Renewal of the Spirit Melinda Selmys Originally published in Issue XIV of Vulgata, July 2004.

Pope John Paul II, speaking to the Council of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office described “The emergence of the Renewal following the Second Vatican Council [as] a particular gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church.” This statement, along with much of what the Vatican has to say about the Catholic Charismatic movement, remains somewhat controversial – particularly amongst conservative Catholics who tend to see the Charismatics as sort of wanna-be Protestants. Yet a look at the Catholic Charismatic movement, at the organizations that run it, and at its role within the Church reveals a movement that is deeply ecclesial, that is supported and guided by the highest levels of Vatican authority, and that, if anything, can be hoped to provide a medicine for those Catholics who have been seduced away from the Church by a promise of a more “spirit-filled” relationship with God in the Pentecostal movement. That being said, the Charismatic Renewal, like every ministry and activity undertaken by fallible human beings, is subject to its own particular pit-falls and risks, which the faithful should be aware of – not in order that they should fear to participate in Charismatic spirituality, but in order that they may avoid the particular problems that can arise when they do so.

The benefits of the Charismatic Renewal are many, and they work on many levels within the Church, the parish and the lives of individuals. The first is the renewal of the prayer lives of the members of the movement: as the Pope said in an address to Catholic Charismatics, “How can we fail to praise God for the abundant fruit which in recent decades the Renewal in the Spirit has brought about in the lives of individuals and in communities? Countless people have come to appreciate the importance of Sacred Scripture for Christian living they have acquired a new sense of the value of prayer and a profound yearning for holiness, many have returned to the sacraments, and a great number of men and women have achieved a deeper understanding of their baptismal call, and have committed themselves to the Church's mission with admirable dedication.” Catholic charismatic prayer groups, far from focusing solely upon the blatantly supernatural charisms that so often dominate Protestant charismatic sects, are usually formed by people genuinely seeking a deeper dimension to their prayer life. They call upon the Holy Spirit to enter and work through their prayer, recalling St. Paul's advice to the Romans that "...we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words." Thus, by encouraging the faithful to a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, these groups serve to encourage and nurture the “Prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit [which] becomes the ever more mature expression of the new man, who by means of this prayer participates in the divine life.” (Dominum et vivificantem)

Obviously the Charismatics are not the only people who are encouraging the faithful to a life of prayer, nor are they the only ones who encourage a prayer life enlivened by the Holy Spirit. The fact of the Spirit's action in Christian prayer has been central to the Church's understanding of the spiritual life from its foundation, when Christ promised to send “...the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, [and who] will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) Yet it is for precisely this reason that the Charismatics stand as a continuation and renewal of Catholic tradition, and not as a heretical movement swimming against the stream of living water which the Spirit pours out through His Church. Their success, then, lies in the fact that they are able to reach out to members of the lay faithful whose spiritual lives have become perfunctory or non-existent, and to rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit which they received in Baptism and Confirmation. They, along with other lay organizations within the Church, help people to develop a prayer life that goes beyond mere attendance at Sunday Mass, helping them to reach out in prayer to “The Holy Spirit, the giver of every gift and the main principle of the Church's vitality, [who] does not only work through the sacraments...[but] pours out into the People of God a great wealth of graces both for prayer and contemplation and for action.”

Of course if the Charismatics were only involved in developing prayer groups and in encouraging devotion to the Holy Spirit, they would not be controversial. The controversy arises precisely because they seek to invite the Spirit, not only to guide and deepen their prayer, but also to enkindle again the fires that burnt in Pentecost, and to bestow upon the modern Church the charismatic gifts that we read about in the biblical accounts of the apostolic era. This disturbs many conservative Catholics – and also, interestingly, many conservative and fundamentalist Protestants. In the latter case, the reservations are understandable – it was once quipped that Luther could not so much as cure a lame horse, and because of the lack of miraculous occurrences at the beginning of the Reformation, many traditional Protestant churches have tended to believe that extraordinary charisms and miraculous powers ceased at the end of the apostolic era. As the present Pope has pointed out, however, “At the beginning of the Christian era extraordinary things were accomplished under the influence of charisms,” yet this did not cease with the death of the apostles, but “...has always been the case in the Church and is so in our era as well, generally in a hidden way, but sometimes in a striking way, when God desires it for the good of his Church.” In the lives of the Saints, these gifts have remained present and visible within the Church throughout the entirety of Christian history; it is no departure from Christian tradition nor from Catholic spirituality to nourish and encourage them. For "the Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful as in a temple (cf. 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19)...He furnishes and directs her with various gifts, both hierarchical and charismatic, and adorns her with the fruits of his grace (cf Eph 4:11-12; 1 Cor 12:4; Gal 5:22).” (Lumen Gentium)

These charisms come in a variety of forms – not only in the form of the extraordinary or explicitly supernatural charisms that characterize Charismatic spirituality, but also in the form of “little, humble, everyday charisms.” Under the guidance of the Holy See, the Catholic Charismatic renewal seeks to encourage the growth and openness of its members to both sorts of charisms – not only the working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, and tongues, (cf. (1 Cor 12) but also to gifts of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance," (Gal. 5:22-23) by which the faithful are enabled to carry out their Christian vocation with fidelity and courage in the face of many obstacles. It encourages charisms of knowledge, of wisdom, of counsel, and of discernment which serve to edify the faithful and to help us grow in understanding of God's will and of His Word. These charisms, both ordinary and the extraordinary, are given for “the service of others and the welfare of the Church,” and as such we are not merely called upon to tolerate them, but to “[receive them] in gratitude both on the part of the one who receives them, and also on the part of the entire Church.” (Christifideles Laici)  Just as the Holy Spirit came in power at the first Pentecost in order to bestow the graces by which the early Church was made able to fulfill its evangelical vocation, the Pope, looking towards the present millennium and the need for a new evangelization, calls upon the faithful to “Open yourselves with docility to the gifts of the Holy Spirit! Receive with gratitude and obedience the charisms that the Spirit does not cease to offer! Do not forget that all charisms are given for the common good, that is, for the benefit of the whole Church!' " ("Insegnamenti," XXI, 1 [1998], p. 1122) By encouraging the lay faithful to a fuller realization of their baptismal calling and a greater use of the gifts which the Holy Spirit bestows in confirmation, the Catholic Charismatic movement is responding to the Pope's call and helping God's Spirit to “renew the face of the earth.”

One of the most striking ways in which the Charismatic movement is particularly qualified to carry out the new evangelization, and to build up the Church, is by combating the dangers of materialism and anti-supernaturalism. “The resistance to the Holy Spirit which St. Paul emphasizes in the interior and subjective dimension as tension, struggle and rebellion taking place in the human heart...reaches its clearest [cultural] expression in materialism.” (Dominum et vivificantem) We live in a culture where this philosophical formulation of the “ideology of the flesh” has become so pervasive that many people find even the most modest supernatural claims to be fantastic, hysterical or simply incredible. By testifying to the power of the Holy Spirit, by showing forth His presence through “works of holiness and solidarity,” and by encouraging the faithful to a serious exploration of the spiritual and supernatural dimensions of human life, “the Charismatic Renewal can play a significant role in promoting the much-needed defense of Christian life in societies where secularism and materialism have weakened many people's ability to respond to the Spirit and to discern God's loving call.”

I am not suggesting that hardened atheists will be brought around by the miracles reputed to take place at the local parish's healing Masses – but rather that ordinary people, especially those with little philosophical training, who have unwittingly absorbed the materialistic assumptions of our culture may be called to a reconsideration of the spiritual dimensions of life through contact with Christians whose lives are genuinely filled and enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the materialism that infects our culture does not stop at the doors of the Church, and it is not uncommon for the lay Catholics in the pews to take little notice of – or even be embarrassed by – the supernatural aspects of the faith. By drawing lay people into a relationship with the Holy Spirit, by encouraging them to take the supernatural and the miraculous seriously, and by re-awaking our realization that we live in a world that is haunted not merely by atoms but also by spiritual beings – both angelic and demonic – the Catholic Charismatic renewal does a great service to the strength and reality of people's faith. It works to combat the errors of liberation theology, which proposes an almost Marxist program of salvation through social justice, and to counter the development of a demythologized, humanistic religion in which Jesus is a “good teacher” who had some nice things to say about morality, and whose followers made up a lot of fantastic stories in the hundred years following his death.

While there is a certain amount of concern that the Catholic Charismatic movement is too Protestant, it is, in fact, a response to, more than an imitation of, the Protestant Pentecostal movement. Thus, just as the counter-Reformation sought to strengthen the Church and to draw back members who had been lured, by the just complaints of the Reformers, into abandoning the Church altogether, the Charismatic renewal seeks to address the needs of Catholics who might otherwise be tempted to leave the Church in search of a more “spirit-filled” Protestant venue. Indeed, from the beginning of an organized Charismatic movement within the Church, the Vatican has repeatedly stressed that “Since the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the building up of the Church...[the] leaders of the Charismatic Renewal, are challenged to seek increasingly effective ways in which the various groups [they] represent can manifest their complete communion of mind and heart with the Apostolic See and the College of Bishops, and cooperate ever more fruitfully in the Church's mission in the world,” and to “be ever more fully associated with the life of the particular Churches.” The Pope particularly encourages Charismatic communities to “further [strengthen] their ecclesial character, at the doctrinal level and in programs of formation,” in order that they may “truly serve [their] purpose, helping to ensure that "the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God" [Col. 2:19].” Thus the mandate and conduct of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal has, from its conception, been guided by a concern for and loyalty to the magisterium of the Church, and, under the guidance of Vatican sponsored organizational structures, it has sought to encourage and increase the Catholicity of its members.

Because of this, the Charismatic Renewal is particularly powerful working on the parish level – almost all Charismatic prayer groups are parish groups, usually working under the guidance and support of a parish priest, in order to foster the growth and renewal of the faith on the level of the individual Churches. In this capacity, it is particularly well suited to reach out to lay people, to draw them not only into a deeper personal spirituality and service of the Church and the world, but also to strengthen relationships and commitments at the parish level. Charismatic prayer, by its nature, invites a more intimate relationship between members than do many of the more traditional devotional organizations. Because of the focus on more spontaneous prayer, on communication between the group within a prayer setting, and on the sharing of testimonies, relationships are forged that help create a stronger sense of parish community. If the parish priest is involved, he is allowed greater knowledge of the needs and strengths of the involved parishioners, and is able to more aptly guide them in their formation as mature Christians. Fellowship and community are tremendously important – even fundamental to our vocation and development as Christians – yet all too often in the Catholic Church, lay parishioners only make use of their local parish during Sunday Mass and on special occasions such as weddings and baptisms. This has meant that many Catholics have been lured away from the faith of their fathers by Protestant churches that, though lacking the hierarchical authority and divine sanction given by Christ to the successors of Peter, have a stronger sense of community and fellowship. Charismatic prayer groups, by drawing lay parishioners to pray and worship in community with one another, help to combat this problem by healing and strengthening the parish communities in which they are active.

Having said all of this, you may have come to the conclusion that I am a sort of spokesperson for the Charismatic Renewal, that I feel it is the best thing to happen to the Church since the Resurrection, and that it can do no wrong. While I do recognize and give thanks for the good work that the Charismatic movement has accomplished and continues to accomplish within the Church, I am certainly not ignorant of, nor do I entirely disagree with the objections that can be leveled against it. The first, and most obvious risk is that charismatics will become excessively focused on the desire to receive extraordinary spiritual gifts, and, by ceasing to concentrate upon the giver, will fall into spiritual pride or gluttony. In extreme cases, this can, instead of nurturing our faith in the Holy Spirit, lead us to regard Him as a source of almost magical powers, and to pursue spiritual power in neglect of our relationship with God. Obviously it is not my business to define what is and is not sent by the Holy Spirit, but if we are going to attempt any sort of objectivity, we need to keep in mind that it is quite possible for astounding supernatural manifestations to take place without the Holy Spirit having very much to do with it. In Eusebius's History of the Church, we read that

"Montanus, in his unbridled ambition to reach the top, laid himself open to the adversary, was filled with spiritual excitement and suddenly fell into a kind of trance and unnatural ecstasy. He raved, and began to chatter and talk nonsense, prophesying in a way that conflicted with the practice of the Church handed down generation by generation from the beginning. Of those who listened at that time to his sham utterances some were annoyed, regarding him as possessed, a demoniac in the grip of a spirit of error, a disturber of the masses. They rebuked him and tried to stop his chatter, remembering the distinction drawn by the Lord, and His warning to guard vigilantly against the coming of false prophets. ... Then he secretly stirred up and inflamed minds closed to the true Faith, raising up in this way two others -- women whom he filled with the sham spirit, so that they chattered crazily, inopportunely, and wildly, like Montanus himself."

Another risk is that we may simply fool ourselves into believing that we have extraordinary charisms when indeed we have nothing of the sort. Many of the charismata described by St. Paul – and many of those widely found in Charismatic and Pentecostal circles – can be imitated (well enough, at least, to fool the one who believes himself thus gifted) by simple psychological hysteria. Iraneus speaks of just such a case in Against Heresies, when he discusses a follower of the heretic Marcus:

"Marcus to a woman, 'Receive first from me and by me the gift of Charis ...' Woman: 'I have never at any time prophesied, nor do I know how to prophesy.' Marcus: 'Open thy mouth, speak whatsoever occurs to thee, and thou shalt prophesy.' She then, vainly puffed up and elated by these words, and greatly excited in soul by the expectation that it is herself who is to prophesy, her heart beating violently (from emotion), reaches the requisite pitch of audacity, and idly as well as impudently utters some nonsense as it happens to occur to her, such as might be expected from one healed by an empty spirit"

It is for these reasons that the Pope stresses that “In the community life and pastoral practice of the Church, charisms must be recognized but also discerned,” and that “The Christian community...has the right to be informed by its Pastors about the authenticity of charisms and the reliability of those who claim to have received them...especially when it regards extraordinary charisms.”  Furthermore,"Judgment as to their (charisms) genuineness and proper use belongs to those who preside over the Church, and to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good (cf. 1 Thess 5:12 and 19-21)" (Christifideles Laici) For these reason, it is advisable that anyone who believes themselves to be possessed of an extraordinary charism should seek out a competent spiritual director, or at least turn to the direction of their parish priest – both in order to assist them in discerning the authenticity and purpose of the gift, and also to help them avoid and overcome temptations to spiritual gluttony or pride.

Another, perhaps more widespread risk, is that of excessive emotionalism, and of a dependence upon feeling instead of upon faith in one's prayer life. As C. S. Lewis – among others – points out, emotions are not a good foundation upon which to build our prayer life or our faith. Because Charismatic prayer tends to be highly emotional, and because Charismatic events tend to induce a certain amount of hype, it is necessary for the faithful to ensure that their spirituality remains balanced enough to withstand periods of spiritual dryness. I don't mean to imply that this is not an aspect of the spiritual life that is addressed in Charismatic groups or at Charismatic conferences – in many cases it certainly is – however, it remains a risk simply because the emotional high that can be produced by a Charismatic style of worship can create feelings of spiritual advancement and closeness with God that, if sown only in the shallow soil of the passions, are apt to whither and die as soon as the sun hits its zenith. It is natural, and indeed it is good, that following conversion people should experience a sort of spiritual honeymoon – a period in which we feel particularly excited and enthusiastic about our faith. Nor should we attempt to discourage natural outpourings of emotion as we proceed in our spiritual growth, for “We are body and spirit, and we experience the need to translate our feelings externally. We must pray with our whole being...” (Catechism 2702). “Passions are morally good when they contribute to a good action...Emotions and feelings can be taken up into the virtues...”(Catechism 1768), and this is particularly true when they lead us into prayer and cause us to take joy in our relationship with God. If, however, we become dependent upon our passions, so that our prayer life is guided solely by our feelings and not by our will, then we will find that we lack the constancy and perseverance that is necessary to sustain the spiritual life. For “Prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of interior impulse: in order to pray, one must have the will to pray,” (Catechism 2650) and this will must be sustained in spite of the obstacles, objections and difficulties that arise within the soul during the course of our growth in faith. Thus, while we should rightly enjoy the spiritual sweetness and enthusiasm that Charismatic worship so often invokes, we cannot allow it to become either the end of our prayer, nor our thermometer for judging its efficacy. As the Saints and the Spiritual Writers of the Church so often attest, it is in our faithfulness that pleases God – our willingness to persevere in prayer even when we are beset by distractions and disappointments, and to go on praying even when we receive no sensible consolation from our efforts, for “Filial trust...proves itself in tribulation.” (Catechism 2734)

Charismatics, particularly those who pray in tongues, must also be cautious to maintain a certain balance within their prayer life – for our calling to pray “with our whole being” includes not only the necessity to “Praise him with tambourine and dancing,” (Psalm 150) with our voices raised in song, with ecstatic utterances and outpourings of fervent emotion, but also to turn our ears to wisdom and apply our hearts to understanding (cf. Proverbs 2:2). Articulate prayer – the prayer of the intellect in which we seek understanding and insight into God's precepts, His Word and His activity in our lives is essential to our spirituality, for “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish,” (Psalm 49:20).  Obviously an excessively intellectual faith – one in which the fires of divine love are an abstract principle and not an emotional and psychological reality – is equally damaging, for it leaves God the mind while denying Him the heart. We must, however – particularly if we are involved in forms of worship and prayer that tend to be highly emotional or (in the case of glossolalia) inarticulate – ensure that we do not go to the opposite extreme, worshiping in spirit while forgetting to open our minds to truth.