Pentecost Today Fall 2016.Pmd
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Fall 2016 PENTECOSTToday PENTECOSTPublication of the National Service Committee of the CatholicToday Charismatic Renewal God’sGod’s MercyMercy throughthrough MiraclesMiracles Dr.Dr. MaryMary HealyHealy TheThe GazeGaze ofof MercyMercy TomTom ManganMangan YearYear ofof JubileeJubilee 20172017 WalterWalter MatthewsMatthews TheThe ParishParish andand thethe HolyHoly SpiritSpirit DaveDave VanVickleVanVickle TowardToward thethe JubileeJubilee UpdateUpdate TheThe ChallengeChallenge ofof HealthyHealthy GrowthGrowth CharlesCharles WhiteheadWhitehead PavleMarjanovic/Shutterstock.com New life in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit Chairman’s Editor’s Corner Desk ○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○ by Johnny Bertucci by Sr. Mary Anne In response to Blessed Elena Guerra’s Schaenzer, SSND first letter, Pope Leo XIII published Provida Matris Caritate, in which he In Cardinal Suenens’ book, A New Pente- asked the entire Church to celebrate a cost?, there is a section title on p 111, A Pentecost solemn novena to the Holy Spirit each CURRENT OF GRACE, in which he likened Char- year between the feasts of the Ascen- ismatic Renewal to “a high voltage cur- sion and Pentecost. rent of grace which is coursing through is not over! the Church.” “Pentecost is not over. In fact it is con- In her ninth letter to Pope Leo XIII, Blessed Elena Guerra (p 2) was inspired tinually going on in every time and in Elena begged the Pope to place the new to write several letters to Pope Leo XIII calling for renewed preaching on the Holy every place, because the Holy Spirit de- century under the sign of the Holy Spirit. She asked that the new century Spirit. Did she experience this current of sired to give Himself to all men... and all grace? who want Him can always receive Him, begin with the hymn Veni Creator Spiri- so we do not have to envy the Apostles and tus to be sung at the beginning of the Dr. Mary Healy (pp 3, 12) writes of her ex- the first believers; we only have to dispose Mass of the first day of the new year. perience with the charism of healing—ex- periencing the current of grace in a deep- ourselves like them to receive Him well... ened way. and He will come to us as He did to them.” Recently, I had the privilege of visiting — Blessed Elena Guerra the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in The School of the Holy Spirit at The Ark Brazil and meeting Fr. Eduardo Braga, and The Dove (p 11) was a time of training for young adults learning to cooperate lessed Elena Guerra was an Italian vice postulator of the cause of Blessed Elena Guerra. I accepted from Fr. with the current of grace poured out by the nun who founded a religious or- Holy Spirit. The NSC’s Toward the Jubilee der called the Oblate Sisters of Eduardo, on behalf of The Ark and Campaign (p 10) exists in order to fund B The Dove, a first class relic of Blessed the future, to ensure that the current of the Holy Spirit. She was the first per- son beatified by Pope John XXIII who Elena Guerra. grace has people to be conduits. called her “the Apostle of the Holy Through the intercession of Blessed Charles Whitehead (p 15) writes of how Spirit.” Blessed Elena wrote a number this current of grace stirs up the process of Elena Guerra, may we experience a New establishing new ways of working together of confidential letters to Pope Leo XIII ◆ between 1895 and 1903 calling for re- Pentecost for the New Evangelization. among the generations. newed preaching on the Holy Spirit, Johnny Bertucci is Chairman of the When you read Dave VanVickle’s article “who is the one who forms the Saints.” National Service Committee. (pp 8-9) regarding his team experience of bringing Life in the Spirit Seminars to a parish, you may want to think of that cur- rent of grace. After you read Walter’s refer- ence (p 14) to the renewed parish in Fan- PENTECOSTToday For Your Information ning the Flame, you might intercede for Volume 41 Number 4 The mission of Pentecost Today is to that current of grace. serve and be a voice for the National Executive Director Service Committee’s mission “to foster There is a tension or paradox between the Walter Matthews the dynamic grace of baptism in the expressions of a “high voltage current of Editorial Board Holy Spirit.” We do this by publishing grace” and the prayer, “You reveal your articles that instruct and give practical Jimmy Archer power above all in your mercy and forgive- wisdom, with a particular emphasis on Tom Mangan ness” (p 4). Tammie Stevens strengthening leaders and leader for- mation, in a visually appealing and in- Editor The current of grace is and will be flowing Sr. Mary Anne Schaenzer, SSND viting format. in the upcoming Year of Jubilee of the Re- Production Manager Jean Beers A limited amount of advertising space is newal (pp 6-7). It is not just a time to look available. For information call Jean Beers, back but a time to be recharged and to © 2016 National Service Committee (360) 730-1740. Advertisements for look forward. of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal events not sponsored by the National of the United States, Inc. Not to be re- Service Committee do not imply endorse- Current of grace: I thought it was like flow- produced without permission. ment by the NSC/Chariscenter USA. ing water. I learned it is voltage! ◆ 2 PENTECOSTToday Fall 2016 www.nsc-chariscenter.org MISSION IN MERCY God shouted enthusiastically. “Then are you MANIFESTS willing to be seriously inconvenienced for the rest of your life?” There was some nervous laughter before everyone said his “Yes!” again. I’ve found his words to be true. I be- MERCY lieve all Christians can see healings if we learn to pray with expectant faith. through But if people think you have a gift The Lord has been leading for healing, they may call or email me… to understand… how you at inconvenient times. At a con- MIRACLES much he desires to do signs, ference or prayer meeting you may wonders and miracles find a long line of people waiting for through ordinary people. prayer, and as you get toward the end by Dr. Mary Healy you find it has only grown longer. You may be the last person to leave at night. or most of my life I have been come near to you’” (Lk 10:9; also see But it is all worth it when you see the accustomed to praying over Mk 16:17-18). amazement and joy in a person healed Fpeople at prayer meetings and by the Lord. in other settings. Occasionally I would I’ve become convinced that God wants see a slight improvement such as a per- a far greater manifestation of his heal- Like natural gifts, the supernatural gifts son with a headache or stomachache ing power in the Catholic Church— grow with practice. As we take risks in feeling better. But in the past four or not as something novel and marginal, faith the Lord shows his faithfulness. five years the Lord has been leading me but as a restoration of something that is One of the first times that I practiced on a journey to understand more about at the heart of our tradition. The su- using words of knowledge at a prayer his healing power and how much he pernatural gifts of the Spirit are part of meeting, I received in prayer only a desires to do signs, wonders and our inheritance as baptized believers. slight impression of some specific miracles through ordinary people. They are the normal equipment that healings. I wasn’t sure if it was the Lord Christ has bestowed on his bride the or only my thoughts, but I decided to In the fall of 2013 I had a sabbatical Church for carrying out her evangelis- step out in faith. After our time of wor- semester—a time for focused research tic mission. The use of these gifts tan- ship I said, “I think there is a man here in a particular area—and decided to gibly manifests God’s mercy to those who has a skin condition and is also study healing, not only by reading who are in need of it, especially to the experiencing same-sex attraction; the about it in books but by seeing it in spiritual orphans who surround us in Lord wants to heal both of these things. action. During that time I went, along today’s society. I think there is a woman who has spent with a team, on a two-week mission in time in jail and is ashamed of that. The Brazil. There we saw miracles day after The gifts are not for our sake but for Lord is taking away your shame and day—people with tumors, crippling those whom God wants to touch wants to use you to minister to other arthritis, blindness, deafness and many through us. When Damian Stayne, a women in jail. I also think there is other conditions miraculously healed Catholic healing evangelist from En- someone here with pain in your left by the Lord. That mission was life- gland, gave a weekend conference at my ankle. The Lord is going to heal it. I changing, and since then I’ve been seek- parish, I was struck by the challenge won’t ask you to identify yourselves, ing to put into practice what Jesus told he gave to our prayer ministry team. but if one of these words applies to you, his disciples to do: “heal the sick… and “Do you want to be used by God for come and let me know afterwards if say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has healing?” he asked.