Charismatics

[tnavarro61]

What does it mean to be a charismatic?

I heard many criticisms about it, as well as defense, but I cannot understand.

first, what is a charismatic? what are the pros and cons?

And the Intercessors of the Lamb.. who are they? Are they charismatic too? I heard some criticisms too about it but cannot really understand.

Help!

Thanks!

Thomas Eugene


*it's my first time to post here.. i only opst at the vocation station*

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='tnavarro61' post='1691456' date='Nov 2 2008, 05:21 AM']What does it mean to be a charismatic?

I heard many criticisms about it, as well as defense, but I cannot understand.

first, what is a charismatic? what are the pros and cons?

And the Intercessors of the Lamb.. who are they? Are they charismatic too? I heard some criticisms too about it but cannot really understand.

Help!

Thanks!

Thomas Eugene


*it's my first time to post here.. i only opst at the vocation station*[/quote]

"Charismatic" comes from the Greek word for "gift." Charismatic Catholics comprise a movement (the "Charismatic Movement" of course) which practices one of the major forms of spirituality in the Catholic faith today. Charismatics are highly devoted to the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and often pray for the charismatic gifts (1 Cor. 12).

As a genuine spirituality within the Church, the charismatic movement has no cons, however, no one ever lives out their spirituality perfectly, and so some tendencies towards pros and cons may exist in charismatic spirituality. The task of any Christian and of any charismatic is, of course, to diminish anything negative in living out the spirituality.

The pros and cons often perceived about charismatic spirituality are...

Pros:
-emphasis on the Holy Spirit
-emphasis on healing
-emphasis on personal relationship with Jesus Christ
-charismatics are often known for joy and excitement about the faith
-largely based on the writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola
-emphasis on free-prayer (heart-to-heart with God)

Cons (remember, these aren't cons for the spirituality itself, only for the way it's [i]occasionally[/i] lived out):
-over-emphasis on emotions
-some aspects of their spirituality can frighten outsiders
-some (rare) charismatics claim that non-charismatics are not true Christians

To clarify, every spirituality can be lived out in a way that doesn't reflect the true nature of that spirituality, so I'm not meaning to single out charismatic spirituality at all.

Last but not least, the Intercessors of the Lamb are a very good example of a charismatic religious order. I had the pleasure of knowing some of them when I was a seminarian. They emphasize spiritual warfare and intercessory prayer.

I hope this helps.

God bless,

Micah