I have to say, that I thought quite a bit about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that Paul talks about in this letter. Not many of us are conscious that we possess these gifts through our baptism and confirmation. The general feeling is that only saints exercise these gifts and they are not really applicable to the majority of believers. This is not true. According to St John, during the Last Supper Jesus said these words, “In all truth I tell you whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself and will perform even greater works.” (Jn 14:12)  This is an amazing promise. Jesus is saying to you and to me that we can do the same great things that He did; and wait for it, we can do even greater things. Let this sink in a bit. I am fully aware that the first thing that comes to our mind is “It’s impossible I cannot possibly do this. Fancy me doing the same things that Jesus did and boy even greater things.” The reality is that we can, because Jesus is alive powerfully and really in each one of us. One of the great sayings of St Therese of Lisieux was this. “If God asks you to do something, He will not only tell you what it is but He will also make it possible for you to do it”. We have been given these gifts to continue the work of Jesus.

I would like to offer some reflections about two particular gifts and how we can use them in our daily lives. The first one is preaching with wisdom. This is not a gift that applies only to priests or to those who preach. It is a gift that applies to everyone and I am sure you have exercised this gift quite frequently especially as mothers and fathers. I will give you an example.

I have always been very close to my grandmother, my mother’s mother. She did not have much opportunity to go to school. She was a very down to earth person, with a heart very open to the promptings and to the guidance of God. She had ten children and they were all quite young during the Second World War. Malta would have been one of the most bombarded places during the Second World War as it was a vital place for what was happening in the Mediterranean Sea. The only protection that was available for the general populace were trenches dug underneath the main roads of its towns and villages were families were allotted a little space for their protection. So you can imagine my grandma with ten kids in such a situation, surrounded by constant danger, in a very unhygienic situation. I asked her “Grandma how did you cope?” I will never forget her reply “I did my best and God did the rest.” This is preaching with wisdom. This is the exercising of this particular gift. My Grandma could easily have given up or despaired, but she held on to her responsibilities because she was convinced that God would not let her down. I am sure that you have exercised this gift before and I pray that you will continue to do so.

I would also like to offer a reflection on the gift of healing. We all need healing in our minds, in our hearts, in our bodies and in our spirits. We have also been taught to believe in our prayers, that our prayers are never in vain. This means that all of us can exercise the gift of healing. When you meet someone or when someone comes to see you and they  share with you what is bothering them, when they finish sharing with you, please do not simply say “Oh I am sorry about what you told me”, or worse “bad luck.” These words “bad luck” ought never be on our lips as believers in Jesus Christ. When people come to share with you something that is worrying them or hurting them, we can all say at the end “do you mind if I pray with you so that God can help you in this situation”. We do not have to be professors to pray. We only need to believe that Jesus Christ is alive in the person who is sharing with us just as much as He is alive in me.

It is important to pray with that person there and then, because if we say to them that we will pray for them, the chances are that we will forget all about it. What do we say when we pray with others. It is very simple. If someone has shared with you that they are worried about their children talk to God about that situation. “Lord Jesus, my sister/brother here is worried about the children. Bless these children wherever they are. Give them health and strength and peace in their mind and heart. Protect them from all harm. Bring them close to you. I also ask you to be with my brother/ with my sister here. Give them your consolation. Ease their heartache and their worries may they feel that they are close to you”. When you pray, you simply talk aloud to God about the worries, problems, anxieties and the fears that your friend has shared and ask the Lord to help the person concerned in their situation through His love, kindness and mercy.

Our baptism and confirmation were not just simple ceremonies. We believe that from that moment, our God started to live in us in an amazing and incredible life giving manner. There is nothing that we cannot face and overcome because of this. This is our Catholic Faith. Let us use it, treasure it and pass it on.

God bless.