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The Trumpet Newsletter of Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services
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| Year | Issue Date | Article Title | Author |
| 2005 | July/Aug/Sep | "Come, Now Is the Time to Worship | Ron Bergman-Diocesan Liaison |
| 2005 | July/Aug/Sep | Just Ask | Linda Daniel-Editor |
| 2005 | July/Aug/Sep | Circle of Love and Life | Mary Barclay |
| 2005 | July/Aug/Sep | Indulgences | Kate Elliott, DRE |
| 2005 | July/Aug/Sep | Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Perspective | Deacon Bob Pomazal |
From The Liaison
“Come, Now Is the Time to Worship” [back to top of page]
There is a song we sing often in our prayer meetings called “Come, Now Is The Time To Worship” (©1998 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) Admin. by Music Services), a song whose lyrics reach my heart in a profound way. Those lyrics go like this:
Come, now is the time to worship.
Come, now is the time to give your heart.
Come, just as you are to worship.
Come, just as you are before your God.
Come.
I believe I wrote several years ago that music is one of the ways the Lord speaks clearly to me, not just for entertainment, but to teach me, to guide me, to help me learn more and more about my relationship with Him. Some music can help calm us, some inspires dreams, some elevates thoughts to the Lord, some helps us hear Him speaking directly to us; some lyrics are meaningful during times of stress, some are comforting during times of fear or sorrow, and some music can take us from the “doldrums” to attitudes of joy and exaltation. And this song is no exception. The part of the song I “hear” so clearly is “Come, just as you are before your God.”
We recently had a discussion during our Life in the Spirit seminar in response to the question “What kind of a mental picture do you have of Jesus?” As we tried to recall that mental image, this song and its lyrics again came to mind. Stop a moment and think about what your answer to that question would be. But my image was that of a Jesus who remained along side me even though I was dressed in dirty, tattered clothing, looking beat up, weary, worn and weathered. Just plain “yucky,” a word the dictionary describes as offensive, distasteful. Then the condition “sinful” came to mind. And yet Jesus was still there beside me.
Many of us readily say, or at least feel, that we are not worthy of the love of Jesus, not worthy to even imagine that he would stay beside us in our sinful conditions. John the Baptist said he was not worthy to even tighten the Lord’s sandal straps. But yet his love remains with us in spite of our condition. Maybe the correct words are because of our condition. How many of us hesitate to come to him, maybe even hesitate to come to him in the confessional, because we feel we are not worthy to even approach him in our sinful state. I sometimes wonder if that may be part of the reason so many Catholics—and non-Catholics—have come to believe they don’t need sacramental confession any more. Not that it’s a valid reason, but maybe it’s a form of rationalization for them, the best they can do for right now in their lives. I don’t know if that’s true, I just wonder.
But the words continued to ring loud and clear, “Come, just as you are…” Just as I am? Really, Lord? “Yes, just exactly as you are.” And the words say not to just come, but to come and worship. “Worship you, Lord? Come the way I am right now, Lord?” “Of course, just as you are. Come, right now.” It’s interesting that He does not ask us to clean ourselves up first, then come to Him. He’s saying in the song, “…just as you are.”
Until I was in my early thirties I did not believe I could ever get to heaven. That was an extremely painful and discouraging time for me and I have shared that part of my testimony numerous times. For those who haven’t heard it, during my middle teen years I had come to realize that I couldn’t walk the thirty feet from the confessional to the doors of the church without becoming aware I had already fallen again and needed to go back into the confessional. So how could I possibly get to heaven if I couldn’t walk 30 feet without sinning? And I repeated the same ol’ laundry list of sins every time I went to confession; the list never changed.
But through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, for the first time in my life, the Holy Spirit helped me understand that God knows all about the struggles we continued to have with sin and that He still loves me in spite of it. And he is a God that is always willing and patient and searching for the “lost sheep,” me, just as I am. Scripture tells us that the Good Shepherd will leave the 99 sheep to look for the one that has strayed from the flock. My imagination tells me that the one stray sheep was not always clean and neat and pretty when it was found. It too was probably dirty, looking beat up, weary, worn and weathered. Just like me. Just like us.
It is also helpful to realize that the call to “Come, just as you are…” is a call to everyone who struggles with sin, including those who are very near to the Lord. We have every reason to believe that Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II continually heard the call “Come, just as you are…to worship.” The call is for all of us…just as we are. Are we willing to respond? Are we willing to worship? Are we willing to come “just as we are” or are we hesitant because of the way we are?
Come, now is the time to worship.
Come, now is the time to give your heart.
Come, just as you are to worship.
Come, just as you are before your God.
Come. Come. Come. Come.
We all are invited to come, just as we are, to worship and to give our hearts. Come, before your God. Come. Blessings,
Ron
Know Your Faith
Indulgences [back to top of page]
The practice of indulgences is still encouraged by the Church today despite the misunderstanding of this doctrine by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. To put it quite simply an indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to forgiven sins. The Code of Canon Law states, “An indulgence is the remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due for sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven. A member of Christ’s faithful who is properly disposed and who fulfills certain specific conditions, may gain an indulgence by the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the merits of Christ and saints.” (Canon #992)
To understand indulgences this example may help: you run into someone’s car in the parking lot at church, you apologize for the accident and ask forgiveness and are forgiven. But you still have to pay for the damage done to the car. When we offend God and ask forgiveness, He forgives us and that’s that. “Yet in some way, we need to make up for what we have done. We must repair the damage we have done by sinning, damage to ourselves, always, and to others, often. This is the temporal punishment that is due to the sins we commit. This is the purpose of indulgences.” (Theology of the Sacraments, part two. Rev. Christopher M. Buckner. Chapter 12, Page 108)
In the early Church penances were very severe. People were given lengthy fasts of bread and water and were required to feed the poor and give alms publicly. As the Church grew in the understanding of the intercessory power of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, these penances were relaxed and replaced by indulgences. Thus, if we think about the Communion of Saints which is the Saints in Heaven, the Souls in Purgatory and the Faithful on earth we can see the basis for the Doctrine of Indulgences. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “In the communion of saints, ‘a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them, there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.’ In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishment due to sin.” (CC #1475) “An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Jesus Christ, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins.” (CC #1478)
In 1967 Pope Paul VI published his apostolic constitution on the “Doctrine of Indulgences.” He stipulated that there should be only two types of indulgences – Plenary Indulgence which removes all the temporal punishment due to sin and a Partial Indulgence which removes only some of the temporal punishment due to sin. With the plenary indulgence, an individual must also go to confession and receive Holy Communion within eight days of the action performed and offer prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father.
There are many different indulgences approved by the Church which we can receive. One such indulgence was authorized by Pope John Paul II for the Year of the Eucharist (October 2004-October 2005). Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence for Eucharistic Adoration and prayer before the Eucharist. In addition those who recite Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Church) and Compline (Night Prayer following Vespers) in a church or chapel where the Eucharist is present will receive a plenary indulgence. If one is unable to get to a church, a person can still receive the indulgence by reciting the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and a short prayer about the Eucharist.
As we meditate on the doctrine of indulgences and the communion of saints we should praise God for His abundant mercy and be thankful that the Church has preserved these pious practices for us to give and receive help on our spiritual journey.
Kate Elliott, DRE
Holy Spirit Church, Roscoe
Just Ask [back to top of page]
A friend was relating her experiences of God, how He manifested His presence to her. As we talked, I told her that I had had some physical experience of God’s presence early in my charismatic walk with the Lord, but I don’t have that kind of experience any more. She said, “Just ask and He’ll give it to you.” So we prayed together and I continued to ask regularly for the next few weeks for a special touch to feel His presence in a new way, but nothing came. I still ask, but not as often.
Jesus said, “Ask, and you will receive.” (Matthew 7:7) What do we do when we ask and nothing happens? Our first reaction may be to say to ourselves, “What’s wrong with me?” Do we check for sins and confess? The prodigal son “came to his senses” and returned to his father to confess and throw himself on his father’s mercy. (Luke 15) We may also look at our life. Are we spending too little time in prayer and worship? Are we too busy and distracted to recognize His touch?
Another reaction is that we may feel undeserving. In reality, we don’t deserve God’s gifts, but that doesn’t limit His mercy and generosity. If we look at our own dealings with our children, we do not stop giving them gifts when they misbehave. We may postpone a gift as a form of discipline, but our love for them causes us to want to give them what we can.
Why do we not receive what we asked for? Perhaps we are stuck in a rut. We may be accustomed to things the way they are and not expect them to be any different. A friend had asked for prayer for her hearing problem. She said, “I just don’t want it to get any worse.” Scripture says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” (James 4:2) My friend was not really expecting anything more than what she had. It’s like a story I heard about a circus bear that was kept in a six foot cage. It would pace back and forth in a six-foot pattern. Later, when it was released into a more open area, it continued to pace back and forth in a six-foot pattern. The habit was strong and the bear couldn’t break out of the pattern.
There are numerous scriptures where Jesus tells us that we only need to ask and our request will be granted:
Matthew 7:7; 18:19; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16; 16:23-24; James 1:5-6; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15. Since God is faithful (Deuteronomy 32:4) we can trust His promises. But how do we reconcile this with a request that is not granted?
One possibility is that we are asking for the wrong reason. “You ask and you do not receive because you ask wrongly, with a view to squandering what you receive on your pleasures.” (James 4:3) Another possibility is that we need to wait longer – God’s timing is perfect, but sometimes His timing takes a long time. So we need to be patient and not lose our hope. (Sirach 2:10) “Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing.” (CCC 2090) “When divine blessing seems withheld for a long time, it could be a time of trial (Sir 2:1), adversity (Sir 2:2), or testing (Sir 2:5) meant to strengthen and purify us. If this trial lasts months or even years, we can become heartsick (Prv 13:12) and be tempted to lose hope.” (One Bread, One Body. April 1 – May 31, 2005. Presentation Ministries, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio. May 17, 2005) We need to recognize that “hope in the Lord leads directly to strength.” (One Bread. May 23, 2005) “Since hope is so critical to strength, it follows that Satan would relentlessly attack people to prevent them from growing in hope.” (One Bread. May 23, 2005) Some elements of Satan’s attack may include delay, disappointment, sadness and temptation to focus on self. If we find our hope diminishing, we can ask God to refresh and increase our hope and faith. We need to “take delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart’s requests.” (Psalm 37:4) One other thing we need to remember, God is sovereign and He knows His plans. Sometimes we may not receive what we request in this lifetime because of the greater plans of God (see Hebrews 11).
So we can just ask, and God will grant our request in His perfect timing. However, we need to be in right relationship with Him and our request should not have self-centered motivation. Just ask, He is waiting for us, calling to us ~
Tilt your face upward, each and every one of you. See my face – look into my eyes and see there the depths of my love for you. Look again into my eyes and see the pools of mercy that are always there for you when you have strayed. Come back to me, come back and look into my eyes when you have strayed from me. See my arms opening wide in a way that beckons and calls out to you. Do not ever be afraid to walk with confidence back into my embrace.
Be kind to one another, remembering my kindness to you, bearing with one another in your human weakness and imperfections. Be generous to one another for my sake. Bear one another’s burdens as I am your burden-bearer. Think on those things that are lovely. Do not condemn anyone, for it is mine to judge. Be willing to share all I have given. Keep on believing and trusting in me, and always, always walk in my light and in my love.
Always walk blameless in my sight. Lift your drooping hands and never give up – ask me to strengthen you when you falter, ask me to lift you up, ask me to quicken your steps.
Please ask me to give you more of my Spirit and more of my gifts, for you know not how badly they are needed and how much I desire to give them. Always ask, my children, and freely receive as I freely give. (from Nita Neu)
Circle of Love and Life [back to top of page]
By Mary Barclay
When we on the Trumpet staff were holding hands and praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance on this issue, I thought to myself, “This is like a circle of love and trust,” and the words came to me, “The circle of love cannot be broken.” I felt this was God speaking to me. The statement is true, inasmuch as if we love God, and one another, the love is always there, and cannot be broken by anyone.
Occasionally, the subject of love comes up in impromptu television interviews, such as a time when TV personality Jay Leno went out on the streets of New York city and asked people, “What is Love?” The answers were varied, from “I don’t know, it’s just love” to “Love is a feeling,” or “It’s a special feeling when you love someone.”
We as Christians know the answer to the question, “What Is Love?” God is love. “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God.... Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8) In the story of creation, God created the heavens, the earth, and all the creatures in it. Then He created man and woman in His image. Then God blessed the man and woman, told them to be fruitful and multiply, gave them the garden of Eden to dwell in and to eat of the food provided in the garden. He told them to eat all, except the food from the tree of knowledge of good and bad. (Genesis 1; 2:16-17)
If we paid attention to our Catechism lessons, we know what happened next. Along came Satan, the snake, crawling in the Tree of Life, tempting Eve to sin. She took the first bite, then shared with Adam the second bite, and sin came into man’s life. Man was banished from the garden and forced to work hard for his very existence. (Genesis 3:1-19) Even after all of that, a wonderful thing happened. God still loved them unconditionally, and still loves us the same way today.
No matter how much we hurt Him, He still loves us and wants all of us in heaven with Him. In fact, He loves us so much that He became one of us to dwell among us and teach us His way. Then He died on the cross for the sins of the world, from Adam and Eve’s original sin to the sins that will be committed right up to the end of our existence on earth. That kind of love is awesome to ponder, and can only be called divine.
We tell our Lord we love Him, but do we, really? “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13). We say we trust God but do we really put our trust in Him? Do we trust Him enough to “let go, and let God?” “It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8) God wants us to love Him and love one another as He loves us. We try to do it God’s way but that evil snake Satan is always interfering, making us doubt God’s love and convincing us that we are really in control of our lives, not God. The “great deceiver” and “prince of lies” twists God’s word in us to believe something different that is not of God. We must always be on guard, because the evil one wants us all in his kingdom of hell.
We belong to our Father in heaven, who loves us and guides us, and we need to trust in his love and guidance. As we trust in God’s infinite love and mercy for us, there is a circle to life filled with a circle of love. The circle of life began when we were created in God’s image and continues through all the days of our lives – as we marry, have children and care for them, and they in turn care for us when we can no longer care for ourselves. In the end, if we have done it God’s way, it was all done in love, and the circle of life is complete. But the love just keeps on going and continues on when we are welcomed into the heavenly circle of love, sharing in God’s glory forever and ever.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Perspective
By Deacon Bob Pomazal [back to top of page]
At our confirmation when the bishop laid hands on us, he prayed that we would be given wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. We recognize these as Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Is 11:2) which are given primarily for our sanctification; i.e., to help us grow in holiness. Unfortunately, as Bishop O’Rourke described in his book The Gift of Gifts, for many Catholics the effect is only superficial; if we aren’t receptive, these gifts don’t sink in very deep. Apparently Christians in the early Church experienced a similar phenomenon, because St. Paul felt it necessary to remind Timothy to “fan into flame” the gifts that were received when hands were imposed (2 Tim 1:6).
But there are other gifts of the Holy Spirit, gifts that are given, not so much for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the larger Christian community. These include prophecy, apostleship, healing, tongues, discernment of spirits, etc., which are mentioned in 1 Cor 12 and elsewhere in the New Testament. In some respects these are rather strange gifts. They are like giving your neighbor a new snow shovel so that he can remove the snow from your driveway. But that is their purpose. These gifts, also referred to as charisms, are given primarily to equip us for our role in building up the Church.
We will zoom-in and examine some of the charisms individually, but first it might be helpful to zoom-out to see the big picture and get an idea of how these gifts are intended to work together. To do this, I’d like to suggest an analogy with a business organization and compare the role of the charisms to various familiar roles played by people in such an organization. In the following description the charisms are identified in brackets.
In this business analogy, God is the Chairman and CEO. He is the one with the vision, and that vision is to “make disciples of all nations.” (Mt 28:19) Of course the Chairman doesn’t do the actual work. He has people who make up an organization of managers [administration (1 Cor 12:28) and leadership (Rom 12:8)] and skilled staff [wisdom and knowledge (1 Cor 12:8)] under him to handle these tasks.
The Chairman also has a designated corporate spokesperson who is responsible for saying the right things at the-right-time-to the right people [prophecy (1 Cor 12:10)] to keep the organization on target as well as to inform those outside the organization on matters of importance to them.
I deally, in a well run organization the workers admire and respect the boss, and given the opportunity they will express this in their actions and especially in their words of praise. If they are really happy, their praise may be “beyond words” [tongues (1 Cor 12:28)].
There are also people in charge of recruiting new employees [apostleship (1 Cor 12:28)], those who train new employees [teaching (1 Cor 12:28)], those who keep their eyes on and assess competitive threats [discernment of spirits (1 Cor 12:10)], and public affairs personnel who create and maintain a friendly relationship with those outside the company [hospitality (1 Pt 4:9, 1 Tim 3:2) and service (1 Cor 12:28)].
Of course every company has to market itself and its product. They need to demonstrate the capabilities they have but which the competition lacks, and the more dramatic the better [healing and miracles (1 Cor 12:28)].
A similar analogy could be made for other charisms. Notice, however, that if any are lacking something doesn’t get done and the organization suffers. Individually we also fall short of our full Christian potential. That’s why St. Paul tells us we- must “seek eagerly” these gifts. (1 Cor 12:31). [W]e can do that through a genuine openness to a “personal Pentecost” experience, commonly referred to as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.V
(Reprinted with permission from Alive in Jesus, April 2005, newsletter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Peoria)