Concurrent to the rise of secularism and cultural deformation
in the 1960s was an outpouring of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit within the Catholic Church giving birth to what is
known as the Charismatic Renewal. The movement within the
Church is often associated with many of the extraordinary
gifts of the Holy Spirit such as praying in tongues, prophecy
and healing. Although the renewal is characterized with the
inclusion of these gifts, it does not necessarily define the
movement.
The stirring up of the Holy Spirit, which directly initiated
the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church, occurred on
the campus of Duquesne University in 1967. Students and
faculty who were on retreat one weekend, simultaneously felt
called in the middle of the night to enter the chapel and
they began praising and worshiping. The Holy Spirit unleashed
His gifts that night in a profound way. The greater awareness
of the Holy Spirit and the new movement quickly spread
throughout the nation and to different countries around the
world.
These extraordinary gifts associated with the movement of
the Holy Spirit harkens back to the first Pentecost more than
2,000 years ago with the Apostles and the Blessed Mother.
"The Early Church was charismatic," said Terry Riggins,
co-director of the diocesan Charismatic Renewal Service
Council, which oversees charismatic prayer groups within the
diocese. Riggins spoke about the Book of Acts in the Bible,
where many of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were
very prevalent. "There was praying in tongues, healings and
prophecies," she said.
However, it is important to note that the Charismatic
Renewal is not restricted to these extraordinary gifts, which
often come from prayerfully invoking the Holy Spirit.
Charismatic prayer is calling upon and being open to the
Holy Spirit. It consists of having a deeper and more profound
relationship with the Holy Spirit. Invoking the Holy Spirit
often leads to either the ordinary gifts or extraordinary
gifts. The gifts include: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel,
Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. The
extraordinary gifts are those described in chapter 12 of St.
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, which include
healing, prophecy, tongues and discernment of tongues.
Regardless, the gifts are not bestowed on a person because of
their own holiness or merit, rather for the greater glory of
God.
"We are not in control, but God is and that is the purpose
of the charismatic gifts. They are supernatural," said
Riggins, who is a parishioner of the Church of the Nativity
in Burke. Both the ordinary gifts and the extraordinary gifts
are given, "Not to our glory, but His glory
The
gifts show the power of God."
Due to the fact that those who experience the gifts are not
in full control, people must constantly discern the gifts. It
must always "flow from God's love. Love must be the
motivating thing," said Riggins. Another important factor is
that it must not ever be contrary to the teachings of the
Church. The Holy Spirit will never oppose its Church, nor
will the gifts of the Holy Spirit ever divide the Church.
"The Holy Spirit is a spirit of unity," said Riggins. Also
included in the discernment process is looking at the fruits,
which the gifts bear. Among peace and joy, the movement
should bring one to a deeper relationship with Jesus in the
Eucharist, a greater devotion to the Blessed Mother and a
more profound love for the Church and the Holy Father.
Charismatic praise and worship is also often associated with
feelings of euphoria, so it is necessary to be cautious of
simply seeking the emotional high. One must not get
disillusioned by the gifts and forget the Giver of those
gifts. "God doesn't just make you feel good," said Riggins,
about getting caught up in the emotions. Sometimes, "there
are tastes of heaven, but they are given for a reason. The
last thing He wants is for us to be so heavenly minded that
we're of no earthly good," she said.
The gifts are always given to strengthen the Church. The
Second Vatican Council's document, Lumen Gentium, succinctly
states that the Holy Spirit leads the faithful and "enriches
them with His virtues
He is also the distributor of
special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these
gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake various tasks
and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church"
(no. 12).
Charismatic prayer groups and praise and worship sessions
are held at various parishes around the diocese. For more
information go to:
www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/charismatic/roster.html.
Henrietta Gomes can be reached at
hgomes@catholicherald.com.
Copyright ?2007 Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc. All rights
reserved.