Discerning our gifts

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traveler10

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I hope I’m posting this in the correct forum. I’m a new Catholic, coming in at the last Easter vigil. My RCIA group lead the stations of the cross during one of the Lenten services and I read scripture for one of the stations, after which one of the RCIA leaders suggested that I become a lector once I became Catholic. This surprised me because I’ve never felt my voice was particularly pleasing to listen too. When I admitted my reservations about reading in public, he implied my voice was very good for reading and easy to listen too. He also stated that I should listen to what other people think my gifts are, rather than only considering my own self consciousness. The leader has brought this up to me three times since that night, also calling on the rest of the RCIA class to encourage me to train for this ministry. Public speaking has always terrified me but I feel torn, because if God is calling me to this particular task, I want to follow His will for me. Any advice would be much appreciated. :confused:
 
So do you feel like you kinda want to do it but you’re not sure if you’re good enough? Or that it’s totally not your pair of shoes, but you don’t want to refuse God’s calling?

From my experience - usually when God wants me to do something - He plants a seed in my mind, gently - I may not like the idea initially or I may be nervous, but then it grows on me and there’s this deep sense of peace about it! And maybe I should add - whenever I listened to God, what actually happened was far more amazing than I would expect 🙂

St Ignatius talks about discernment of spirits - his advice has never let me down!

God Bless
 
loro said:
So do you feel like you kinda want to do it but you’re not sure if you’re good enough? Or that it’s totally not your pair of shoes, but you don’t want to refuse God’s calling?

From my experience - usually when God wants me to do something - He plants a seed in my mind, gently - I may not like the idea initially or I may be nervous, but then it grows on me and there’s this deep sense of peace about it! And maybe I should add - whenever I listened to God, what actually happened was far more amazing than I would expect 🙂

St Ignatius talks about discernment of spirits - his advice has never let me down!

God Bless
Click to expand...
This seems like very good advice to me.
 
Discernment for the spiritual gifts is something like
shopping in God’s “gift shop”. You ASK Him for it!
What is the COST of the gift? Faith!
If public reading of scripture is the needed gift, GO
talk to God about it, you mentioned that you were
afraid of speaking in public, tell Him about it, He
WANTS you to confide in Him! Just like the Ignatian
Way of deciding on spiritual gifts, you will feel at
peace with the decision to ask God for it, but
keep in mind it is not for YOUR benefit, but for the
Common Good! 1 Cor 12:7
 
traveler10 said:
I hope I’m posting this in the correct forum. I’m a new Catholic, coming in at the last Easter vigil. My RCIA group lead the stations of the cross during one of the Lenten services and I read scripture for one of the stations, after which one of the RCIA leaders suggested that I become a lector once I became Catholic. This surprised me because I’ve never felt my voice was particularly pleasing to listen too. When I admitted my reservations about reading in public, he implied my voice was very good for reading and easy to listen too. He also stated that I should listen to what other people think my gifts are, rather than only considering my own self consciousness. The leader has brought this up to me three times since that night, also calling on the rest of the RCIA class to encourage me to train for this ministry. Public speaking has always terrified me but I feel torn, because if God is calling me to this particular task, I want to follow His will for me. Any advice would be much appreciated. :confused:
Click to expand...
I once met a woman who’s talent was not singing but she was very enthusiastic. Her explanation was “if God wanted me to have a great voice, He would have given it to me. Since He didn’t, I just put all my energy into it!” What great faith and what honor she gave to God every Sunday. Sometimes, we think our talent is not good enough to use to honor God. Would we have the guts to tell that to God? Trust in Him; He gave you the perfect gift for the job He wants you to have. God Bless you.
 
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