Life More Abundantly

I’m going to be blunt. God has called you. God has made you in such a unique way and has given you gifts that are unique to you. Do you know what they are?

Back in 2022, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester hosted Called & Gifted, a charism discernment process created by the Catherine of Siena Institute. In Called & Gifted, participants take an inventory that helps capture potential charisms or gifts that God has made manifest in that person’s life. The inventory is a small part of the entire process, but I admit I signed up because I like personality tests. I’ve taken so many: Strengths Finder, Myers-Briggs, the Working Genius, and of course numerous Buzzfeed and online quizzes that have no merit whatsoever. But Called & Gifted is not just another personality test, as I found out. Unlike the afore mentioned examples, I soon learned that Called & Gifted is much more about helping me discern God’s will for me and actively saying yes. For me, the fruit in the process came from recognizing with certainty the signs of a specific charism at work in my life and ministry. The inventory is a steppingstone towards living out the mission of the Church.

What is that mission? At the end of every Mass, we hear a dismissal to which we respond thanks be to God. Sometimes, the dismissal is ‘Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life’ and sometimes it is ‘Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.’ Both phrases capture our mission as Catholics. We are not called to sit in our seats and constantly receive. Instead, Jesus, and Church teaching, encourages us to all go out and share the good news of God’s loving mercy through our very lives.

I have never thought of myself as a door-to-door evangelist or one of those people who stand on street corners asking if people have been ‘saved.’ And I don’t think God intended me to live a life focused on sharing the good news in that particular way. That is one part of how my experience of Called & Gifted helped me understand my own way to go out and share God’s message of love. Instead of trying to learn a new way or process of sharing the faith, I found myself instead recognizing parts of who I already am that God is inviting me to put towards the mission, like employing my gift of writing. And that is life-giving and wonderful.

Therefore, I’m thrilled to announce that St. Johns will host the Called & Gifted series this fall. The program is accessible to anyone who would like to grow and discover the charisms present in their lives. I invite you to discover how God is calling you specifically. I can speak for myself, but I can also share that I have watched others’ joy bloom when they begin to see their charisms at work and the positive signs of the Holy Spirit at work in and through them. Jesus reminds us in John 10 “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NABRE). Are you ready to have life more abundantly?

You can find the information for Called & Gifted here. Please reach out to me if you have questions about the process.

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