First of all, St. Paul puts the lists of gifts in the context of real, living, solid and daily communities. Few of those exist in England. I personally have experience of real communities which involved discipline and oversight from the hierarchy of the Church.
Second, St. Paul admits that love is more important than the charismatic gifts, and these are gifts for the Church, not for small and self-referenced prayer groups.
Third, the gifts come only in the latter stages of the three ages of the interior life, and not before one has become orthodox, purified, and gone through the several layers of conversion, entering into a very late stage of holiness. Holiness first, then the gifts. Here is Garrigou-Lagrange:
It is easy to see that St. Paul and St. John the Evangelist excelled in the word of wisdom; St. Matthew and St. James in the word of knowledge; that certain saints, such as St. Vincent Ferrer, received the gift of miracles in a striking manner; others, such as St. John Bosco, that of prophecy; still others, like the holy Cure of Ars, the discerning of spirits
I cannot emphasize that a person must be orthodox to start with the very first stage of growth.
If one is at all heterodox, one is not even on the path to the charismatic graces.
Here is a list from Garrigou-Lagrange. These are excellent gifts which John of the Cross and others note come in the highest levels of holiness.
How can I convince so many deluded people, who are living in the early levels of the first conversion, still sinning, and not cooperating with the real pain of purification, that so many of their gifts are from the wrong spirit?
If one is not an obedient son or daughter of the Church, take care of self-deceit. To be continued....
| Graces gratis datae to instruct one's neighbor concerning divine things. | 1. Graces that give full knowledge of divine things | -faith or special certitude as to principles. -word of wisdom, on the principal conclusions known through the first cause. -word of knowledge, on the examples and effects which manifest the causes |
| 2. Graces that confirm divine revelation | -by works: gift of healing, gift of miracles. -by knowledge:discerning of spirits, prophecy. | |
| 3. Graces that aid in preaching the word of God | -gift of tongues; -gift of interpretat |
