...but even if... february Catholic Charismatic Renewal. serving the church. The newsletter of the. Melbourne, Australia.

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1 february 2015 Catholic Charismatic Renewal serving the church...but even if... The newsletter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Melbourne, Australia. It was with these words from the book of Daniel that Dr Mary Healy began her teaching for the week long Healing Retreat held from 12 to 16 January. They are the words spoken by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego before being thrown into the fiery furnace: but even if our God does not save us we will not worship other Gods. The opening Mass was celebrated by Bishop Mark Edwards OMI the new auxiliary bishop for Melbourne Diocese. In his homily Bishop Mark reflected upon the Gospel account of Jesus calling his disciples. The now of God he named it the time has come! For the disciples, as for us, the time is now. The call was very sudden for the disciples Jesus says follow me. When the time has come we have to do it now. Perhaps the Lord is calling us to something where we must let go and make changes. This is the moment to let go and take the step forward, to say yes to God now not knowing where it will lead. We have found the pearl of great price and to buy it we may have to sell something. Bishop Mark described our lives as a journey of yesses to God. He quoted from an inscription in the front of the Breviary of one of his Oblate brother priests who had recently died: Among the many things we owe to God one only is absolute: to not be afraid. can not as you can t. The time has come let us put our lives trustingly into his hands. The theme for the Retreat was Luke 9:11 - he gathered them together, he preached to them of the kingdom of God and he healed all their diseases. The power of the Word of God to bring healing to frozen hearts or physical ailments was witnessed by many as both Fr Richard and Mary Healy proclaimed the Gospel and prayed for people. They shared their personal journey of the gift of relationship with Jesus Christ after receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit and how this bought new life, new spiritual understanding that had eluded them without the Holy Spirit. Powerful teaching was given by Fr Richard McAlear OMI. In his inimitable style he brings Jesus alive for us as he focuses on the Eucharist and the power of the healing, merciful love of Jesus. The essential element is that Jesus Christ be lifted up, exalted, praised and proclaimed and when he is then he will draw all people to himself. The major key for any healing is the willingness to forgive and to receive forgiveness. continued page 3 To the gathered crowd he said thank you. The Charismatic Renewal is wonderful for the Church. You remind us of what is central for all of us, that our religion is not about rules but is about having a warm relationship with Jesus. Thank you for your love of Jesus. My advice to you for this week, if I may give advice, is to pray as you ACROSS MY DESK PAGE 2...BUT EVEN IF... PAGE 3 LEADERSHIP PAGES 4-5 MIRACLES HAPPEN EVERY DAY PAGES 6-7 THE MIRACLE IN MY LIFE PAGE 8 BEHOLD I AM DOING A NEW THING PAGE 9 THINKING OF A PILGRIMAGE? PAGE 10 A WORD FROM MIRIAM PAGE 11 MARK YOUR DIARIES PAGE 12

2 ACROSS MY DESK 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 back page). 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: Lenyce Willason (Executive Director), Miriam Markis (Centre Manager), Daniel Serratore (Youth Co-ordinator), Tony Grieve, Diana Tominac, Ban Wee, Christine Grech and Gunawan Goh. Neither the Co-ordinators 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 the back page. 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 10 April, that they may be one as you and I are one. John 17: 11b These were the words that Jesus prayed the night before he went to his death. He prayed to his father that all who believe in him may be one. Around the beginning of November 2014 I was taken aback by a comment Prince Charles made during a recorded video message to the charity Aid to the Church in Need, which launched its Religious Freedom in the World Report In his message Prince Charles was taking a stand for religious freedom and named it as one of the greatest struggles of the 21st century. In commenting on the report from CAN he correctly identified the destruction of Christianity in the Middle East as an indescribable tragedy. This report had stated that the world s most persecuted minority are Christians. We have yet to see the full potential of faith communities working together 1 was the comment that gave me much cause for reflection. It caused me to dream. Can you imagine a world where Christians put aside their differences and focused on what we have in common: that is, the belief in Jesus as the Son of God who rose from the dead and still walks with us today? What a force for good this would be! Why is it that we search the scriptures for points of difference in our theology and then go to war with one another? In John 4 the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman invites us to try water from a different well and also to offer a little of our own. Jesus shows us that there are other wells we can drink from as we dialogue with those who are a different faith to us. It is in diversity that we enrich each other. It is an ugly thing that Christians are divided. But Jesus wants us to be united. One body! Our sins, our history have divided us. For this we must pray that the Spirit unites us again. 2 My first real experience of worshipping with other faiths was at Dallas Brooks Hall during one of the Ecumenical Pentecost Conferences back in the 80 s. That weekend I had a Presbyterian on one side of me and a Baptist on the other all of us praising God with great gusto! I discovered that they were not the enemy prejudice and pride was a far greater enemy. When a person knows and understands her/his own self-identity then the identity of the other is not seen as a threat. To drink water from another s well is the first step towards experiencing another s way of being. Prince Charles spoke movingly about how his own Christian faith had enabled him to speak to, and to listen to, people from other traditions, including Islam. He also endorsed Pope Francis description of interfaith dialogue as a duty for all Christians. He stated, For me, it is utterly inconceivable that a person of one faith could find it in themselves to persecute a person of another faith. Surely to do so brings nothing but dishonour on the faith of the persecutor? 3 During the times of prayer we have together, the Melbourne Coordinators have sensed that God is calling for unity. As a response we gave our November 2013 Renewal Day over to hosting a gathering of the many cultural streams we have within CCR. A further response is to work with other Churches to bring the kingdom of God to bear on our city of Melbourne. The Church Unite event held in October was testament to the hunger in people to worship God together. In our prayer groups we sing this song: Father make us one, Father make us one, so the world may know thou has sent thy Son, Father make us one. Let us really mean the words we sing and make them our prayer for The Catholic Herald 4 November Pope Francis, Angelus Address, VATICAN CITY, January 25, 2015 (Zenit.org) 3 The Catholic Herald 4 November GOOD NEWS

3 ...but even if... continued from page 1 Fr Richard took us on a tour through the book of Genesis as he used Joseph as a model. Joseph s reconciliation with his brothers is the first time forgiveness appears in the Scriptures. Fr Richard gave many examples of people with hearts of stone. Those who had told him that they would rather keep the cancer than forgive. His ministry of hope and healing has spanned many years and has countless testimonies to support the healing power of Jesus working through him. On the Wednesday morning after he had offered Mass he prayed for every person in the room and many healings were received (see page 5). Dr. Mary Healy, associate professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and senior fellow at the St. Paul Centre for Biblical Theology was recently appointed to the Pontifical Biblical Commission by Pope Francis. She is also the Chair of the ICCRS Doctrinal Commission. Mary s opening challenge, but even if, gave us cause to reflect upon what it was that we really wanted. We are all seeking healing for various areas of our lives but even if God did not give us the healing we desired, would we still seek him and praise him? She drew us to Luke 24:49 about waiting for the power from on high: the Holy Spirit. It is only if we do things God s way in God s time will our endeavours succeed. With conviction and clarity Mary led us into a new awareness of some of the background of the Scriptures. One intriguing insight brought many oooh s from those gathered. It was the significance of wells in scripture. They are not just places to draw water but represent life and are very much associated with weddings: Isaac met his wife Rebekah by the well. Jacob, a very significant figure in the Bible, met his wife Rachel by the Well and fell instantly in love with her. Jesus met the Samaritan woman by the well where she fell in love with him and she and her whole village followed him. It is possibly one of the reasons that wishing wells play such a part in today s wedding ceremonies. In reading from Luke 5 Mary made us aware that the leper Jesus cleansed was a model for us. When we receive healing we ought not keep it to ourselves but go and tell someone, ie. become an evangeliser. On Thursday morning Mary led a healing service and once again every person in the room received prayer, including some of the staff who worked at the venue. Once again the presence of Jesus willing to heal was tangible as people received spiritual, emotional and physical healing. Both Mary and Fr Richard made an excellent team as they worked in tandem to open up the Scriptures for us highlighting the intrinsic connection between healing and evangelisation. When someone receives that touch from Jesus, and receives healing then they cannot prevent becoming bearers of good news. The week was full of vibrancy and joy for all who attended, the effects of which will be experienced for months to come. Prophecy given at the Healing Retreat: Be free my children as legions of angels are going forth, the heavens open sending forth tongues of fire. The Lord says, Look at the Renewal. There are embers, not flames because the people have believed lies from the evil one. Rebuke the lies. I cannot put new wine into old wineskins. The Renewal needs new power, new surrender, new commitment - to come into the Holy of Holies. Let go and don t believe the lies. The Lord wants to bless you. Come and receive the anointing. There is a new wave coming to fan the embers into full flame. The world needs YOU to join the angels above to come into mission for the work of the Lord. 3 GOOD NEWS

4 Teaching & Formation Leadership "Prayerful leaders are courageous leaders and this courage is contagious." Prof. Constantine You call me teacher and Lord; and you are right, for I am. If then your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another s feet. (Jn 13: 4-14) The country and the church need genuine leadership. In the absence of true leadership, they will listen to anyone who climbs to the platform and the microphone. People want leadership, but when they understand that the leaders lack courage and are self-serving people, they reject them and assume the role themselves. They realise that they are not qualified, but they would rather go to their doom under their own leadership than under the leadership of an inauthentic leader. Today there is a massive poverty of leadership. We do not have sufficient leaders who can speak to the people of our time in ways that are bold, brilliant, logical, articulate and inspiring. When talented leaders do emerge, we don t advance and empower them, instead we make their paths almost impossible and try to tear them down. Why are we so unwilling to raise these leaders up when they do emerge? Why do we keep them down? Why do we regionalise them? Are we afraid they will become too popular, that we won t be able to control them? Whatever the reason, we should try to pinpoint it, because in the absence of this desperately needed leadership, the Church will have to content herself with mere survival. We must address the issue of leadership. Let us pray that God will raise up a great voice in our time. And when God does raise up this great voice, let us pray that the hierarchy and the laity together recognise this person and the role he/she has been called to. There has been a rapid change in the world over the past seventy eighty years and a massive cultural shift has taken place. Men, women and children of modern times had begun questioning absolutely everything. We were unprepared for this massive cultural shift and were pushed into a defensive posture with fear. Stifled by this fear, over the couple of decades too many of our leaders have hidden behind inaction, using discretion, prudence and discernment as their excuses. There is a difference between fear and discretion, between fear and prudence, between fear and discernment. This fear is not a virtue, but it is the most dominant emotion in our modern society. We are afraid of too many things afraid of rejection and failure, afraid of criticism, of change, we are even afraid to be our own selves. Fear has a tendency to imprison us. Fear paralyses the human spirit. Courage is an acquired virtue. Courage is acquired by practicing courage just as we learn to play foot-ball by playing foot-ball. When practised, our courage becomes stronger and more readily accessible with every passing day. Virtues are like muscles, when you exercise them, they become stronger. What we need is bold and authentic leadership. There is boldness in Catholicism when it is truly lived. People are hungry for the truth, but we are afraid to give it to them. The truth will set them free (Jn 8:32) but we don t have to courage to proclaim it. This courage should come to us from our spiritual ancestors, the Saints and Martyrs. They were brave and bold and they knew their essential purpose. They formed habits that helped them become the best version of themselves. They knew that happiness was impossible if separated from the ways of God. 4 GOOD NEWS

5 They took seriously the opportunity to share the truth and wisdom of Catholicism with others. They got all this from prayer prayer nourished their lives. To be a Catholic leader is to hold the position of spiritual leadership and so the primary concern of a Catholic leader must be dedication to spiritual life. Prayerful leaders are courageous leaders and this courage is contagious. Jesus taught us a leadership model that had never been seen before. Throughout history, all the great kings, queens and emperors have measured their strength, power and greatness by their wealth and the number of servants they ruled. But Jesus, the greatest leader of all times did not come to be served. Jesus came to serve: He rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciple s feet and wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord: and you are right, for I am. If then I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another s feet (Jn 13: 4-15). Jesus whole method of leadership focused on turning the then hierarchy upside down. The model of leadership that Christ himself left us was one of service and sacrifice. At different times, we are called upon as leaders. Some as mothers and some as fathers, others as CEO s and presidents, and yet others as priests and bishops. Whatever form of leadership we are called to, let us exercise it with one thing in mind: People don t fail because they want to fail. People fail because they don t know as how to succeed. Prof. Constantine is the Publisher of CharisIndia and former chairman of National service Team. Used with permission of Charisindia Testimonies from the January Retreat I am writing this testimony as I witnessed an extraordinary healing at the January conference in Melbourne. I had been experiencing excruciating pain in my left foot, I was only booked in for 2 days and on the Wednesday morning I was unsure if I would get there or not, so I caught a taxi and arrived in time for the mass. Fr Richard McAlear, the visiting priest said that we would all receive a blessing individually after communion. I was thinking how am I going to stand in the crowd and hobble up with my stick?. Very kindly though, I was escorted up to the front where I was given a seat until father came forward and then I stood up in front of him. Father McAlear gave me the most beautiful blessing and made me smile and then said to me, it is nice to see you smile. I must have looked so sad and in pain. I returned to my seat and broke down and cried comforted by a kind lady beside me. The following day I was at home. I was sitting in my chair and then a little voice said, go for a walk I went out the front door and I walked around the block with no pain and no stick. That evening I rang a friend and told him what had happened and then on the Friday at the conference I was able to give this testimony. I no longer need my stick. Praise the Lord. Mary (Sacre Coeur Prayer Group) After having major foot surgery 3 years ago I had been told that I had another collapsed joint in my right ankle which would require further surgery. I was not happy to be facing another 6 months recovery time. This was causing me to limp, which in turn gave me a pinched nerve in my back and extreme pain in my hip and down my leg - almost to the point of pulling out of the Retreat. However, I decided to go and expect healing. On that first VERY HOT night I prayed and prayed for the pain to go away and it did. I got up and had no pain in my back or hip. This was amazing but I didn t think about healing for my ankle until Mary started telling us about the healing she had seen in South America. I spoke to her later and told her that I find some of those and other stories of healing hard to believe. She very gently asked if that could be a lack of faith on my part. This challenged me. The next day I was blown away when someone - no idea who - said they believed the Lord wanted to heal a joint in a right ankle! When I stood up for prayer I sensed a very powerful movement in my spine which others noticed and the pain was gone from my ankle. There is still no pain and I have full movement again. Praise the Lord! Margaret 5 GOOD NEWS

6 MIRACLES HAPPEN EVERY DAY A Testimony by Jenny McCormack On the night of 7th June 2014, Jesus saved my life and I want to witness to a miracle for the glory of God! As I write this testimony I have experienced 27 weeks of extra life which I celebrate every Saturday night. My message is about the same Jesus who gave His life for us on the cross, the same Jesus who rescued me 30 years ago, this same Jesus who has the power to save us again and again when we are in need. I had parked the car in my driveway and had just gotten out of the car when it started to roll back down the driveway. I was standing inside the open front door of the car when it pushed against my legs threatening to knock me off my feet. I had the presence of mind to know that I needed to get into the car so that I could put my foot on the brake to stop the car from rolling back any further. I also had the assurance that everything would be ok. When I reflected later on this experience, I can acknowledge that the Lord was truly present with me. I managed to get my left foot back inside the car, but I was also being pulled out of the car as my right foot was dragged under the door and then under the front wheel of the car. The ambulance man who attended the scene told me that, in most cases, people go under the car and are crushed to death. But this was not God s plan for me! His plan was to save my life! What followed was a miracle! As the right foot went under the car wheel, my left foot was jerked upwards, and the top of my boot got stuck under the dashboard of the car. My faith tells me that God used my leg to save my life by keeping me in the car. There I was, one foot under the wheel, the other foot stuck under the dashboard, the rest of my body hanging out the side of the car, being dragged down the driveway, with the open front door wedged against my leg just below the knee to keep my upper body from going under the wheel of the car! Not easy to picture and not easy to explain. It would seem an impossible situation but as Matthew 19:26 tells us but with God all things are possible. There was nothing I could do, but trust the Lord! As the car gained speed, my body was twisted right around and I was dragged and thumped 4 times on the aggregate driveway on my left shoulder and hip. I am on medication for osteoporosis yet none of these bones were broken! There are some huge trees and concrete pots in the garden running beside the driveway and I remembered thinking, one of those trees will stop the car. Just at that moment, I had a sense of complete and utter powerlessness and the car just stopped! I was very close to death at that moment. The ambulance man confirmed this when he showed me a photo of where I was lying when the car stopped, just centimeters from being crushed to death. But the car had stopped and I was alive! God had saved my life! Praise and thanksgiving welled up within me and I was overwhelmed with the glory of God. I had a tangible presence of Jesus, deeper than I had ever experienced before, His ministering angels were with me. Later, a chaplain at the hospital gave me a scripture reading, Psalm 34:6.7 this poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. This scripture was spot on for me! The angel of the Lord had won the battle over evil! I had no understanding where I was lying, and didn t know how the car had stopped. All I knew was that I was alive, that God had more plans for my life, that He had saved me from certain death, and that Jesus was profoundly real. I couldn t understand why I had been saved but I had a sense that I was a witness to a miracle for the glory of God. I did not feel any pain but I was lying in a very uncomfortable position. God gave me a special grace not to focus on my discomfort but to focus on His presence through audible praise. The car had rolled 20 metres down the driveway and ended up in the garden. Amazingly, God had used a small square clump of bamboo to stop the car, but the car was still unstable and on the brink of rolling down 2 boulder walls and into the house next door. If this had happened the car would have flipped with me still attached. Once again God had shown His miraculous saving power. The firemen tied the car onto my house for stability. Then they had to remove the dashboard, releasing my foot and taking the weight of the car door off my leg. All this time, the presence of the Lord gave me a peaceful strength. As they put me into the ambulance, the firemen told me to buy a Lotto ticket and to put their name on it. I thanked them and told them that I would pray for them. After a number of x-rays in hospital they found a couple of major fractures in my right foot! My journey to recovery included two lots of plaster, a wheelchair, hopper frame, auxiliary crutches, Moonboot, Canadian crutches, and then a walking stick! After 4 months of rehab I was able to walk unaided. I could write a book about the encounters of faith that followed, the challenges and the learning I have gained through this experience. I have encountered hundreds of people along the way. I have had friends ask me where have I been and strangers have approached me wanting to know what has happened to me. They listened to my story intently wanting to hear more and then they would share their story and their journey of faith. It has been a story that has touched the hearts of the unchurched and moved the hearts of the faithful. I related to my supportive husband that everyone who sees me says that I am shining! He answered with, you have been that way ever since the accident. It s as though you have faced death and conquered it! I am not afraid of death. I feel that I have faced death and lived! If it had been my time to die, then this would have happened. Continued page 7 6 GOOD NEWS

7 I have the assurance when my time is complete, and when God is ready, He will come and take me home. Until then, I have found a new purpose to live! My purpose is to live in the awareness of God s presence and to tell of His saving miraculous power, and He has given me a new boldness to proclaim this message to all who will listen. My greatest learning through this whole experience is that God really loves me and nothing can separate me from His love. This has been an everdeepening revelation that has continued to heal, refine and transform me. God has confirmed His love through all the people who have loved, cared, supported, prayed, and welcomed me back into my community. Before this accident, I had been asking God for the gift of expectant faith and through this miracle, I believe I have received this gift, and just need to exercise it. Miracles happen every day. Sometimes, they are not recognised and all too often they are not proclaimed. Many people tell me that I have been very lucky, but I believe that miracles happen every day. Do you? 7 GOOD NEWS

8 THE MIRACLE IN MY LIFE By Angel Gilles I will never forget and always be grateful to God, my King and my Lord! Bless the Lord, O my soul And forget not all his benefits My God forgives all my iniquities And he heals all my diseases... Alleluia! AMEN. My name is Angel. I am married to Linley affectionately called Bobby. We are celebrating our Silver Wedding in January 2015 and we have two sons, Crispin and Craig. We own a real estate agency in Hallam, Victoria. It all began in June 2013 when I started having blurry vision. I had all possible tests taken when my sight was going from bad to worst. Finally an MRI on 19 November 2013 revealed that I had a tumour on the left side of the brain. By then, I suffered very severe double and blurry vision. I was turning blind and was rushed to emergency. That same night another MRI was done at Monash, Clayton. The following afternoon, as neurosurgeons walked in with photos and the results of the MRI, it so happened our then Assistant Parish Priest at Hampton Park, was with me and my family in emergency. Neurosurgeons broke devastating news. I was told that I had not one but two tumours on the brain. One was behind my eyes and nose and the other on the left side of the brain. Neurosurgeons explained that nothing could be done about the tumour behind the eyes and nose as it was where all important nerves were. As for the tumour on the left side, they said because it was so close to the brain, they could remove only a little and that I would have to keep coming back again and again for brain surgery. Our priest heard everything that neurosurgeons had to say. He encouraged me not to worry and not to be afraid. He told me to surrender to Jesus, and trust Him completely. He said: Your faith can make you well. I cried: My God, You are beautiful and only You can make me whole again! My prayer was: Create in me a new brain Oh God, put a new brain within me!!! That was my daily prayer in addition to praising and worshipping God! My brother-in-law and my sister requested our Prayer Group Leader and our priest to pray over me. The following morning my vision was back to normal! Neurosurgeons were so confused and so a third MRI was done. After confirming the existence of both tumours on the brain, a biopsy was done to check for cancer. Both our Prayer Group Leader and our priest gave me much courage, assuring me of Jesus great love all the time! On the day of the operation, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to say Psalm 91. I had said it over and over again - I can t tell how many times. I was opened up on the side of my head and six days later I was told that they could not find any tumours and there was no cancer! Praise God! 8 Images of MRI s before and after the healing Just as our priest had said, the Blood of Jesus had poured all over me and had melted the tumours and cleared all the inflammation on the brain. What an awesome God! Thank you, Jesus! My brothers and sisters, I pray that through this sharing, your faith will be renewed and you will find new hope in Jesus. May you feel His healing touch, His might, His power, His presence, mercy and grace that surpasses all understanding. I pray for all who have tumours, cancer and other health problems that each and everyone may be healed in the name of Jesus. I pray that through the sharing of my testimony, your faith may be strengthened, and those who have lost hope find new hope in Jesus! My sincere and humble thanks to my husband, children, our priest, our Prayer Group Leader, my mum and all my relatives and friends who prayed for me and gave me so much courage and support during that time. God bless you all abundantly for all you ve done and thank you from the bottom of my heart! GOOD NEWS

9 Behold I am doing a New Thing By Fr Chris Thomas Fr Chris Thomas encourages us to see the new thing that God is doing under our noses. When I was a University Chaplain many years ago I, along with a team of people, ran the Life in the Spirit seminars. There were all sorts of people who came along, most of whom had little or no experience of Charismatic Renewal. There were people of faith and no faith. There was even an atheistic Jew. The discussions on each evening were lively and interesting as together we explored the Gospel message. When it came to the evening for prayer for the release of the Spirit I wondered who would turn up. There had been some scepticism the week before. I was really surprised when everybody arrived and the prayer took place. The week after one girl said to me that she felt as though she had a party going on within her. I met her just recently some twenty plus years on and she said to me the party s still going on. The Gospel is essentially about an encounter and wherever that encounter takes place I believe that God is doing a new thing as He did and does within that girl. As hearts are transformed through love, where forgiveness is setting people free, where the wounds of sin and division are being healed then God is doing something wonderful and something new in the life of that person and through them in the world. Grace in a real and concrete way is working its miracle as it flows from one to another. I have sat in many meetings in recent years where we have been praying for the new thing to happen. We have almost pleaded with God for a new outpouring of the Spirit and I have sensed a disappointment when the fireworks haven t happened in the way we thought they might have done. We have prayed for a new Pentecost and I believe that God, our faithful loving God, always hears our prayer. Could it be that an over preoccupation with revival in the narrow way that we understand it stops us seeing what God is doing in the here and now? So could it be that God wants us to stop, open our eyes and see that the Spirit is always being poured out and that a new thing is always going on in the lives of God s people? Could it be that the more we focus on one reality the more we are unable to see what is happening around us? Who could doubt that God is doing a new thing in the life of the Catholic Church with the advent of Pope Francis and his desire for reform, his call to simplicity and the new spirit of openness which seems to be sweeping through the Church? I hope it s not my imagination but are we not seeing a new impetus to ecumenism as the Pope blesses those of other traditions and makes links with them? Is it not the work of the Spirit as the movements within the Church come together to celebrate what is good and God given forgetting the differences that sometimes separate us from one another? Who could not watch with excitement and bated breath what is happening in what is known as the emerging Church which is growing alongside the traditional structure of the Church. The organisations for the Emerging Church movement are prayer groups, bible study groups, centring prayer groups, justice groups, and the new monasticism. The Emerging Church is happening all over the world and is ecumenical, biblical, prayer and justice centred. It has to be a new outpouring of the grace of God. Look at the lives of individuals and see what God is doing in the hearts and minds of so many who are being turned toward the Gospel of Christ. I know many young people who are giving their lives to the Gospel in new ways and older people who are waking up to a new dawn in their lives. If we are looking just for signs and wonders we might be disappointed although I very much doubt that we will be. Throughout the Church s history there have always been waves of charismatic activity and I have no doubt that in the future there will be more, but I think the challenge of the moment is not necessarily to implore God for a new Pentecost. This will happen as and when it does. Rather the challenge is to stop, look and listen for what God is already doing and to see in that movement of the Spirit in the life of the Church the newness that we are always looking for, and then very simply to rejoice in it! Fr. Chris Thomas heads up the Irenaeus Project. He is a member of the Emmaus Family of Prayer. First published in September/October 2014 edition of Goodnews magazine and reprinted with permission Why include CCR in your Will? As you know Catholic Charismatic Renewal relies almost entirely on gifts from individuals to continue its mission. We ask you to please consider a gift to the CCR when you make your Will or update it. Making a gift to the CCR can be as simple as adding a codicil to your existing Will or Estate Plan. You may use this or a similar statement: I/we bequeath $ (or % of my residual estate) to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Melbourne, Victoria. 101 Holden Street, North Fitzroy, VIC Please let us know if you have included us in your Will so that we can properly thank you. 9 GOOD NEWS

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11 A WORD... FROM MIRIAM By MIRIAM MARKIS St Paul says we should pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5:17. It is not such an easy task if you think about it. Much has been taught on this subject over the years by scholars and teachers alike on how we do this. Nevertheless, it s not an easy thing to do. Our humanity and the distractions of everyday life often make this hard to achieve. That is why we are called upon to go into that quiet place. But even that quiet place is hard to find if we are just too busy to stop. Recently I found myself, of necessity, in that quiet place whilst recovering from major surgery. I found myself continually praying in the spirit for the first few days. I would awake to find myself praying and wondering what I was praying about. Even though I hadn t a clue the spirit kept praying. So that, asleep or awake, I was aware that I was praying. I believe that this helped me to focus on the Lord and not on the pain that I felt. Whilst this particular prayer experience only lasted a few days I came to understand a little of what St Paul meant about praying ceaselessly. It was then that I realized that whilst I had peace in my heart, by God s grace, I now had an even more profound peace to an extent that I had never quite experienced before. Phil 4:7 says And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Natural curiosity would love to know what the prayers were about. However, suffice it to say that God knows and uses our prayers for His own purposes and for His Glory. Once home and as time passed my prayers changed. I found great solace in repeatedly reciting the Memorare, as well as other prayers, for everyone and everything that came to mind as the days seemed to roll on endlessly. I certainly experienced a stillness that was extraordinary and lots of introspection followed. I came to understand that our prayers always lead us to some action. In my case I found myself being prompted to acknowledge my own weaknesses and failings and rely on the Mercy and Goodness of the Lord for all things spiritual as well as physical and relational. There followed an interior spring cleaning which only served to make me feel dry like the bones mentioned in Ezekiel 37 and which only God could restore. A cry from the heart God, where are you was too tiring to voice! Family and friends are invaluable in such times as these. I was overwhelmed with expressions of kindness and love. But it was hard to take it in. Pope Francis, whilst in the Philippines addressing students at St Thomas University, spoke about love and said Real love is about loving and letting yourself be loved. It s harder to let yourself be loved than to love. Perhaps this was the purpose of my convalescence. I had to realize, albeit late in life, that I ve always found it hard to receive love. Finally, at the opening Mass of this year s Retreat, as I received Communion, I was overwhelmed and overjoyed to experience the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and His overwhelming Goodness. The Lord knows our heart s desires. He certainly answered my desire for a closer union with Him and His abiding presence. My hope for you all is that you too may experience the abiding presence of Jesus throughout 2015 and that you would find solace and rest in His Arms of Love. Allow yourselves to be loved by Jesus who said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 4:16) Allow yourselves to be surprised by God who reveals Himself in just the way our hearts and minds will understand His unfathomable love. Evangelisation & Healing Prayer Centres 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, Counselling and Physiotherapy Services that work in conjunction with healing prayer are available in the central and southern areas of Melbourne. More pictures from our January Retreat NEW RELEASE - To order contact: CCR Centre or centre@ccr.org.au Price: $ $ 5.00 P&P 11 GOOD NEWS

12 MARK YOUR DIARIES... Renewal Days An opportunity for fellowship with others and growth through teachings. Date: Saturday 14 February Ecumenical Unity with Dr Sean & Mrs Trudie Morris, Senior Pastors of GROW Church. Other 2015 Renewal Days: 23 May with Fr Michael Barry SSCC, then 15 August and 21 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. School of Healing Prayer Level 1 Anyone interested in learning how to pray for healing is welcome. Level 1 will be held over 3 Saturdays: 11, 18 and 25 April CCR Centre, 101 Holden Street, North Fitzroy. Ladies Day Thursday 30 April 2015 Ladies days are always full of fun and surprises. They are also an opportunity for bonding friendships. 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 7 March, 2 May, 1 August and 31 October am pm at the CCR Centre. Charismatic MASSES TIME VENUE Third Sunday 12 Noon St Benedict s, Burwood HEALING MASSES TIME VENUE Each Sunday 5.30pm St Clements, Bulleen 7.00pm Holy Family, Doveton (Ministry after) First Saturday 2.30pm 5pm Adoration followed by Healing Mass St Peter s, 38 Guinane Ave, Hoppers Crossing First Sunday 2.30pm St Peter Chanel, Deer Park 5.00pm St Benedicts, Burwood. Prayer Ministry after Mass, Praise Rally at 7.00pm 5.30pm Praise, Worship, Adoration St Marks, Fawkner 6pm Mass, followed by Prayer Ministry 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 Patrick s Church, 6 Dalny Road, Murrumbeena 8.15pm Healing Mass St Peter s Clayton Third Thursday 7.30pm Our Lady Help of Christians, Henry St, Eltham 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 Joan of Arc Parish, Brighton. Thursdays 8pm - 5 February, 7 May, 4 June, 2 July, 1 October, 5 November. Praise and worship plus prayers after Mass. 12 GOOD NEWS