CHARISM OF PROPHESY
“Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more so to prophesy (1 Cor 14:5)…be eager to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues (1 Cor 14:39)”
It is my belief that all Christians share in the gift of prophecy. God wants to communicate to each of his children what is on his mind for them, for others, and for the Church. What Father would not want to communicate with his children? Trouble is, though God is speaking to each of us, we do not always listen to what he is saying, and therefore, though we have the gift of prophecy, it lies covered with dust in the closets of our busy lives. Right now, there is classical music praying in your room. Likely, however, you do not have your radio tuned into it. Same with God; he is “playing music” to each of us now, and we don’t have him tuned in.
I have found, as I said in my last reflection, that praying in tongues tunes in my heart to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The voice of the Holy Spirit tells me exactly what God wants me to know right now. It may be knowledge that I need or a word of wisdom. It may be the sense of his comforting presence and his love and the word: “Do not be afraid, I am with you right now.” He is saying just what we need to hear deep inside. And sometimes he shows us his mind on a situation that we are struggling with. There are times when he gives us a word that helps us better love and pray for another person. Prophecy contains a treasure trove of God’s riches and is seldom used. Wouldn’t you be sad if you were God?
Prophecy can be a worship tool, a ministry tool, or a relationship tool. Sometimes as we listen to God’s Word proclaimed at mass, God speaks a word or a phrase through the lector or priest that is tailor made for us—his “now” voice. Sometimes he reveals to us how we are to pray for a loved one or maybe the pastor. Sometimes he might tell us to pray for a solution to the parish’s financial problems. God talks to us during Mass, inspires us, and uses us as “kingdom” priests.
After Mass we may get a word (visual, auditory, or sensation) that we are to approach someone in the Church and strike up a conversation. Sometimes (this happens often to me) when we are directed to say a particular word of encouragement or affirmation to the pastor. Sometimes he gives us a nudge to join a particular ministry or to help out at a certain event.
We are God’s beloved children who partner with him at church and in the parish. He guides us and ministers to us in many ways; one of the strongest ways is in the charism of prophecy.
Many (if not most) times God’s prophetic word is meant just for us. Sometimes it is meant to minister encouragement and love to someone else. I strongly encourage you to get involved in “Encounter Ministries” who do the best job I’ve ever experienced in teaching Catholics how to use this powerful gift that God has given us. It is a “revelation” gift that is tied in with words of knowledge and wisdom. They work together. When we begin to use it regularly, we realize why St. Paul wanted every Christian to have it.
God wants to use us to bring the power of his presence into our parishes. Why are we holding back or restricting the use of prophetic gifts? Remember our charisms are not positions but works of God, assigned by him in the various circumstances of our lives. Some wait for the pastor to give them a charismatic mission in their parishes. Waiting for this to happen can be another excuse for putting our talents in a handkerchief.
If someone reading this does not know how to awaken the gift of prophecy, I remind you that it usually begins with a personal Pentecost, when we are “baptized in the Holy Spirit.” This is what opened my spirit to the living voice of God within me. Read Acts 2 when Peter talked about the day when even the lowest servants would be given the gift of prophecy. God has given each of us a set of powerful tools to work with. If we have stored them in the basement, now is the time to get them out. If we have tried using our charisms and it didn’t seem to work out, now is the time to try again. Maybe we felt rejected by others when we tried out our charisms and stumbled; then let our hurt feelings cause us to withdraw our efforts and listen to the devil tell us that we have “failed.” Maybe we have some growing to do or have tried using tools that God didn’t give us. Maybe we need to ask for help in recognizing, developing and using our gift of prophecy.
God is speaking in and through us. What is more important than listening to and obeying his voice?
Bob Garvey
Charism of Hospitality
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining” (1 Peter 4:9)
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb 13:2).
A national leader in the charismatic renewal tells the story when he was “dragged” into his first charismatic prayer meeting by his mother. He did not like the meeting except for the welcoming smile of the person who greeted him at the door. Though he had no plans to return to the meeting, he remembered the love that shone through the greeter’s smile, and that moved him to return. It was the hospitality of one person that drew him back.
Hospitality is not a matter of being part of the greeting ministry at church. It is a charism for welcoming someone in a way that they experienced Jesus welcoming them with unconditional love. This charism involves more than giving a friendly welcome to people as they walk through the church door. At its best the gift is shown to a person who might fall “between the cracks” at church and goes in and out of church without being acknowledged.
As we know a charism is not the same as a natural talent. A person can be cheerful and friendly by nature and say “hi, how are you doing” to others. This is good and can be the basis of a hospitality charism, but a true charism means that it is Jesus within the person extending welcoming love to someone who needs it. Though a person may not realize that it is Jesus working through another person, they know that something special took place when they were met and welcomed in Jesus’ name.Directed by a charism of hospitality a person “feels drawn” to someone and reaches out to them with the love of Jesus.
I found out recently that Mother Teresa’s sisters build their ministry on the simple charism of hospitality.
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).
Are we starting to build a job description of an “Agent of Renewal”? We do not run the church, but we bring the fire of God’s love into the fireplaces of our parishes. How important then that we do not let the fire of the Holy Spirit burn out in our hearts.
Bob Garvey