speaking in tongues

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Catholicforlife

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I need some help bringing my sister back to the church. We were both raised Catholic but she married outside of the church and has been gone for many years now. She is somewhat interested in coming back. One of our stumbling blocks is that she is attending an Assembly of God church. She likes the charism and speaking in tongues. I know nothing about it so I can’t really discuss it with her. I know they spoke in tongues to go out and make disciples of all nations but now? How do you know if this gift is from God? What can you tell me about Charismatic Catholics. Also any good books to recommend would be most helpful.
God bless you for your work!
D
 
Both ordinary (Isaiah 11:1-3) and extraordinary gifts (1 Cor. 12-14) of the Holy Spirit are active in the Church today. They are gifts to the Church. *The Catechism of the Catholic Church * (no. 799, 800) says, “Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world…They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.” However, “Extraordinary gifts are not to be sought after, nor are the fruits of apostolic labor to be presumptuously expected from their use; but judgment as to their genuinity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.“*Lumen gentium * (12)

Concerning the discernment of these gifts, the Catechism goes on to say “that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church’s shepherds. “Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Sprit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good,” so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together “for the common good.” I will be praying for your sister. God bless you!

For further reading on this subject, I recommend the following:

ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/GIFTS.TXT

ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/CHRSMATI.TXT

ewtn.com/expert/answers/charismatic_renewal.htm

ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ16.HTM#Charismatic%20Movement%20and%20the%20Gifts%20of%20the%20Holy
 
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