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<p id="82e86d87-397e-ae83-f38c-527a44d30eae"> <strong>THE CHARISMS
ARE A WAY OF GROWING IN FAITH</strong> </p>
<p>Vatican City, 6 November 2013 (VIS) – The communion of holy
persons who grow through participation in spiritual goods, and
above all the Sacraments, the charisms and charity, was the theme
of Pope Francis' catechesis during today's general audience.</p>
<p>In the Sacraments, each one of us is “incorporated in Christ and
united with the entire community of believers. Therefore, if one
the one hand there is the Church who 'makes' the Sacraments, on
the other there are the Sacraments which 'make' the Church,
edifying her, generating new sons, and joining them to the holy
people of God”. Furthermore, “the Sacraments offer us the impetus
to become missionaries, and the apostolic commitment to taking the
faith to all places, even the most hostile, is the most authentic
fruit of a steadfast sacramental life, inasmuch as it constitutes
participation in God's salvific plan, which aims at bringing
salvation to all”.</p>
<p>The second aspect of communion in holy things is the communion of
charisms. “The Holy Spirit dispenses a multitude of gifts and
spiritual graces to the faithful … for the edification of the
Church”, explained the Pope. “Therefore, they are not given for
the benefit of the recipient, but for use by the people of God. …
The charisms are particular graces, given to some for the good of
many others”, and “they are born in the conscience and experience
of certain persons, called to put their gifts at the service of
the community. In particular, these spiritual gifts are are of
benefit to the sanctity of the Church and her mission”.</p>
<p>Charity is the third aspect of this communion with spiritual
goods. “The charisms are important in the life of the Christian
community, but they are always means of growing in charity, which
St. Paul places above the charisms. Without love”, Pope Francis
emphasised, “even the most extraordinary gifts are in vain, while
the smallest of our gestures of love brings good to all. … This
brotherly solidarity is not a rhetorical figure, a figure of
speech, but rather an integral part of communion between
Christians. If we live this solidarity, we are a sign to the
world, a 'sacrament' of God's love”.</p>
<p>“This is not that easy charity that we offer between ourselves,
but instead something deeper: it is a communion that makes us able
to enter into the joy and the pain of others in order to sincerely
make them our own. And often we are too arid, indifferent and
detached, and instead of transmitting brotherliness, we transmit
ill-humour, coldness and selfishness. And with ill-humour,
coldness and selfishness, one cannot help the Church to grow; the
Church grows only with the love that comes from the Holy Spirit”.</p>
<p>“And I would now like to ask of you an act of charity”, said the
Holy Father to the tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St.
Peter's Square, and added jokingly, “Don't worry! It's not a
collection! Before coming to the Square, I went to see a seriously
ill child aged just one and a half. Her mother and father pray and
implore the Lord to cure their daughter. She is called Noemi and
she smiled, poor girl. Let us carry out an act of love; we do not
know her but she is a baptized child, she is one of us, a
Christian. Let us ask the Lord to help her in this moment and to
give her health: first in silence, and then let us pray the Hail
Mary”.</p>
<p>Silence fell over the square for a moment, after which the Pope
said, “And now let us pray together to the Virgin for the health
of Noemi. … Thank you for this act of charity”, he concluded,
after more than fifty thousand people recited the Hail Mary in
unison.<br>
</p>
<p>Don`t miss...<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/schoenstatt-news/francis-for-the-pilgrims-2014.htm">http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/schoenstatt-news/francis-for-the-pilgrims-2014.htm</a><br>
</p>
<p>And tell us your story with Francis` words to the pilgrims
2014...<br>
</p>
<p>Greetings in Covenant Solidarity,<br>
</p>
<p>maria<br>
</p>
<br>
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