From The Liaison

Staying Connected       [back to top of page]

Remember when you were first baptized in the Holy Spirit? Do you remember going to prayer meetings every week or maybe every couple of weeks and the experience of being part of a prayer group?

According to the latest figures I have heard, there are more than 100-120 million Catholics who have received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. And if the figures included non-Catholics, I would expect the number to more than double. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that number, but what if it were only two-thirds accurate, it would still indicate many, many millions who have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in the same way that the first disciples did.

And what do the Scriptures say happened to those first disciples? “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (Acts 2:4) “To one is given … the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge …; to another faith …; to another gifts of healing …; to another mighty deeds …; to another prophecy …; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) And, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, … apostles, … prophets, … teachers; then mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)

So I ask the question, “Where are all of those millions of Catholics? What is happening to all of those gifts if those people are no longer attending prayer meetings?” In the mid-nineties, New Covenant magazine conducted a survey that asked about that same question. Well over 93%, if I recall correctly, said they were actively engaged in ministries in their parishes or other areas of the church. That’s a good thing. That’s what we are called to do, because the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not given for ourselves; they are given for others, the church. We all know that when the Holy Spirit empowers us, we can do immeasurably more than if we act merely on our own power. So when a Spirit-filled person uses Spirit-empowered gifts and talents in parish ministry, the parishioners are served by a Spirit-filled talent. Try speaking in tongues by your own power; it doesn’t work, does it? Try healing someone by your own power. It doesn’t work either. Only Jesus heals. Try prophesying with your own thoughts. The message may be a nice one, but if the source is not God, the message will not have power to change lives.

No, we can’t minister in a spiritual world with our own power. We need God’s power, the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we need to stay connected; connected to Jesus, connected to the Holy Spirit, connected to one another, the body of Christ.

We often bump into people who were once active in prayer groups and they invariably ask how the prayer meeting is going. Something about being part of a prayer meeting still seems to tug within them. And they usually say, “I really need to get back to a meeting sometime.” Ok, we’re here when you have time. Welcome back. Thank you for being with us again.

We have a tendency to forget how the Lord was able to work within us when we regularly attended prayer meetings. But is this to say that in order to be connected to the Holy Spirit or to Jesus we have to go to a prayer meeting? Certainly not! Jesus always will meet us where we are and the Holy Spirit’s power, once received is always there for the asking. But many have had to say “No” to prayer meetings to properly prioritize their lives and maintain a holy balance.

We recently have had discussions in the Diocesan Service Team meetings on this very same subject. Because some have been unable to make the quarterly meetings, we have had to examine ourselves to discern whether the Lord still wants us to gather on the diocesan level. Our sense was overwhelmingly, “Yes.” Why? Because every one of us believes it is important to stay connected. There’s that word again, connected.

After all these years of meeting regularly with Spirit-filled brothers and sisters in the Lord, it is still amazing to me how much we are helped through the gifts of those committed relationships. When we get together in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we hear, learn, sense, feel and experience the Lord in ways beyond our imagination. Why? Because not one of us possesses every Gift of the Holy Spirit; they are spread among the members of the body of Christ, the entire body. There are no “Lone Rangers” among God’s people. So it makes sense to be with other Spirit-filled, gifted people to benefit from their gifts.

And besides, if the Holy Spirit has made someone else’s gift available for our good, doesn’t it make sense for us to at least “show up” to receive the gift the Lord wants to give us? I feel sure you will agree with that.

If you’ve been faithfully attending prayer meetings, wonderful, continue to share your gifts. If you’ve been slipping a little bit lately, consider trying a little harder to get there; we need to stay connected with you.V

Blessings,

Ron

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Know Your Faith

Pursuing A Life of Holiness      [back to top of page]

In his Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People), Pope John Paul II states that “We come to a full sense of the dignity of the lay faithful if we consider the prime and fundamental vocation that the Father assigns to each of them in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit: the vocation of holiness. This charge is not a simple moral exhortation but an undeniable requirement arising from the mystery of the Church.” (CL #16) By virtue of our baptism we share in Christ’s mission of priest, prophet, and king. We are cleansed from Original Sin and filled with sanctifying grace. However, because of the sin of Adam and Eve we are still plagued with sinful tendencies and at times holiness seems to elude us. This tendency to sin is part of our fallen human nature and is called concupisence. Concupisence is the “loss of the built-in control of our desires as the result of original sin.” (The Ten Commandments Today – Growth In Holiness by Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J.) In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes about his own struggle with these desires: “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” (Romans 7: 19-23) We are certainly engaged in a great spiritual battle but a life of holiness is within our grasp.

There are two fundamental steps we can take to master self and get on the road to sainthood. The first step is a knowledge of God’s plan, “His plan for the universe at large and His plan for me. A good descriptive definition of Vocation is God’s plan for me.” (Hardon, S.1.) Daily we must make a decision to pursue holiness in the state of life to which God has called us. Sacrificing for others, practicing small mortifications by fasting or giving up some immediate pleasure, and cooperating with the graces that God sends us through the sacramental life of the Church are some ways of accomplishing this task. The second step and most important one is the knowledge of self. All the saints throughout the ages insisted on knowing themselves and being aware of their sins, faults, true motives for their actions, and their weaknesses. This knowledge of self leads to true repentance and brings us closer to God. St. Teresa of Avila writes in her autobiography that, “This path of self knowledge should never be abandoned, the thought of one’s sins is the bread with which all palates must be fed no matter how delicate they may be; they cannot be sustained without this bread.” (The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila) A helpful way to cultivate knowledge of self is by a nightly examination of conscience using these three points: 1. What did I do today that was right and holy? 2. What did I do today that was wrong and sinful? and 3. What steps can I take tomorrow to improve?

We are all called to be saints; there are really no options. “The forms and tasks of life are many but holiness is one – that sanctity which is cultivated by all who act under God’s Spirit and, obeying the Father’s voice and adoring God the Father in spirit and in truth, follow Christ, poor, humble and cross-bearing, that they may deserve to be partakers of His glory.” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church-Lumen Gentium #41)V

                                                                                             Kate Elliott, DRE

                                                                                            Holy Spirit Church, Roscoe

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Do Not Lose Heart                 [back to top of page]   

   By Linda Daniel

Do not lose heart (John 14:1, Luke 18:1, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Our God is an awesome God, a God of wonders who is able to bring victory out of defeat, life out of death, and joy out of sorrows.

            Look at the story of Saul (Paul) in the book of The Acts of the Apostles. He was a persecutor of the Christians in Jerusalem and then went to Damascus to “arrest and bring to Jerusalem” any followers of Jesus (Acts 9:1-20). However, Jesus had a different plan. He appeared to Saul and told him to wait for someone named Ananias. Can you imagine how Ananias felt when Jesus directed him to go to Saul? “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. He is here now with authorization from the chief priests to arrest any who invoke your name.” (Acts 9:13-14) How much are we not told of the extent of Ananias’ argument with Jesus? When Ananias obeyed, Jesus changed Saul into Paul, the greatest evangelist of the New Testament.

            When we look at the world, we see pain, sorrow, heartache, and conflict, but God is still working to bring victories. Look at the many Protestants converting to the Catholic Church. “Some Protestant pastors have even brought their entire congregations with them into the Church.” (One Bread, One Body. May 5, 2006. Presentation Ministries, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio) The pro-life movement is being invigorated by an influx of young people, and men’s movements are spreading and growing. All of this is causing a renewal of faith, marriages, and families. (One Bread. May 5, 2006)

            If we have people we can turn to for prayer support and if we can keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1), we have no reason to lose hope. “Nothing is more apt to confirm our faith and hope than holding it fixed in our minds that nothing is impossible with God.” (CCC #274) Our experiences of God in our lives will reinforce our faith. Over the years God has answered my prayers in ways too numerous to detail. However, just recently He has again showed me His power to change events that seemed impossible to change.

            My brother has a medical problem that required a stem cell transplant. I was a match, so my husband and I traveled to Denver for the procedure. We heard on arrival that the procedure was canceled because the insurance denied coverage. All was up in the air and everyone was anxious, but the Lord gave me peace through it all. We had only a limited time to remain in Denver because of commitments at home, and all of us hoped the situation could be resolved in the week remaining before we would have to make a decision if we stay for the procedure or go and then return at a later date.

During that week, my husband and I did some sight seeing. In our travels we came across a Benedictine Monastery with a gift shop open to the public. I was drawn to a prayer card for St. Theresa the “little flower,” and I prayed the five-day prayer asking for resolution of the insurance situation and healing for my brother. On the day we needed to make our decision, I asked St. Theresa to give me a flower as a sign. We took a walk that afternoon and I was overwhelmed with the beautiful flowers we saw. There were tulips, lilies, lilacs and irises all around, and even a beautiful rose painted on a mailbox. That evening we received word that the insurance approval was given. God may wait to answer, but He is never late. (Habakkuk 2:3)

Knowing that God is working and has worked in this situation gives me hope that He will complete what He has started. (Philippians 1:6) “But hope is not hope if its object is seen; how is it possible for one to hope for what he sees? And hoping for what we cannot see means awaiting it with patient endurance.” (Romans 8:24-25)

“I will call this to mind,

    as my reason to have hope:

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,

    his mercies are not spent;

They are renewed each morning,

    so great is his faithfulness.

My portion is the Lord, says my soul;

    therefore will I hope in him.”

(Lamentations 3:21-24)

Therefore, I have faith that God will work healing. “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for and conviction about things we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

PS – My brother is now at home and his condition is improving.V            

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Perfecting Our Faith      [back to top of page]   

   By Louise Hall

“Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

How difficult it can be to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in times of trouble or dissent. Last year my family experienced an unexpected pregnancy. Before I knew about it the Lord kept nudging me to get a newer car and loan the older one to my granddaughter who was at college and working two jobs to supplement her financial aid. I prayed to discern if this was what I needed to do. I prayed to convince my husband that we should do it. About two months later we learned that our granddaughter was almost four months pregnant. The car helped her get to the second job and prepare for the expenses that were coming.

Throughout her pregnancy I prayed daily for a healthy baby. On May 23, 2005, Cody Douglas entered this world. Unfortunately he had a heart irregularity and had to be flown to Rockford with my granddaughter left behind in the Dixon hospital. My prayers increased and I was confident that God was healing Cody. Three days later he came home. We were constantly amazed at his alertness and intelligence in the first year. We are grateful for his life in our family. At one year old Cody loves to give hugs and find new challenges. He brings joy to all. His birth father is absent but Cody has many males in the family and adult friends who give him love and attention.

Births make one contemplate the opposite end of life - death. Will we be ready for the judgment? In Acts 21 Paul says, “I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 21:24) “In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 21:35) In an age of lukewarm Catholics and people who ignore the Sunday obligation for Mass, the Holy Spirit calls us to be on fire with the love of God. This is no easy task and yet there are many in every parish that do stay focused on God and allow the Spirit to work in their lives.

How can we be one of those who GLOW? How can we project goodness, love, thinking of others and worship? We can start by keeping our eyes on Jesus, spending time in prayer and reading scripture daily. We can attend Mass and receive the Eucharist often. Jesus will do the rest. He will show us how to run the race in a way that perfects our faith and leads us to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of life. There we will experience a perfect peace and life without sin or burdens. Lord, help us to be ready for the day you call us to the resurrection and life everlasting.V

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I Want To Be Like A Butterfly     [back to top of page]

By Deb Knipshield

I want to be

Like a butterfly

In a cocoon

To change my image

And

Reflect one of beauty

Instead of disgrace.

I want to emerge

From my safe place

Spread my wings

And

Release my grace.

As I spread my wings

My beauty will glow,

Like a butterfly

I will fly

Toward the heavens

In the sky.

And as I fly

To seek my place,

I will fly with God’s grace.

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God Bless America     [back to top of page]

By Nita Neu

U God bless America ~­

     Lord God of our founding fathers,

          look down upon this nation

               in this time of horrible loss and trial.

U God bless America ­~

     as we cope with devastation

          and grief and sadness.

U God bless America ­~

     in your great love and compassion,

          comfort us.

U God bless America ­~

     grant us courage and wisdom,

          and guide the leaders of our nation.

U God bless America ­~

     as we draw closer in unity to you

          and to one another.

U God bless America ­~

     and keep our hopes and dreams

          bright with the light of your love.

U God bless America ­~

     and root out the evil in hearts

          which cry out to you for justice.

U God bless America ­~

     as we try to make some sense

          of the ruins in our homeland,

               the ruins in our hearts.

U God bless America ­~

     and give us your unfaltering strength

          to stand and go on.

U God bless America ­~

     and open our eyes to the beauty

          and goodness of you,

               the beauty and goodness in each other.

U God bless America ~­

     and open our eyes to all you have given

          us as Gift.

U God bless America ­~

     and enlarge our hearts to the needs of all.

U God bless America­ ~

     now and always. Amen.