Word Of Life Catholic Charismatic Renewal Center Diocese of Erie June 2019 “Amen, Amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and Volume XXXIII Issue No. 05 will do greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12) Show Us Your Glory! - Greater Things Annual Conference By Amy Mosbacher Great things were definitely happening in that the only other time this word is used traveled in His presence. God’s presence Erie on Saturday, March 9th, at the in Scripture is in Psalm 139:15. This with His people was how they would be Annual “Greater Things” Conference at verse describes how God knit (weaved) singled out among the nations (Ex. St. Joseph/ Bread of Life Center. The title us together, and formed us in secret in 33:17). In the Gospel of Matthew, it’s and theme of the conference was “Show our mother’s womb. clear that Joseph’s dream when the angel Us Your Glory, Lord!” where Dr. told him that the Child Mary would bear The veil of the temple reverently covered Jacqueline Phillips-Sabol, PhD. presented would be a son, fulfilled the prophecy of God’s holy presence and our flesh was four talks on the typology of Moses and Isaiah 7:14, which prophesies the virgin woven together to reverently veil the Jesus, and the Israelites and us. The giving birth to ‘Emmanuel - God with presence of holy presence of God within conference started with anointed and us,’ (Mt. 1:23). God IS now always with us. God made us to be holy! (to read uplifting praise and worship, led by Jaci, us through Jesus! In our salvation and in more about this, see Sonja Corbitt’s Brianna Erdman, Mike Bohrer, and the Eucharist, not only providing spiritual wonderful book, “Fulfilled”). Then she special guest violinist, Louis Nicolia. food for us, but is with us (as Moses connected it to how Jesus’ flesh (sakak) Louis was borrowed from the Erie implored God to be) forever! It is just as was pierced and torn in His Passion, and Philharmonic for the day, and what a God promised Moses, except a better at the exact moment of Jesus’ death, the blessing! The instruments and voices promise! A better Covenant! Imagine a veil (sakak) was torn from top to bottom combined to lead us from praise into deep whole conference filled with insights like in the Temple as Jesus entered the Holy worship and an awareness of the presence this! of holies (the throne of God) in Heaven, of God. It was interspersed with scripture making the way for us to enter also. The and spontaneous prophecies. The Holy The most important thing that was comparisons just kept coming as we Spirit was heavily and palpably with us. emphasized during the talks is that God is gained a new appreciation for God giving seeking more than obedience to a set a We traveled back in time and place to the us a new High Priest in Christ to replace rules. He is seeking a relationship. God Hebrews of the Old Testament and then the High Priests of the Old Covenant. Dr. answered Moses’ prayers because God forward to Jesus in the book of Hebrews Phillips encouraged several times… “go said He ‘knew’ Moses. Moses talked to in the New Testament. Using typology, home and re-read Exodus, then re-read God often and longed to see Him and which is the study of persons, things, the Book of Hebrews with new know Him more deeply. He wants the events and institutions in the Old understanding of what you are reading!” same with us. He wants us to obey the Testament that foreshadow people and rules of not sinning, but He wants us to As Dr. Phillips talked, we became events in the New, we saw how God’s do this out of our love and devotion to drenched in the implications of all our wonderful and amazing plan took a shape Him, not simply out of fear, although fear Father has done to bring us back into we previously could not see. As Dr. may be our starting point. union with Him and how nothing was Phillips spoke, it was as if the Holy Spirit left to chance. God even orchestrated the was sharpening our spiritual eyesight One reason that I like attending events meaning of names. In Exodus 33, God using binoculars and our spiritual vision like the Greater Things Conference is and Moses debated about whether God came into an astonishing new focus. because it builds insight and insight would go with the Israelites. The most builds faith through hearing revelations Many people are intimidated by the Old striking parallels were between Moses from the Word of God. “Faith comes by Testament. Dr. Phillips presented this and Jesus. Moses always interceded for hearing and hearing by the word of information in her usual dynamic way the Israelites when God was angry God,” (Rom 10:17, NKJV). Dr. Phillips that made us all excited to learn as she because they disobeyed Him and sinned compared the Word to a pearl necklace, helped us see this beautiful tapestry that through complaining and lack of faith. without beginning or end, each bead God had woven together in salvation After the Israelites worshipped the golden linked together and pointing forward and history. We explored the layout of the calf, even though God had agreed to backward at the same time. Yes, we Tabernacle and camp, how items were provide for the Israelites, God said He know that Jesus would be called made, and how the tabernacle in the would NOT got with them. Moses Emmanuel; God with us. But do we see desert was a replica of what was already implored God to go with them: “If Your the correlation that what God did in the in heaven. Dr. Phillips highlighted God’s presence does not go with us, do not lead past points to Jesus in so very many wondrously planned details, such as the us up from here.” God relented to Moses’ ways? Sometimes it takes someone else’s word “sakak,” which described the intercession and agreed that He would thoughts to connect the dots to the Old weaving of the veil in the Temple, and provide for the people and they again Testament and see more pieces of God’s Continued on page 3 Moving from the Moral to the Mystical- Con’d on page 7 By Brother Daniel Maria Klimek, PhD, T.O.R. I recently heard an inspired priest natural God. explain how, as Christians, we can- What are the steps, or “tools,” to- not stay—in our spiritual lives–at a A person can have all the ward growing in mystical moral level but must, through knowledge in the world. They can knowledge? It is prayer, solitude, growing intimacy with Jesus have an encyclopedic knowledge fasting, hours spent before the Christ, come into the mystical. of Scripture, the Catechism, Blessed Sacrament contemplating What does this mean? [Editor’s Church history and theology—and the presence of the Beloved. note] yet, if they do not possess an inti- There’s a difference, the latter is mate relationship with Jesus Christ deeper: more affective, intimate, We are, of course, called to live (the kind of relationship that is connoting a spiritual relationship moral lives, following God’s sa- learned only in the school of pray- between chaste Lovers. The secret cred law, as revealed in the Scrip- er, fasting, and contemplative si- to the Christian mystics is that they tures, the teachings of the Magiste- lence) then all their knowledge are persons who do not simply love rium of the Catholic Church, and counts as straw. They would still God, but they are persons who the natural law. No one should op- be missing the most essential are in love with God-the one who pose that sacred reality. However, knowledge – mystical knowledge, has experienced the fire of God – what is meant by coming into the which means experiential the burning encounter with the Ho- mystical is that our faith is not knowledge: something that can- ly Spirit – knows what this love based simply on knowledge but on not be taught to the intellect but means. interior experience with the super- must be encountered by the soul. Word of Life is completely dependent upon your donations to spread the fire of the Holy Spirit in the Diocese of Erie. Your donation, no matter how much, makes a big difference! Contributions can be made Experience your own Pentecost! The WOL CCRC sponsors ‘The Gift,’ which by check made payable to is a Life In The Spirit Seminar with internationally renowned speakers, an Word of Life endorsement by the Pope. (See cover for address) Contributions via text The content of ‘The Gift’ received a formal nihil obstat from the Text the word “give” to our dedicated giving num- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This powerful seminar consists ber: (570) 536-9187 of six talks, small group discussions, live worship, and culminating in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Contributions can be made through the Tithe.ly app on your phone. Apps for Tithe.ly are available for both iPhones and Android Phones St. Mary's In the app store search for “tithe.ly” “create account” 1085 Water Street In ‘find a church’ search for and select Meadville, PA 16335 “Word of Life Catholic Charismatic Renewal Cen- ter” Friday and Saturday - June 21 and June 22, 2019 Website contributions: Friday 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM https://www.eriecd.org/wordoflife/donate.html Saturday 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Click on the green “give” button Register online at: https://www.eriercd.org/wordoflife/thegiftseminar.html Holy Father, look upon this humanity of ours that is taking its first steps along the path of the Third Millennium.