From The Liaison

We Are a Catholic – Universal – Church       [back to top of page]

I wish more people from our diocese had been able to attend the 19^th Annual Charismatic Conference in Peoria this past July, and I certainly hope more will attend next year. It is a VERY good conference, well organized, relatively inexpensive and with outstanding speakers. This year Father Bruce Nieli and Barbara Schlemon Ryan were the featured presenters.

Father Bruce is a Paulist whose gift is evangelization. If you weren’t Catholic before you heard him speak, you would want to be when he finished. There are few people that can express the fullness of the Church and what it offers better than Fr. Nieli. There is not enough space on this page to begin to pass on all that he brought to us, but you can get a copy of his talks, and those of Barbara Schlemon Ryan, from The St. John Forum, Jacksonville, Illinois, (217) 245-0023, who taped the talks at the conference.

Most who have been in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for several years know of Barb (Schlemon) Ryan. She has been in full-time healing and speaking ministry serving the Church and the renewal for more than 40 years and her messages are as fresh today as they were in the mid-to-late 1970s when I first heard her speak at Notre Dame conferences.

Deacon Greg Serangeli presented the opening keynote address by recalling the phenomenal growth of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. It was an uplifting start to the series of talks that followed, because we sometimes become disheartened since we don’t always see the growth from our prayer-group vantage points. Barb pointed out that as she travels all around the country, 99% of the people she comes across are charismatics serving in their parishes, charismatics who have had to make choices about where they spend their available ministry time. It is difficult for many to regularly be at prayer meetings and also serve in RCIA, Religious Ed, Parish Councils, Ministry to the Sick and the numerous other parish ministries. But the beauty of that is those ministries are being served by Spirit-filled people, who are bringing the empowerment of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit into the every-day life of their parishes. And isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

In one of her talks, Barb presented some encouraging statistics she had recently read in an issue of Charisma & Christian Life Magazine (Strang Communications Company, Lake Mary, Florida) an ecumenical magazine she said she regularly reads because it reports what is going on in the charismatic renewal worldwide. It was speaking of the worldwide growth of Christianity, particularly in developing countries like Asia, Latin America and Africa.

Listen to these statistics. She said that every 24 hours: 122,000 new Christians are baptized; 30,000 become baptized in the Holy Spirit…every 24 hours, every day and night.

She said, “The power of the Holy Spirit is falling so fast they can’t keep up with it. A new home-church is opened in China every single day. We’re a part of that. When we’re here, praising and worshiping and adoring the Lord, the light that’s coming from this conference is adding to all the other lights that are going on all over the world. It means the power of God is being poured out in enormous ways. And as it seems that the darkness is getting darker, it’s because the light is getting lighter, and we’re a part of it. When we’re here raising our arms, worshiping our God, praising Jesus, going to confession, receiving the Eucharistic presence, when we’re doing that, we’re adding to the numbers of people that are already receiving the Lord worldwide in such marvelous ways. And by doing such, the light is getting lighter.”

“Every 24 hours: 500 new worship centers are planted, worldwide; 165,000 full-length bibles are given away every 24 hours; nearly $1 billion is given to Christian causes every 24 hours.” And Barb continued, “We are living in a time in which Jesus Christ is pouring out his Spirit more than we can ask for or imagine, and as people of God we get to be a part of it.” We are part of what God is doing all around the world because we are a part of His worldwide church. Wow! That’s an amazing thought (revelation). Do we really realize what it truly means to be Catholic? I believe you know that catholic means universal.

Father Bruce expressed his heart in his closing-Mass homily as he spoke of his upbringing in New York. Fr. Bruce said, “I don’t know about you, but I love all religions; I love them all … because I find Christ in them all. That’s the genius of Catholicism, isn’t it? … We pull it all together. We don’t have to stand up and bad-mouth people’s religions … We celebrate people’s religions because as our Holy Father John Paul II said in Redemptoris Missio, that prophetic document, ‘the Spirit of Jesus Christ is found in all philosophies and religions, not just in individuals, but in philosophies and religions.’ But we need the Holy Spirit to pull it all together … I want to celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit all over the place. Another word for all over the place is catholic.” He said he’s with Mother Teresa. When asked by Time Magazine how she felt about all world religions she said, “I love them all, but I’m in love with my own.”

I believe that if more people could hear Fr. Bruce and Barb speak, our parishes would have to add Masses to contain the worshipers each week.    

                Blessings,  

                                                                                    Ron

[[back to top of page]

Know Your Faith

The Holy Spirit:

Concerning Sin, Repentance and Confession       [back to top of page]   

    In the Upper Room before his passion and death, Jesus foretells the coming of the Holy Spirit. He tells those present at the Last Supper that the Spirit will “convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)

    Those who have had a conversion experience know that the Holy Spirit works in the heart of a person to rout out sin and effect repentance. This repentance leads to conversion and new life in Jesus Christ.
    In his encyclical letter, “On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World,” Pope John Paul II states, “In this way ‘convincing concerning sin’ becomes at the same time a convincing concerning the remission of sins, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter, in his discourse in Jerusalem, calls people to conversion, as Jesus called his listeners to conversion at the beginning of his messianic activity. Conversion requires convincing of sin; it includes the interior judgment of the conscience, and this, being a proof of the action of the Spirit of truth in man’s inmost being, becomes at the same time a new beginning of the bestowal of grace and love: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ Thus in this ‘convincing concerning sin’ we discover a double gift: the gift of the truth of conscience and the gift of the certainty of redemption. The Spirit of truth is the Counselor.”

    This “double gift” sets us free, not only to discover who we really are in the Lord, but to use the gifts we have been given to set others free. “The message of Jesus, ‘Repent and believe the good news,’ lies at the center of the gospel (Mark 1:14; Matt 4:17). Repentance begins in the heart, in confronting those attitudes, feelings, and habits which separate us from the Lord. Repentance frees the heart to respond to the divine beauty personally incarnate in Jesus and shared by those people whose lives resemble his. An initial conversion to Christ consecrates one to a life of discipleship (Luke 9:23-27).” (Fanning the Flame. Kilian McDonnell, George T. Montague. Page 12)

    As we repent and change our conversion process grows and advances. Our life of discipleship also grows as we are called to step out in new areas to witness to the truth.

    “Through the gift of grace, which comes from the Holy Spirit, man enters a new life,” is brought into the supernatural reality of the divine life itself and becomes a “dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit,” a living temple of God. For through the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son come to him and take up their abode with him. In the communion of grace with the trinity, man’s “living area” is broadened and raised up to the supernatural level of divine life. Man lives in God and by God he lives “according to the Spirit,” and “sets his mind on the things of the Spirit.” (Encyclical Letter. Pope John Paul II. Page 103)

Let us continue to praise and thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit and for giving us a share in this divine life.

                                                                                                  Kate Elliott, DRE

                                                                                            Holy Spirit Church, Roscoe

[back to top of page]

Sitting With Jesus                 [back to top of page]   

   By Deacon Gene Reilly

Many years ago in my search for joy and real peace, it soon became very apparent that what was really missing in my life was a personal relationship with Jesus. I decided to find him and so I searched for the church that really had him in their midst. I soon realized that the church that had him really had him in the Eucharist and in the tabernacle. So I knew that I had to learn of him and why he was really there.

            I have been ordained for over 30 years and my only focus has been on teaching Catholics the Bible, “ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ,” and understanding the mystery of the Eucharist and how “He is with us always.” I have taught the catechism for over 11 years since it was released in 1994. So you might say my ministry is to Catholics – teaching them the Bible, healing them in the Eucharist and teaching them the truths of the Catholic Church through the catechism.

I studied the Bible and noticed that if something was in the Bible once it was very important. In fact, the church often made a sacrament from that one statement. For example, in Acts 8 Peter and John go to Samaria and lay hands on the baptized converts and they receive the Holy Spirit, hence the sacrament of confirmation. I very quickly noticed that the establishment of the Eucharist by Jesus was in the Bible four times: Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and 1 Corinthians 11. That being the case, if once would cause a sacrament, just imagine what four times really said! I then knew that if I wanted Jesus I had to adore him and bring him to other Catholics. I then started to realize that his presence could and would heal others, so I started to pray with others before the Eucharist and miracles happened – sometimes instantly and sometimes slowly, but happen they did.

            When I came to Our Saviour Church in Cocoa Beach, Florida, I asked the pastor if I could start a healing service that had as the center the Eucharistic Jesus. He said OK, and so for six years we have been adoring Jesus and praying with people. But the real emphasis has been sitting with Jesus and letting him do for us whatever he wanted to do. People came in and just sat in front of the presence of Jesus and then we would pray over each person after a time of silent reflection.

            I received a confirmation of the presence of Jesus when I was asked by a woman to pray over her husband who was heavily into pornography. He had agreed to let me pray over him. I invited him to come to church, but he said no that he couldn’t go into church, he got sick every time he tried to enter any church. So I agreed to meet him at the school. I thought that I had better protect myself from any evil that he might have, so I put a host from the tabernacle in my pyx and put it around my neck in its case. I was there waiting for him when he got out of the car. He started toward the school and then stopped and yelled, “I can’t go in there. He has Jesus by his heart. I can’t go near him.” Then he left. When I had the pyx around my neck, I had put it inside my shirt. There was no way that he could have known that I had the pyx there. That affirmed to me once and for all the power and presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I have dedicated my life to telling Catholics about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and what a fantastic gift he has given us – his presence always and till the end of time.

One Tuesday a young woman, about 30, came in and came down the aisle very slowly. She finally got up to the front and sat down and looked very tired and dejected. When the prayer time came she slowly came forward and we prayed over her. After the service I asked her why she had come. She told me she had lost her job because she had fibromyalgia and couldn’t work at her previous job. I asked her how she felt after coming to the service and she said, “Very peaceful.” I said, “Well come back and let Jesus do for you what’s best.” The next Tuesday she was there again and again felt a lot of peace at the end of the service. After seven weeks she was absolutely a changed person. Her fibromyalgia was gone and she was able to do anything she wanted to. She had gotten a new job and looked great.

We also had a woman who had had cancer and had gone through treatment. She was in remission for three years, but then the cancer came back in her thyroid. She could hardly talk. In fact, all she could do was whisper. She would come and sit with Jesus every week, and after each service always felt very peaceful. The fourth week she came in with a big smile on her face and had tears in her eyes. She told us in a normal voice that she had gone to the doctor and he examined her and took tests and the cancer was gone.

        We don’t really ask anybody why they are there. We just let Jesus do for them what is best. In fact, now we don’t even pray over anybody during the service. The results of just sitting with Jesus have been so great, we know that all we have to do is adore, trust, pray and wait on the Lord.V

Deacon Gene Reilly, Our Saviour Church, Cocoa Beach, Florida, moved from the Rockford Diocese to Florida six years ago.       

[back to top of page]

Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Healing       [back to top of page]   

   By Deacon Bob Pomazal

    (Used with permission)

During Jesus’ public ministry he “cured every disease and illness.” (Mt 9:35). He also commissioned the twelve apostles, giving them the same authority (Mt 10:1-8). Later this authority was extended to all believers (Mk 16:17-18). Paul describes healing as one of the charisms (1 Cor 12:9), and there is evidence that healing prayer became an expected practice in the early Christian community (Jas 5:16).

But why did Jesus heal? And why did healing continue in the Church after his Ascension? Part of the answer is that healing is an expression of Jesus’ compassion on a purely human level. But I believe there is also more going on than this. After all, physical healing is only temporary. The best outcome is that life may be made more enjoyable and perhaps extended a little longer. But eventually we all die.

In a previous article (April 2005) I described an analogy between the charisms and the major functions within a growing organization. In this analogy healing is identified as an “attention getter”, whether it is the attention of the person being healed, those who observe the healing, or even the person who did the praying. After all, it is hard to witness a miraculous intervention of God and not reflect on how that came about, and so healing becomes a powerful tool for evangelization. Or to use the previous analogy, it is a marketing tool for Christianity. In this sense healing can also be seen as an ultimate expression of Christ’s compassion, not for our mortal bodies but for our eternal souls.

It is interesting and instructive to examine the various accounts of healing in the New Testament, because healing didn’t happen the same way every time. Sometimes healing came about as a result of the person’s faith (Mk 10:52), but not always; healings sometimes occurred with the laying on of hands (Acts 28:8), but other times at a distance (Jn 4:51); and usually healing occurred immediately, but other times it was progressive (Mk 8:25). What was common, however, was that the one praying was under the power of the Holy Spirit, even Jesus (Lk 4:1), and the prayer for healing was not an isolated prayer, but an extension of a deep personal prayer relationship with God. These same “prerequisites” apply today.

Healing does continue in the Church today, and not only among those in line for canonization. Many individuals involved in the Charismatic Renewal have experienced the effect of healing prayer. We are all expected to pray for one another. God uses us, as Fr. Groeschel points out because, “If God relied only on the saints and the wise, he wouldn’t get much done (because) there aren’t very many of them. God uses poor sinners and fools. They may not accomplish as much, but there are a lot more of them.” Fr. AI Lauer, founder of Presentation Ministries, suggested that we all try it a couple hundred times to see if, perhaps, we might have an extraordinary gift in this area.

A common question about healing prayer is, “Does it always work?” The answer depends on how you measure results. For example, if a physical healing was requested, but a spiritual healing was received, is that a success? Or perhaps God’s answer came in the form of guidance to a doctor who diagnosed and treated an ailment correctly. Is that a success? [Sir 38:1-14 would suggest that it certainly is.] Actually, our job is simply to pray faithfully and not be overly preoccupied with the results. After all, if God gave us everything we asked for every time, which one of us would be the master and which would be the servant?V

Reprinted with permission from Alive in Jesus, June 2005, Newsletter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Peoria.

[back to top of page]

The Healing Power of the Eucharist     [back to top of page]

By Don Pflipsen

    I recently had the wonderful experience of attending the 19th Annual Diocese of Peoria Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference. It was entitled “The Eucharist Is Our Healing Power.” As we met to prepare this issue of The Trumpet, I discussed with the editorial staff some of the emotions I felt while listening to the main speakers, Father Bruce Nieli and Barbara Ryan. It was suggested that I write about this experience.

    During one of her presentations Barbara Ryan asked the question, “How many of you know that every time you go into Mass you are going to a healing service?” She asked us “What do we pray just before we receive Eucharistic Jesus? ‘Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.’” We didn’t say “I might be healed” or “it would be nice if I could be healed.” We didn’t even say “if it be your will Lord.” When we say, “I shall be healed,” it is really a proclamation of faith. As we walk forward to receive Jesus Christ, we are really saying that something can happen in this transference of power as I receive your precious body into my hand, that I can receive whatever I need for healing in my life. Whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual. WOW!

    This really brought home to me how often I say that proclamation at Mass and how it has become so routine, the true meaning is lost. I really need to be consciously aware that I can receive whatever I need when I receive Jesus in the Eucharist. She went on to tell of the many people she has met that have witnessed healings they received when they have taken Jesus seriously.

    Barbara said that it is important that we be very specific in what we are asking healing for. “Heal my heart” or “heal my liver” or “heal my depression” or “heal my relationship with my sister.” We really need to believe that the eucharistic power of Jesus can heal us. She reminded us that the word eucharist literally means “thanksgiving.” She mentioned that when we stand in intercessory prayer and believe that what we are asking for we already have, it will be ours. She asked the question, “How do you believe that you have something if you don’t feel that you have it already? You start to thank the Lord for it right away.” It other words, as we receive Jesus in the Eucharist and have a specific healing in mind, we should begin immediately to thank God for whatever healing we are looking for when we receive the Holy Eucharist, to thank Him and praise Him that our request is already being done, because in His kingdom it already is. She reminded us that in the book of Revelation (21:4) it says, “He shall wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, crying out or pain, for the former world has passed away.” We can believe that His kingdom has come here, and that His presence is truly with us.

    Barbara told us that when we receive the precious body of Jesus, we are receiving the heart of Jesus. He gives us his sacred heart for the ways in which our hearts are heavy and broken and wounded. He gives us of his precious body and blood so we don’t have to struggle so much with the things that are going on in our lives. It is such a precious gift; it’s the most intimate thing that anyone could ever do for us. We have a God that doesn’t want to live anywhere but within us in such an intimate way that we aren’t separated at all. As we consume Jesus, we become part of him.

    I came away from this conference with a renewed and profound love for the healing power of the Eucharist. Those thoughts and feelings I felt will carry over to each Mass I attend and receiving the body and blood of Jesus will never again be the same as before the conference.

[back to top of page]