Serving the Orlando Catholic Charismatic Renewal SUMMER we have been chosen to be part of God s plan of salvation Pope Francis

Transcription

1 Serving the Orlando Catholic Charismatic Renewal THE CHARISMATIC NEWS SUMMER 2016 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 we have been chosen to be part of God s plan of salvation Pope Francis Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The conference is almost upon us, September th 2016.The theme this year is based on Revelation 3:20, Behold I stand at the door, and knock, Heaven knows we've all been tested in our faith over the last year. Isaiah 43:5 says fear not for I am with you. Let's make this time at the conference a time of recharging our batteries and getting the spiritual refill that we all need. The Buena Vista Palace hotel has had an $80 million renovation, with all the rooms being completely renovated, and a new A/C system has been installed. There is a new restaurant, gymnasium, and lobby area. A new lazy river swimming pool with a poolside restaurant is also nearing completion of construction. The daily rate is $124 per night with four people to a room. This rate will also be available two days before and after the conference should you decide to make this an extended vacation and avail yourselves of the proximity to Disney Village and Walt Disney World which are directly across the street from the hotel. Bus transportation to and from the attractions is provided. Continued in column 3 Vatican City, Catholic World News Pope Francis: conversion leads Christians closer to full Communion. January 26, 2016 Pope Francis concluded the 2016 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity St. Paul s conversion on the road to Damascus was not primarily a moral conversion but rather a transforming experience of the grace of Christ, and at the same time, a call to the new mission of announcing to everyone the Jesus that he previously persecuted by persecuting the disciples of Christ, Pope Francis preached. For those first Christians, like today for all of us baptized Christians, it is a source of comfort and of constant amazement to know that we have been chosen to be part of God s plan of salvation, put into effect through Jesus Christ and through the Church, he continued. The Father loves us all and wants to save us all, and for this reason He calls some people, conquering them through His grace, so that through them His love can reach all people. Continued on page 2 The speakers this year include Bishop Sam Jacobs, Sister Marilyn Minter, Valli Leone and Mr. Jesse Romero. Jesse is replacing Father Pedro, who had a scheduling conflict and is unable to make the conference. Both Sister Marilyn and Jesse will be giving a special talk on Saturday afternoon. Jesse will be speaking to our Spanish brothers and sisters and Sister Marilyn will be speaking to the young adults (18-25 years of age). Make a reservation early and request that you be placed in the main building where the conference is being held. I look forward to seeing all of you in September. Blessings to you all. Sincerely, Vincent Maldonado, Administrator of Operations Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Orlando

2 Bishop Sam Jacobs of Catholic Charismatic Renewal is coming to Orlando. Bishop Sam Jacobs: "There's a trend away from religion in many people's lives, and public media has an anti- Christian dimension," he said of both news media and entertainment media. Jacobs said he read a story about 15 years ago in which some major media leaders said that in 10 years, they were going to change the morals of this country. "And they've done it," he said, citing same-sex marriage, infidelity in marriage, the spread of the message that God is unnecessary and other trends. "Nothing is sacred any longer," he said. The charismatic renewal is an emphasis on the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, including healing, miracles and speaking in tongues, that swept through U.S. churches - both Catholic and Protestant - beginning in the 1960s. Jacobs became involved in the Catholic charismatic renewal in He said the movement in the Catholic Church came out of the Second Vatican Council and Pope John XXIII's call for a new Pentecost. Since then, 16 million Catholics worldwide have received what he called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Today, the charismatic movement is stagnant in the English-speaking world but exploding in South America, Asia and Africa, he said. He said Pope Francis is "very positive" about the movement and met with more than 100,000 Catholic charismatic leaders in Rome on Pentecost Sunday last month to "encourage and affirm" them. Jacobs will be the main speaker at the annual Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference for Orlando, sponsored by the Orlando Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service Committee. Continued bottom of column 2 Continued from page 1 Pope Francis Stating that Christians progress on the road to full communion above all as we convert ourselves to the Lord, who through His grace, chooses and calls us to be His disciples, the Pope asked for forgiveness for the sins of Catholics and encouraged Catholics to forgive non-catholic Christians: In this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we must always keep in mind that there cannot be an authentic search for Christian unity without trusting fully in the Father s mercy. We ask first of all for forgiveness for the sins of our divisions, which are an open wound in the Body of Christ. As Bishop of Rome and pastor of the Catholic Church, I want to ask for mercy and forgiveness for the behavior of Catholics towards Christians of other Churches which has not reflected Gospel values. At the same time, I invite all Catholic brothers and sisters to forgive if they, today or in the past, have been offended by other Christians. END The conference theme is "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20 KJV Jacobs, ordained to the priesthood 49 years ago, is bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana. He has headed the National Service Committee for the Charismatic Renewal and has held other leadership posts. Original article by Bill Sherman Reflections from the Saints Love tends to union with the object loved. Now Jesus Christ loves a soul that is in a state of grace with an immense love; He ardently desires to unite Himself with it. This is what Holy Communion does. St. Alphonsus Liguori 2 THE SACRAMENT OF EUCHARIST UNSEEN CHANGE Eucharist As the priest pronounces the words at Mass, the "Invocation of the Holy Spirit" - "Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ." This is a simile of what happens to each person as he or she is Baptized and becomes a member of the Household of God - the family of God - which is the Church of the Living God. We are Sanctified by the Holy Spirit and are changed "inwardly". As the bread and wine become the "body & blood" of our Lord and yet outwardly there is no change in the appearance, as the bread & wine become "flesh & blood" - a "New Creation"... so, the Baptized person becomes a New Creation "partak[ing] in the Divine Nature"! The bread & wine becoming Christ is a pattern for our becoming holy - our becoming Christ-like! Editor Philip Turgati

3 No One Can Say By Richard Swiderski It was a Wednesday college morning. I was twenty-two, brand new to the Charismatic Renewal, and thrust into its leadership. I was reading Scripture and praying preparing for the prayer meeting which I was to lead that evening in the parish student center. I was stymied by the third verse in the twelfth chapter of Paul s first letter to the Corinthians, where he "wrote no one can say, Jesus is Lord unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In my naiveté, I understood that verse on a literal level, that it was saying, a Godless person could not utter the words Jesus is Lord. Perplexed, I wondered, But what if that Godless person were a liar? Could he not then say Jesus is Lord? My first class was starting soon, so I had to leave that verse to be explored later. After my last class, I stopped my bike to watch a crowd gathered around this guy who called himself Jesus. I had seen him on campus before. He dressed like Jesus as did his band of disciples. He had a grandiose persona. His words sounded profound, but they were so ethereal as to escape meaning. Some in the crowd were clearly impressed, most taunted him. He fed on it all. That evening, the prayer meeting was filling up most of the student center, with a only a few seats open in front. I nervously prayed for the Spirit s help to lead. We had a time of joyful praise and song, and just entered into a time for quiet listening, when Jesus and his motley band burst through the doors. They came up front and took the empty seats. All eyes were on him. He promptly began a meandering tirade. I was stunned. I had no experience in leading prayer meetings, and was at a total loss on what to do. I could only plead God s intervention. Then a most extraordinary thing happened that verse from Corinthians just popped into my mind, and without thinking, I blurted out to the imposter, Can you say that Jesus is Lord? He stopped short; his eyes became as big as saucers. He stood up, whirled around, and marched out the door with his troop in tow. I cannot remember the rest of that meeting, forty some years ago, but I can never forget the power that was released in God s Word that night. My childish interpretation of Scripture was not a problem to God. Nor could my inexperience hinder the Holy Spirit s shock-andawe response to that imposter. God was not deterred by my lack of qualifications. He uses whoever is available and willing. The true Son of God was exalted that night. My understanding of Scripture has grown since those early days not in a linear manner according to the passing years, but relative to my willingness to obey it. Only in submitting my mind to it, does God s Word open its doors for my heart to enter. Wisdom finds no home in the proud, and a broken and humbled heart is irresistible to the Spirit of God. This, I believe, is the essence of 1Cor 12:3. No one can proclaim that Jesus is Lord, whether it be of their own life or of all that is, unless they have personally known the touch of his Holy Spirit and have given their lives over to it. This is what it means to have Jesus as the Lord of our life. And to live with Jesus as our Lord, requires of us to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus said he must leave; so that he can send the Paraclete; so that he could release his Holy Spirit; so that we can understand all that he has said; so that we can receive the Power From On High to overcome every obstacle to his plan for us. Everything Jesus did and lived for was toward this one goal that every Believer would experience Pentecost; that all who call upon the Name of Jesus would be baptized in his the Holy Spirit; would be immersed in 3 his Power and Love- that, having experienced it, we may be witnesses to it. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. Richard has been on the Word Gifts team for the CCRC conference for many years. His blog is a special addition to the Orlando Renewal. Ethnic Diversity: Meeting the Challenge of Unity PENTECOST Today Summer 2015, Vol. 40 #3 by Garvey Ervilus Saint Paul wears many hats. One of his more common titles is the Apostle of the Gentiles. Yet, the Charismatic Renewal has adopted him as the Charismatic Apostle especially, but not exclusively, for his teaching on the charismsmanifestations of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. Another title awarded to him is the Apostle of Unity. The latter is of a particular importance to us this year as we are reflecting on unity, what it really entails, how it is witnessed in the prayer groups and between the different ethnic groups. Unity not Uniformity The experience at the Duquesne retreat was at the genesis of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Because of that, there is a tendency to consider the American charismatic expression as normative. I still remember those explosive charismatic conferences at Notre Dame, Indiana three decades ago. The songs, the music, the prophetic words, the shouts of joy, the unfolding of the service, the manifestations continued on page 4

4 of the Holy Spirit, and the whole ambiance were unique, and so different from any spiritual gathering that I had ever attended thus far. Since it was a new phenomenon in the Catholic Church, that particular expression of the charismatic assembly was considered to be the point of reference for any other ethnic group that wanted to engage in the charismatic experience. Back at our parishes we wanted to repeat that charismatic experience. But to us, there was only one expression of that experience: the Indiana one, as if the Holy Spirit had only one way of manifesting himself. We had forgotten for a while that the Holy Spirit was a creator not a manufacturer. We found ourselves busy trying to transfer the Indiana ambiance on Haitian soil. We were translating some songs and imitating some gestures and some wording of the prophetic messages. However, slowly but surely, in the spirit of Vatican II which strongly insisted on enculturation in any evangelization effort, we started to allow the Spirit to utilize our resources in giving a distinctive Haitian flavor and expression to our charismatic gatherings. The Holy Spirit generated some spiritual composers with words and rhythms that would touch the sensitive fibers of our souls. For instance, the Kore Mwen of Jean- Robert Themistocle, is a typical Haitian expression, difficult to translate into other languages and yet carrying for the Haitian people a moving connotation. The Holy Spirit has also inspired us to modify certain spiritual practices according to the specific needs of the Haitian people. For example, discerning the multiple elements of suffering in our history, socioeconomic struggles, education system, some cultural practices, the rapport between the government and the governed. We found it appropriate to have a whole service of healing and deliverance in the Seminars of the Life in the Spirit, before the effusion of the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit has allowed us to express our charismatic spirituality differently, is he suggesting that each ethnic group should remain separated? In other words, does diversity entail division? Absolutely not. The Spirit who is infinitely creative wanted us to avoid confusing uniformity with unity. That all the ethnic groups express their charismatic spirituality in the same shape and form would be a demonstration of uniformity, not of unity. Saint Paul did not advocate uniformity but unity in diversity. We need to welcome diversity as a blessing instead of running away from it as a curse. Diversity of gifts but the same Spirit. Diversity of service but the same Lord. Diversity of ministry but the same God (1 Cor 12:5-6). This understanding of unity in diversity is even stronger in verses of the same chapter. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? After the listing of the charisms in verse 11, Paul comments: But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. I think it is not farfetched at this point to consider each ethnic group as a gift to the others. With such a consideration, we can see Paul urging the different ethnic groups of the Renewal to help each other discern, discover and develop their own charisms in order to proclaim to all the nations the wondrous deeds of a God rich in diversity. This consideration is important if we don t want our different ethnic groups to fall into another harmful way: the cliques. The Cliques Allow me to go back to Paul and his first letter to the Corinthians. All of Paul s letters have been prompted as a response to problems faced by the communities that he founded. The Jesus-people of Corinth dispatched Chloe to Ephesus to seek Paul s advice on some issues that they were confronting. One of them was the formation of cliques. The cliques came from the Corinthians misconception of baptism. All the people baptized by the same person formed a clique around that person as a leader and that practice was fracturing the Jesus-people community of Corinth. In his pastoral response to this issue, Paul reminded them what baptism does for them. Among other things, it makes them belong to Christ (1 Cor 3:21-23). No more boasting about following a particular human leader! For everything belongs to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. If we are not open to welcome, to discover and to encourage the different ways that the Spirit works in the other ethnic groups, our temptation to ethnocentrism is great. This practice is all the more pernicious in that it suggests the superiority of one ethnic group over the other. And that would be a very poor witnessing of the Spirit of love and unity. The allegiance to an ethnicity would be made at the expense of the allegiance to Christ. The above passage of Paul is very relevant to the Charismatic Renewal of the 21 St Century. I hear in this passage an invitation to a Eucharistic renewal as well. We all belong to Christ. We are the body of Christ, and our cliques lead to a disintegration of that body instead of its edification. The Charismatic Renewal must pray more attentively and fervently this Eucharistic prayer: We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit (Eucharistic Prayer II). 4

5 5

6 CALENDAR Charismatic Mass - Breath of God Prayer Group, St Mark the Evangelist, Summerfield, Fl will be celebrating a Charismatic Mass at 6:30 p.m. in the church. We will continue to have this Mass on the fourth Monday evening every month. Everyone welcomed. Please come and join us for Liturgy, song and Praise. ======================================================================================================================================================= An Evening of Healing Prayer When: The first Monday of each month at 6 p.m., in the Chapel. Where: St. Bernadette Hall at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Daytona Beach. All ministers in healing have been trained in the MacNutt s Christian Healing Ministry School of Healing Prayer. For more information contact: Gary Bowden: ======================================================================================================================================================= Healing Service St. John the Baptist in Dunnellon has a healing service every 4th Wednesday at 7pm. Fr. Kevin MacGabhann is the presider. Included is benediction and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. For more information contact the church office (352) or mail@stjohncc.com The Catholic Church of St John the Baptist, 7525 S US Highway 41, Dunnellon, FL 34432, (352) ======================================================================================================================================================= Details on Event information are published on the DOCCRC WEBSITE: Charismatic Resources Available online The Charismatic media resources are now available online. Using the Diocese of Orlando Media Center host, you can reserve and checkout media from the diocese website (link below) and receive it at your parish office. Previously, media were available only at the DOCCRC quarterly meetings, so this will make them widely available to anyone in your prayer group, or even in your parish who wishes to borrow them. Information on the procedure is also found on the Media Center web page. On the diocese website under Ministries/ Offices, click on Media Center to navigate to that page. Use search to find the item you want, then click on the specific item. For example, search for Charismatic to get a listing, then click on a specific item to get the details. Use the Media Request Form to actually request it be sent to your parish. Link: 6

7 7

8 DIOCESE OF ORLANDO CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL CENTER P.O. BOX 1800 ORLANDO, FL Return Service Requested Non Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Orlando, Florida Permit No. 235 TO CONTACT US ADMINISTRATOR OF OPERATIONS Vince Maldonado Phone NEWSLETTER, DATABASE, WEBMASTER & MEMBER AT LARGE Philip Turgati ADMINISTRATOR FOR PRAYER GROUP DEVELOPMENT Gary Bowden Phone COMMISSION CHAIR Paul Avizinis VICE CHAIRPERSON To Be Announced SECRETARY: Mary Agnew Address Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Orlando P.O. Box 215 Windermere, FL WEBSITE 8