Gifts for Sanctification
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we were not only cleansed of sin but also made into a new creation: we became children of God who share in His very nature. We are now members of the Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit is strengthened through the Sacrament of Confirmation.

• Wisdom helps us perceive situations and the world from the Lord’s perspective
• Understanding enlightens our minds and hearts to grasp the mysteries of God.
• Counsel, also known as right judgement, gives us the capacity to make sound decisions and offer guidance according to the truth found in Jesus.
• Fortitude helps us remain firm in our commitment to Jesus even when it is difficult or we face persecution.
• Knowledge helps us know the purpose and plan of God
• Piety produces in us a deep awareness of who the Lord is so that we are moved to love and devotion.
• Fear of the Lord gives us a sense of reverence and awe in the presence of God and motivates us to reverence all life as a gift from Him

Gifts for Service or Charisms
The seven gifts mentioned in Isaiah are for our own personal sanctification. But the Holy Spirit also equips each member of the Church in unique ways for the work of salvation in the world.

On Pentecost, the apostles were gathered together in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them as tongues of fire. He released His gifts into their lives. Suddenly, fear and uncertainty were gone. They left the upper room in boldness and spoke in languages they did not know. Over three thousand came to know Jesus that day.

From there, they proclaimed the Gospel far and wide, accompanied by signs and wonders. And they readily laid down their lives.
The Holy Spirit provides missionary impetus to the Church. And this will look different for everyone. Most will not be called to journey to another country (some will!). But there are needs in our families, our workplaces, our parishes, our communities that the Lord desires to fulfill through each of us.

"So that she can fulfill her mission, the Holy Spirit ‘bestows upon [the Church] varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and this way directs her’. Henceforward the Church, endowed with the gifts of her founder and faithfully observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, receives the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God, and she is on earth the seed and the beginning of that kingdom." (CCC 768)

"The Holy Spirit is ‘the principle of every vital and truly saving action in each part of the Body.’ He works in many ways to build up the Body in charity: …by the many special graces (called ‘charisms’), by which he makes the faithful ‘fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church.’” (CCC 798)

"Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world." (CCC 799)

Charisms are freely given from God. They are not something that we earn or compete for. Rather they are given for a particular purpose in the plan of the Lord. He wants to accomplish something through you, to bring people closer to Him.

Therefore it’s important to be aware of the charisms and be open to receiving and using them. As you spend time sitting at the feet of the Lord, ask Him to show you the ways He wants to use you for the building up of His kingdom.

What are the charisms?
This is not an exhaustive list, but contains a good number that are mentioned in Scripture or witnessed in the lives of the saints: