Serving the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Orlando THE CHARISMATIC NEWS SPRING 2019 Vol. 4 Issue 1, March 2019 their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. Matthew 18:10 The Lord is not sleeping; the Watchman is watching over his people. (cf. Ps 121:4) Dear Brothers and Sisters, Peace be with you. Lent is upon us now and we should be focusing on our relationship with our Savior Jesus. Prayer and fasting during these 40 days are important. At mass the other day we were challenged to give up something that requires sacrifice. As a chocolate lover I must go back to the drawing board. We've changed our venue for the Day of Healing and Reflection. It is at the Caribe Royale Hotel on March 30. It begins at 9 AM and ends at 6 PM. You'll have to pay for parking ($10) so carpool where possible. This is going to be an awesome event to prepare for Easter and the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus, so don't miss it. Our conference this year is at the same hotel on September 20-22nd 2019. Thus far the speakers are Sister Marilyn Minter and Jesse Romero. I'm still working on getting a priest as a keynote speaker. The rate for the hotel will be $134 per night and parking is free. Use the link below to register for the hotel while attending the conference. You can register through our website, www.orlandocharismatic.net https://cariberoyale.reztrip.com/ext/promorate?property=1515&mode=b&pm=true&sr=320757&vr=3 If you wish to register for the conference online go to the Renewal s website at www.orlandocharismatic.net. If you would like to donate to the Renewal please send your contribution to CCRC, PO Box 215 Windermere, Florida 34786. During the Lenten season I reflect on one of my favorite scriptures, Philippians 2:12 work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Blessings, Vincent Maldonado Administrator of Operations Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Orlando Pope Francis during the Easter Vigil in San Peter's Basilica - AFP 04/04/2015 17:18 (Vatican Radio) The Easter Vigil is a time for us to enter into the Mystery which God has accomplished with His vigil of love. That was the message of Pope Francis as he celebrated the Easter Vigil in Saint Peter s Basilica on Saturday night. Sean Patrick Lovett s report: Pope Francis focused his reflections on the women who, going out early Sunday morning to anoint the Body of the Lord, were the first to see the empty tomb. We cannot live Easter, he said, without entering into this mystery. Continued on page 2
Entering the Mystery Entering into the mystery, Pope Francis explained, means the ability to wonder, to contemplate; the ability to listen to the silence and to hear the tiny whisper amid great silence by which God speaks to us it demands that we not be afraid of reality: that we not be locked into ourselves, that we not flee from what we fail to understand, that we not close our eyes to problems or deny them, that we not dismiss our questions To enter into the mystery means going beyond our own comfort zone, beyond the laziness and indifference which hold us back, and going out in search of truth, beauty and love. Humility IS necessary The Holy Father said humility is necessary to enter into the mystery, the humility to come down from the pedestals of our presumption, to see ourselves as we really are: creatures with strengths and weaknesses, sinners in need of forgiveness. This, the Pope said, is what the women at the tomb teach us. They had kept watch, they went forth and they entered into the Mystery. Pope Francis concluded his homily with the prayer that we might learn from them to keep watch with God and with Mary our Mother, so that we too may enter into the Mystery which leads from death to life. Below, please find the official English translation of the Holy Father's prepared remarks: Pope Francis, HOMILY FOR THE EASTER VIGIL, 4 April 2015 Tonight is a night of vigil. The Lord is not sleeping; the Watchman is watching over his people (cf. Ps 121:4), to bring them out of slavery and to open before them the way to freedom. The Lord is keeping watch and, by the power of his love, he is bringing his people through the Red Sea. He is also bringing Jesus through the abyss of death and the netherworld. This was a night of vigil for the disciples of Jesus, a night of sadness and fear. The men remained locked in the Upper Room. Yet, the women went to the tomb at dawn on Sunday to anoint Jesus body. Their hearts were overwhelmed and they were asking themselves: How will we enter? Who will roll back the stone of the tomb? But here was the first sign of the great event: the large stone was already rolled back and the tomb was open! Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe (Mk 16:5). The women were the first to see this great sign, the empty tomb; and they were the first to enter Entering the tomb. It is good for us, on this Vigil night, to reflect on the experience of the women, which also speaks to us. For that is why we are here: to enter, to enter into the Mystery which God has accomplished with his vigil of love. We cannot live Easter without entering into the mystery. It is not something intellectual, something we only know or read about It is more, much more! To enter into the mystery means the ability to wonder, to contemplate; the ability to listen to the silence and to hear the tiny whisper amid great silence by which God speaks to us (cf 1 Kings 19:12). To enter into the mystery demands that we not be afraid of reality: that we not be locked into ourselves, that we not flee from what we fail to understand, that we not close our eyes to problems or deny them, that we not dismiss our questions Continued on page 3
Continued from page 2 To enter into the mystery means going beyond our own comfort zone, beyond the laziness and indifference which hold us back, and going out in search of truth, beauty and love. It is seeking a deeper meaning, an answer, and not an easy one, to the questions which challenge our faith, our fidelity and our very existence. To enter into the mystery, we need humility, the lowliness to abase ourselves, to come down from the pedestal of our I which is so proud, of our presumption; the humility not to take ourselves so seriously, recognizing who we really are: creatures with strengths and weaknesses, sinners in need of forgiveness. To enter into the mystery we need the lowliness that is powerlessness, the renunciation of our idols in a word, we need to adore. Without adoration, we cannot enter into the mystery. The women who were Jesus disciples teach us all of this. They kept watch that night, together with Mary. And she, the Virgin Mother, helped them not to lose faith and hope. As a result, they did not remain prisoners of fear and sadness, but at the first light of dawn they went out carrying their ointments, their hearts anointed with love. They went forth and found the tomb open. And they went in. They had kept watch, they went forth and they entered into the Mystery. May we learn from them to keep watch with God and with Mary our Mother, so that we too may enter into the Mystery which leads from death to life. End Homily 5th Sunday of Lent B, Fr. SENO Pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Candler, FL (Jer 1:31-34; Ps 51:3-4,12-13,14-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33) My dear friends in Christ, we are now approaching the end of the Lenten Season. Today, Jesus teaches us how to become alter Christus another Christ. This is something very real. Baptism makes us one with Christ in his prophetic, priestly and kingly ministries. But do we actually offer up ourselves like Christ as a wheat grain that falls into the ground and dies? Or are we afraid of the challenges of becoming a true disciple? Jesus shows us today that it is normal to entertain some fears in our human condition. However, we can overcome these fears. In the Gospel (John 12:20-33), anticipating his passion and death, he declares very frankly, "I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again." May God be glorified in our struggles and give us victory against the enemy through Christ our Lord. Amen! Can we learn from Christ? He did not allow human fears to prevent him from achieving his mission. We too, as other Christ s, have our purpose in this life. Our purpose and mission is to be witnesses for Jesus with all our hearts, all our soul, and all our strength. Are we afraid of what the people of the world may do to us? Are we afraid of losing the friendship of the people of the world? Do we out of fear compromise the truth? As Lent draws to a close, let us refocus ourselves in the direction of our Christian calling. Let not the joys or pain in the world make us forget our mission. Today Jesus says to reassure us that we can transcend our normal human fears. He declares, Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Jesus is telling us not to be afraid of anything; nothing must hinder our mission. We must be willing to suffer for the faith. We must make sacrifices like Jesus in order to share in his glory. My dear friends, we need to overcome our human fears and trust in God always in Prayer. That is the lesson from our Second Reading (Heb 5:7-9): that, In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered He came to show us the way to victory. Our world today is increasingly hostile to the word of God. There is a kind of Epicurean Worldview. People only want human pleasures. The people want the Priests to preach what they want to hear not what God wants his people to hear. Some people come to Church to be entertained and feel good. The Church is not a place to feel good but to challenge us to do better than what we are now. Continued on page 4
Fr. SENO on Lent continued But there is hope; hope remains alive. We are destined for victory if we stand with Christ all the way. Jesus has a word of encouragement for us, just as he encouraged the apostles before he was rejected and crucified: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." Yes! Jesus shows us that we should never fret over any situation; there is no situation God cannot handle for us. Faith and prayer is what we need to win this battle against secularism. Beloved, we must have hope in God s promise. He declares through the Prophet Jeremiah in our First Reading (Jeremiah 31:31-34), The days are coming when I will make a new covenant I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Also, he assures us, A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Our world needs a new heart and a new spirit of the fear of God. The onus is on us to pray, therefore, for the conversion of sinners. God can change anyone and make them achieve the civilization of love. Let us not be too lazy to pray. Our conference this year is at the same hotel on September 20-22nd 2019. Thus far the speakers are Sister Marilyn Minter and Jesse Romero.
CALENDAR ======================================================================================================================================================= Healing Prayer Evening of Prayer with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, First Monday of each month at 6:00PM in Chapel, Our Lady of Lourdes, 201 University Blvd., Daytona Beach 32118. The Prayer Service includes songs, music, scripture, reflections and prayer with everyone who wishes. Prayer Ministers will pray with each person for their personal needs. After the service they will be available for additional prayer. For info call Tony/Audrey Lewis (386) 366-2598 audreymarie14@gmail.com ======================================================================================================================================================= Details on Event information are published on the DOCCRC WEBSITE: www.orlandocharismatic.net The newsletter for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Orlando is published quarterly. ======================================================================================================================================================= We have a new Facebook page! Please visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ccrcorlando/ You will be able to see upcoming events, conference photos, interact with others in our Catholic Charismatic Community, and enjoy content that is posted from other Charismatic websites and Facebook pages. Hit Like and Follow. Please let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions for the Facebook page or content you would like to see. We look forward to hearing from you! 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: www.orlandodiocese.org
Do you have a Small, Medium, or Large? Would you like to reach almost 3000 new clients in Central Florida and the surrounding areas? We are considering including advertising in our quarterly newsletters and were wondering if any of you would be interested in advertising your business with us. Our rates, when finalized, will be VERY reasonable. If interested, please email our Editor at : newsletter@orlandocharismatic.net
CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL OF ORLANDO P.O. BOX 215 WINDERMERE, FL 34786 Return Service Requested Non Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Orlando, Florida Permit No. 235 TO CONTACT US ADMINISTRATOR OF OPERATIONS Vince Maldonado Phone 407-610-1012 E-mail orlandoccrc@aol.com NEWSLETTER, DATABASE, WEBMASTER & MEMBER AT LARGE Philip Turgati E-mail newsletter@orlandocharismatic.net COMMISSION CHAIR Paul Avizinis E-mail pavizinis@gmail.com VICE CHAIRPERSON Deacon Bob Turbitt E-mail deaconbobturbitt@comcast.net FACEBOOK Charlie Hargraves E-mail skytraveler102@gmail.com SECRETARY: Debbie Address WEBSITE Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Orlando P.O. Box 215 Windermere, FL 34786-0215 www.orlandocharismatic.net E-mail Debbieccrc@aol.com