‘Charisms enable the faithful to become active disciples’

Every Christian receives charisms at baptism, said Christina Krutza. “They just need to be made aware of them, to discern them and then actually use them.”

Charisms enable the faithful to become active disciples, and God desires that those gifts be used, Krutza said. “He’s kind of like a parent who gives a Christmas gift,” she said. “He just greatly desires that we open up those gifts and use them, not primarily for ourselves, but for the sake of others.”

Krutza is a Called and Gifted presenter for the Catherine of Siena Institute and adult ministry associate at St. Vincent DePaul in Brooklyn Park. She recently spoke with “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley about discerning one’s spiritual gifts.

Krutza holds a master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame and studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Conley also serves as coordinator for Called and Gifted for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Catherine of Siena Institute is a ministry of the western province of Dominicans that focuses on forming lay apostles “because the laity are the ones who are most meant to be out in the world, and charisms are outward focused,” Krutza said. “So through forming those lay apostles, through Called and Gifted and other forms of ministry, they’re able to serve the Church in the world.”

Discerning charisms can help the faithful discern vocations, Krutza said, “because the Lord desires for you to find this great joy in your life. And when you begin to understand and to know what your charisms are, those are clues to what your vocation is.”

People volunteering as catechists may wonder if they have the charism of teaching, Krutza said. “Is this somewhere where I feel I fit, that I just feel on fire, and that the people are actually learning?” she said. “Because that’s part of the importance of the discernment as well, to discern ‘how do I feel while I’m doing it?’ Is there fruit and what is the feedback?”

Two upcoming Called and Gifted workshops are scheduled and two more are being planned, Conley said. The first will be held Nov. 19 at St. Vincent de Paul. The archdiocese website archspm.org describes the Called and Gifted workshops as a way to “explore the ancient teaching of the Church on how the gifts (or charisms) of the Holy Spirit work in your life and in the life of your parish. During these workshops, you will learn the signs and characteristics of the most common charisms of the Holy Spirit.”

To hear Krutza describe what discerning charisms can offer a marriage, and to hear the full interview, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” show at 9 p.m. Nov. 4, which repeats 1 p.m. Nov. 5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 6 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.

To learn more and to register for a workshop, visit archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/called-and-gifted. To learn more about the Catherine of Siena Institute, visit siena.org.

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel for the Minnesota Catholic Conference, who discusses making informed decisions at the voting booth; and Judy Cozzens, former president of the U.S. Council of Serra International, who describes Serra and how it promotes and supports vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.