Some Ideas to Get You Started on Renewal in Your Diocese

Diocesan Liaisons are appointed by the local Bishop to help grow the renewal in the Church. It is up to you, fellow laity and local priests, to put us to work. Three potential ways are Life in the Spirit workshops, prayer meetings and Bible studies,

A Life in the Spirit workshop can be hosted by a local parish or group within the parish. It is an opportunity to learn more about the working and charisms of the Holy Spirit. Ask your liaison about it. Pray first. Ask the Holy Spirit's guidance and go ask your priest. If you are willing to carry the work load and tell him so, there should be no problem in getting a weekend scheduled at your parish. If your priest doesn't respond positively, don't be discouraged. Talk to your liaison and let them approach your priest. Be persistent in talking to others in your parish to get the ball rolling. When you do get your weekend, follow it up with weekly training that your liaison can provide.

Prayer meetings and Bible studies can be a great source of encouragement and spiritual growth. In a home or in a parish setting, I haven't had a priest turn down a prayer meeting yet. Your liaison can give you guidance, get you started and lead it for you until you feel confident to carry on yourself. Both meetings are a great way to invite the unchurched or lapsed Christians into a God encounter and expose them to a richer spiritual life through the Holy Spirit. You could even do a Bible study, supplemented with great books to read and encourage.

Most of the Charismatics in a parish don't (and shouldn't) identify themselves as a separate group. We aren't a movement. We ARE the Church and in many parishes, the workers in so many other capacities as well (CCD, RCIA, Knights, etc.) Don't be afraid to expose your other brothers and sisters in the parish to the power of the Holy Spirit. Call on your liaison for help!

John 14:12-14 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

A Matter of Humility

I have known Fr. Eduardo since I came in the Church. I am thrilled to see him attain this position and know that it will not change this humble man of God a bit.
What a blessing to know him and have the privilege of seeing a Godly man exalted!
The only news that media dishes out is on things that are bad in the Church, do you think they will pick up on the good, like Fr. Ed?

Charismatic Healing Mass in Tyler, TX

Thursday, April 15- TAX DAY! is the next Charismatic Healing Mass. Fr. Bob
Hilz from Ft. Worth will be here and is an excellent teacher, preacher and
minister.
Come and be blessed. Adoration will begin at 5:00 with Confession
available. Praise and Worship start at 6:30 with Mass to follow. This is
for everyone so bring your protestant friends as well and expect a
miracle!
For more information call the Church office at St. Mary Magdalene, Flint,
or Lori Harris at 903-343-3567. See http://tylerevangelization.com for
past messages and photos.

You can walk the Road to Cana with Christ the Lord

In Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana, we take up Anne Rice's bold attempt to continue the story of Jesus as a young man who knows who He is and what is going to happen to Him in the near future.

Jesus is a man, strong, virile and desirable.

Anne does not make him weak or un-masculine in anyway. He is a stud and those around him know it. He is a hard working and important part of a working class family and as such, has the girls giving him the eye. He is obviously marriage material.

His emotions are dealt with in a genuine manner. There is no pretense here that Jesus the man isn't a human being attracted to the opposite sex. The emotions of Jesus are dealt with honestly and you see that He was in all manners, tempted such as we. (Luke 4:15)

The sub story woven throughout brings life to Jesus the Man as we watch him die to his flesh and desires while choosing the highest good for others. The temptation during his forty days and forty nights in the desert is superb as Jesus is tempted with all the emotions that every man feels. Ms. Rice covers them all in a way that makes the reader look at his own faults and failures.

When Jesus returns to his own, there is no turning back. He is the Son of God and a man on a mission. He calls fishermen to come follow him and begins to speak as only the Son of God can. Ms. Rice's writing is captivating as she weaves the love story of Christ the Lord for His Bride, the Church against the story of the wedding at Cana. The wedding at Cana shows Jesus honoring his mother, just like all good boys do. As Mary tells those around her to obey her son and do as He asks, the turning of the water into wine, is recorded for us in a story that is satisfying as any beautiful wedding should be. The emotions of Jesus the Man make this book a treasure you won't soon forget.

CHRIST THE LORD: THE ROAD TO CANA
By Anne Rice
ISBN: 978-1-4000-4352-1

For more book reviews see http:// kteamsusa.com

BOOK REVIEW: CHRIST THE LORD: OUT OF EGYPT

Don’t jump the gun.

In Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, Anne Rice creates a very real little boy who happens to be Jesus of Nazareth. Ms. Rice writes like a mommy as she explores a little boy she loves and knows was born to die for the sins of mankind.

What a different twist she brings to the ordinary! The setting of a child and family leaving Egypt to return to their people of Nazareth provides background that is interesting and fresh. Whether we are seeing Jesus deal with His feelings and knowledge of who He is and who He is going to be or looking through the eyes of Mary, his mother, Ms. Rice has taken a very “family” perspective on the whole process.

The Jewish perspective is eloquent without being trite as we see families gathering and passing down the stories of the Torah in the traditional manner. The historical perspective is intact as the people struggle with oppression brought on by the Roman invasion of the country amidst the traditional life cycles of the Jewish calendar.

As the little boy tells his story and then grows into puberty and reaches Bar Mitzvah age, you see a child learning how to reason and ask intelligent “God questions,” knowing all along, what the answers are.

The book leaves you wanting more, as it should.

The real treat is the conversion story of Anne at the end of the book. You can’t jump the gun to get to this seventeen page Author’s Note. It won’t mean nearly as much if you haven’t read this reverent and captivating take on the child Jesus.

CHRIST THE LORD: OUT OF EGYPT
By Anne Rice
ISBN: 0-275-41201-8

For more book reviews see http://kteamsusa.com

BOOK REVIEW: REDISCOVERING CATHOLICSM

In Rediscovering Catholicism: Journeying Toward Our Spiritual North Star, Matthew Kelly gives a compelling picture of what a Christian should be. With a clear voice, he shows how each area of society should and would inculcate a biblical worldview if those who claim to be Catholic lived what they say they believe.

Divided into readable sections, Kelly explores the need for a Savior, the relevancy of Christ today and the call for holiness that  a personal relationship with Jesus requires. His look at seven pillars of Catholic spirituality is an objective take on what makes us Catholic and how, if applied, will renew the inner life of the individual. His section on fasting and discipline is a real slap on the hand to most of us, as it should be.

Kelly makes a passionate plea for a return to virtue and calls on all who claim the Catholic faith to look to Jesus and emulate His call to evangelization. Through servant leadership, courage, and Christian character that comes from a personal and growing faith in Jesus, we as a people, will draw the sinner to Christ.

This book will challenge even the weakest to become more bold in what Christ and His Church would look like if we all hungered and thirst after righteousness.

REDISCOVERING CATHOLICISM: JOURNEYING TOWARD OUR SPIRITAUL NORTH STAR
By Matthew Kelly
ISBN: 1-929266-08-1

For more book reviews see  http://kteamsusa.com