Bearing the Fruit of the Spirit and Sharing His Gifts
By Monsignor Vincent J. Grimalia  

“We believe in the Holy Spirit…” According to an ancient Christian saying: “the law of praying is the law of believing is the law of living.” What are some expressions of our faith in the Holy Spirit? How is the Holy Spirit manifest in our lives? How does our communion with God express itself in our sharing in the mission of the Church? How do we help our parish mission?

Charisms and Stewardship of Talents

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 799-801) describes charisms as “graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and so to the needs of the world…they are a wonderfully rich grace for apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire body of Christ…”

Reflecting on the communion in spiritual goods as faith, sacraments and charity, the Catechism describes as well the “Communion of Charisms. Within the communion of the church, the Holy Spirit ‘distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank’ for the building up of the Church.’ Now, ‘to each is given a manifestation of the spirit for the common good.”

To fully appreciate the call of stewardship programs for people to donate time and talent, and the spiritual and pastoral renewal aspects of Called to Holiness and Mission, an understanding of charisms is important. Before people can share their gifts, talents and charisms, people need help to discern and acknowledge their gifts and charisms. The Second Vatican Council provides a context to help people understand how their charisms can be used for the mission of the Church and how to live out their participation in the three-fold ministry of Jesus Christ as they live their baptismal Christian vocation.

In the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, we read: “It is not only through the sacraments and the ministries of the Church that the Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God and enriches it with virtues, but, ‘allotting his gifts to everyone according as He wills, He distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church, according to the words of the Apostle: ‘The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit.’ These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church…judgment as to their genuinity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church….”

In regard to the co-responsibility of all Christians in the mission of the Church and the cooperation of priests and laity, we receive instruction from the Decree On The Life And Ministry Of Priests: “Priests must sincerely acknowledge and promote the dignity of the laity and the part proper to them in the mission of the Church…They must willingly listen to the laity, consider their wants in a fraternal spirit, recognize their experience and competence in the different areas of human activity, so that together with them they will be able to recognize the signs of the times. While trying the spirits to see if they be of God, priests should uncover with a sense of faith, acknowledge with joy and foster with diligence the various humble and exalted charisms of the laity…”

To help people discern their charisms and gifts there are a variety of resources available. One resource is from the Catherine of Siena Institute (web site www.siena.org). One of its programs is “The Called and Gifted Workshop” and another is “The Extended Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program.” Another resource, from Gallup Press, is the expanded and updated Catholic edition of Living Your Strengths: Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community. The book includes the Clifton strengths-finder and will help you to acknowledge your talents and strengths.

After discerning the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit, parishioners need to be encouraged to develop and share what they have received. Many of the programs of the Diocesan Parish Life Office can help parishes and clusters in their renewal efforts. The blessings of various gifts, talents and charisms, acknowledged and shared, account for differences in parishes. It is required that pastors of the church work “so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together ‘for the common good.’” To share a charism, prayer and ongoing spiritual formation and education are necessary. A willingness to work in communion with the pastor is also required.

Bearing the Fruit of the Spirit

The fruits of the Spirit, mentioned by Saint Paul in Galatians 5:22-25, are to be found not only in individuals but also in parishes. For example, one fruit of the Spirit is joy. Pope Paul VI, writing in On Christian Joy, notes:

“Let the agitated members of various groups therefore reject the excesses of systematic and destructive criticism! Without departing from a realistic viewpoint, let Christian communities become centers of optimism where all the members resolutely endeavor to perceive the positive aspect of people and events. ‘Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.’

The attainment of such an outlook is not just a matter of psychology. It is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit, who dwells fully in the person of Jesus, made Him during His earthly life so alert to the joys of daily life… It is this same Spirit who still today gives to so many Christians the joy of living day by day their particular vocation, in the peace and hope which surpass setbacks and sufferings.”

Another fruit of the Spirit is love, a love for God and a love for neighbor. How is that love expressed in the lives of parishioners and in the parish? Is it seen as a loving community? In The Priest, Pastor and Leader of the Parish Community, one example is given: “Promotion of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy remains a constant pastoral priority and a sign of the vitality of any Christian community.” Pope John Paul II, commenting on words in the Gospel of John “By this will all know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” and on the parable of the last judgment in Matthew 25, stated: “By these words, no less than by the orthodoxy of her doctrine, the church measures her fidelity.”

Philip D. Kenneson, writing in Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community, looks at the fruit of the Spirit in terms of a parish community. The various charisms and gifts of the parishioners, as well as the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of parishioners and in the faith community, influence its mission effectiveness and give each parish a particular culture.