Sunday, May 20, 2012

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts

I'm on my way back to Texas in the back of my parent's RV. Nothing like riding in the back seat to make you feel like a little girl again (in a good way).

I just finished taking the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory by Sherry Weddell - A beginning step in a long process of discernment. It is a set of 120 questions, which you answer from 0=Never to 3=Often. When you finish, you add your totals and see how they correspond to the 24 Spiritual Gifts discussed. They include: administration, celibacy, craftmanship, discernment of spirits, encouragement, evangelism, faith, giving, healing, helps, hospitality, intercessory prayer, knowledge, leadership, mercy, missionary, music, pastoring, prophecy, service, teaching, voluntary poverty, wisdom, and writing.

You identify the areas that you scored most highly in and explore them more deeply. Over time, there are three basic "signs" of a charism (spiritual gift):
1. Effectiveness
2. Your experience (Generally, feel energized, satisfied, and joyful, as though this is where you belong)
3. Response or affirmation from others

In the Called and Gifted Workshop Participant Handbook presented by The Catherine of Siena Institute, they include a great little list of steps among many other lists of steps. It reads:

Identify your general area of call.
Go there and prayerfully "hang out."
Be available to God.
Do the next obvious thing.

I love the simplicity and order here!!

I simply had to share this treasure with you!!

If you want to learn more, you can visit www.siena.org.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us so many gifts. Thank you for gifts we keep and gifts we give away. Please give us wisdom as we discern the best way to serve You in Your Kingdom for Your Greater Glory! Thank you for the Hope we have because we are an Easter people! Thank you for interceding for us at the right hand of Your Father! Amen.

1 comment:

  1. Cool that you are doing this! I checked it out on-line a few months ago and was very interested!

    ReplyDelete