what areas are you drawn to (e.g., teaching, counseling, encouraging people, etc)?
what does God tell you in the still moments of prayer?
which of the gifts you seem to be able to perform beyond your natural talents and abilities?

Discuss all this with a spiritual director to confirm your discernment.

We will be praying for you.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum