Workshop to explain, help discern personal charisms

13 Mar 2014

By The Record

The Called and Gifted Workshop will be offered at Queen of Apostles Parish in Riverton, on April 4 and 5.

The workshop has been used since 1993 by more than 75,000 lay, ordained, and religious Catholics around the world.

It is designed to help Christians discern the presence of charisms in their life. Charisms, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to all Christians by the Holy Spirit to give them power to both represent Christ and to be a channel of God’s goodness for other people.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (951), the Holy Spirit “distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank” for the building up of the Church.

The charisms we have been given are a major clue to who God is calling us to be.

The Called and Gifted workshop is a process that assists people to discern which charisms we have been given, and therefore to begin to discover where God might be calling us.

Beginning on a Friday evening, a theological orientation is followed by participants completing an inventory, a tool for discovering patterns in how God has used us in our past experiences.

On the Saturday, there are sessions on what charisms are, how it feels to use one and descriptions of the 24 most common charisms.

Also included are steps to begin discerning charisms, common barriers to discernment and how to use our charisms as a clue to where we might be being called.

The Called and Gifted workshop is the only Catholic spiritual gifts discernment process. It is distinctly lay in its approach, spirituality and focus.

It is geared to the real lives of working adults, preparing them to be effective and creative apostles in the midst of their secular lives.

Contact Riverton Parish on 6188 6877 or qoariverton@ozemail.com.au for a brochure, further information or bookings.

There is no cost and everyone is welcome to attend this exciting new initiative for Perth.