There are many gifts of the Spirit that may be experienced through meditation. God may call someone to tongues, prophecy, healing, the gift of tears, and the many other gifts enumerated by St. Paul. 

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.(l Corinthians 12:1-11)  

One should neither be surprised or elated to experience such gifts especially as meditation is practiced over many years.                        

Initially, as the Holy Spirit becomes active in one’s life, it is natural to be both frightened and awed at the power displayed by God.  And, we should remain in awe but we should not take possession of the gift, so freely offered, as our own. 

We should immediately offer the gift back to God in thankfulness, and in so doing, we offer the gift to others as God has called us to do. 

To take possession of the gift as payment for our own righteousness is to risk the loss of all that we have gained in the spiritual life. God may give us a gift to use in a particular situation and then may never call on us to use that gift again for many years.

One instance I recall, my four-year-old daughter came running home breathlessly saying that our neighbor, Catherine, was dying. Catherine lived with her brother and sister and all three were elderly and devoutly religious.  I immediately went down the street to see Catherine and was told by her brother that she was upstairs in bed very sick.  

I went up to her room and found her in a weakened condition and near death.  The doctor had been there but could do nothing else for her.  As we spoke, she revealed to me that she was not able to pray and it was giving her great anxiety. Although I had not been with a dying person before, I sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit and began praying aloud for her. 

Immediately, peacefulness came over her and she became very calm and stated her readiness to go to God.  I felt the same peace and left her feeling very uplifted and joyful. She died later that day.  

As I look back after many years, the time with Catherine foreshadowed my call to ministry in which I often see my role to intercede with God in prayer for other souls in need.  

Click to check out Gifts of The Spirit: Part 2, Gifts of The Spirit: Part 3, and Gifts of The Spirit: Part 4