The Charisms of the Holy Spirit

There are many examples of the charisms of the Holy Spirit, as they are many and varied. There's a good reason for this: we are many and diverse! There are many charisms to fit our many personalities and modes of living. Even more so, they combine and manifest differently in different people. That makes for endless variations! The main thing to remember about charisms is that charisms are supernatural, charisms are effective, and charisms are not static. The following list of charisms is according to the Catholic tradition.

Examples of the charisms of the Holy Spirit are writing, craftsmanship, giving, helping, music, prophecy, discernment, service, administration, knowledge, pastoring, wisdom, faith, leadership, teaching, intercession, celibacy, evangelism, hospitality, healing, voluntary poverty, mercy, and missionary. What about tongues and the discernment of tongues? They are outside our charism discernment's scope because they are received in a different mode. However, they, too, are charisms of the Holy Spirit. Again, this list of charisms is according to the Catholic tradition.

Here's a little bit about each of the charisms of the Holy Spirit.

Writing

The first example of charisms is writing. This charism empowers an individual to use words to express truth, beauty, and goodness in ways that reflect the fullness of the human experience and profoundly affect the reader.

Craftsmanship

This empowers an individual to show God's goodness to the world through artistic, creative, or skilled work that brings order and beauty into other's lives.

Encouragement

Encouragement empowers individuals to be effective emissaries of God's love and nurturing nature through their presence, ability to listen, and words of comfort and counsel.

Giving

This example of a charism isn't just about giving gifts; it empowers individuals to be conduits of God's provision by practicing supernatural generosity with their time, talents, and resources.

Helps

This charism of the Holy Spirit sounds like you might be there whenever anyone needs anything, but it's more complex. Helps empowers an individual to be a particular support to another person's service, ministry, or vocation through the use of their talents and gifts. We see this charism most frequently in those with a "right-hand man/woman" type role in any organization.

Music

This empowers an individual to share God's goodness through music, inviting others into a deeper relationship with God. Of the charisms of the Holy Spirit, this one is often hard to discern compared to natural talent. Still, it's helpful to add the litmus test of looking at not just the beauty or skill of the music but also whether or not the music invites others into a sense of wonder, faith, or prayer.

Prophecy

This empowers an individual to hear from the Lord and share His messages with others in a way that encourages, instructs, and invites them into a deeper relationship with God.

Discernment

Discernment, another example of a charism, empowers an individual to accurately and intuitively sense the spiritual source of something. This could be God, human, or demonic.

Service

This charism of the Holy Spirit doesn't just involve being a slave or servant to other people. It empowers an individual to see the needs in a community or organization and then do what is necessary to bridge the gap and support the task at hand.

Administration

This empowers an individual to plan and execute projects and goals in a way that exceeds learned skills.

Knowledge

This charism differs from the gift of the Holy Spirit but has the same name. Knowledge, as a charism of the Holy Spirit, empowers individuals to use their minds, study, and analytical skills to synthesize information that helps them better understand God and the world.

Pastoring

Pastoring doesn't just mean being the pastor of a church or a priest; it's much more inclusive than that. This charism empowers individuals to build effective Christian communities and enter into long-term relationships of Christian formation that elevate the faith lives of the people they serve.

Wisdom

Another charism of the Holy Spirit that is distinct from its gift of the Holy Spirit counterpart. Wisdom empowers an individual to creatively apply knowledge with insight to help solve problems, accomplish goals, or make decisions.

Faith

This charism of the Holy Spirit empowers individuals to trust God and His will to a supernatural degree and gives them great freedom to operate out of that trust in a way that builds the community's faith. Faith is not exclusive to a particular set of job or vocational circumstances. All baptized persons have the gift of faith, but the charism goes deeper.

Leadership

This one empowers an individual to share their vision for growth and change with others in a way that motivates and compels others to participate in that vision under their direction.

Teaching

This one seems evident in the application—good teachers have the teaching gift! But many people can display this gift in numerous ways. Parents teach their children, and trainers and mentors teach their mentees. Teaching empowers individuals to communicate ideas, skills, and information effectively and empoweringly to those they teach for the good of the student's personal and spiritual formation.

Intercession

This charism of the Holy Spirit empowers an individual to pray without ceasing for the intercessions of others, with great faith that prayer changes things and often serves as a means by which God's love reaches others.

Celibacy

This is perhaps the most Catholic charism on this list. It is self-explanatory, but it empowers an individual to be most fulfilled and fruitful by remaining unmarried in devotion and obedience to Christ. It is always in conjunction with other gifts and creates freedom to use and pursue those gifts totally. Prominent examples of this are priests and religious.

Evangelism

Most people who display this charism of the Holy Spirit are pretty loud and proud. Hello, extroverts! It empowers an individual to share their faith supernaturally effectively - encouraging both conversion and dedication to the faith in those they minister to, so anyone can have this gift.

Hospitality

This empowers individuals to open their hearts and homes to welcome others as if they are Christ, often by providing food, shelter, or relationships.

Healing

Healing doesn't just mean supernatural physical healing. It empowers an individual to become a unique expression of God's love in the world by curing illness and restoring health - be it physical, inner, or relational.

Voluntary Poverty

This charism of the Holy Spirit empowers individuals to live in solidarity with the poor in a chosen and joyful way that helps build others’ faith and confidence in Jesus. If you're Catholic, think of the Franciscans.

Mercy

This empowers individuals to share Christ's empathy and compassion for others and urges them to take practical actions to love and serve them.

Missionary

This charism of the Holy Spirit empowers individuals to care deeply about the salvation of people everywhere. They are urged to act on that call by ministering to people in other cultures.

Learn more about this list of charisms of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic tradition at Many Parts Ministries.