In any discussion about a Catholic religious congregation sooner or later the word “charism” will be mentioned. We speak of “the Benedictine charism,” “the Dominican chrism,” the charism of the Little Sisters of the Poor.” What do we mean by “charism”?

            The word “charism” comes from the Greek charis meaning gift or grace and refers to a gift given by God to someone for the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “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)

            In religious life, the word “charism” refers to a grace that enables the one who receives it to live according to a certain way of imitating Jesus. All Christians are called to imitate Christ. More than that, all Christians are called to be other Christs, Christianus alter Christus, according to St. Cyprian. But the Holy Spirit gives the grace  to some to be imitators of Jesus in specific ways:: to imitate Him in His role of teaching, in His actions of caring for the sick, to imitate Him in his times of prayer. These graces of witnessing to the life of Jesus are very frequently given to man or woman, who then attract followers to whom the same grace is given. They in their turn reproduce the life of Jesus in their own life. In this way, a religious charism becomes a “family“ grace, a grace passed down by the Holy Spirit to spiritual descendants of the original founder or foundress.

            Because the life of the God-Man is infinitely rich, His actions and life can be imitated in innumerable ways. So there are many religious congregations that imitate Him in teaching, yet each one with a different emphasis. The many religious institutes that care for the sick and needy each do so with a distinct style. The various orders of contemplative nuns each focus on a different aspect of His prayer.

            A man or woman who is called by God to a religious institute is given the special graces to live the Christ life specific to that institute. It is not too much to say that he or she experiences an annunciation similar to Mary’s when Gabriel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will overshadow you”. Those who receive the grace of a religious vocation are called to make visible the life of God again on this earth that all may see Him in them.