Young Church Rise Up

Transcription

1 FEBRUARY 2013 Young Church Rise Up By LENYCE WILLASON The newsletter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Melbourne, Australia. Mark, a gifted orator with a great acting ability, shared his own struggles; how he went from thinking about committing suicide, to being married with three beautiful children, travelling the world and has recently completed his Doctorate in Ministry. The vision of a young church rising up in praise and worship of God came to fruition on Friday evening 18 January The event, known as One - one God, one Spirit, one Church - was the result of drawing together the youth from across Melbourne to discuss how to attract young people to contemplate the face of Jesus in a manner which spoke to their culture and presented the Gospel in their language. Over 400 people between the ages of 15 to 35 gathered at Central Hall in Fitzroy and were led in worship by a fusion of Melbourne s hottest musical talent. It is a challenging task to draw musicians from different backgrounds and styles together into one twelve piece band, however these young people were amazing in their unity - and they sounded hot! The MC for the evening was Daniel Serratore, MGL, assisted beautifully by Emmy, a parishioner from St Benedict s Burwood. Mark Nimo, a well-known and respected lay evangelist from Chicago (originally Ghana) held the audience in awe as he began his preaching with a mime that highlighted the manner in which we respond to the gift of God himself. There are people that reject his love outright or others that accept the gift but don t bother to open it. Perhaps others have received the gift but are bound themselves and cannot open it and at times others received the gift, actually open it but then destroy it. Finally, there are those who receive the gift, open it with delight and then share it with others. Through surrender God wants us to use his gifts to reach out to the world and become the best we can be. He told the young people that when they live only for themselves it rarely leads to happiness. Often times many people are afraid of giving their lives to God because they think there won t be any more fun, but the opposite is true. When we give our lives to God, he does more with it than we could ever imagine. The organising committee felt that it was important to have good music and inspiring preaching from someone who has struggled with the same issues that they do. They wanted to present Jesus in a new way, in a language that they understand, in a way that is relevant, but it s the same Jesus, it s the same Spirit. Christianity is a challenging message and a challenging way to live, and young people themselves acknowledge that they really want to be challenged! The Indonesian youth and the Flame youth group in Keilor provided a very warm welcome; also helping out were Kerygma teams, Catholic Charismatic Renewal and many young people from around Melbourne. After being led in a prayer of surrender to God every person in the Hall came and asked to be prayed for. I think God must have been smiling! The challenge now is to enable them to continue to gather. BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT PAGE 2 CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN PAGE 3 SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE NEW EVANGELISATION PAGES 4-5 MY EXPERIENCE: 'HOLY SPIRIT COME' CONFERENCE 2013 PAGE 6-7 CONFERENCE PHOTO GALLERY PAGES 7 THE POOR OF MEXICO PAGE 8-9 MOLLY'S LETTER TO FRANCIS PAGE 9 SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS PAGE 10 A WORD... FROM MIRIAM PAGE 11 MARK YOUR DIARIES PAGE 12

2 BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT For enquiries about Catholic Charismatic Renewal, its events or prayer groups visit the: CCR CENTRE 101 Holden Street North Fitzroy VIC 3068 (Car park entry in Dean Street) Telephone: (03) Fax: (03) The Centre is open 10.00am pm, Monday - Friday, except Public Holidays. Good News Good News is published quarterly, on each Renewal Day (see Page 8). Editor: Lenyce Willason goodnews@ccr.org.au Assistant Editor: Andrea Baxter Editorial Assistant: Mary Crawford Distribution: CCR Centre Team Articles, news items and other contributions should be sent to the editor at the above address. Good News is published by Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia, by the Co-ordinators: Allan Panozza (Acting Chairman), John Duiker, Claude Lopez, Diana Tominac, Nikki Daniele, Norma Keyt, Miriam Markis and Lenyce Willason. Neither the Coordinators nor the Editor necessarily endorse opinions expressed in articles in this publication, nor does CCR necessarily endorse events mentioned, other than those events listed on page 8. Good News is distributed free of charge to registered CCR groups in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. For individuals who would like a copy mailed, the annual subscription is $15.00 for four issues. All subscription enquiries should be addressed to The CCR Centre, 101 Holden Street, North Fitzroy, VIC Ph: (03) Good News can be downloaded in Adobe Reader format from the CCR website: Unless otherwise indicated, any article printed in Good News may be reproduced without change and in its entirety (acknowledging the source) for non-commercial and non-political purposes without prior permission from Catholic Charismatic Renewal Melbourne. Copyright 2010 CCR Melbourne. All rights reserved. The deadline for the next issue of Good News is Friday 12 April This comprehensive document offers the whole Church an excellent theological framework and solid pastoral guidelines for understanding, receiving, ministering and living out baptism in the Holy spirit - the central grace of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Charles Whitehead A MUST reading for spiritual directors and lay leaders of Catholic charismatic communities, fellowships and ministries Fr Bart Pastor Available from the CCR Centre. $10.00 includes postage. CCR would like to send a copy of this valuable book to every priest in Melbourne. Would your prayer group like to purchase one or more copies so that this vision could be accomplished? If so, contact Miriam at the CCR Centre, GOOD NEWS

3 CHAIRMAN S COLUMN The New Structure for CCR Leadership On 30 November 2010, I officially retired from my dual roles as Executive Director of CCR Melbourne, and Chairman of the Co-ordinators Committee. At the time of my retirement it was considered that there was no longer any need to appoint an Executive Director as had been the situation in 1985 when I was first elected to that position. Accordingly at the November 2010 meeting our most recently appointed Co-ordinator John Duiker was elected to my former position as Chairman of the Co-ordinators Committee. In April 2012, I was approached with the request to return for a time as acting Chairman, and after due consideration and prayer I agreed to do so until at least the 2013 January Conference. John had previously asked for permission to work his two days per week for CCR from home, as this would also help to facilitate his studies for the Doctorate in Theology which he had undertaken. From April 2012 the Co-ordinators agreed that for the time being John could fulfil his two days employment per week with CCR by working from his home in Narre Warren South. The understanding with CCR was that he would return to his normal practice of working two days per week at the Centre from March 2013, at which time he will also resume his role as Chairman of the Co-ordinators Committee. After returning as Acting Chairman my observations led me to the conclusion that there was a real need to reappoint an Executive Director to fill the role which had been vacant since my retirement in At the November 2012 meeting of Co-ordinators I proposed two motions which were discussed and each subsequently accepted by majority vote. The first was to reappoint an Executive Director.This very important task requires the person chosen to be the key manager and spokesperson for all matters which involve the efficient administration of the day to day business of CCR, and to accept ultimate accountability for the whole range of ministries offered by Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The second motion was to appoint two new Co-ordinators to fill the vacancies about to be created by the pending retirement of Claude Lopez after 40 years of service to CCR, and also my stepping down as the acting Chairman of Co-ordinators. This motion also recommended the election of a youth representative to attend the monthly Co-ordinators meetings to report and liaise on youth activities, and the person subsequently chosen for this role was Daniel Serratore (Missionary of God s Love). At the Prayer Group Leaders meeting held at the Centre on Saturday 1 December 2012, I announced that the person chosen for the role of Executive Director is Lenyce Willason, who has been a member and leader in CCR for more than 25 years. Lenyce comes from a commercial background in which she travelled extensively overseas for her Company, and her business skills have well equipped her to oversee the management of the affairs of CCR in an efficient and prudent manner. She is presently the Pastoral Associate in a large Melbourne Parish, and holds a Degree in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity (CTC Campus). She is the founder and leader of the Prayer Group in that parish, and for the ten years prior to that appointment she worked in the Archbishop s Office for Evangelisation. Lenyce is well known and respected by Bishops and priests in this Archdiocese, and she has a profound charismatic spirituality based upon solid Catholic doctrine. She was largely responsible for the authorship and ultimate acceptance by the Church of our Guidelines for Healing Prayer. She heads up the CCR Healing Ministry in Melbourne, and has also established Healing Groups in other States of Australia. Lenyce remains in touch with each of them with advice and direction when necessary. In practical terms she possesses an excellent work ethic which was clearly demonstrated at our successful January 2013 National Conference Come Holy Spirit. Lenyce has also undertaken the task of editing the quarterly Good News newsletter and together with Miriam Markis has organised the printing of it at the CCR Centre with consequent savings. Effective from February 2013 the new team of Co-ordinators will be: Lenyce Willason - Executive Director John Duiker - Chairman of Co-ordinators Committee Miriam Markis - Manager of CCR Centre Diana Tominac - Western region Nikki Daniele - Northern region Norma Keyt - Southern region Tony Grieve (New Co-ordinator) - Eastern Region / Deputy Director for Schools of Evangelisation, Australia Ban Wee (New Co-ordinator) - Southern Region / Resource Reviews Daniel Serratore MGL - Youth Liaison I feel a great sense of confidence in announcing this restructured team of Co-ordinators, with its mix of experience, new skills, deep spirituality, and a touch of youth. Please pray for them in your daily prayer! As I step down once again I wish to pay tribute to Claude for his extraordinary services to CCR over the past 40 years. CCR owes both Claude and Miralda a great deal, and please God Claude will be blessed with good health to continue as an advisor for the annual January Conference and overseas pilgrimages. Finally, I thank God for His constant grace in my life, and I thank each of you dear brothers and sisters for your support and prayer for Carmel and me over so many years. Allan Panozza Acting Chairman Can t make it to a Healing Prayer Centre during the week? Then you are welcome to come to the Open House Healing Ministry Days: Saturdays 2 March, 1 June, 7 September and 9 November am pm at the CCR Centre. 3 GOOD NEWS

4 Teaching & Formation Spiritual Warfare in the New Evangelisation Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us peace. Fr Rufus Pereira By FR RUFUS PEREIRA In early 1997, L Osservatore Romano, the newspaper of the Vatican, carried a series of six well documented articles on Sects and Satanic Cults. These only confirmed what I had gathered, to my great shock, from the two seminars on Satanism, organised by the Lutheran Church and by the Catholic Church, in 1995, in East Berlin: that Satanism had succeeded Communism as the greatest scourge of Christian Europe today. A statement issued after the previous plenary assembly of the Italian Bishops Conference corroborates this: We are currently witnessing a rebirth of divination, sorcery, witchcraft and magic often mixed with a superstitious use of religion. Already in 1971, Pope Paul VI had spoken at an audience of some preternatural thing which has come into the world precisely to dispute, to suffocate the fruits of the (Vatican) Ecumenical Council. On June 20th 1972, he spoke about the smoke of Satan entering the temple of God, and on November , in answer to the question he himself put at a general audience, What are the greatest needs of the Church today? He himself too asserted, after a dramatic pause, Do not let our answer surprise you as being over simple or even superstitious and unreal. One of its greatest needs is defence from that evil which is called the Devil. For when our first parents capitulated to the Tempter and sinned against God, they brought the whole of humanity with them under the domination of the Enemy. Blessed Pope John Paul II was more optimistic. The Church shares in Christ s victory over the devil, he said on August , and the Church exercises such victorious power through faith in Christ (in the prayer of deliverance), which, in specific cases, can assume the form of exorcism. Unfortunately the actual labourers, ie. the front line fighters in this spiritual warfare (Lk 10:3), continue to be so very few, for there is not a single exorcist appointed in most countries, and even in most dioceses in many of the other countries, and so our people in their need have no alternative but to go either to spiritists or to neo-pentecostal healers. It is no wonder then that Pope Benedict XVI said recently that the Church needs 3,000 more exorcists. Fortunately the Catholic Charismatic Renewal has stepped in the gap in this spiritual warfare through a renewed ministry of deliverance, one of its greatest contributions to the Catholic Church today. Many priests and lay people in the Charismatic Renewal are today exercising this ministry, having received from the Holy Spirit the charism of healing and specifically that of deliverance. However, they need mutual prayerful support, deeper Catholic knowledge of - and in-depth training in - this demanding ministry. In February 1999, we were invited by the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference to conduct a five-day Seminar on Healing and Deliverance at the Tanzanian Episcopal Centre (TEC) in Dar es Salaam. This was meant specifically by invitation for Church leaders, including heads of Pastoral Institutes and professors of Theology from the four major seminaries. At the conclusion of the Seminar, the participants drew up and passed an official statement that the ministry of healing and deliverance should occupy an important place in the New Evangelisation of the country for the new millennium. It is clear from the Bible that Satan or the Devil, the Hebrew and Greek words for the Enemy, really does exist and does afflict man. This is also the consistent 4 GOOD NEWS

5 teaching of the Catholic Church as it is reflected in its theology and in its official pronouncements. However, above all it is a rediscovery of our present day pastoral ministry. This has shown us how there are many problems and many evils today, which are the result not only of one s personal inclination toward sin, one's own sinfulness (the flesh), or of the pressures due to the hurts caused by sinful man (the world), but also of some oppressive and preternatural personified evil (the Devil). Such problems and evils cannot be adequately dealt with even through personal repentance and interpersonal reconciliation, much less by medicine and psychiatry. They need the Prayer and Act of deliverance from such a spiritual evil power of force (1 Pt 5:8,9; Eph 6:10-13). In like manner, both our life and our ministry will be subject to the onslaught of the Evil One but we will be victorious only through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Devil tempted Jesus to follow his attractive suggestions to fulfil his God-given mission of bringing salvation to mankind. The three-fold temptation of Christ is thus a warning to us of how we can be similarly tempted to even use God s gifts in a way that is contrary to his plan, by giving in to the wiles of the Evil One, and an assurance of how we can nevertheless overcome these temptations, by imitating the mind and stand of Jesus (Mt 4:1-11; Lk 4:1-1). Today the Church is realising the necessity of such a prayer of solidarity (Mt 18:19,20) and is recognising the urgency of standing united in intercession, for the protection and deliverance of the whole Church and the whole world, with the prayer of Jesus himself, its head, Father, protect them from the Evil One. Father, may they all be one (Jn 17:15, 21). This is just as, all the time Peter was in prison, the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly (Acts 12:5). We need to pray, in a way we have never done before, the Lord s Prayer, But deliver us from the evil one (Mt 6:13); and the Prayer of the Church in the Mass, Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us peace. For, even though it seems today as if the whole world is in the power of the Evil One (1 Jn 5:19), Jesus has declared and continues to assure us, But be courageous: I have conquered the world (Jn 16:33). A greater awareness should therefore be created of the importance of the ministry of Deliverance for total healing, spiritual, emotional and physical. Throughout its history the Church has carried out the mandate entrusted to her by Christ, through the specific ministry of Exorcism and the general ministry of Deliverance. But it is especially today that through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, people are becoming more aware of the existence and the influence of Satan, the dangerous folly of seeking help from wrong sources, and the availability of the resources of the Church not only to heal them from physical, emotional and mental sicknesses but to set them free from such demonic influence and attacks. For us in our Catholic Tradition, Deliverance is more an expression and demonstration of compassion for the oppressed person rather than an exercise of authority and power against the oppressing spirit. It is not a once and for all act of chasing away the devil, but rather a process of restoring the afflicted person to wholeness, re-integrating him into the community and encouraging him to witness to and to be a witness among his people. It is more a process of liberation, consisting of what we should do or how we should act before, during and after the prayer of deliverance rather than a once for all act of zeal and holy force. The promotion of such an ongoing and systematic ministry of Deliverance within the local Church is and should be an integral part of the New Evangelisation in the New Millennium. This is especially true today when, as the Vatican s L Osservatore Romano warns us, Satanism in all its varied forms and through all the modern means of communication is rearing its ugly head. That is why Pope John Paul II addressed the Episcopal Conferences of Latin America on March 9th 1983 in Haiti: Look to the future with commitment to a New Evangelisation, one that is new in its ardor, new in its methods, and new in its expression, and on December 7th 1990, the Pope exhorted the entire Church, in his forthright encyclical Redemptorios Missio to renew her missionary commitment (RM 2), and to commit all of her energies to a New Evangelisation (RM 3). For if the chief agent of Evangelisation is the Holy Spirit, and its main tool is the Holy Bible, and its guiding star is Holy Mary, and its main channel is the Church, the Body of Christ, it is obvious that its greatest Enemy is Satan himself, for that is what the word in both Hebrew and Greek means. Even though as a result of man s succumbing to the wiles of the Enemy, the original sin, which brought mankind to ruin and disaster upon the whole human race, God so loved him that he did not abandon him but He gave through the Incarnation his only Son, Jesus the Saviour, Emmanuel - the God-with-us, the Good News of great joy to all mankind, who would crush the power of Satan over the life of man, and would restore him in grace before God his Father (Gn 3:15; Jn 3:16). Thus the Son of God appeared to undo the work of the devil (1 Jn 3:8), to overthrow the prince of the world (Jn 12:31), to rescue us from the ruling force of darkness, and to transfer us into his kingdom (Col 1:13). This is how Peter sums up the ministry of Jesus: God has anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and healing all who had fallen into the power of the devil (Acts 10:38). He even commanded his apostles, Go throughout the whole world, and assured them, Believers will drive out demons in my name (Mk 16:17). Editors note: Fr Rufus Pereira died suddenly on 3 May He was a great friend of CCR Melbourne and many times we sat at his feet as he taught us. On the 25th anniversary of his initiation into Renewal he wrote: After the grace of Baptism and the grace of the priesthood I consider Renewal as the third breakthrough of God into my life. 5 GOOD NEWS

6 MY EXPERIENCE: 'HOLY SPIRIT COME' CONFERENCE 2013 By MARY SPIZZICA As the days for the 2013 Charismatic Conference Come Holy Spirit drew near, I was aware that there was an urgency, an almost desperation within my spirit that needed to be fed and nurtured. I had been feeling dry, and lifeless, almost to the point of exhaustion both physically and spiritually. I can almost say that my spirit was in a state of collapse. My prayer life had been sadly neglected because I had been so busy!! (That was my excuse anyway). I had so been looking forward to coming to this conference from the moment I heard about it. In fact I booked my place early in September to make sure I didn t miss out. On the evening prior to the Conference I sat in my lounge room with my dear friend, who was attending the Conference with me. We decided to pray and to ask the Lord to open our hearts to receive all the graces from the Holy Spirit. We prayed about the dryness we were experiencing, the fact that everything seemed to be an effort. We prayed for a deeper surrender to the Holy Spirit, we prayed that we could return to the spiritual place where our hearts used to be. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill us up again. We prayed for deeper trust and a deeper faith. We prayed that we would be more faithful. We prayed to be more humble. We prayed for the grace to surrender and to let go of control. We prayed for a deeper prayer life. We prayed that we could just stay still to rest, revive and survive. The first morning we wanted to be early but were caught up in heavy traffic coming into the city. We were getting agitated; we needed a car park, we wanted a good seat. Stressed to the max we walked to the registration desk inside Central Hall and were greeted with a beautiful smile and a lovely hug. As we walked into the hall I could hear the glorious worship music and prayer tongues, all the distress just fell away. I was in Jesus Hospital on the operating table. I felt like I had been hooked up to the equipment that I needed to bring me back to life! Allan Panozza gave the opening talk in place of Charles Whitehead (who was unable come from England). Allan is an inspiration! He speaks with such conviction and simplicity and he has a humility which reaches out and touches the heart. The title of the talk was The Holy Spirit calls us. What is our response to this call? Allan said it so beautifully: The key, he said, is SURRENDER, simply SURRENDER to the Holy Spirit. Life is never the same after that! Wow! The second Talk, The Spirit calls us to return to your first love, was given by Cyril John. A shock ran through me when Cyril started speaking; it was as though he had been a party to our prayer time the previous night. My friend and I whispered to each other, we prayed about this last night! Cyril is a marvelous teacher and the message for me from this talk was 3 R s: 1. Reflect - to go back to the beginning. 2. Repent - turn around, change direction and turn over a new leaf. 3. Restart - begin afresh: it s as simple as 3R s: Reflect; Repent; Restart. Don t beat yourself up. Next talk (or I should say inspiration) was from Mark Nimo: A Presence that disturbs. When we encounter this disturbing Presence of God in our life it ignites a fire in our belly! Mark said to truly be a disciple we must have been disturbed by God. He also said that God disturbs us so that we can be a disturbance to others and to participate in the mission of ingathering so He can do the outpouring. God wishes us to become the very best version of ourselves! Many of us are losing our fire because we want to figure everything out! My goodness did I need to hear this talk or what? When God wants to use us He disturbs us. God can pursue you wherever you are He will find you. It is important to come, to take risks, to step out, to follow in obedience. Allow God to disturb you into SURRENDER. Then came the evening Rally presented by Jim Murphy: his title was The Cenacle of the Heart. Jim explained that in Jesus time, the heart was considered the center of being; the centre of our will, our mind, decisions, and choices: it is the place of a full commitment. Jesus wants us to give him our heart. He will put His spirit in us. The Holy Spirit is God s heart surgery for us. If we want to fix this world, to change what is happening in the world - change what is happening in our heart; change me Lord. These comments stood out from this talk for me. At the end of the first day of the conference I was absolutely blown away by this AWESOME GOD, who was very present in the prayer time on Sunday evening and seemingly had addressed each prayer request in the talks of the day. My heart was in the place of surrender, my commitment had been restored, my repentance was real, I was on FIRE. Tuesday began. Another day of worship, prayer, inspiring talks! Have you been to the Upper Room? In fact I have actually had the privilege of being in the Upper Room in Jerusalem; I visited it when on pilgrimage with Bishop Joe Grech in I was transported back there when Jim Murphy gave another inspiring yet challenging talk. Something struck me in Jims talk! How many times did Jesus have to trust His Father? We have to make a decision to Trust God!! In the afternoon presentation we were reminded that we are adopted children of the Holy Spirit by God s Grace. There are 3 things God wants for us to LOVE Him, for us to TRUST Him and for us to OBEY Him. On Tuesday evening Mark Nimo s presentation was A Call to Radical Conversion. Wow! The Holy Spirit was certainly in charge! Mark led us to a deeper conversion of heart; whilst the Holy Spirit took over and some amazing healings were taking place right there in the seats. It was a powerful move of the Holy Spirit; it was a real privilege to be present. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday were all absolutely full to the brim of inspirational teachings. Continued on page 7 6 GOOD NEWS

7 CONFERENCE PHOTO GALLERY Continued from page 6 I could expand on each of the talks as all of them touched me in some deep way, but how long is a piece of string? When Cyril John gave his testimony I was touched to the heart, when he talked about intercession I was agreeing with everything he spoke about. When the talk on Christian suffering came up I struggled, but understood how important Christian suffering is. The wonderful worship, prayers, prophecies and healings taking place, friendships being rekindled, new friendships being formed, the Masses which had a different celebrant each day and the homilies which captured our imagination: every one of these things made for a most successful and fulfilling Conference. The speakers were sensational, the whole conference organisation was brilliant, the venue was outstanding, the conference was very reasonably priced, and for those people who chose not to attend, then all I can say is that you missed out on something very, very special. After these five days of Immersion in the Holy Spirit there is such a joy in my heart, I feel like I have been given a blood transfusion (a Precious Blood transfusion) which has brought my drooping spirit back to life; full of vigor, full of enthusiasm, a new desire to serve, to recommit my life to prayer and to serve as Jesus called me to serve. I am so glad that I was there! 7 GOOD NEWS

8 THE POOR OF MEXICO By JIM MURPHY Several years ago I was contacted by Peter Herbeck, of Renewal Ministries to look into the possibility of establishing a mission project in Mexico City. Like so many other countries in the world, there is a striking difference between the rich and the poor. Peter asked me to head a project sponsored by Renewal ministries to both evangelize and provide material assistance to those who live in a garbage dump near the airport in Mexico City. The project currently consists of several different initiatives: The Neza garbage dump Approximately 150 families live in the filth and squalor of this massive landfill. They pick through garbage that is dumped there from all over the city, selling what they find to recyclers. On a good day, working from morning to night, they might make $1.50 US in a day. Other people live outside the dump, but come in each day to work. At the dump, we set up a medical clinic, distribute food, and clothing. We gather people for prayer and proclamation of the gospel, and occasionally have mass in the midst of the garbage. We bring toys and organise games for the children. Jim with the children from the orphanage. The House of Mercy Orphanage Over 250 children, many with severe disabilities are housed, loved, and cared for by 85 year old Madre Ines, a living saint in the opinion of many. Mother Ines runs this amazing project solely by the providence of God, trusting Him not only for herself but her children. At the orphanage we spend a lot of time simply giving one-on-one attention to the children. We bring coloring books, play guitars, and even dance with the little ones who are able to walk. We spend a lot of time with the most handicapped children, simply holding a hand or quietly singing in tongues. We always bring a financial donation to Mother to help her with the ongoing care of these precious children. The Asylo Institutional housing and care for elderly, indigent men. This facility is managed by local government but is extremely poor. About 350 men live in this facility. These institutionalised men desperately need one on one attention. They are just so grateful to have someone listen to their stories, to put an arm around them, to pray with them. We often put a little program together of song, prayer, and proclamation of the word. We also bring food and clothing to distribute among the men. Padre Ramon s Parish A Franciscan priest serves at a parish a few hours drive beyond Mexico City. The Church is literally the center and heart of this very small and poor community. At this parish we participate in Fr Ramon s mass, then set up our medical clinic, organise games for the children, and distribute food and clothing. When I first began this work, about 8 years ago, I was overwhelmed by the suffering, deprivation, and hardship that I saw. I was shocked at the level of poverty and frustrated and angry at the disparity between rich and poor. I can't say that pain has left me, but it doesn t overwhelm me as it used to. I am more able to see things as they are, not as I would like them to be. I have become more comfortable with the dirt, the filth, and the deprivation. I think the greatest difference within myself, is that I no longer see the poor as something to fix but rather someone to love. The people in the dump, the children at the orphanage, the men at the home; The queue of people waiting for food stretches for miles! they have become my friends, my family. I have heard their stories, I know their families. I have prayed over them and they have prayed over me. It has become a relationship of mutuality. We give to one another, we receive from one another. One of my co-workers in Mexico who comes from a wealthier family, one day took me by the arm as we worked in the garbage dump. He looked at all of the people gathered around our little clinic which was set up under a blue tarp. You know brother he whispered as he took my arm these people here don t really need us, tears filled his eyes but we certainly need them. I knew exactly what he meant. These people we call poor enrich our lives in so many ways. They seem so happy, in spite of their difficulties. Their faith is strong in so many ways. They are very close to their families and friends. They don t complain about their hardships. They are very grateful for what little they have. I can say without hesitation that I have gotten much more from the people of Mexico than I have ever given to them. Being associated with these brothers and sisters has been one of the greatest experiences in my life and I will be forever in their debt for the love, hospitality, courage, faithfulness, integrity, generosity and faith they have shown and have shared with me. If I am completely honest with myself, I have to admit that all of our efforts are not even putting a dent in the great struggle of the poor. The things we give will eventually be used up or worn out. Our visits are not putting an end to poverty and injustice. Yet we will continue on. I am often asked if the work gets overwhelming. Do I ever get discouraged? To be honest, sometimes I do. If I think about the overwhelming and crushing problems of humanity, it s all a bit too much. Continued page 9 8 GOOD NEWS

9 MOLLY'S LETTER TO FRANCIS By LENYCE WILLASON How did Molly s letter come to be written? A young man named Damien was dying from drug abuse and he met a young lad (Francis) in the drug squat. He knew he had wasted his life and he sought to do something good before he died. That was to get Francis to go to rehab and get off drugs. After Damien s death his brother Pat set out to keep his brother s dying wish - that Francis be helped to come away from drugs. Pat had received much prayer himself and had become part of the Healing Prayer Ministry and recognised that Francis needed Jesus. So he went to the drug house where Francis was living. Being upset to hear of Damien s death, Francis agreed to have prayer. Jesus delivered Francis and a couple of days later he caught pneumonia and was in a coma for seven days. During this time in the coma Jesus completely healed him. When Molly, a beautiful lady with a drug addiction heard about Francis she herself had prayer and Francis was part of the ministry team. The following is Molly s letter to Francis. Dear Frances/Francis, Hi, I m Molly. I'm terribly sorry I m not sure how to spell your name. Firstly, I d like to thank you for your prayers - they were received and were part of an amazing transformation in me. That night of prayer was in the least - amazing! Pat and Lorraine were in the room and I could hear their voices - Pat in English also in tongues, and Lorraine s devotions Thank you Jesus I love you Jesus like the ebb and flow of the sea. As things became more and more intense there was another voice in the room and it was not in either of their directions. It was like a whisper, but stronger, more powerful and in a language unknown to me. I wasn t frightened but was fully aware that I was in the presence of something/someone greater than I d ever known. God revealed himself to me and bestowed the gift of faith on me. Life can change so quickly - I feel so new and clean. I am so grateful for this. Pat told me a little of your story, and what Jesus did for you. I was crying by the time he finished. Pat thought I was crying because I was thinking that it was unfair that it wasn t me who d been saved from the suffering, but my tears were for a God so beautiful and kind, that loved you so much that he s spared you the sheer hell that is withdrawal. You have been so blessed. Knowing first hand, and having experienced cold turkey on more than one occasion and trying to cheat it by going through rapid detox twice, I know that I m not able to put myself through it again. Hence I ve been on methadone for a couple of years (again) and am in bondage to my chemist and doctor yet again. When I heard that Jesus held you and let you sleep peacefully through the ordeal, that you were kept safe through the insomnia, the terrors, the nightmares, the fever, the cold, the cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, sweats and every cell of your body screaming for just one taste; every hurt that you d number with heroin coming back to haunt you ten thousand times stronger and then to face weakness and depression and still your brain yearning for heroin s sweet embrace. For you to be spared that, I knew that something very, very special was happening. I cannot think of a greater act of love than what God and Jesus have given to you. When Pat told me you d asked to be one of God s soldiers after you had been prayed over, I thought what a wonderful soldier you will be for him having experienced such a miracle. I m not sure how much of my story you know, but I have been battling the demons of addiction for most of my adult life and I ve had terrible things happen to me when I was an innocent child and I ve created some disasters of my own as an adult when I should have known better. But basically I ve been a lost soul and I was in a deep dark hole and rather than really living I ve just been dragging my sorry self through life waiting for it to be over, and I ve taken many risks to try to help me on my way. Hearing your story really helped me make the decision to have a try at finding God. I m so glad I did. I already have a few favourite words from the Bible. I m guessing they d apply to you as much as me, so I d like to share them with you. So he told them this parable: Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. (Luke 14: 3-7) It s so comforting to know that Jesus is joyful that he s found us again. I can feel his light working within me and I m sure that it can be seen in your eyes too. Keep shining Francis, let his love fill that hole that drugs left in us. God bless you, Molly. Editor s note: Molly has now been drug free for 5 months. Praise you Jesus. Continued from page 8 But my thoughts are brought back to the here and now, as a little girl comes to me to show me the new dress she has just received. An old man comes up and says he is feeling much better, thanks to the medicine he received at the clinic. A boy comes running up breathlessly, asking me to kick his new football to him. An old and very poor woman approaches me, pulls my face close to her, and traces a cross on my forehead, then kisses me on the cheek and looks into my eyes. For one moment, for one person, the world is a better, kinder, gentler place. We all live for those moments praying that many more will follow. May Jesus, as He works among us grant the Father s blessing to all of His children. I look forward to the day when I can lead the first Aussie team into the amazing world of the Mexican poor! Jim Murphy Country Co-ordinator: Mexico Renewal Ministries 9 GOOD NEWS

10 SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS A New Heart for a New Year By FR PAUL J CONNELL The beginning of a new year is a good time to look into our hearts. The heart is a symbol for my self: the true core of my being as a person created by a loving God. In Psalm 50, the psalmist prays: "A clean heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me." As we pray these words, we may become aware of the ways in which our heart has been in need of cleansing and healing in the past year. Have I been hard-hearted? The hard heart builds up a wall to make itself impervious to the cry of others who need compassion. A hard heart pushes them away and remains unmoved by their plight. Have I been faint-hearted? A faint heart shrinks away from the challenge to build up God's kingdom in our world. It finds that challenge too great, it cannot summon courage and perseverance. It lacks confidence in itself because it has forgotten that all our trust is first of all in our God. Have I been half-hearted? Perhaps this is the biggest danger for people of faith. We love God, but over time our love can grow lukewarm. We can lose our enthusiasm and zeal for the gospel. We can settle into a comfortable routine of externals, but our heart is not fully and generously committed to the Lord. Or have I been broken hearted? A heart is broken when overcome by a great sorrow or trial, an aching disappointment or numbing failure. Often we are not responsible for these things. But they can so overwhelm us that we are tempted to despair and to lose all hope. The new year is an opportunity from God to allow him to cleanse and renew our hearts. We might pray with Saint Augustine: "O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there your cheerful beams." With the Spirit of God at the core of our beings, we can journey cheerfully and trustfully into this new year. Fr Paul Connell is parish priest of St Oliver s Parish, Pascoe Vale. Evangelisation and Healing Prayer Centres New services available. Four regional Centres for Evangelisation and Healing Prayer are operating in Melbourne under the direction of Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and appointments for prayer may be made by contacting the CCR Centre on Psychological and Counselling Services, and Ministry Supervision and Spiritual Direction that work in conjunction with healing prayer are available in the central, eastern and southern areas of Melbourne. Phone Miriam at the Centre for details. They Would Not Welcome Him By FR RANIERO CANTALAMESSA, O.F.M.CAP If Christianity, as so often and so rightly has been said, is not primarily a doctrine but a person, Jesus Christ, it follows that the proclamation of this person and of one s relationship with him is the most important thing, the beginning of all true evangelisation and the very condition for making such a thing possible. To reverse this order and put the doctrines and obligations of the Gospel before the discovery of Jesus would be like putting the carriages in front of the railway engine that is supposed to pull them. The person of Jesus opens the highway of the heart for the acceptance of everything else. Anyone who has once known the living Jesus has no further need to be goaded along; his thought, his will, his word. It is not on the authority of the Church that we accept Jesus, but on the authority of Jesus that we accept and love the Church. So the first thing the Church has to do is not present herself to the world, but present Jesus Insistence on the importance of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ is not a sign of subjectivism or emotionalism but is the translation, on to the spiritual and pastoral plane, of a dogma central to our faith; that Jesus Christ is a person. From Fr Cantalamessa s book Jesus Christ, The Holy One of God 1992 by The Order of St Benedict, Inc, Published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota. Letters to the Centre Just thought I would drop you a line to say how much I enjoyed the conference this year. The guest speakers were wonderful providing us with some very good information to help us to become more committed to CCR and our journey with Jesus and his beautiful mother. The venue was ideal being so central for restaurants for meals and very comfortable considering the heat we experienced on the Thursday. I would like to offer my congratulations to Luca on the wonderful bus driver that he was. Always so pleasant, delivering service with a beautiful smile every day. It was such a wonderful service and $10 was excellent as it saved having to find alternate travel arrangements and cost. I would like to congratulate Ban on his service to us on the day we arrived making sure we found our accommodation and checking out that everything was in order. I found Ban to be very diligent in his service and also with a lovely smile. Thank you Ban. Finally I would like to congratulate everyone who worked so tirelessly and diligently to make this conference such a success and I would definitely recommended these conferences to my friends in the renewal. Helen Therese Eldridge 10 GOOD NEWS

11 A WORD... FROM MIRIAM By MIRIAM MARKIS Love is at the very heart of all service for the Lord. As St Paul says in 1Cor 13: 4-7 Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but finds its joy in truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love was certainly in the hearts of all the servants at our January Conference. The servants performed a myriad of tasks up front and behind the scenes and were, without exception, loving and attentive to the needs of the people. These included the Indonesian Youth and the Kerygma Team and the National Service Committee at the Morning Tea break. The ladies in the kitchen and the front desk helpers did a marvellous job. Even though they volunteer at the Centre they rarely have a chance to work together and did very well in our busy times considering that none have retail experience. Our customers were very patient also. As well, we had servant helpers running all sorts of errands from time to time to ensure that things ran smoothly and we can t forget our bus driver. The servant heart was surely in evidence in the whole team. I want to thank our Servant volunteers and assure them that they are cherished and appreciated for the variety of gifts that they offer. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. (Mk 10:45) Back at the Centre I have found that the heart of Yolande Blom is truly a servant heart and full of love for the Lord and the people of the Lord. That was much in evidence when Yolande celebrated her 25th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends of the Renewal. A former bank employee, Yolande has been volunteering her time at the CCR Centre each Wednesday for quite a few years now and travels a long distance to get there. Her work at the Centre came about after she heard a talk at her Prayer Group and was inspired to give of her time and talent for the service of the Lord. She is now assisting with the important task of data entry of accounts. A task she undertakes with diligence and care. Her commitment is second to none. All in all, the Lord has provided CCR through our events and the work at the Centre with a new generation of helpers. This is so encouraging and most uplifting and augurs well for the future of the Renewal. For as in one Body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, have one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts according to the graces given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching. (Romans 12:47) Fr Michael Barry SSCC Fr Michael Barry SSCC will visit Melbourne in March He is an internationally known workshop presenter and retreat master. He is a charismatic priest, best known for his healing ministries and he feels a special call to the inner healing of the person. Fr Michael's work in caring for the poor began after being challenged by the Mission on the rubbish dump on the USA Mexico border. He felt challenged to put the charismatic gifts in each of us to the benefit of the outcasts of our society. Fr Michael is the founder of Mary s Table, a ministry that feeds the poor and homeless. He also opened a home for unwed mothers called Veronica s Home of Mercy. He will be holding Healing Masses around Melbourne. Sunday 3 March pm Our Lady Help of Christians, Nicholson Street, East Brunswick Tuesday 5 March pm Blessed Trinity Prayer Group, St Oliver s Catholic Church, Cnr Gaffney Street and Landells Road, Pascoe Vale. Friday 8 March pm Sacre Coeur Prayer Group, St Kevin s School Hall, 73 Glen Orme Avenue, Ormond. The Holy Spirit came and the Lord spoke! The Holy Spirit and the Lord spoke! A prophecy given at the January Conference. Now! it is always now. The now of my Spirit. If you would only throw off the shackles of indifference; the lethargy of mediocrity. If you would daily encounter the realm of the kingdom you would know the reality of the now in greater depth. Claim! Claim the fullness of your inheritance. You exist for the kingdom under the fatherhood of the king. You are endowed with the Spirit of the Master, the one who saves, the anointed one, Your Lord and God, Jesus Christ. Be a fool for your Lord. Now! Now is the time. There is no yesterday or tomorrow. In my presence it is always now! Feed! Feed off my word. Feed off my body and blood. Be nourished and sanctified. I present myself to you to be consumed. Be consumed! Be consumed by the fire of divine love. It is this fire that the nation will be brought to me. May we listen to this word with new ears. 11 GOOD NEWS

12 MARK YOUR DIARIES... Renewal Days An opportunity for fellowship with others and growth through teachings. Saturday 18 May 2013 Ladies Day Thursday 11 April 2013 The next three Renewal Days will focus on the differing elements of faith and receiving the gift of faith with guest speakers to be advised. Other Dates: 17 August and 16 November. Our Lady Help of Christians Hall, 49 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick. NO PARKING IN SCHOOL GROUNDS. Public Transport: Train to Parliament Station,Tram no.96 along Nicholson Street to stop no.22. Come along for a time of fellowship and inspirational teaching. CCR Centre, 101 Holden Street, Fitzroy North. 9.30am pm Bring lunch to share with others - morning tea will be provided. National Day of Prayer & Repentance Saturday 23 March 2013 Healing Mass Saturday 3 March 2013 If we want things to change then we need to stand together in prayer. Prayer Groups from across Australia will meet on this day to pray for an outpouring of God s love and mercy upon our country. CCR Centre, 101 Holden St, Fitzroy North am 9.00pm Fr Michael Barry is visiting Australia from the USA. Fr Michael has a profound gift of healing and will hold a Healing Mass in Melbourne: 2.30pm Our Lady Help of Christians, Nicholson Street, East Brunswick. CHARISMATIC/HEALING MASSES TIME VENUE Each Sunday 5.30pm St Clements, Bulleen 7.00pm Holy Family, Doveton (Ministry after) Third Sunday 12 Noon St Benedict s, Burwood First Sunday 2.30pm St Peter Chanel, Deer Park 5.00pm St Benedicts, Burwood. Prayer Ministry after Mass, Praise Rally at 7.00pm First Monday 7.00pm Praise, 7.30pm Mass St Joseph s, Springvale Phone First Wednesday 8.00pm St Clement s, Bulleen First Friday 8.00pm St Kevin s, Ormond Second Sunday 5.30pm Prayer & Praise, 6.00pm Mass St Peter Chanel, Deer Park Third Thursday 8.00pm Churinga, Greensborough Third Saturday 9am Anointing & Healing Mass St Dominic s, Broadmeadows Third Sunday 5.30pm St Francis Xavier, Frankston 5.30pm Praise, 6.00pm Mass Good Samaritan Chapel, 1-29 Southern Cross Drive, Roxburgh Park Fourth Tuesday 10.00am St Joseph s, Chelsea First Friday 10.00am Holy Hour For Priests St Anthony s, Noble Park St Peter s, East Bentleigh 8.00pm Mondays 20 May and 25 November GOOD NEWS