Catechesis of Pope Francisco on Wednesday, 1st, was on the charisms in the Church. The Holy Father emphasized that charisma is a gift to the Church, not for envy or division.
Pope Francis continued his cycle of catechesis on the Church, this time talking about the gifts that the Holy Spirit offers to her in her journey through history. In common parlance, when one speaks of “charisma” he means a talent, but the Christian perspective, the Pope explained, takes on another connotation that goes beyond a personal quality.
The charisma, the Pope said, is a grace, a gift dispensed by God through the Holy Spirit, to be placed at the service of all. In fact, it is within the community that someone may recognize the gifts he has.
At that time, Pope Francis joked with the crowd that attended the catechesis, saying that a person can not find he has the gift of singing, it is others who have to recognize this charism. He emphasized that it is important that we ask ourselves about existing charisms in us. “Are the charisms that the Lord birthed in me and my brothers in the Christian community, recognized and encouraged? And do I behave in relation to this gift with generosity or as a source of pride “?
His Holiness added that the most beautiful experience is to discover the diversity and multiplicity of charisms in the Church, for all are the Father’s gift to the community to grow harmoniously as a single body: the body of Christ. “Woe to us if we make such gifts of envy and division!” He warned.
In God’s eyes, all charisms are important, said the Holy Father. Thus, in a Christian community, all need each other and every gift received only fully realized when shared with the brothers for the good of all.
Finally, the Pontiff recalled that today the Church celebrates St. Therese of the Child Jesus, who died at age 24. “She wanted to have all the charisms,” the Pope said. But it was in prayer that St. Thérèse discovered that his charisma was love. This is a charisma that everyone has reinforced Francisco. “Let us pray, then, this St. Therese Church capacity to love and accept all the charisms, with the love of their children.”