Charismatic Spirituality

The charismatic renewal is a sign of the continuing relevance of the Holy Spirit for the baptized and gives life and direction to the Church in its mission in the world. Appearing soon after the close of Vatican II, the charismatic renewal has been one of a number of movements of the Spirit in the Church marked by a call to holiness and evangelization.

Call to Holiness gathers the wisdom within the renewal, thirty years after its beginnings, to help guide its continued life. This document evolved out of several years of consultation with leaders, theologians, and bishops associated with the charismatic renewal from various national backgrounds. Theologians not associated with the charismatic renewal have also been consulted.

The document covers the vocation to holiness, the experience of the Spirit, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the charisms, forms of community life, and the call to evangelize. Chapters are The Spiritual Renewal Coming from the Council," "The Experience of the Holy Spirit and its Fruits," and "Gifted for Mission."

Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes is President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. He was Vice-President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity from 1981-1996. For ten years he was, at the appointment of Pope John Paul II, the "Episcopal Advisor" to the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) in Rome. In this capacity he followed His Eminence Cardinal Leon-Joseph Suenens, the late Archbishop of Malines, Belgium.

The authors of this document supply much-needed clarification of baptism in the Holy Spirit. They also provide evidence that baptism in the Spirit belongs not to the personal experience of the few, not at all to private piety, but to the public official liturgy of the Church. Baptism in the Spirit is therefore normative. The authors, supported by letters of encouragement from two bishops, suggest ways in which the baptism in the Holy Spirit can be reappropriated by the local parish.

Here are the sources of renewal, of on-going conversion, of the power of evangelization. For this reason, this document is of interest to pastors, liturgists, RCIA teams, people involved in the catechumenate, spiritual directors and those in spiritual formation.

Who is the Holy Spirit? What role does the Spirit play in the life of the Church and of the individual Christian? Beginning with the belief in the Holy Spirit as a Person of God, and not just a "force," this book reveals the Catholic understanding of the presence and influence of the Spirit God in every aspect of the Christian life. The book focuses on the unique aspects and development of Catholic devotion to the Holy Spirit from antiquity to the present, culminating in a look at Catholic theology of the Holy Spirit today and the new and exciting ways the Spirit is working among Catholics and all Christians in the 20th and 21st centuries.

St. Paul asked some disciples, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" They replied, "We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Spirit" (see Acts 19:1-2).

Incredible as it might seem after twenty centuries of Christianity, were St. Paul to ask the same question of a great many Christians today, he would receive an answer similar to that of those first disciples in Ephesus. Though the name "Holy Spirit" may be familiar to them, the vast majority of Christians today know very little of Him. But thanks to Fr. Marín, that is about to change.

In these illuminating pages, you will discover the reason for this tragic forgetfulness, the sad result of the mass neglecting of the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and the way to cultivate a fruitful devotion to the Holy Spirit in your life.

You will learn the rich theology of the Holy Spirit as set in Scripture and passed down through Church Fathers, Doctors, and mystics such as Bl. Columba Marmion. Additionally, you will come to fully understand and appreciate the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ and the mission of the Church.

As you discover His gifts and charisms, you will also learn:

Most significantly, you will experience the sweetness of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in your soul and how He showers you with sanctifying grace. You will take a deep dive into the mystery of the Holy Spirit's gifts and the means of fostering them in your life for your salvation. As you allow yourself to bask in the presence of the Spirit, you will grow in fidelity and adoring love and behold His fruits in your life. Above all, you will see how the Holy Spirit is the reciprocal love of the Father and the Son.

Acclaimed spiritual writer Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen presents insightful reflections on the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, emphasizing the importance of the Spirit in the life of a Christian. He illustrates that the Holy Spirit desires to live in us so that we can love God and others with God's own love. As the Holy Spirit descended upon the early Church at Pentecost to set the world ablaze with the fire of divine love, so He wants to do with us.

God, who is One, also desires the Church to be one, Fr. Stinissen writes. The Lord wants to unify all Christians in one holy Church, and all people in one body. The Holy Spirit is the great unifier, he says, for it is he who makes the Father and the Son one God. If Christians let him live within them, they will grow in unity.

At the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, Blessed Pope John XXIII offered a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to "Renew your wonders in our time, as though for a new Pentecost." The rediscovery of the charismatic gifts by ordinary Catholics throughout the world was an answer to that prayer. Damian Stayne, who is known internationally for his healing ministry, shows readers how the spiritual gifts of prophecy, healing, and deliverance were used by Jesus, the early Church, and the saints-and why we need them operating in the Church today. He provides not only amazing stories of God's presence and work in our time but also a host of practical instructions on how to grow in these gifts. This book is both inspiring and a challenge to Catholics to be open to the gifts of the Spirit in order to bring others to Christ.

Release God's Healing Power In Your Life!

Every Christian has been sent and empowered by Jesus to heal the sick. The problem is that many of us don't know how to practically complete this task. We either think that miraculous healing has passed away, that the healing ministry is only available to special leaders, or that God simply picks and chooses who He decides to heal.

In Power to Heal, international evangelist, teacher and apostolic voice, Randy Clark, gives you eight practical, Bible-based tools that will help you start praying for the sick... and see them supernaturally healed!

You'll learn how to:

Discover the amazing truth about supernatural healing--that God wants to use you to release His miraculous power today!

Many of us fail to recognize that obtaining the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to getting to heaven. We often block their reception through our own faults. We fail to see how they are passed on or strengthened in the sacraments. And, sadly, we forget to petition God in prayer to bestow these gifts upon us.

In these pages, Dr. Kevin Vost ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 best-selling author of The One-Minute Aquinas ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 provides us with a substantive yet readable introduction to the seven gifts and how we can humbly submit our wills to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit.

As Dr. Vost explains, these God-given gifts help us to conform our lives to His image, intellect and will. They prevent us from being drawn into frustration ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 and possibly self-destruction ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 by following our own sensual appetites. Indeed, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the only path to being fully happy on earth and in the life to come.

With St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure as his guides, Dr. Vost introduces you to the special charism of the Holy Spirit before explaining each gift one by one. You'll discover the special meaning behind each of the natural and theological virtues, and you'll learn the indispensible link between the seven gifts and the Beatitudes. You'll also learn:

Don't let another year go by without unwrapping and enjoying the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Read this book, and then accept the seven gifts the Holy Spirit so desperately wants to give you.