May 30, 2020 | Spiritual Gifts
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, and to proclaim liberty of captives, and
the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Lk 4:18-19.
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith.” Rom 12:6.
“You are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” Eph 2:19-20.
“In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,” Heb 1: 1-2.
“We have the prophetic word made more sure; you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” 2 Peter 1:19.
“Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written there.” Rev 1:3.
“Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Rev 19:10
“God willed that exterior proofs of revelation, especially miracles and prophecies, should be joined to the interior helps of the Holy Spirit; as they manifestly display the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God.” First Vatican Council, 1870.
“I recognize the exterior proofs of revelation, that is to say, divine works, mainly miracles and prophecies, as sure signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that they are well adapted to the understanding of all ages and of all people, also those of the present time.”
Pope Pius X, Against Modernism.
“Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant intended for all, to be written on their hearts. The prophets proclaim a radical redemption of the People of God, a salvation which will include all nations.” CCC 64.
“Thanks to the prophets Israel understood that it was again out of love thee God never stopped saving them and pardoning their unfaithfulness and sins.”CCC 218.
“ In Israel those consecrated to God for a mission were anointed in his name. This was the case for kings, for priests, prophets, and also for the Messiah whom God would send to inaugurate his kingdom. It was necessary that the Messiah be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord at once as king and priest and prophet.” CCC 436.
Prophecy
Prophecy is speaking in the name of God and under the power of the Holy Spirit. As a spiritual gift, prophecy is rooted in a close and personal relationship with Jesus so that the prophet hears and repeats what is given in prayer. A strong sacramental life is essential for the listening and repeating of what is said. Prophecy can be given for a person or group. The community leaders make sure it is authentic and always test prophecy. Prophecy need not be shared until it is verified. Young and old, men and women can give prophetic words.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?
May 30, 2020 | Spiritual Gifts
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” Ps 81:1, Ps 98:4, Ps 110:1.
“The women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing.” 1 Sam 18:5.
David appointed, “singers who should play loudly on musical instruments to raise shouts of joy.” 1 Chron 15:16.
“All the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration.” 2 Chron 23:13.
“Sacred music is to be considered the more holy, the more closely connected it is with the liturgical action, whether making prayer more pleasing, promoting unity of minds, of conferring greater solemnity in the sacred rites.” Vatican II, Sacred Liturgy.
“Religious singing by the faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred exercises as well as in liturgical services, the voices of the faithful may be heard,” Ibid.
“The treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and cultivated with great care.” Ibid.
“The formation of the whole people in singing, should be seriously and patiently undertaken together with liturgical instruction, according to the age, status and way for life of the faithful, and the degree of their religious culture, Instruction on Music in the Liturgy, 1967.
“Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song with the ministries of each degree fulfilling their ministry and the people participating in it.” Instruction on Music, 1967.
“Music during Mass must serve the worship of God, and thus should have qualities of holiness and good form, should be suited to the liturgical action and the nature of each of its parts, should not impede the participation of the whole congregation, and must direct the attention of mind and heart to the mystery which is being celebrated.” Third instruction on the Implementation of the Liturgy,1970.
“Songs and music fulfill their function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they are more closely connected with the liturgical action, according to three principal criteria: beauty of expressive of prayer, the unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated moments, and the solemn character of the celebration. In this way they participate in the purpose of the liturgical words actions: the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful.” CCC 1157.
“The harmony of signs (songs, music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate.” CCC 1158.
“I hope that the harmony of music and song, which knows no social or religious barriers, will be a constant invitation to believers and all people of good will to seek together the universal language of love that enables people to build a world of justice and solidarity, hope and peace.”
Pope Benedict XVI, Oct 20, 2005.
“God, the giver of song, is present whenever his people sing his praises. A cry from deep within our being, music is a way for God to lead us to the realm of higher things. As St. Augustine says, “Singing is for the one who loves.” Music is therefore a sign of God’s love for us and of our love for him. In this sense, it is very personal. By its very nature, song has both an individual and a communal dimension. Thus, it is no wonder that singing together in church expresses so well the sacramental presence of God to his people.” USCCB Sing to the Lord, 2007.
“Liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that ‘the new man sings a new song.’ Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love,” Pope Benedict XVI, Post Synod Document on the Eucharist.
Music
Singing praise and playing musical instruments is an ancient and yet current liturgical practice. To sing is to pray twice. Music leaders celebrate worship when they connect the music to the liturgy and encourage the participation of all those present. Music leads the heart and mind to the worship of God in a powerful way. Songs and music to praise God show both the joy and love of the singers as well as the authors. Musical talent comes out of God’s love and leads others into God’s love.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?
May 30, 2020 | Spiritual Gifts
“ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes to the end of time,“ Mt 28:20.
“Of this Gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.” Eph 3:6-8.
“The Lord Christ has always called from the number of his disciples those whom he has chosen that they might be with him so that he might send them to preach to the nations. So the Holy Spirit implants in the hearts of individuals a missionary vocation and at the same time raises up institutes in the Church who take on the duty of evangelization, which pertains to the whole Church, and make it as it were their own special task.” Vatican II, Missionary Activity.
“Those who are sent to the different nations should, as worthy ministers of Christ, be nourished by the ‘words of faith and with good doctrine,’” Ibid.
“Interior dispositions should be diligently developed and fostered: they should be elevated and nourished by the spiritual life. With a living faith and an inexhaustible hope, the missionary should be a person of prayer.” Ibid.
The missionary church,” borrows from the customs, traditions, wisdom, learning, arts and sciences of people everything which can serve to confess the glory of the Creator, to illustrate the grace of the Savior and rightly order the Christian life. “ Ibid.
“The new evangelization will show its authenticity and unleash all its missionary force when it is carried out through the gift not only of the word proclaimed, but also of the word lived.” Pope John Paul II, The Splendor of Truth, 1987.
“ Missionary activity demands a specific spirituality, which applies in particular to all those whom God has called to be missionaries. This spirituality is expressed first of all by a life of complete docility to the Spirit. It commits us to being molded from within by the Spirit, so that we may become ever more like Christ. It is not possible to bear witness to Christ without reflecting his image, which is made alive in us by grace and the power of the Spirit. This docility then commits us to receive the gifts of fortitude and discernment, which are essential elements of missionary spirituality.” Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man, 87.
“You must set yourselves on the path of holiness. Only thus can you be a sign of God in the world and re-live in your own countries the missionary epic of the early Church. You will also be a leaven of missionary spirit for the older churches. For their part, missionaries should reflect on the duty of holiness required of them by the gift of their vocation, renew themselves in spirit day by day, and strive to update their doctrinal and pastoral formation. The missionary must be a “contemplative in action.” Ibid, 91.
The Holy Spirit, “leads the Church on her missionary path. The mission continues the mission of Christ, who was sent to evangelize the poor. The Church, urged on by the Spirit of Christ, must walk the road Christ himself walked, a way of poverty, and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice,” CCC 853.
“That the answer of the entire people of God to the common vocation to sanctity and mission may be promoted and fostered, with careful discernment of the charisms and a constant commitment to spiritual and cultural formation.” Pope Benedict XVI, July 31, 2008.
Missionaries
Missionaries are those who leave home to bring the good news of faith to people in other countries. The spiritual gifts of missionaries include the willingness and the aptitude to share their faith with Catholics and non Catholics around the world. The Holy Spirit leads them to hunger to serve others and to concentrate on promoting and fostering the doctrines and religious experience of their faith.
They see the gifts of those in foreign lands and meld them into the gifts of our faith. They evangelize by sharing their lives and faith experiences. Their spiritual lives are enriched by their own faith experiences.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?
May 30, 2020 | Spiritual Gifts
“The Lord God is merciful & gracious.” Ex 24:6.
“Mercy and truth will meet, justice and peace will kiss.” Ps 85:11.
“You, Lord, my God, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake in your great mercy rescue me.”Ps 109:21.
“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Ps 145:8.
“For the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.” Is 49:13.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Mt 5 7.
“It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice.” Mt 9:13.
“To perform the mercy promised to our fathers.” Lk 1:72.
“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Lk 6:36.
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying ’God, be merciful to me a sinner!” Lk 18 13.
“Father forgive them they know not what they are doing.” Lk 23:34.
“If you do acts of mercy, let it be because you enjoy doing them.” Rom 12:6-8.
“He had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be merciful and faithful High Priest before God.” Heb 2:17.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:16.
“ Whoever acts without mercy will be judged without mercy. ” James 2:13.
“The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God’s mercy to sinners.” CCC1846.
“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned and burying the dead.” CCC 2447.
“Mary’s Magnificat sings of “mercy from generation to generation.” The Church of our time, constantly pondering the eloquence of these inspired words, and applying them to the sufferings of the great human family, must become more particularly and profoundly conscious of the need to bear witness in her whole mission to God’s mercy, following in the footsteps of the tradition of the Old and the New Covenant, and above all of Jesus Christ Himself and His Apostles. The Church must bear witness to the mercy of God revealed in Christ,” Pope John Paul II, Divine Mercy.
“A merciful love, by its essence, is a creative love. In reciprocal relationships, merciful love is never a unilateral act or process, even in the cases in which everything would seem to indicate that only one party is giving and offering, and the other only receiving and taking (for example, in the case of a physician giving treatment, a teacher teaching, parents supporting and bringing up their children, a benefactor helping the needy). In reality the one who gives is always also a beneficiary. In any case, he too can easily find himself in the position of the one who receives, who obtains a benefit, who experiences merciful love; he too can find himself the object of mercy.” Ibid.
Mercy
Mercy is a quality of God that is reflected and shared in humans. Mercy is love in action- the giving of forgiveness which is based on God’s forgiveness of our faults and sins. The giver of mercy has received mercy and seeks to share that experience with another. The spiritual and corporal works of mercy energize and focus the spiritual gift of being merciful. Mercy becomes a habit when we act merciful to others and ourselves everyday.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?
May 30, 2020 | Spiritual Gifts
“Adoration is the first act of the virtue of religion. “ CCC 2096.
“Then the people bowed down in worship. And the Israelites did as the Lord had commanded.”Ex 12:28.
“Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God.” “Ps 95:6-7.
“Let us enter God’s dwelling: let us worship at God’s footstool.” Ps 132:7.
“You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” Lk 4:8 from Dt 6:13.
“God is spirit and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24.
“Worship him who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water,” Rev 14:7.
“For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you,” Rev 15:4.
“The faithful, when they worship God, their source and model of all holiness, are themselves drawn and, as it were, impelled to holiness.” Pope Paul VI, 1964.
“It is especially necessary that there be close links between liturgy, catechesis, religious instruction and preaching.” Instruction on the Proper Implementation of the Liturgy, 1964.
“In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” Sacred Liturgy, 8.
“Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.” Ibid, 14.
“Everyone, above all in liturgical celebrations, will feel at one with others and in communion with the universal and local Church. The liturgical assembly is presider over by the person empowered to unite, guide, instruct, and sanctify God’s people. It is a sign and instrument of the unity of all with Christ,” Instruction on Mass, 1969.
“Liturgy is “the participation of the People of God in the work of God.” It is the “exercise of the priestly office of Jesus in which God is worshiped and adored and people are made holy. God begins the work of sanctifying people in time and space and brings that work to completion. Those who respond to God in worship and in service are given the privilege of becoming co-workers in the divine plan.” USCCB Built of Living Stone.
“Liturgical Services are not private functions but are celebrations of the Church which is the sacrament of unity, namely, the holy people united and organized.”CCC 1140.
“Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations.” CCC 1141.
The work of liturgy is to “engage the faithful in the new life of the community and involves the conscious, active, and fruitful participation of everyone.” CCC 1071.
“The liturgy produces its fruits in the lives of the faithful: new life in the Spirit, involvement in the mission of the Church, and service to her unity.” CCC 1072.
“Worship itself, Eucharistic communion, includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn. A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented.” Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love.
Liturgy
Those with the gift of leading liturgy have a strong attachment to ritual and worship in the Church. They are energized by the presence of the Trinity in all the Masses, sacraments and prayers of the Church. They love the ritual and experience adoration in all the liturgical celebrations. They see the whole expanse of those who lead and participate in the ceremonies: the priest, musicians, servers, Eucharistic ministers, the readers and the laity. They experience the holiness and love of God in their service of the Church and they seek to make God the center and the focus of all rituals.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?
May 30, 2020 | Spiritual Gifts
“Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, make thy way straight before me.” Ps 5:8.
“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Ps 25:5.
“Lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139: 24.
“Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. I ,Yahweh, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go.” Isaiah 48: 17
“And lead us not into temptation.” Lk 11:4.
“Let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.” Lk 22:26.
“The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 3: 2-3
“The Spirit is presented as active and operating in those whose deeds are told, whether they are leaders of the community or just members of the faithful.” Pope John Paul II, Nov, 1980.
“The role of the leader is, in the first place, “to give an example of prayer in his/her own life.”
Pope John Paul II, May, 1981.
The Church’s leadership is “to acknowledge and foster the ministries, the offices, and the roles of the lay faithful that find their foundation in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, indeed, for a good many of them in the sacrament of matrimony,” Pope John Paul II, Laity Christ’s Faithful, 23.
Priests,” should be careful to discern the charisms and strengths of the faithful who might be leaders in the community, listening to them and through dialogue encouraging their participation and co-responsibility.” Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, 1997.
“America needs lay Christians able to assume roles of leadership in society.” Ibid.
Leaders, “ I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.” Pope John Paul II, Oct, 1998.
“We are entering a period of new vitality for the Church, a period in which adult Catholic laity will play a pivotal leadership role in fulfilling the Christian mission of evangelizing and transforming society. For adults to fulfill their roles in this new era of the Church, their faith formation must be life long, just as they must continue to learn to keep up in the changing world.” USCCB Our Hearts Were Burning, 29.
“The following objectives highlight four key roles of Parish Leadership: (1) the pastor and other pastoral leaders; (2) the adult faith formation leader who becomes the lead agent in promoting and supporting this ministry in the parish; (3) the adult faith formation team who collaborate with the leader in planning and providing learning opportunities; and (4) catechists of adults. Ibid, 125.
“Through fervent prayer and pastoral work—and relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit—our efforts together will help the whole Catholic people advance in authentic discipleship and fulfill their baptismal call and mission to grow to the full maturity of Christ.” Ibid.
“Leadership and Organizational Development. Lay ecclesial ministers should cultivate leadership qualities modeled on the example of Jesus so that they can inspire and enable others to fulfil their baptismal call.” USCCB Co-Workers of the Vineyard.
Leadership
Those who are called by God to be leaders in the Church are servants of all and least of all. There are leadership positions for clergy and laity at many levels in our Church. Spiritual leaders are always willing to listen and be available to those they lead. Leaders are accountable to those they lead and they are sensitive to the faith and needs of those they serve. Leaders to remain faithful to their role must pursue a rich spiritual life and a strong faith basis. They seek to lead as Jesus did- sensitive to the goals of their ministry and the Jesus way to lead others.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?
