The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He never forces His gifts upon anyone, but he gently offers them to us. To those that are open, much is received. Some are never open, and never know what they are missing; nor do they even care.
Of course the Isaiahan gifts that we receive in confirmation are always the most important gifts and are given the highest recognition. These are the gifts of Wisdom, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, Counsel, Piety, Knowledge and Understanding. All who are confirmed receive these gifts and we should pray to the Holy Spirit to increase these gifts daily in our lives.
Some years back I became involved with a small charismatic prayer group and through the Franciscan University of Steubenville, some charismatic priests and my prayer group, I found a much deeper relationship with Jesus through my newfound knowledge and relationship with the Holy Spirit. Along with this relationship with the Holy Spirit came an introduction to the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit that are found in the New Testament, particularly in 1 Corinthians Chapters 12 and 13. Some of these gifts are the gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues, the gift of prophecy, the gift of healing, teaching and discernment of spirits.
When I stepped into the charismatic world (which is promoted and condoned by the Catholic Church, and was a big part of the life of Pope John Paul II) my prayer life became so much more fruitful. I experienced oneness with Jesus like I had never experienced before. Sometimes His presence was so real that I didn't know if I was dreaming or not.
My reason for sharing this is just to encourage any readers to be open to different types of Catholic prayer. Prayer doesn't have to be dull and always memorized rote words. It can be an "encounter" with the living Christ. Step out of your comfort zones and enter into one on one conversation with the best friend you will ever have, Jesus Christ. Pour your heart out to Him and then sit and just listen for His response. You may be surprised how beautiful a different type of prayer can be. God bless you all.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
What Can I Give My God and King?
Each day my Lord surprises me with something more wonderful than the day before. It might be the smell of a lilac tree as I walk through the yard, or it might be a smile on the face of one of the students in the school at which I work. There is beauty around me all over the place, just waiting to be discovered and recognized. When I take the time to notice it, I know immediately, that it is God's gift to me. I thank Him and smile at His goodness and kindness toward me; a humble servant.
When in prayer I often ask Him, "What can I give you, Lord? I have nothing much to give You." Of course when one receives such generous and loving gifts from above, there is always a desire to give back to the King of Kings. What can I give? I contemplated this question and came up with a few simple answers. I can give my words of love in prayer whenever I think of Jesus, which should be almost continually. The Scriptures tell us to pray constantly. I can give Him a smile when I smile at another human being; particularly one who doesn't often receive smiles. This is the most precious of smiles. I can give Him my hands when I touch the handicapped and poor, for some are repulsed by such as these. He Himself touched the lepers when He healed them and rubbed his fingers on the eyes of the blind in order to restore their sight. This touch is like the touch of smooth silk on a rough hand; gentle and soothing. I can give Him my words of encouragement when I offer love and compassion to someone who is hurting, or when I forgive those who have hurt me. These are the words He longs to hear. They warm His heart. These are the words He invited us to say when He walked the earth.
So, my gifts may not be great and showy. No one may ever see my gifts besides me. But, God receives them and He alone acknowledges them. These are perhaps the greatest of the gifts He receives because they are the ones given in secret. Yes, Lord, I will continue to offer these little tiny tokens of my immense love for you each day of my life. This is all I have to give. But, I offer it all to You. For all I have is to offer You this gift of love that I can give away to others. And with this gift of love, I receive joy in serving You.
When in prayer I often ask Him, "What can I give you, Lord? I have nothing much to give You." Of course when one receives such generous and loving gifts from above, there is always a desire to give back to the King of Kings. What can I give? I contemplated this question and came up with a few simple answers. I can give my words of love in prayer whenever I think of Jesus, which should be almost continually. The Scriptures tell us to pray constantly. I can give Him a smile when I smile at another human being; particularly one who doesn't often receive smiles. This is the most precious of smiles. I can give Him my hands when I touch the handicapped and poor, for some are repulsed by such as these. He Himself touched the lepers when He healed them and rubbed his fingers on the eyes of the blind in order to restore their sight. This touch is like the touch of smooth silk on a rough hand; gentle and soothing. I can give Him my words of encouragement when I offer love and compassion to someone who is hurting, or when I forgive those who have hurt me. These are the words He longs to hear. They warm His heart. These are the words He invited us to say when He walked the earth.
So, my gifts may not be great and showy. No one may ever see my gifts besides me. But, God receives them and He alone acknowledges them. These are perhaps the greatest of the gifts He receives because they are the ones given in secret. Yes, Lord, I will continue to offer these little tiny tokens of my immense love for you each day of my life. This is all I have to give. But, I offer it all to You. For all I have is to offer You this gift of love that I can give away to others. And with this gift of love, I receive joy in serving You.
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