I bought another Bible a few weeks ago, one with a soft back which I can easily put in my handbag. At the front it had several pages to be filled in, my name, date of birth, when I was Baptised and Confirmed and when I received Holy Communion. I can remember being Confirmed and receiving Holy Communion but obviously, have no memory of my Baptism. It is something as a Catholic I take for granted. As a cradle born Catholic I rarely gave any thought to it. I was taught that I was part of the Church and when I was Confirmed the Holy Spirit came to me and I became a soldier of Christ. I even received a gentle slap on the cheek to remind me of this fact. None of it, however, made the slightest difference to my life as I saw it because I was given no expectation of what God could do for me through the power of his Holy Spirit Yet I was always at the top of my class for Catechism and because I knew all the answers, was put in the front row of the class whenever the priest came to test our knowledge of Faith. As a good Catholic I went to church on Sundays, got married in a Catholic Church, had all my children baptised and put into Catholic schools. What more was there to do? I had, after all, ticked all the boxes. But for all this, I didn’t know God and I had no idea of the true meaning of the Faith I thought I knew so well. The knowledge in my mind and on my tongue never touched my heart, hands nor my feet, except in the most superficial way.

Called to become all that God dreams for us

It was actually through Charismatic Renewal and not through the parish or Catholic schooling that I came to understand the full meaning of my Baptism as a dying and rising with and into Christ (Rom 6:3-4). I came to see that Baptism is a Sacrament which affirms and strengthens our individual calling by God (Is 43:2-3). This places an unbelievable trust in each one of us that we can and will, with God’s grace, become all that God dreams for us. Each one of us is called to discover and develop the gifts God has placed in us through the Holy Spirit through our Baptism. For God has given each one of us special gifts, charisms and personality for the specific role He has called us to within his Body and within His world.

Psalm 17; Deut 32:10; Prov 7:2 all speak of this great love God has for me. We are all unique with the special dignity of sons and daughters of God. As it says in Psalm 16. I am the “Apple of His Eye” and “He keeps me ever in mind and in sight.” Sadly in many of our parishes we do not seem able to offer people this life changing experience of conversion. Thus many people remain unaware of their potential, their individual calling and the gifts that God has given them and the power of the Holy Spirit they have received through Baptism to carry this out.

God calls each one of us to use our gifting to build up the body of Christ

God calls each one of us to use our gifting, in order to build up His Body, the Body of Christ, of which we are all an integral part - no matter how big or small a part this may be. I may be a toe or an arm, but whichever, I am gifted to be this for the glory of God (Jn 4:34). I have a purpose within the body. Karl Rahner an eminent theologian of Vatican II tells us that Christ’s Spirit living within us enables us, through grace, to become more than we ever dreamed possible. Do we really believe this?

Our gifting can be natural, inherited, acquired or spiritual as we are made up of many dimensions. It is my responsibility, as a worker in the field, no matter how old I am, or ill I am, to discover my gifting and talents, who I am and who God has called me to be. Regardless of my state of life married, single or consecrated I am called to work at it to the best of my ability, for as St Irenaeus says, “the Glory of God is Man/ Woman fully alive.” The Document on the Laity Vat II says;“For the exercise of their apostolate (to the Church and the World) the Holy Spirit gives the faithful special gifts, allotting them as he wills…for the up building of the Church”.

What are the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit?

Once I thought I had few gifts. Now I can now fill one and a half flipchart pages with them. It has taken many years to discover them all and I am sure there are still be more to discover. This is not boasting, because they are gifts and the glory goes to the maker. The Church teaches that we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit at Baptism not at Confirmation which I was taught. At Confirmation , we are simply confirmed in our calling and purpose as called by God. Thus although I knew all the names of the Gifts and their fruits, I had no understanding of what they were for or why I had been given them. First of all we receive the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3). Then we produce the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness, Self control, Chastity, Truthfulness, and Long Suffering (Gal. 5:22-23).

When I am using and exercising my gifts I should expect to see a growth in these fruits in my life, which others should be able to see. St Paul tells us that the greatest of these fruits is Love. This shows itself in putting my gifts at the service of all and bearing the fruits Christ called me to bear. When I fully understand my gifting, who I am for God and the community, then I blossom and bear fruit. It is in this context that the charismatic gifts find their place too and I understand better their purpose. There are many charismatic gifts (Romans 12:6-9; 1 Cor 12:4-11) too numerous to mention, but they include Prophesy in its many forms, Healing and Miracles, Speaking in Tongues, Interpretation, Hospitality, Administration, Leadership, Discernment, and the Gifts of Word. The grace of Baptism of the Spirit simply brings to our awareness what we have already received in Baptism and through this helps us to become more alive in God in all our faculties - human and spiritual.

I have a mission

To help us in prayerful reflection, let us take time to reflect on the following things:

• Do I have a spirit of thanksgiving in my prayer for who I am and all God has done for me?

• What are my gifts and can I name them without fear of boasting?

• Do I believe in the dignity God gives me?

• Do I believe that God’s grace can enable me to do more than I believe myself capable of?

• Am I willing to cooperate in this?

• Can I share my faith with others?

I will end with this reflection by Cardinal Newman, which you might like to meditate on, and consider your calling.

“God created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission- I may never fully know it in this life, but I will in the next. I am a link in the chain, a bond of connection between people. He has not created me for nothing. I shall do good. I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it- if I listen to His voice. Whatever, wherever I am I can never cease my calling. If I am in sickness, I cans serve Him, in worry, sorrow, I can serve Him.He knows what He is about. My friends may leave, I may be left with strangers; I may feel desolate, my spirits may sink, my future may be lost, but still He knows where I am- Therefore I will serve Him and trust Him.”

Pat Kennedy has a Masters Degree in Pastoral Theology. She is Chair of DST Hexham & Newcastle; a member of the NSC. Clerk to the H&N Council of Laity and works in Adult Formation in her Diocese.