50 YEARS OF PENTECOSTAL FIRE

By Sheena George

 Some professors of Duquesne University, a Catholic university in Pittsburgh, USA, who were searching for a spiritual experience, attended the Congress of the Cursillo movement in August 1966. Here, they were introduced to the book ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’ written by David Wilkerson which emphasized the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s charisms. This book became the focus of their studies and further led them to pursue the Holy Spirit and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

 On a cold winter day in January 1967, Ralph Keifer and Patrick Bourgeois, professors from Duquesne University, attended a unsupervised prayer meeting in Pittsburgh where they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit -- a pentecostal experience in the Catholic Church.  

 It didn’t stop there. The following week, Keifer laid hands on other Duquesne professors, and they also had an experience with the Spirit. One month later in February, during a prayer meeting at Duquesne University, more people including students asked Keifer to pray over them. This led to the event at the chapel where they too received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. This news reached the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, where a similar event later occurred, and the Renewal began to spread in the Catholic Church.

  The year 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Renewal fire in the Catholic church. The groundwork for the Charismatic renewal started in 1966, one year before the Pittsburgh prayer meeting.

 “Pat (Bourgeois) and I asked to be prayed with for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They broke up into several groups because they were praying over several people. They simply asked me to make an act of faith for the power of the Spirit to work in me. I prayed in tongues rather quickly," Keifer wrote about the prayer meeting.
  The rest is history. Charismatic Renewal is now strong in India with Kerala leading the way.

 Ten years later in 1977, Divine Retreat Centre in Potta, started by Rev Fr Mathew Naickomparambill and other priests from the Vincentian  Congregation, played a leading role in the spread of Renewal in India, especially in Kerala. Today, Divine Retreat Centre is the largest Catholic retreat centre in the world. “Since 1990, over 10 million pilgrims from all over the world have attended retreats here. Weekly retreats in 7 languages are held non-stop every week of the year. It is truly an achievement possible only by the grace of God,” says its website.

 The Catholic Church gave its stamp of approval. Four popes have acknowledged the movement: Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. Pope Paul VI said the movement brought vitality and joy to the Church and also urged for people to be discerning of the spirits. Speaking at the International Conference on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal on May 19, 1975, Pope Paul VI encouraged the attendees in their renewal efforts and especially to remain anchored in the Church.
 Pope John Paul II also supported the Renewal. John Paul II -- as well as then-Cardinal Ratzinger who is now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI -- acknowledged good aspects of the movement but emphasised that members must maintain their Catholic identity and communion with the Catholic Church. “I am convinced that this movement is a very important component of the entire renewal of the Church,” John Paul II said while speaking to a group of international leaders of the Renewal on December 11, 1979. “I can understand all these charisms. They are all part of the richness of the Lord. I am convinced that this movement is a sign of His action,” he said.
 On November 30, 1990, the Pontifical Council for the Laity promulgated the decree which inaugurated the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships. Brian Smith of Brisbane, elected President of the Executive of the Fraternity, called the declaration the most significant event in the history of the charismatic renewal since the 1975 Holy Year international conference and the acknowledgment it received from Pope Paul VI at that time. "It is the first time that the Renewal has had formal, canonical recognition by the Vatican,” Smith said.
 “At the heart of a world imbued with a rationalistic skepticism, a new experience of the Holy Spirit suddenly burst forth. And, since then, that experience has assumed a breadth of a worldwide Renewal movement. What the New Testament tells us about the charisms - which were seen as visible signs of the coming of the Spirit - is not just ancient history, over and done with, for it is once again becoming extremely topical,” Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote in the forward to a book by Cardinal Suenens, at that time the Pope's delegate to the Charismatic Renewal.
 Catholic Church has not looked back after Vatican supported the movement. Priests from Syro-Malabar Catholic Church from Kerala are in the forefront of spreading Charismatic Renewal across the world.
 “The charismatic renewal movement became the most formidable religious revival of the 20th century: a global phenomenon that had left almost no Christian community untouched by the time it began to taper off in the mid-1970s,” writes Molly Worthen, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “Protestants and Catholics who had always preferred calm and ‘respectable’ worship, who viewed Pentecostals as their embarrassing cousins, embraced Pentecostal practices like praying in tongues, divine healing, and surrendering physical control of their bodies to the Holy Spirit,” Worthen said.

WHAT’S CHARISMATIC?

 The word "charismatic" comes from the Greek word for "gift."  There are many charisms, and God distributes them differently to different people. 1 Corinthians 7:7 shows us that everyone "has a particular gift (charisma) from God, one of one kind and one of another."
 Catechism of Catholic Church (CCC) says, “whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.” Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms, CCC says.
 According to CCC, it is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church's shepherds. "Their office (is) not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good," so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good."
 It’s all about shedding your old self and becoming a new person in Spirit. Ephesians 4:22-24 sys, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
 According to Italian author and journalist Alessandra Nucci, Pope Francis’ frequent mentions of the Holy Spirit -- whom he has described as someone who “annoys us” and “moves us, makes us walk, pushes the Church to move forward” -- as well as his unprecedentedly frequent references to the devil (rather than to a generic “evil”), indicate his affinity for the Charismatic Renewal.  “The election of such a back-to-basics man as Supreme Pontiff provides us with an opportunity to look at the road traveled by the Charismatic Renewal and to “hold on to what is good” (1 Thess 5:21),” Nucci writes.
 That said, it’s beyond any doubt that Charismatic Renewal, which started nearly 50 years ago, has brought about new hope and life in Spirit among millions of people across the world. We’re living witnesses to this great work of our Lord. This is a Fire that will last till the end of the world. It’s Pentacostal Fire.

  References: 1. Crux Catholic Media; 2. Catechism of Catholic Church; 3.  EWTN, USA; 4. Archives of Duquesne University; 5. Catholic Family News 

'God is greater than our sin'

“God is greater than all the sins we may do. God is greater than our sin.” That’s what Pope Francis reminded pilgrims at the general audience on March 30.
 In his remarks in Italian, the Pope said God's infinite mercy wipes away our sins like the dry cleaner eliminates the stains from our clothes. But “divine forgiveness is supremely effective,” Pope said.  Unlike the dry cleaner, however, “it doesn’t hide the sin; it destroys it and cancels it… God eliminates our sin from its very roots – all of it.”
 In his catechesis, Pope Francis reflected on the penitential prayer Psalm 51 from the Old Testament. In ancient Hebrew tradition, the Pope noted, the psalm refers to a penitent King David who, trusting in God’s mercy, humbly prays for forgiveness after he committed not simply “a small lie” but the great sins of adultery and murder.
Pope Francis invited those gathered in Saint Peter’s square to raise their hands if any among them had not sinned in his or her lifetime.  He remarked that no one present had raised a hand and observed that “we are all sinners” and some people find themselves sinning over and over again.
 Like a child who reaches up to his parents to lift him after a fall - noted the Pope, when we fall in sin, we can raise our hand to God who will pull us up.  “God created man and woman to stand upright,” said the Pope.  "It is beautiful to be forgive, but you too, if you want to be pardoned, you should also forgive.  Forgive," he said.
 In his continuing catechesis for the Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said, "we now conclude our treatment of the Old Testament with a consideration of Psalm 51, the Miserere."  This Psalm is traditionally seen as King David’s prayer for forgiveness following his sin with Bathsheba.  Its opening words: “Have mercy on me, O God in your kindness”, are a moving confession of sin, repentance and confident hope in God’s merciful pardon.  Together with a heartfelt plea to be cleansed and purified of his sin, the Psalmist sings the praise of God’s infinite justice and holiness.  He asks for the forgiveness of his great sin but also for the gift of a pure heart and a steadfast spirit, so that, thus renewed, he may draw other sinners back to the way of righteousness.  God’s forgiveness is the greatest sign of his infinite mercy.  Through the prayers of Mary, Mother of Mercy, may we become ever more convincing witnesses to that divine mercy which forgives our sins, creates in us a new heart, and enables us to proclaim God’s reconciling love to the world.

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION OF TODAY.... By Fr James Manjackal M.S.F.S.

By Fr James Manjackal M.S.F.S.

 I know that many Christians all over the world, are really sad and upset over the present persecution of Christianity everywhere, especially in the Middle East, by the ISIS and in Africa by the Boko Haram. These two groups – with the support of many other Islamic terrorist groups – have proclaimed a “Jihad” (holy war) against Christianity and its followers. Christians are beheaded, shot, crucified, buried, burned alive and mutilated. Women and children are raped and abused. Thousands of Christians have fled their homes and their homeland, and they are now forced to live in various refugee camps in alien countries.

 In the hostage beheading & burning videos, we see the terrorists along with their onlookers singing songs and worshipping their god (Allah) in Arabic language as in the times of persecution of the early church by Nero, Constantine, Diocletian, etc. under the Roman Empire. In those times when Christians were thrown before wild animals like lions, tigers, leopards etc. or burned alive and crucified, the pagans were clapping hands and singing songs to their god!

 The other day a man asked me with much anger in his heart towards the present Christian persecution, “why don’t we go with weapons of mass destruction – like nuclear bombs and destroy these murderers?”

 THE REASONS OF PERSECUTION

 Dear brothers and sisters, we must know that Jesus our Lord had foretold that a day would come when His followers would be persecuted and killed by the enemies and that they would think that they would be worshipping God by doing so, “They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God” (Jn 16: 2). In the following words He had also explained the reason for this persecution and killings, “They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me” (Jn 16: 3). While on earth Jesus had told His followers, “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you did not belong to the world and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you” (Jn 15: 18-21).

 Hence the reasons of persecution are clear; it is because we Christians belong to Christ and to His Father, it is because we are chosen by Christ through His Spirit, it is because our aim in life is the Kingdom of heaven, it is because we try to live a holy life according to the commandments of God and the Church, “In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Tim 3: 12)

 After the second Vatican Council, through various renewal movements, especially through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Christians all over the world were awakened to God’s call for a holy life; many indeed have committed themselves to Christ as authentic witnesses of His love. Through prayers, Sacramental life, and prayer groups Christianity is being renewed and strengthened. Surely Satan, the enemy, is enraged at the renewal and growth of Christianity and he is trying to use men and women from all religions to fight against Christians. He is sifting the church with his cunning plans and tactics (Eph 6: 10-18, 1 Pt 5:8).

WHAT MUST WE DO AT THIS MOMENT?

 Jesus had already told that we are in the world like sheep amidst wolves and He had warned us not to be afraid of those who kill the body but to be afraid only of those who kill the soul and body in hell (Mt 10: 16, 26-27). It is not a time to be sad and depressed or to nurture a spirit of retaliation in the heart towards the enemies of Christianity. It is a time to rejoice and to be glad because the Lord is blessing all Christians through these sufferings. Every suffering in the Name of Jesus brings an abundance of blessings either for the individual or the society.

 
 In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that Christian suffering is blessedness, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Mt 5:10: 12). Also we see similar teaching by the first Pope Peter, “Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. If you are insulted for the Name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (I Pet 4:12: 14).
We know that those who are persecuted and killed are really saints and martyrs in heaven. It is about them that Jesus says, “ These are the ones who have survived the times of great distress, they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they stand before God’s throne, and worship Him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them” ( Rev 7:14-15)

FORGIVE AND PRAY FOR THEM.

 As authentic followers of Christ, at this moment, we Christians should be able to forgive our persecutors and murderers as our master, Jesus Himself, has taught us. We must put on the mind of Christ who forgave and prayed for His persecutors and murderers, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23: 34). We must pray that the Holy Spirit may open their hearts to know and to believe in Christ Jesus the only savior of the world and through Him, His and our Father in heaven.

 Jesus has told us thus, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5: 44). St. Paul says, “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse” (Rom 12: 14). Also he said not to retaliate or to take revenge, but go the extent of helping and feeding the enemy (Rom 12: 19-21).

 I know that all over the world Christians are praying to the Lord for an ending of this persecution by the recital of rosaries, the way of the cross, the chaplet of the Divine Mercy, as well as offering Holy Masses along with fasting and penance. I heard that Christians in Kerala, although only a few in number are offering one hundred million way of the cross, rosaries and fasting for this purpose!!! Let us continue loving our enemies and praying for them so that one day the persecutors themselves may become God’s children and our brothers and sisters. Of course we need the power of the Holy Spirit to do this; but we must know that the Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts through prayers and sacraments in the church (Rom 5:5).

CHRISTIANS SHOULD READ THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES!

 “Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord” (Eph 5: 15-17). Why does Jesus allow such a persecution on those who follow Him? I think Jesus is giving us a chance to examine our consciences to see if we are really living an authentic Christian life. Is it not true that many Christians have left their faith in Christ and His church and are living as pagans, atheists, communists and a few even have become antichrists denying Jesus and His Father and are working against Christianity (I Jn 2: 22)?
 It is sad that there are baptized Christians amidst the ISIS and the Boko Haram! What is said in the books of Jeremiah and Isaiah are true of them, “Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters. They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water” (Jer 2: 13). “… the Lord speaks: sons have I raised a reared, but they have disowned me! An ox knows its owner, and an ass its master’s manger, but my people do not know me or understand me” (Is 1: 2-3).

 Perhaps it is true that the power of Satan, who is a murderer and destroyer is more at work in the world today because of the involvement of Christians themselves in Satanism, freemasonry, esoteric and new age. The Christians who once called upon the name of Jesus, are calling on Satan now in temples, lodges and places dedicated to Satan! Is it not Christians who brought the culture of death to this world in the present days by promoting abortion and euthanasia? It is deplorable that many Christian countries have legalized them!!! It was prophesied by late pope Paul VI that if free license is given to kill the children in the mother’s womb, one day man will kill each other without law nor license. Yes this is happening now!!!

 Do we, who grieve over the murderers of thousands of Christians by Boko Haram and ISIS, grieve and mourn over the millions and millions massacred in the mother’s wombs by the weapons of the doctors!!! It is a shame that Christians are breaking the law and values of morality by promoting free sex, homosexuality, pornography, divorce, etc. Jesus our Master, taught us ways and rules to live an upright life, but we who boast of the law dishonour God by breaking the law. Because of us the name of the Lord is reviled among the gentiles (Rom 2: 23-24). Indeed we are re-crucifying the Son of God and holding Him to contempt (Heb 6:6). The book of wisdom says, “A man is punished by the very things through which he sins”  (Wis 11: 16).

 St Peter said, “But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evil doer or as an intriguer” (I Pet 4: 15). I think that reading the signs of the times in the light of the Word of God in the bible and the teachings of the church, Christians should repent of their own sins and failures and return to the Lord by a decision to follow the commandments of the Lord and the church. The Lord says, “Return to me and I will return to you” (Zac 1: 3).  “We are being collapsed through our own sins, let us turn to the Lord and say, ‘forgive all iniquity’” (Hos 14: 2-3). Christians should live their identity; they are a people chosen by God – as Gods own people, as royal priests and a holy nation to bear witness to His love (I Pet 2 :9). St. Peter says, “For it is the will of God that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people” (I Pet 2: 15).

A  WORD OF WISDOM TO THE ENEMIES OF CHRISTIANITY!

 Let the enemies of the church know that Christianity is fire and if anyone blows the fire it will spread far and wide burning out all that is bad. The Roman Empire that tried to exterminate the maiden Christianity later became a Christian empire and even today Rome is the center of Christianity. Those who crucified Jesus the Son of God as a criminal thought that the story of this man who did signs and wonders ended with the crucifixion, but He became the superstar that attracted billions and billions all over the world. The whole world is divided into His followers and others.  Christians don’t just believe in an institution called the church or its dogmas, but they are following a person who is Jesus Himself, the second person of the Holy Trinity who came to this world to conquer the world by love.

 The power of the Risen Lord is radiating on every human being on earth, even on those who are his enemies. To every persecutor of Christianity Jesus is telling the same words He spoke to Saul, Paul of Tarsus, who tried to destroy the church by entering Christian houses and dragging out men and women to be persecuted and killed, “Why are you persecuting me. It is hard for you to kick against the goad” (Acts 8:3, 26: 14). Jesus Christ whose name is Emmanuel – God with us, promised His followers His living presence and protection saying, “I will be with you until the end of the world” (Mt 28: 20).
 Christians will conquer the evil force of today by the power of the Blood of Christ and by the word of their testimony, the dragon of persecution will be crushed down and the power of the Risen Christ will be manifested by the conversions of the persecutors and murderers  themselves like in the case of St. Paul (Rev 12: 11). The Christians will fight with the Lamb, who is Christ, and He will conquer the enemy, for He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and those with Him are called chosen and faithful (Rev 17: 14).

 The church will rise again as powerful from the present crisis with the power of the Risen Lord in unity and sanctity. Christ is the center and focus of humanity and He will shine upon everyone and He will reign here on earth, and in His own time He will gather them to His kingdom in eternity (Rev 5: 10, 7: 17).
 Jesus is Risen indeed, Hallelujah, He lives for ever and ever!!!!
(Fr. James Manjackal, the Founder-Director of the renowned MSFS retreat and renewal centre, Charis Bhavan, in Kerala is currently engaged in preaching retreats and renewal programmes in Europe, America and Gulf countries. His retreats have captured the hearts of many, especially the youth. For more information on his ministry and activities kindly log on to his website: www.jmanjackal.net)

Our Jesus, your Jesus – the great divide on Calvary Hills. A HOLY LAND TRAVEL STORY

  “Move fast. Don’t stop,” shouted the burly Greek Orthodox priest who was controlling the crowd lined up outside the main altar at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the walled old city of Jerusalem. It’s the holiest of the holy places on earth for Christians — yes, it’s Golgotha, on the hills of Calvary where Jesus Christ was crucified. This is also place where Jesus was buried (the Sepulchre, or tomb).

  The priest allowed us – 26 pilgrims from Mumbai led by Rev Fr Xavier Kanatt — only a few seconds. We just had a glimpse of the Rock of Calvary, or the 12th Station of the Cross, which can be seen under glass on both sides of the altar. And directly underneath the altar is a hole where the Roman soldiers raised the cross, where the salvific presence of God is revealed. It’s an emotional place and moment for every Christian, but the Orthodox priests manning the area would have none of it. They shooed away our friends, Dubai-based couple Sony and Annu, who were furiously clicking pictures of the most venerated place.

 The division in Christianity is amply on display here. The site is shared by several Christian churches. While Greek Orthodox controls the main altar, the Roman Catholic Church, led by Franciscan priests, controls an altar on the other side which is the Chapel on the Nailing of the Cross or the 11th Station of the Cross. The Eastern Orthodox Church has a chapel on the east side which houses a statue of Mary. It’s also the 13th Station of the Cross and also the place where Jesus’ body was removed from the cross. “There are occasional skirmishes among church groups inside the site. Nobody wants to lose control of their areas,” said our guide, a Christian from Galilea. 

  While Franciscans were credited with rebuilding the site, control of the church swung back and forth among various church groups. Tired of the squabbling, Sublime Porte — which is the Ottoman Courtin Constantinople — divided the church among different churches. Now the church, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times in 2000 years, is surrounded by markets, souvenir shops and minarets.

  “They (pilgrims) would like peace and quiet around them, but they feel the confusion amongst the five groups that occupy it – the Franciscans, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians, the Syrians and the Coptic Orthodox – who zealously guard their right of being there,” says Fr Artemio Vítores, OFM, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land. It is actually the only place in the world where love for God is manifested in the clearest and deepest way, but so is the human weakness of wanting to monopolise that same God, he said candidly.

 The main custodians of the site are the Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic Churches, with the Greek Orthodox Church having the lion’s share. The Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox acquired small portions of the site in the 19th century. Strangely, the keys to the main entrance of the church are being held by a Sunni Muslim family — which had links with Prophet Muhammad — for several centuries. “It’s unbelievable,” my wife said.

  When we visited the compound, some areas of the site were in a dilapidated condition. “You can’t touch the common areas in the site for renovation without the consent of all the churches. That’s why some areas are in acute state of repair,” said our guide.  

 “Pilgrims wonder where the hill, the garden and the tomb are, wishing that the principal sanctuary of Christianity stood in majestic isolation from the rest and that natural light illuminated it all, far from the crowd and darkness,” Fr Vitores’s message on the Franciscans website says. You can’t miss the hostile glances of priests on the site. They are looking at each other suspiciously. Different church groups had clashed inside the sanctum sanctorum for even silly reasons, our guide said.

  The journey of Jesus to Calvary, with the cross on His shoulders, was painful. If you take the same route now, in these modern times, you will be shocked. The path to Calvary is through a market area where people sell all paraphernalia. Several Stations of the Cross fall in the market area which is always crowded with hawkers and there was barely any space for our group of 26 pilgrims from Mumbai. “It’s unbelievable… the path that Roman soldiers and Jewish priests took to bring Jesus to Calvary s in such a bad condition,” my wife said again.

  Is the Israeli government listening?

  Franciscans say that it’s “important that the pilgrim, who feel bewildered, allow themselves to be embraced by the mystery and understand that like him, thousands of other pilgrims considered it worth risking their lives to adore our Saviour”.

 As Fr Vitores wrote, only kneeling on the Empty Tomb and forgetting everything that surrounds Him, will the pilgrim be able to hear the words of the angel “He is not here! He is risen! Come see the place where the Lord lay.”

   Franciscans manage St Catherine church in Bethlehem, Gethsemane garden of olives, the shrine of flagellation, VII Station, the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth, Church of first miracle in Cana, the shrine of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and archaeological work at Capernahum and Magdala.

Revolution in Church history: Pope Francis to attend Protestant Reformation commemoration

 In a path-breaking move, Pope Francis will travel to Sweden in October for a joint ecumenical commemoration of the start of the Reformation, together with leaders of the Lutheran World Federation and representatives of other Christian Churches.

 The event will take place on October 31, 2016 in the southern Swedish city of Lund where the Lutheran World Federation was founded in 1947. While kicking off a year of events to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, it will also highlight the important ecumenical developments that have taken place during the past 50 years of dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans. The one-day event will include a common worship service in Lund cathedral based on a Catholic-Lutheran “Common Prayer” liturgical guide, published earlier this month by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

 The commemoration in Lund follows on directly from the publication in 2013 of a joint document entitled ‘From Conflict to Communion’, which focuses on the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness. While asking for forgiveness for the divisions of past centuries, it  also seeks to showcase the gifts of the Reformation and celebrate the way Catholics and Lutherans around the world work together on issues of common concern.

 On October 31, 1517, the former Catholic priest Martin Luther (d.1546) nailed his 95 theses (disputations about Catholic Church practices, including indulgences) on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany, an action that helped launch the Reformation.Two of the major Protestant teachings established by Luther include the belief that the Bible is the only source of faith, and that one can save one’s soul through faith in God alone. In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a document, Exsurge Domine, condemning what the Catholic Church viewed as the errors of Martin Luther and called upon him to “cease from all preaching or the office of preacher.”

 In a joint press release, the LWF and the PCPCU  said Pope Francis, LWF President Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan and General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge will lead the Ecumenical Commemoration in cooperation with the Church of Sweden and the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm.

 "The joint ecumenical event will take place in the city of Lund in anticipation of the 500th Reformation anniversary in 2017. It will highlight the solid ecumenical developments between Catholics and Lutherans and the joint gifts received through dialogue. The event will include a common worship based on the recently published Catholic-Lutheran “Common Prayer” liturgical guide," the release said.

 “The LWF is approaching the Reformation anniversary in a spirit of ecumenical accountability,” says LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge. “I’m carried by the profound conviction that by working towards reconciliation between Lutherans and Catholics, we are working towards justice, peace and reconciliation in a world torn apart by conflict and violence.”

 Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) explains further: “By concentrating together on the centrality of the question of God and on a Christocentric approach, Lutherans and Catholics will have the possibility of an ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation, not simply in a pragmatic way, but in the deep sense of faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ."
“It is with joy and expectation that the Church of Sweden welcomes The Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church to hold the joint commemoration of the Reformation in Lund,” says Church of Sweden Archbishop Antje Jackelén. “We shall pray together with the entire ecumenical family in Sweden that the commemoration will contribute to Christian unity in our country and throughout the world.”

 “The ecumenical situation in our part of the world is unique and interesting. I hope that this meeting will help us look to the future so that we can be witnesses of Jesus Christ and His gospel in our secularized world,” says Anders Arborelius OCD, Bishop of the Catholic Church in Sweden.

 The Lund event is part of the reception process of the study document ' From Conflict to Communion' which was published in 2013, and has since been widely distributed to Lutheran and Catholic communities. The document is the first attempt by both dialogue partners to describe together at international level the history of the Reformation and its intentions.

 Earlier this year, the LWF and PCPCU sent to LWF member churches and  Catholic Bishops’ Conferences a jointly prepared “Common Prayer”, which is a liturgical guide to help churches commemorate the Reformation anniversary together. It is based on the study document From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017, and features the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness with the aim of expressing the gifts of the Reformation and asking forgiveness for the division which followed theological disputes.

 The year 2017 will also mark 50 years of the international Lutheran-Catholic dialogue, which has yielded notable ecumenical results, of which most significant is the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ). The JDDJ was signed by the LWF and the Catholic Church in 1999, and affirmed by the World Methodist Council in 2006. The declaration nullified centuries’ old disputes between Catholics and Lutherans over the basic truths of the doctrine of justification, which was at the center of the 16th century Reformation.

The institution of marriage faces the biggest challenge

 Is the institution of marriage facing the biggest challenge? It appears so if the situation in many countries is anything to go by.

 The Economist says in an article, “as couples wait longer to marry, and fewer eventually do, the number of countries where more births are out of wedlock than in it has risen to more than 20.”
Rates across the OECD group of 34 mostly rich countries vary hugely, from 2 per cent in Japan to 70 per cent in Chile. But overall the average is 39  per cent — more than five times what it was in 1970, it says.

 According to Roman Catholic norms, marriage is a sacrament. Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of "the wedding-feast of the Lamb." Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church, says the Catechism of Catholic Church (CCC).

  But people care two hoots about the biblical proposal on marriage. Gay marriages have already become a challenge and now the number of births of wedlock is rising. Divorces, once unheard of in the Catholic Church, are also on the rise. Inter-caste marriage has become a big issue in many dioceses of India, leading to the possibility of a decline in faith in the next generations.

  The Economist says unmarried parents are more likely to split up. Their children learn less in school and are more likely to be unhealthy or behave badly. It is hard to say how much of this difference is due to marriage itself, however, because unmarried parents differ a great deal from married ones. They are poorer, less well-educated and more likely to be teenagers, for example. But efforts to persuade people who otherwise would not marry to do so have generally failed, it says.

 The Catholic Church teaches: "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage."  The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. What's happening around the world is against the teachings of Bible.

  Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. “Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures,” The Economist says.
  In Brazil, where two-thirds of children are born to unmarried parents, couples whose relationship is “public, permanent and intended to form a family unit” are regarded as being in a “stable union”. Some countries allow couples to opt out of some of the provisions of de facto marriage by signing a contract, for example if one partner wishes to exclude property, or money for offspring from a previous relationship.

 CCC says that every man experiences evil around him and within himself. This experience makes itself felt in the relationships between man and woman. "Their union has always been threatened by discord, a spirit of domination, infidelity, jealousy, and conflicts that can escalate into hatred and separation. This disorder can manifest itself more or less acutely, and can be more or less overcome according to the circumstances of cultures, eras, and individuals, but it does seem to have a universal character," it says.
Catholic Church teaches very clearly. According to faith, the disorder we notice so painfully does not stem from the nature of man and woman, nor from the nature of their relations, but from sin. As a break with God, the first sin had for its first consequence the rupture of the original communion between man and woman. Their relations were distorted by mutual recriminations; their mutual attraction, the Creator's own gift, changed into a relationship of domination and lust; and the beautiful vocation of man and woman to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth was burdened by the pain of childbirth and the toil of work.

 Nevertheless, the order of creation persists, though seriously disturbed. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of the grace that God in his infinite mercy never refuses them.99 Without his help man and woman cannot achieve the union of their lives for which God created them "in the beginning." This is the bottom line.

The Christian purge in Middle East

 Two thousand years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christianity is facing its biggest crisis in Middle East, the very place it was born.
 
 The followers of Christ are on the verge of extinct in Middle East after a series of religious cleansing, killings and exodus. The painful saga of exodus in Bible is being reenacted in Middle East, one of the cradles of Christianity in the world. 

A year ago, I wrote Christians were fleeing on foot with no food, money or water to escape the wrath of ISIS militants. It’s a pity that the conscience of the world has still not woken up. Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq, Libya and Syria. People can’t stay in these regions because there is death for whoever stays.

 "Most victims of war and terrorism in the Middle East are Muslims, since they are by far the majority of the population. But the tiny Christian minority often feels singled out. Their numbers are declining where the fighting is worst (see chart). Overall, the proportion of Middle Easterners who are Christian has dropped from 14 per cent in 1910 to 4 per cent today. Church leaders and pundits have begun to ask whether Christianity will vanish from the Middle East, its cradle, after 2,000 years," The Economist magazine said in an article titled "And then there were none". 

 This reminds one of the great mystery novel by Agatha Christie by the identical tile  "And then there were none". This novel is about of ten people who were involved in murders and all them got killed mysteriously in an island. Christians are getting killed in the Middle East, but there's a difference: Christians are innocent and not involved in any murders like the ten murders in Christie's novel.

 No doubt, an exodus is under way. Many Christians feel more at home in the West and have the means to get there. "Some are leaving because of the general atmosphere of violence and economic malaise. Others worry about persecution. A recent video of three Assyrian Christians in orange jumpsuits being made to kneel before being shot in the head by Islamic State (IS) jihadists fuelled this fear—though IS treats many other groups equally badly," the magazine said.  

 Mosul, in northern Iraq, was once home to tens of thousands of Christians. Perceived as supporting the Americans, they were targeted by insurgents after the invasion. A wave of killings in 2008, including that of the local Chaldean archbishop, seemed to mark the low point for the community. Then came ISIS. When the jihadists entered the city in 2014, they reportedly tagged Christian houses with an “N” for “Nazarene”, and gave their occupants a choice: convert, pay the jizya, a tax on non-Muslims, or face possible death. Most fled. In July 2014 IS announced that the city was free of Christians.

 "Many who left Mosul went to Erbil, the Kurdish capital of northern Iraq, where they have trouble finding work or obtaining public services. Even there, some refugees chafe at the enforcement of Muslim customs. In general, Christians complain that their Muslim neighbours are growing increasingly intolerant," says the article. In the decades before the Arab spring, many Christian leaders lent their support to authoritarian rulers in return for the protection of Christians —and their own lofty status. But the deals broke down when the dictators fell or wobbled, leaving Christians in a predicament. This happened in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was removed. This is not because the regime fell, but because there was no more authority, there was a vacuum. In Syria, it’s the same thing, Christians do not back the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but they are afraid of what may come next.

 The Economist says Christian leaders have often supported whichever strongman is in power. The late Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic church, the largest in the Middle East, backed Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s former dictator, and discouraged Copts from joining the protests that would eventually topple him. In 2012 Shenouda was succeeded by Tawadros II, who supports the current strongman, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. The Copts have gained little from their leaders’ loyalty. Mubarak stood by as relations between Christians and Muslims deteriorated and sectarian violence increased. Sisi is seen as better than the Islamist government that he toppled. A draft law would make it easier to build churches. But Copts are still expelled from villages for such crimes as falling in love with a Muslim.

 According to the magazine, even in Lebanon, where Christians were once a majority and still hold considerable power, their political leaders have disappointed. Under the country’s unique system, government posts are shared out based on sect. The presidency goes to a Maronite, the largest group of Christians. But in recent decades many Christians have left. Muslims are now a majority, and want power to match their numbers. Christian political leaders complain of persecution, but many seem more concerned with enhancing their own power. Bickering between politicians has left the presidency vacant for 18 months.

 Interestingly, the Gulf, home to the most conservative brand of Islam, which has welcomed the largest number of Christians recently, though not from Iraq or Syria. "A wave of migrant labourers from the Asia-Pacific has dramatically increased the share of Christians in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had few before. Tolerance varies between countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, bans the practice of Christianity (though many Christians worship in private). The UAE restricts proselytisation, but has otherwise supported its Christians. The number of churches in the country has grown from 24 in 2005 to 40 today. The emirate’s rulers often provide churches with free land, water and electricity. But these new Christian enclaves may not last. Migrant workers in the Gulf cannot easily become citizens or put down roots," it says.

Saint of the gutters set to be canonised

 Mother Teresa of Kolkata, the Nobel laureate known for dedicating her life to helping the poorest of the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Friday.
 The Vatican didn’t provide further details, but according to a report in Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian Catholic bishops’ conference, Mother Teresa’s canonization would probably occur on Sept, 4, 2016, the day before her feast day. Pope Francis has cleared the way for sainthood by approving a decree recognising a second miracle attributed to her intercession with God - a necessary event for such a move in the church.
 Known as the "saint of the gutters", the diminutive nun is expected to be canonised -- formally made a saint -- in early September. It was not clear if the ceremony would take place in Rome or if the pope would travel to India to preside over it.
 Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 at the age of 87, become an international icon of charity in the 20th century but has also been criticised for trying to convert people to Christianity. She was beatified in 2003 by the late Pope John Paul II. Beatification, which requires one miracle, is the last step before sainthood, which requires two.
 The church believes saints are holy men and women who lived extraordinary lives of virtue and are believed to be in Heaven with God.
 Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Church's current Holy Year, or Jubilee, in which Catholics are called on to emphasise the need for mercy and compassion in the world.
 Mother Teresa's second miracle involved the inexplicable healing of a Brazilian man who was suffering from a viral brain infection that resulted in multiple abscesses with hydrocephalus, according to Church officials.
 Relatives prayed to Mother Teresa and he recovered, leaving his doctors at a loss to explain how. A Vatican medical commission deemed the sudden recovery "inexplicable in the light of present-day medical knowledge," according to Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the chief promoter of the sainthood cause.

"CHRISTMAS GIFT"

 In Kolkata, Sunita Kumar, spokeswoman for Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity religious order said the nuns were "over the moon" when they got the news. "We thought her whole life was a miracle. Her whole life was dedicated to the poor and there was nothing else in her mind than service. Everyone was accepted and there was no obstruction in her work," she told Reuters.
 Archbishop Thomas D'Souza of Calcutta told Reuters the news from Rome was "the best Christmas gift," adding, "Her entire life and work was for the poor. Now it is in a way officially recognised. We are grateful to God."
 In the years since her death, some critics accused her and the order of having ulterior motives, saying their real aim was to convert people to Christianity. The order has denied the allegations, saying, for example, that most of those helped in the Kalighat Home for Dying Destitutes in Kolkata were non-Christians with just a few days left to live and noting that conversion is a lengthy process.
 The order has also denied allegations of financial mismanagement of the huge sums it received from donor.
 Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in Macedonia in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire.  She founded the Missionaries of Charity to help the poor on the streets of Kolkata and the religious order later spread throughout the world. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
(Reuters)

Dechristianisation campaign: Who's behind it?

 Over 53 years ago, on June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale that a prayer approved by the New York Board of Regents for use in schools violated the First Amendment by constituting an establishment of religion. The following year, in Abington School District v. Schempp, the Court disallowed Bible readings in public schools for similar reasons.
 
 Who's behind such campaigns? Answer: Devil. The proponents of Devil have been tirelessly working for dechristianisation in various countries. Undoubtedly, they had some successes here and there while indulging in their campaign against Christianity.  What happened -- is happening now -- in Iraq and Syria is another form of dechristianisation. Unfortunately, this campaign has been going on in many countries.

  The latest is from Britain. A two-year inquiry into the place of religion in modern society has concluded Britain is no longer a Christian country and should stop acting as if it is a Christian country. The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life, chaired by former senior judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and involving leading religious leaders from all faiths, called for public life in Britain to be systematically dechristianised.

 Western countries have debated many times before whether Christianity is a friend or foe of society, but perhaps never so dramatically as during the French Revolution. From about 1790 to 1800, the revolutionary government exiled or executed thousands of Catholic clerics and tried to expunge all traces of France’s Christian past from public life. "The dechristianisation campaign could be seen as part of a broader intellectual movement which sought to question the place of religion within public life. Many enlightened thinkers thought that religion was a matter of private judgement and should not be dictated by secular authorities," Dr Andrew Thompson, an historian at Queens' College, Cambridge University, said in an interview. 

  The Arizona Book Banning and Burning Board, a division of the Arizona Dept of Education, outlawed any teaching of or reference to the Bible in its schools. The Board found both "books" of the Bible: the Old Testament and the New, in  violation of Arizona’s HB2281 (aka the Ethnic Studies Bill) by being "totally biased in favor of the Jews" and teaching the "superiority of the Jewish race."
   According to the Board, the book’s claim that the Jews are God’s chosen people specifically violates three of the four main prohibitions of HB2281. The Bible is "designed primarily for readers of a particular ethnic group" and it "advocates ethnic solidarity instead of treating people as individuals". It also promotes  "resentment towards a race or class of people" in fact dozens of them: the Egyptians whom it accuses of enslaving the Jews, the Babylonians, "hairy men," "scarlet" women, the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah the Medes, the Persians, worshippers of Baal, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Samaritans, the Hittites, and 143 other  tribes. The Board also mentioned about some outrageous and laughable observations, which are nothing sacrilege.

 Jerry Newcombe, author, TV producer and activist, wrote about an incident involving Bible. "In our own backyard here in Broward County, Fla. has arisen a disturbing story of a twelve year old boy (Giovanni Rubeo) getting in trouble with his teacher for having the audacity of reading the Bible to himself during free time, when the children were free to read whatever they wanted to. But his teacher singled out the Bible (a Christmas gift Gio treasures) because it was allegedly inappropriate to read in the school. In her own words, it was "the book he's reading as opposed to the curriculum for public school. Again, this was during free time," he wrote.

 She had told Giovanni on previous occasions not to read the Bible, so she called the student's father to berate him, leaving a message, saying, "He's not permitted to read those (religious) books in my classroom. He said if I told him to put it away, you (the dad) said not to do that."

 Let's come back to the British report. The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life's report says "three striking trends in recent decades have revolutionised the landscape on which religion and belief in Britain meet and interact. The first is the increase in the number of people with non-religious beliefs and identities."

 "The second is the decline in Christian affiliation, belief and practice and within this decline a shift in Christian affiliation that has meant that Anglicans no longer comprise a majority of Christians. The third is the increase in the number of people who have a religious affiliation but who are not Christian".

 According to wire reports, the British report highlights figures showing the decline in people who say they are Anglicans from 40 per cent in 1983 to less than a fifth in 2013. "The increase in those with non-religious beliefs, the reduction in the number of Christians and an increase in their diversity, and the increase in the number of people identifying with non-Christian religions: these are the settled social context of Britain today and for the foreseeable future, as is the unsettled and unsettling context of the international environment," the 150-page report says.
  Its central recommendation is for a UK-wide consultation exercise to draw up a 21st century equivalent to the 'Magna Carta' to define the values at the heart of modern Britain instead of the UK government's controversial "British values" requirements, the Daily Telegraph reported.  The report provoked a warning from the Church of England. It apparently said the report is dominated by the old fashioned view that traditional religion is declining in importance and that non-adherence to a religion is the same as humanism or secularism.
  Christianity has survived 2000 years. The advent, life, passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is to save the mankind. Devil can't succeed by stalling this glorious mission of Jesus. Lets wait and see.

Yoga in philosophy and practice is incompatible with Christianity

By Fr James Manjackal M.S.F.S.

 As a Catholic Christian born in a traditional Catholic family in Kerala, India, but lived amidst the Hindus; and now as a catholic religious priest and charismatic preacher in 60 countries in all continents, I have something to say about the bad effects of Yoga on Christian spirituality and life. I know there is a growing interest on Yoga all over the world, even among Christians- and this interest is extended to other esoteric and new age practices like Reiki, reincarnation, acupressure, acupuncture, pranic healing, reflexology, etc. which are methods against which the Vatican has cautioned and warned in her document “Jesus Christ bearer of the water of life”.
 

For some, Yoga is a means of relaxation and easing of tension and for others is a form of exercise promoting fitness and health and for a few is a means of healing of sicknesses. There is much confusion in the mind of the average Catholic- lay and cleric- because Yoga as promoted among Catholics is neither entirely a health discipline nor entirely a spiritual discipline, but sometimes one, sometimes the other, and often a mixture of both.  But in fact, Yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline and I know even priests and nuns in the seminaries and novitiates promote Yoga as help to meditation and prayer. It is sad that now a days, many Catholics are loosing trust in the great spiritualities and mysticisms for prayer and discipline handed over to them by great saints like Ignatius of Loyola, Francis of Assisi, Francis of Sales, St. Theresa of Avila, etc. and are now going after the Eastern spiritualities and mysticisms coming from Hinduism and Buddhism. It is in this regard that a sincere Christian should inquire into Yoga’s compatibility with the Christian spirituality and the wisdom of incorporating its techniques into Christian prayer and meditation.

 What is Yoga? The word Yoga means “union”, the goal of Yoga is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self, “JIVA” with the infinite “BRAHMAN”, the Hindu concept of God.. This God is not a personal God, but it is an impersonal spiritual substance which is one with nature and cosmos. Brahman is an impersonal divine substance that “pervades, envelopes and underlies everything”. Yoga has its roots in the Hindu Upanishads, which is as old as 1.000 BC, and it tells about Yoga thus, “unite the light within you with the light of Brahman”. “The absolute is within one self” says the Chandogya Upanishads, “TAT TUAM ASI” or “THOU ART THAT”. The Divine dwells within each one of us through His microcosmic representative, the individual self called Jiva. In the Bhagavad Gita, the lord Krishna describes the Jiva as “my own eternal portion”, and “the joy of Yoga comes to yogi who is one with Brahman”. In A.D. 150, the yogi Patanjali explained the eight ways that leads the Yoga practices from ignorance to enlightenment – the eight ways are like a staircase – They are self-control (yama), religious observance (niyama), postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), sense control (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), deep contemplation (dhyana), enlightenment (samadhi). It is interesting to note, here, that postures and breathing- exercises, often considered to be the whole of Yoga in the West, are steps 3 and 4 towards union with Brahman! Yoga is not only an elaborate system of physical exercises, it is a spiritual discipline, purporting to lead the soul to samadhi, total union with the divine being. Samadhi is the state in which the natural and the divine become one, man and God become one without any difference (Brad Scott: Exercise or religious practice? Yoga: What the teacher never taught you in that Hatha Yoga class” in the Watchman Expositor Vol. 18, No. 2, 2001).

 Such a view is radically contrary to Christianity which clearly distinguishes between Creator and creature, God and man. In Christianity, God is the “Other” and never the self. It is sad that some promoters of Yoga, Reiki and other disciplines and meditations, had misquoted some isolated Bible quotations to substantiate their arguments such as, “you are the temple of God”, “the living water flows from you”, “you will be in me and I will be in you”, “it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me”, etc. without understanding the context and the meaning of those words in the Bible. There are even people who portray Jesus as a yogi as we can see now a days such pictures of Jesus in convent-chapels and presbyteries - Jesus presented in yogi postures of meditation!

 To call Jesus “a yogi” is to deny His intrinsic divinity, holiness and perfection and suggest that He had a fallen nature subject to ignorance and illusion (Maya), that He needed to be liberated from the human condition through the exercise and discipline of Yoga. Yoga is incompatible with the Christian Spirituality because it is pantheistic (God is everything and everything is God), and holds that there is only one Reality and all else is illusion or Maya. If there is only one absolute reality and all else is illusory, there can be no relationship and no love. The Centre of Christian faith is faith in the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, three persons in one God-Head, the perfect model of loving relationship. Christianity is all about relationships, with God and among men, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22: 37-39).

 In Hinduism, good and evil, like pain and pleasure are illusory (Maya) and therefore unreal. Vivekananda, the most respected icons of modern Hinduism, said “good and evil are one and the same” (Vivekananda. “The yogas and other works” published, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre NY 1953). In Christianity the vexing problem of sin as an offence against the Holiness of God is inseparable from our faith, because sin is the reason why we need a Saviour. The Incarnation, the Life, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of Jesus are for us means for salvation, that is to set us free from sin and its consequences. We can not ignore this fundamental difference in order to absorb Yoga and other Eastern meditation techniques into Christian Spirituality. The practice of Yoga is pagan at best, and occult at worst. This is the religion of antichrist and for the first time in history it is being wildly practised throughout the Western world and America. It is ridiculous that even yogi masters wearing a Cross or a Christian symbol deceive people saying that Yoga has nothing to do with Hinduism and say that it is only accepting the other cultures. Some have masked Yoga with Christian gestures and call it “Christian Yoga”. Here it is not a question of accepting the culture of other people, it is a question of accepting another religion which is irrelevant to our religion and religious concepts.

 It is a pity that Yoga has been wildly spread all over from kindergarten to all form of educational institutions in medicine, psychology, etc. calling itself as a science while it is not a science at all; and they are sold under the label ‘relaxation therapy’, ‘self-hypnosis’, ‘creative visualisation’, ‘centering’, etc. Hatha Yoga, one which is wide spread in Europe and America for relaxation and non-strenous exercises, is one of the six recognized systems of orthodox Hinduism, and it is at its roots religious and mystical, which is the most dangerous forms of Yoga (Dave Hunt, “the seduction of Christianity” page 110)  Remember the words of St. Paul, “No wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (II Cor 11: 14). It is true that many people are healed by Yoga and other Eastern ways of meditation and prayers. Here the Christian should ask themselves whether they need healing and material benefits or their God Jesus Christ in Whom they believe, Who is the source of all healings and good health.

 The desire to become God is the first and second sin in the history of creation as chronologically recorded in the Bible, “You said in your heart, I will scale the heavens, above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my sit on the mount of Assembly, in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Is 14: 13-14). The serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God who knows what is good and what is bad” (Gen 3: 4-5). The philosophy and practice of Yoga are based on the belief that man and God are one. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead on the One True God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s problems and questions within their own mind and conscience instead of finding solutions in the Word of God through the Holy Spirit as it is in Christianity. It definitely leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims whom he can take away from God and the Church (IPet  5: 8)

 For last eight years, I was preaching the Word of God mainly in European countries, which once were the cradles of Christianity, producing evangelisers and missionaries, martyrs and saints. Now can we call Europe Christian? Is it not true that Europe has erased all its Christian concepts and values from lives? Why Europe is ashamed to say that it has Christian roots? Where are the moral values and ethics practised by Europeans from down the centuries and handed over to other countries and cultures by the bold proclamation of the Gospel of Christ? From the fruits we shall know the tree!. I believe that these doubts and confusions, apostasy and infidelism, religious coldness and indifference came to Europe ever since the Eastern mysticisms and meditations, esoteric and New Age practices were introduced in the West. 

 In my charismatic retreats, the majority of the participants come with various moral, spiritual, mental and physical problems in order to be liberated and healed and to have a new life through the power of the Holy Spirit. With all sincerity of heart I will say, 80 to 90 per cent of the participants had been to Yoga, Reiki, reincarnation, etc of the Eastern religious practices where they lost faith in Jesus Christ and the Church. In Croatia, Bosnia, Germany, Austria and Italy I had clear instances where individuals who were possessed with the powers of darkness cried out “I am Reiki”, “I am Mr. Yoga”, identifying themselves to these concepts as persons while I was conducting prayers of healing for them. Later, I had to pray over them by the prayer of deliverance to liberate them from the evil possessions.

 There are some people who say, “there is nothing wrong in having the practices of these, it is enough not to believe the philosophies behind”. The promoters of Yoga, Reiki, etc, themselves very clearly state, that the philosophy and practice are inseparable. So a Christian can not, in any way, accept the philosophy and practice of Yoga because Christianity and Yoga are mutually exclusive view points. Christianity sees man’s primary problem as sin, a failure to conform to both, the character and standards of a morally perfect God. Man is alienated from God and he is in need of reconciliation. The solution is Jesus Christ “The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. Through Jesus’ death on the Cross, God reconciled the world to Himself. He, now calls man to freely receive all the benefits of his salvation through faith in Christ alone.
 
  Unlike Yoga, Christianity views Salvation as a free gift, it can only be received and never be earned or attained by one’s own effort or works. Today what is needed in Europe or elsewhere is the powerful preaching of the message of Christ coming from the Bible and interpreted by the Church in order to remove the doubts and confusions wildly spread among the Christian in the West and to bring them to the Way, the Truth and Life : Jesus Christ. Only Truth can set us free.

(Fr. James Manjackal, the Founder-Director of the renowned MSFS retreat and renewal centre, Charis Bhavan, in Kerala is currently engaged in preaching retreats and renewal programmes in Europe, America and Gulf countries. His retreats have captured the hearts of many, especially the youth. For more information on his ministry and activities kindly log on to his website: www.jmanjackal.net)

Replace Halloween with Holyween... ignore Halloween, it's devilish

  Should Halloween be scrapped and replaced with 'Holyween' -- a night in which children would attend prayer vigils and dress up as saints?
 Last year, Vatican's first official conference of exorcists warned of a danger to young people at Halloween when there is an increase in occult activity.
 Is Halloween all about fun and frolic? No. As innocent children around the world get excited about dressing up as ghouls and ghosts, the Catholic Church had warned that celebrating Halloween can tempt people into worship of the occult. Halloween originates from superstitions that exalt spirits and demons.
 There's a belief among many people that Halloween was a bit of harmless fun involving fake blood and Frankenstein masks, but they would be gravely mistaken, said Father Aldo Buonaiuto, a Catholic priest who took part in an international conference of exorcists in Rome last year. "Halloween originates from superstitions that exalt malign spirits and demons. Many people see it as a simple carnival, but it is anything but innocent, it is a subterranean world based on the occult," he told La Nazione, an Italian newspaper.
"Halloween is the anti-chamber towards something much more disturbing. For devotees of the occult, October 31 is the satanic new year. It's a time for luring new converts. And it's a time when exorcists have to work harder," said the priest, a member of the Pope John XXIII Association, a Catholic organisation which combats black magic sects in 25 countries around the world. "With the arrival of Halloween, there is an increase in black magic rites, sacrilege and the adoration of Satan, as well as demonic possessions," he said.
 Halloween is one of the most dangerous spiritual holidays of the year. The celebration of Halloween is very common in the US. It has now made an entry into other countries. This writer has come across many Christians and their kids celebrating Halloween without knowing what it represents or signifies. It doesn't strike them that Halloween represents an opportunity to embrace the evil, devilish, dark side of the spiritual world.
 In response to the growing popularity of Halloween, the association has launched a campaign to replace it with a rival, Christian festival called 'Holyween'. The idea is to banish pumpkins, plastic skeletons and other Halloween emblems and instead hang up pictures of saints and martyrs.
 Churches should hold Masses, prayer vigils and adorations in honour of Christian saints in order to combat the malign influence of Halloween, the priest said.
 Pope Francis said in a homily at a morning Mass in Vatican: "This generation, and many others, have been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figure, an idea, the idea of evil." "But the devil exists and we must fight against him," Pope said.
 Pope Francis had given a special blessing to a group of some 300 Catholic exorcists meeting in Rome ahead of All Saints Day and the Day of the Dead (Halloween) last year. The nature of devils and demons, and their relationship to all kinds of psychological disturbances (or vice versa) is a complicated question, but on one point the Church is unequivocal: exorcism is no job for amateurs. For both the possessed and the priest-practitioner, driving out the devil can be dangerous to mind, body and spirit.
 The International Association of Exorcists was recognized in June by the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy and convened here in Rome last week week to discuss "best practices" and hear from psychologists who specialize in recognizing what may often be indistinguishable differences between demonic possession and mental illness.

HALLOWEEN, A PAGAN FESTIVAL

 In an article in www.cbn.com, Elliott Watson writes that the origins of Halloween are Celtic in tradition and have to do with observing the end of summer sacrifices to gods in Druidic tradition. In what is now Britain and France, it was the beginning of the Celtic year, and they believed Samhain, the lord of death, sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans, who could escape only by assuming disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. The waning of the sun and the approach of dark winter made the evil spirits rejoice and play nasty tricks. Believe it or not, most of our Halloween practices can be traced back to these old pagan rites and superstitions.
 "Just before reaching a conclusion on the subject, I was struck with the thought that I ought to further my search and find out what Wicca, the official religion of witchcraft, has to say about Halloween. Perhaps they viewed the day as a simple fun and innocent neighborhood activity?" Watson writes.
 “Shock” is the only word to describe what I found. Halloween is a real, sacred day for those who follow Wicca. In fact, it is one of two high and holy days for them. The Celtic belief of spirits being released is current, along with the worship of Samhain (the lord of death) – both are promoted as something to embrace on that day. There is no question in my mind that to those who believe and follow the practices of witchcraft, Halloween represents an opportunity to embrace the evil, devilish, dark side of the spiritual world, Watson writes.

‘Faith is a conviction… theoretical knowledge is not enough’

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INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP MAR THOMAS ELAVANAL By Sheena George & Nelson C. J.  Soft-spoken and affable Mar Thomas Elavanal, Bishop of Kalyan Diocese, never minces words while talking about various issues related to the faithful and the diocese. In an interview, Mar Elavanal spoke about vocation, maintaining a personal relationship with God, Catholic teachings and ways to tackle inroads by Protestants, sustaining faith and the need to maintain a watch over children while using new technologies like internet and smart phone. Excerpts:  As we celebrate the year of consecrated life, how can we, as parents, encourage our children to take up this as their vocation? Vocation is a call from God. First of all what we need is prayer from the part of parents. Second, set a good example to the children. Everyday my parents used to go to church and in the morning they used to pray Rosary for us. So I was always attached to the church… and as an altar boy I used to recite the prayers in Syriac language. I still remember how my parents used to talk about priests. With at most respect they used to talk about them, like they are men of God. If a priest visited our home, my mother would go and kneel before him and kiss his hands. If she cooked something special at home, we children were entrusted to take a share of it  to the parish priests. Actually my parents never asked me whether I wanted to become a priest. My two sisters are nuns and my brother is a priest. Some of the examples of priests also motivated me to become a priest.  At home, if the parents talk negatively about priests, children will never get an idea to become a priest or nun. To conclude, I would say that the vocation to priesthood is a gift of God and I got this gift of God, the vocation, through my parents. So the parents should take up the responsibility to make the children understand that it’s a sublime vocation. Your Excellency, do you think Sunday catechism and family unit meetings are enough for children, or even adults, to get into a personal relationship with Jesus? If not, what else is necessary?   Sunday school is helping the children and youth to grow in faith. Theoretical knowledge about faith can be given through Sunday school. There also, children need good examples to get a conviction about what they learn in Sunday school. In school or college, or to become a good engineer, theoretical knowledge is sufficient. But faith is a conviction. That’s why after teaching the disciples for 3 years Jesus asked them: "who do you say I am?" This He asked to know whether they got the conviction "who He is". So whenever I talk to Catechism teachers I tell them to give the children living examples and conviction about what they learn.   Last week, when we priests were attending a retreat conducted by Fr Dominic Valanmanal, he spoke about his life experience of living in faith. That motivated me very much. Maybe I have learned the same or even more about faith theoretically but his life example inspired me. Good relationship with Jesus will give a good relationship with the church also. A good relationship with Jesus will always reflect in the relationship with our brethren and with the church. So children will never go away from the church when they become youth if they have good relationship with Jesus. How can we prevent ourselves from getting into the trap of protestant teachings?  First of all, this happens because of our lack of knowledge about our faith. We don’t know how to answer their questions or express the correct knowledge about our faith... hence we can get easily influenced by them. That’s why faith formation must be a continued process. So we must have a platform to discuss our doubts. In Catholic Church, we have three fortresses to protect our faith: 1. Word of God; 2. The Magisterium or the official teaching of the church and 3. The Sacred tradition or the teachings of the Fathers of the church. In Catholic Church, the deposit of faith is never the teaching or interpretation of one person, it’s the collective teaching. Unlike protestant teachings, Catholic Church gives importance to the Sacred traditions as a source of faith. it's never a thought or interpretation of one person. It must always fall in line with or in the light of the tradition of the church. It’s a teaching of 2,000 years. So in order not to get influenced by wrong teachings, we must have platforms to discuss and clear our doubts. Hence an ongoing adult faith formation is a must. I know about one such platform. Parents’ (who are waiting in the church to take their children back home from Catechism classes) get together on Sundays and a resource person to guide them. Whenever we get doubts about venerating Mother Mary or about matters of faith like purgatory etc., we must have such platforms for discussion to clarify our doubts. But somebody must be guiding the discussion. As inter-caste marriages are on the rise in the diocese, what can be done about the situation? What's your assessment?  Why do we discourage inter-caste marriages? In marriage, God is bringing together two persons, making them one in body, mind and spirit. They have to be one in faith to be one in spirit. If faith is not one, they can never become one in spirit. Actually speaking, they cannot pray together. Even ideologically, they can be one. But the foundation is not stable. If the one partner, who is not in Christian faith, is willing to change his/ her faith then you can say it’s a little better than keeping their different faith and getting married. In that case, you can say it's 75 per cent solved. Because there are cases of conversion and there are people who faithfully keep it.  So if somebody does that (conversion), it should not be as a mask just to enter into marriage. When the partners keep their different faith and get married, what about their children? I say this inter-caste marriage is a crime against their children. Which faith should they follow? Who will teach them? They are confusing their children. The Bible teaches no marriage is allowed with non-believers because you will lose your faith. But unfortunately many a time we have to give the consent letter. You know why? Some parents who are living in good faith find their children adamant in marrying someone from different faith.  Seeing these parents' tears and fearing that if they're not allowed to marry in the church we may lose both, we give the consent. So to keep at least one in the Church we give dispensation. But that (inter-caste marriage) is not considered as a sacrament. To receive the sacrament of matrimony, both the partners must be Catholics. I take classes for the youth and when they understand the teaching even they say this kind of marriage must not be allowed in the Church.  What are the challenges before the diocese at present and in the coming years? Has the diocese been able to take the message of Jesus to interior regions of Maharashtra?  We have four missions. I can say, to a great extend, we are able to take the message of Christ. Sangli mission is the topmost. There we have social and charitable activities -- Christ witnessing events. There was one priest in one of the villages. Every morning he used to pray before the Holy Eucharist in the church. He told the villagers if they have any prayer intentions they can give it to him so that he can pray to God about it. One day, villagers asked whether they can join the prayers. The priest agreed and together they started praying. It so happened that the villagers found their intentions answered and the number of people increased like 25-30.  One day, when I visited this place they were praying. All of them were Hindus but they were praying around the Holy Eucharist. All came to greet me touching my feet. The end result was that a whole village received our faith and we have a parish there just for Marathi people. There was nobody to oppose as the whole villagers took  the decision together and not one person. It’s a small village comprising only 35 people.  We don’t have any challenges at present or even recent times for our diocese. In most of the places, there is an understanding between us and other communities. The advantage they see is that we work for the poor out of love for our Lord and as per His commandment. We had crisis situation before but not at present. We have 185 priests in the diocese including the mission areas.  How can we prevent the young generation from endangering themselves by modern technology? For example, smart phones and internet etc...   A conscientisation must be given to the youth about this through classes. We must keep a watchful eye on them. Only parents can give that. Even in seminaries, our brothers are not allowed to use personal cell phones. The use of computer by our children must be given even more vigilant attention. Even though modern technologies have made our life easier, it has many adverse effects as well. Distraction from their studies is one of them. An enticing or tempting world has been created by the digital world. So we have to be all the more watchful or else there is every chance that our children will go wayward.  How can we encourage our youth to get involved in religious work?  What I suggest is give them various responsibilities, guiding them from behind and correcting them whenever necessary. That will make them more responsible and confident. When I visited Kalewadi parish, Pune, I saw the second trustee was a young person -- from the youth section. I was surprised. Children born and brought up in Kerala are prompted to do things more responsibly than their counterparts in Mumbai. Here in Mumbai, they are provided with whatever they need. So they are not that self responsible. So it is better to train them, giving responsibilities at a young age itself. Then they will do church work without any reluctance. Entrusting them with responsibilities, having confidence in them and giving proper guidance and correction are necessary to make them responsible. How can we the parishioners help you in your ministry?  What I feel is that members of Kalyan Diocese are a group of people who love the church and the diocese. It's not me alone... but also the priests who have visited here feel the same. People are more co-operative here than in Kerala. It's not because here it is a small number, but here we are responsible to build everything for us. In Kerala, everything is provided. Here we can have a church only if we personally contribute.    Each person plays an important role. Major Archbishop visited various churches in our diocese. After visiting these churches, the Major Archbishop asked me, how were you able to build these beautiful churches? I had to tell him, here in our diocese, we have people who are generously supportive and who collaborate with the church. It's because of the people of God we are able to build. Here we feel a sense of belongingness.  Your Excellency has turned 67 years, the diocese is 27 years old and this is your 18th year as Bishop. What do you feel when you look back all these years?  I have satisfaction and joy. When I say joy, I didn’t have any crisis situation at all. Satisfaction because Lord has done many things for our diocese like helping us build churches, buying places etc. We needed a minor seminary and a pastoral centre. All these we got by His grace. That’s why this satisfaction. Another thing is we don’t have any tension like big financial crisis or problems in relationship between priests and the bishop or with the people.