Catholic Charismatic Questions and Answers

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Greetings,

After reading most of the posts in this forum about Catholic Charismatics, over the time I have been here, I realize there is much mis-information and many questions about the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

I thought it might be good to have a thread dedicated to answering questions. We have many Charismatics here with lots of knowledge and are more than willing to help folks understand what we are all about.

I would ask that you treat each other with Christian love and respect.

I would also say that THIS THREAD IS NOT A DEBATE THREAD. It is strictly meant to answer questions you might have.
 
OK! I’ll start!

I am attending a Life in the Spirit seminar this lent. I was skipping ahead in the booklet that goes with the seminar and I see that we’ll be baptized in the spirit. OK, fine.

What is says, though, is to pray for the gift of tongues.

Here’s my problem…I don’t WANT the gift of tongues. I want every other gift, but not that one…unless someone can interpret, or unless I can interpret for someone else.

I’m a “weeper” but ironically I’m not a very demonstrative person so showing any emotino is very embarasing for me…I realize this is a pride thing and I’m working on that.

I guess this is the core of my question…I understand that the entire point is to focus on God’s will for us, and I accept that…but why the nudge to ASK for the gift of tongues specifically? That’s a bit too suggestive for me and it feels pushy.

Do you understand what I mean?
 
It’s good to suspect gifts unless you need them for a specific purpose. I believe I am a Charismatic as I believe in the miracles of the church; but I balance all my desire for spiritual gifts with the idea that the most important thing after God is the teaching of the church first, the bible as a check point and the needs of others.

John
 
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JCPhoenix:
OK! I’ll start!

I am attending a Life in the Spirit seminar this lent. I was skipping ahead in the booklet that goes with the seminar and I see that we’ll be baptized in the spirit. OK, fine.

What is says, though, is to pray for the gift of tongues.

Here’s my problem…I don’t WANT the gift of tongues. I want every other gift, but not that one…unless someone can interpret, or unless I can interpret for someone else.

I’m a “weeper” but ironically I’m not a very demonstrative person so showing any emotino is very embarasing for me…I realize this is a pride thing and I’m working on that.

I guess this is the core of my question…I understand that the entire point is to focus on God’s will for us, and I accept that…but why the nudge to ASK for the gift of tongues specifically? That’s a bit too suggestive for me and it feels pushy.

Do you understand what I mean?
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Hi J.C.Personally I dont see why you would want to reject Gods Gifts.Why not just be open to the Spirit and Let God give you what He desires. Once you understand the purpose of this Gift[tongues] and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you ,you will see the importance and need of this Gift. 😉 God Bless
 
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JCPhoenix:
OK! I’ll start!

I am attending a Life in the Spirit seminar this lent. I was skipping ahead in the booklet that goes with the seminar and I see that we’ll be baptized in the spirit. OK, fine.

What is says, though, is to pray for the gift of tongues.

Here’s my problem…I don’t WANT the gift of tongues. I want every other gift, but not that one…unless someone can interpret, or unless I can interpret for someone else.

I’m a “weeper” but ironically I’m not a very demonstrative person so showing any emotino is very embarasing for me…I realize this is a pride thing and I’m working on that.

I guess this is the core of my question…I understand that the entire point is to focus on God’s will for us, and I accept that…but why the nudge to ASK for the gift of tongues specifically? That’s a bit too suggestive for me and it feels pushy.

Do you understand what I mean?
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WOW!
You could be ME, writing over 30 years ago! LOL! I am not kidding.

Well, first of all, I agree with you. We should be praying for whatever Gifts the Holy Spirit wants to give you, not for any specific one.

I was a convert to the Catholic faith, came out of not one, but several mainline Protestant ones. One was a combination of some of the old pentecostal types.
After becoming a pre-Vatican II Catholic and rejecting my earlier religions, Vatican II and the Charismatic Renewal became a total shock to me. In the late 1960s, the Holy Spirit litrally dragged me back to this form of worship.
There was two things I vowed would never touch me. One was dropping to the floor, “being slain in the Spirit” and the other was the Gift of tongues. I rejected it, hated it, and completely turned my back on it.
Guess what happened to me. Ain’t nice to tempt the Holy Spirit!!!
I had my back to a Priest who raised his hands over the Congregation, I didn’t see him or know he did it, I dropped under the Power and came up Praying in Tongues. So much for that. Also, so much for all the Charismatics who told me the Holy Spirit was a Gentleman who woud never ever force anything on you that you do not want. I heard it, believed it and then found out different.
I have no idea why this happened to me, but it did. As a result, I have been a life long Charismatic, a teacher, a Bible Study teacher, a Prayer Group leader, and a lot more.
Why, only God knows.
I have seen this happen a few times more, but usually, usually it has been much quieter and slower. Not so forceful.
I have learned never to stifle the Holy Spirit. He will blow as He will.
We keep trying to put Him in a box but He simply does not fit.
 
I am also going through the Life in the Spirit seminar and hope to be baptized in the Spirit on March 8, 2005.

I have been speaking with a lot of people about the charismatic gifts, and I find them okay, so long as they are properly practiced. However, the greatest attraction that I find in the charismatic movement is the claim that it draws one into a close and real relationship with Christ. I was talking with my friend Fr. Bob tonight, and he said that the greatest thing the baptism in the Spirit does is make Jesus more real to us. He told me that he now KNOWS Jesus in a new way. Before he knew Jesus only as a thought, as a historical figure, and not much different from the Greek gods (this is when he was back in high school.) However, he has told me that the baptism in the Spirit has totally altered that.

So, I am just curious: how does Christ become more real to you after the baptism in the Spirit? Does He become as real to you as a family member or as your pet hamster? 😃

Honestly though, I think it’s cool that the Baptism in the Spirit is supposed to bring one into a personal relationship with Christ. Jesus seems like a cool guy. I don’t know about that Holy Spirit though–dragging people around and forcing them to do things they wouldn’t normally do 😛

Also, in the Bible Christ speaks about giving a certain peace to his apostles. This peace is not the peace that the world gives, but an heavenly peace. Do charismatics often experience this peace? 🙂
 
Here is what I do not understand. I have heard Baptism of the Spirit referred to as a renewal or a activation of Grace already available and as getting a personal relationship with Christ. This does not make sense to me.

I am a convert/revert (not raised in the Catholic church just baptized one). I have the gift of tongues and interpretation (once). I also have a personal relationship with Christ. But I do not see the connection. A deeper relationship yes, but a first time deal? I don’t understand this.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
 
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JCPhoenix:
OK! I’ll start!

I am attending a Life in the Spirit seminar this lent. I was skipping ahead in the booklet that goes with the seminar and I see that we’ll be baptized in the spirit. OK, fine.

What is says, though, is to pray for the gift of tongues.

Here’s my problem…I don’t WANT the gift of tongues…
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Hi JC,
I didn’t want the gift of tongues either…I was scared to death of it!
Well, when the team finished praying over me I started to utter some sounds…a kind of jibberish…so I thought. They encouraged me to keep “speaking” and I did…I had indeed received a prayer tongue and I was totally at peace with it… I don’t understand what I’m saying and I only use it while in prayer mostly when I don’t know what to pray for… Or, if I am so moved that like sometimes after receiving Communion…words just don’t come…tears and tongues do… Praise God.
Annunciata:)
 
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Annunciata:
Hi JC,
I didn’t want the gift of tongues either…I was scared to death of it!
Well, when the team finished praying over me I started to utter some sounds…a kind of jibberish…so I thought. They encouraged me to keep “speaking” and I did…I had indeed received a prayer tongue and I was totally at peace with it… I don’t understand what I’m saying and I only use it while in prayer mostly when I don’t know what to pray for… Or, if I am so moved that like sometimes after receiving Communion…words just don’t come…tears and tongues do… Praise God.
Annunciata:)
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Help me understand.

Do you use this language when you are by yourself praying? I take it from context here that you do. Or is it only in the presence of others?

How do I deal with this fear of mine?
I do sometimes cry when recieving the Eucharist, sometimes before, sometimes after, and I always suppress my tears. Maybe some of it is because I attend Mass alone (I don’t have family here or know a lot of people in the HUGE parish I attend) so I’m always fearful I’ll be the weird crying lady.

Dumb and irrational, I know. So how do I handle this?
 
JC,
Others told me to pray for the gift of tongues. I prayed that God was going to give me one gift, it be the gift of interpretation, but if it was His will the gift of tongues as well. (This was when I was in an Assembly of God.)

I was kind of leary of the tongues.

One day, in church, a person spoke in tongues, and the people waited for someone to interpret. Someone spoke, I started shaking my head no. I thought to myself, but to my everlasting regret said nothing outloud, “That is not what was said. The angels are weeping for joy because someone has been healed!”

The next moment the pastor got up and shared the good news that a person who went to church there, (a person I did not know, and had not heard of) had been miraculously healed. A brain tumor was simply gone.

About a month later, I received the gift of tongues. I only use it privately when I do not have words to voice.

But it helped me to couch it in, “if it is your will Lord” please give me the gift of…

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
 
Question: What the heck is the Charismatic thing all about? I hear there are meetings and I went to one almost 40 years ago. But, I didn’t understand it.

My pastor raves about it, but we don’t have it in our parish – go figure.

He says he has the gift of prophecy. What does he mean? I wouldn’t have known he had a gift, if he hadn’t told me. He’s one of those who is modernist towards the bible - like everything is fiction!

I’m confused – he raves about the Holy Spirit acting at the Charismatic meetings, but he’s skeptical about the Bible. What’s that about?
 
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SPOKENWORD:
Hi J.C.Personally I dont see why you would want to reject Gods Gifts.Why not just be open to the Spirit and Let God give you what He desires. Once you understand the purpose of this Gift[tongues] and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you ,you will see the importance and need of this Gift. 😉 God Bless
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I may not be J.C., but I can tell you that many, if not most of the Church’s greatest Saints didn’t have the Gift of tongues. Though I am not berrating or debunking the legitimacy or fruits of the charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I just don’t believe they are necessary for salvation. But as I know your not Catholic, I understand why you would think they would be needed, according to your non-denominational pentecostal interpretation of Acts 2. Not trying to debate you here, just providing my Catholic viewpoint. God Bless
 
why do discussions of the charismatic gifts automatically revolve around the least of them, (according to Paul) the gift of tongues? this discussion could be enlarged by considering all those charismatic gifts, including the less dramatic such as teaching, preaching, administration, charity, and service.
 
I don’t know if this is a banned topic or not, and I apologize if I"m breaking any rules by asking this.

I was just kinda curious, of those of you active in prayer groups, what words of knowledge have you been receiving lately? More specifically, have you heard anything about water or the new springtime?

If this is something that’s not appropriate for the forums, just send me a private message. Thanks!

Josh
 
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Catholic29:
I may not be J.C., but I can tell you that many, if not most of the Church’s greatest Saints didn’t have the Gift of tongues. Though I am not berrating or debunking the legitimacy or fruits of the charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I just don’t believe they are necessary for salvation. But as I know your not Catholic, I understand why you would think they would be needed, according to your non-denominational pentecostal interpretation of Acts 2. Not trying to debate you here, just providing my Catholic viewpoint. God Bless
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In all fairness, Word did not say “necessary for salvation” He did use the word “need”, and maybe “beneficial” would be better.

We don’t “need” to be Catholic or even Chrisitan for salvation, but it sure is helpful.

God bless you.
 
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MariaG:
Here is what I do not understand. I have heard Baptism of the Spirit referred to as a renewal or a activation of Grace already available and as getting a personal relationship with Christ. This does not make sense to me.
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The sacraments, Baptism & Confirmation are essential for Catholic life, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is essential for life itself. We become members of the Church through Baptism & we confirm this as adults through Confirmation, the baptism in the Spirit is something similar to both & yet different. John the baptist said that the Messiah would baptise with the Holy Spirit & with fire. Whether we see thsi as Confirmation (which isn’t how it’s meant in the actual text of the scripture for there is not mention of Isaiah 11 by John or the fathers of the church when refering to this passage ) or see it as a more profound baptism then the baptism John was performing is important. I believe that John was prophesing about how Christ’s ministry was one of life altering power.
I am a convert/revert (not raised in the Catholic church just baptized one). I have the gift of tongues and interpretation (once). I also have a personal relationship with Christ. But I do not see the connection. A deeper relationship yes, but a first time deal? I don’t understand this.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
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We are baptised once with water, we are confirmed once with oils, we must be “baptised” once with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that true worshipers would worship God in spirit & in truth, the charisms of the Holy Spirit sre the only way to do this. The Holy Spirit that dwells within those baptised is a Spirit of action, all for the glory of God.
 
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Mysty101:
In all fairness, Word did not say “necessary for salvation” He did use the word “need”, and maybe “beneficial” would be better.

We don’t “need” to be Catholic or even Chrisitan for salvation, but it sure is helpful.

God bless you.
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This topic was not osupposed to be for debate, but what you have suggested does not conincide with the teaching of the Church nor with the Gospel truths that have been practiced for 2000 years. I would also like to add the Jesus would also disagree with you. He said " I am The Way, The Truth & The Life, no one comes to the Father except through me", so what you suggest is false.
 
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puzzleannie:
why do discussions of the charismatic gifts automatically revolve around the least of them, (according to Paul) the gift of tongues? this discussion could be enlarged by considering all those charismatic gifts, including the less dramatic such as teaching, preaching, administration, charity, and service.
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“…the most ordinary” according to the Church ( Vatican II / Decree on the Apostalate of the Lay People)
Baby talk, but can & will develop into coherent language, but tongues should be practiced. St. Paul also said “pray constantly”, tongues is the easiest way to do this, it takes no thought, only movement of the tongue. All gifts are available, ask seek knock, the Holy Spirit is listening.
 
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JCPhoenix:
Help me understand.

Do you use this language when you are by yourself praying? I take it from context here that you do. Or is it only in the presence of others?
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Some people do. I use it mostly when praying over someone—usually with my prayer team in Church, but sometimes if someone seems to need extra prayer, and is open to it. I will never pray over someone in tongues, (outside of the Healing Service, where it is the norm) unless I ask for permission.

I also praise in tongues–that is such a beautiful sound—many different sounds of praise rising up. The most memorable time was in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Many people from many countries just started praising in tongues spontaneously. Truly it is the language of Angels.
How do I deal with this fear of mine?
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Give it to Jesus, and don’t take it back. Try not to dwell on the fear, and don’t use tongues until you are comfortable. Focus on your other gifts.
I do sometimes cry when recieving the Eucharist, sometimes before, sometimes after, and I always suppress my tears. Maybe some of it is because I attend Mass alone (I don’t have family here or know a lot of people in the HUGE parish I attend) so I’m always fearful I’ll be the weird crying lady.
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Dumb and irrational, I know. So how do I handle this
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no, it is not dumb or irrrational. no one wants to draw attention to themself, especially to be considered “wierd”. If you feel the need for release of something, it may be better to just let it happen–many people do get choaked up, even if they do not cry and will understand. or You could sneeze a bit an pretend it is allergy. This may pass, once the need has passed. Try to think of the fruit of joy, and pray praise prayer (psalms are great) This is very uplifting and may turn your tears to joy.
 
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