sussidio December 2020

   “Grace and charisms”

From the WORD of GOD

I am continually thanking God about you, for the grace of God which you have been given in Christ Jesus; 5 in him you have been richly endowed in every kind of utterance and knowledge;
6 so firmly has witness to Christ taken root in you. 7 And so you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed; 8 he will continue to give you strength till the very end, so that you will be irreproachable on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 You can rely on God, who has called you to be partners with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.(1Co 1:4-9)
1 About the gifts of the Spirit, brothers, I want you to be quite certain. 4 There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; 5 there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord. 6 There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all. 7 The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good.(1Co 12:1.4-7)

From the DOCUMENTS of the CHURCH
Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning “favor,” “gratuitous gift,” “benefit.” Whatever their character – sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues – charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.(n. 2003) (CCC)
From the very beginning, the Lord has showered the Church with the gifts of his Spirit, thereby rendering her always vigorous and fruitful with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Among these gifts, some can be identified as especially precious for the edification of and for the journey of the Christian community: these are called charisms. In common parlance, when a “charism” is spoken of, it often means a talent, a natural ability. In the Christian perspective, however, a charism is much more than a personal quality, a predisposition that one can be endowed with: a charism is a grace, a gift bestowed by God the Father, through the action of the Holy Spirit. And it is a gift which is given to someone not because he is better than others or because he deserves it: it is a gift that God gives him, because with his freely given love he can place him in service to the entire community, for the good of all… It is within the community that the gifts the Father showers upon us bloom and flourish; and it is in the bosom of the community that one learns to recognize them as a sign of his love for all his children. So, each one of us should ask him/herself: “Is there a charism that the Lord has endowed me with, by the grace of his Spirit, and that my brothers and sisters in the Christian community have recognized and encouraged? And how do I act with regard to this gift: do I use it with generosity, placing it at the service of everyone, or do I overlook it and end up forgetting about it? Or perhaps it becomes a reason for pride in me, such that I always complain about others and insist on getting my way in the community? These are questions that we must ask ourselves… The most beautiful experience, though, is the discovery of all the different charisms and all the gifts of his Spirit that the Father showers on his Church! The same Spirit who bestows this diversity of charisms unites the Church. Before this multitude of charisms, our heart, therefore, must open itself to joy. Never must these gifts become reasons for envy, or for division, for jealousy! Within the Christian community, we need one another, and each gift received is fully realized when it is shared with one’s brothers and sisters, for the good of all. This is the Church! (Pope Francis. General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, 1st October 2014

From the WRITINGS of Blessed A. ROSMINI

The Christian must always walk in light, never in darkness. He must pray constantly, therefore, to the Holy Spirit for the gift of understanding in order to discern and penetrate the truths of faith; for the gift of wisdom in order to form a correct judgment about the things of God; for the gift of knowledge in order to judge human affairs correctly; and finally for the gift of counsel in order to guide himself by applying the truths he has learned to every action of his life. (The sixth maxim)
The sphere of activity of each person is itself a talent received from God, and we know that God wishes us to increase these talents through our trade with them. Knowledge of the sphere of activity when related to external circumstances, can therefore rightly be called knowledge of the divine will. The sphere of spiritual activity is manifested by an exquisite inspiration and movement towards a duty of charity…The exquisitely pleasant inspiration of the Holy Spirit has as its very own a capacity for leading man to perfect peace and complete quietness. (Const. n. 691, 691D)
God, for his part, is always ready to give you his grace: you have only to ask for it. Pray, then, and you will obtain it; knock, and it will be opened to you; seek, and you will find. I fear that you do not pray enough, or that you do not pray with due humility; that you fail to pray for what you need – justice, perfection, holiness, strength…the virtues of the gospel. (A.L. Vol. V, let.172, p.213, to Don Giuseppe Fiacchetti at Domodossola, Stresa 12 December 1846)
Each of you,in the spirit of our Institute, must co-operate…
and he has to do all he can, according to God’s gift, for the amendment of himself and of his companions, and for the greater progress of the works of charity undertaken by the Institute. And when he has made every possible he must preserve complete tranquillity of mind and resignation of spirit, looking to God for everything. (A.L .Vol. III, let.46, p. 72, to Don Alessio Martin, at S. Michele, Domodossola, 3 March 1838; translated and edited by John Morris IC)

LET US PRAY

We thank you, Father, for your gifts. The strength of the Holy Spirit, which we receive in the sacraments, may remain in us and transform all our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PASTORAL YEAR 2020 – 2021; ON-GOING FORMATION
INST. OF CHARITY – ROSMINIAN SISTERS OF PROVID.

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