BC Charismatic Newsletter Fall 2016
Who will you bring?
Sister Linda Koontz: Tell your loved ones about Jesus
By RICHARD DUNSTAN
Catholics need to get up and speak up, Sister Linda Koontz told charismatics from across the province this summer in Kelowna. Tell the world about Jesus. The salvation of the people we love—and everybody else—depends on it.
Mercy was the theme of the eighth annual Our Lady of Pentecost Summer Institute, in keeping with the current Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. Sister Linda, the featured speaker for the first three days of the week-long institute held Aug. 5-12 at Seton House of Prayer, spent most of her time urging her listeners to spread the news of God’s mercy before it’s too late. As Jesus said to St. Faustina, “speak to My people about My great mercy while there is still time.”
Sister Linda showed a video of “A Vision of the Lost” by Salvation Army founder William Booth, which depicts lost souls drowning, as Jesus and a few Christians try to pull them to safety while most of those already saved are busy with other priorities. (She said St. Francis of Assisi had a similar vision, but she wasn’t able to find a usable version of it.)
“Jesus’ last words (Matthew 28:10, “go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”) are the most disobeyed in the Bible,” she said. “Ninety-five per cent of Christians have never witnessed to anyone. That’s why people are drowning. Jesus said ‘go.’ A lot of Catholics think He said ‘sit.’
“Some of the people drowning are your loved ones. They’re drowning because you’re afraid to talk to them. The devil wants you quiet, and he has succeeded in a lot of cases.”
About 40 people attended the institute, held at St. Elizabeth Seton House of Prayer with evening prayer events at St. Charles Garnier parish. The institute is sponsored by Nelson Diocesan Charismatic Renewal Service Committee and endorsed by Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of B.C. Many of those attending were local residents, but others came from as far away as Cranbrook, Kamloops, Victoria and Powell River. Father Obiora (Sylvester) Ibekwe, bishop’s liaison to the charismatic renewal for the Nelson diocese, was also a featured speaker (see article below)
Sister Linda, originally from Washington State, joined the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1960 and was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1968. Before that, she said, she was “a fan [of Jesus], but not a disciple.” The following year, she toured B.C. and Alberta with Father Joe Kane of Ottawa, holding some of the first charismatic prayer meetings in those provinces.
In 1971 she was released by her order from full-time teaching to work in the Catholic charismatic renewal, and in 1977 she moved to El Paso, Texas, to work in the late Father Rick Thomas’s ministry to the poor in the adjoining border city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. She founder her own ministry to the poor, Spirit of the Lord International Mission, in 1986, serving Juárez and other areas.
Sister Linda said she once asked God in prayer what He would ask her on Judgement Day. “I’m going to ask you, ‘who did you bring?’” He said. She took the answer seriously, phoned all her relatives, and asked them if they had surrendered their lives to Jesus—and where they would go if they died tonight.
“That will tell you in seconds where someone stands,” she said.
She said it’s true that we must evangelize by the example of our Christian lives, but that isn’t enough by itself. “We must open our mouth and speak it. We have to talk to people, ask questions, and have courage and not be afraid. “Timidity is not a virtue, it’s a demonic stronghold. Do it scared.”
Actually, she said, talking about Jesus isn’t as hard as it sounds. “People are hungry, and they’re looking for someone who can introduce them to Jesus Christ, not to an organization. Most people in bondage know it, and they want to be set free.”
We’re not working alone, either, she said. “You will be shocked at what Jesus will do. If you take one step, He will take seven steps. You don’t need more prayer—you need to start doing what He told you to do.”
As for those who won’t listen or who reject the message—well, if we tell them about Jesus, we’ve done our part. Quoting her friend Father Thomas, she said “Don’t worry about it. Don’t work with the thorns. Work with the people who are ready and ripe to be brought into the kingdom of God.”
“So if you talk to someone and they’re not interested, there’s someone that’s going to come along that will be interested and that will experience eternal life because of you. He said go into the whole world and proclaim, cry out the good news. The good news is that Jesus has rescued us and because we’re rescued, it doesn’t mean that we can sit back and have a life of leisure. But it means he has blessed us to enter into the life of His Son, to help Him in saving souls. Zeal for souls is evidence that the Holy Spirit is reigning in your life.”
. She said our job includes turning nominal Catholics (“sacramentalized but not evangelized”) into real Christians. Most Catholics have only a vague belief in Jesus, with no real knowledge of Him. “Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one person said it’s like inoculating people with a mild case of Christianity so they never catch the real thing. Today we have a Me-centred Gospel. It goes like this: God’s my personal trainer to make me rich and prosperous and comfortable. And that’s not the Gospel at all.”
The reality is much more challenging: “unless we understand the bad news, that by nature we deserve death, we can’t understand the good news.” People see sin as no big deal, she said, but it is: “it’s not our list—it’s God’s list.” And yes, Jesus is the only way—but the good news is that His way is open to everybody. “A lot of people say the way is too narrow, but it’s wide enough for the whole world.”
At the moment, she said, Christians aren’t doing a very good job of showing people the way. Islam is growing 17 times faster than Christianity, and New Age and other spiritualities are also converting people who could have been evangelized for Jesus. But she said that’s no surprise: “When we quit testifying to Jesus, others come and fill the place, and that’s what’s happening now. Millions will give their lives to Jesus if someone will show them how.”
Next year’s Summer Institute will be held Aug. 13-18, 2017, in Kelowna. Further details will be available in the spring edition of B.C. Charismatic.
Receive mercy,
show mercy to others
God has looked on us with mercy, says Fr. Obiora Ibekwe. And now we must do the same for others. “Can you see yourself as mercy?” he asked the congregation at Our Lady of Pentecost Summer Institute. “If my Father is mercy, I have a share in that. I can move around showing mercy.”
Father Obi (also known as Sylvester) was a featured speaker at the summer institute at Seton House in Kelowna, along with Sister Linda Koontz (see above)
Ordained in October 2015, Father Obi is bishop’s liaison for the Catholic charismatic renewal in the Nelson diocese as well as assistant pastor at St. Piux X parish in Kelowna. He also serves the parish of St. Edward in Lake County/Winfield. He is originally from Nigeria.
Father Obi took Mark 10:46-52, the healing of blind Bartimaeus, for the text of his first talk, and noted that the blind man’s first cry to Jesus was “have mercy on me.” And Jesus granted him mercy, in the form of his sight.
“If God does not hear any other prayer, yet he hears the cry for mercy,” Father Obi said.
He noted that Jesus stood still – “God stood still before a human person” – and looked at Bartimaeus with what Father Obi described as “the gaze of mercy.” He focused directly on Bartimaeus despite the presence of a multitude of people: “to Jesus, no one should be lost in the crowd.”
“Jesus sees farther than sins. He sees deeper than wounds. He sees the child of God in us.”
There’s a lesson for us in what Bartimaeus did, Father Obi said, and a lesson in what Jesus did.
“I love Bartimaeus. He is a man who knows what he wants and is prepared to jump any hurdle. There is no sitting back and whining and wishing.
“Sometimes we allow the Jesus moments to pass us by. Bartimaeus seized the moment. He was tired of being blind.”
Once he is healed, Bartimaeus throws away his cloak and his begging bowl; he says “I will not be a beggar any more.” Then he follows Jesus “It is either Him or nothing. It is He I will follow. He has received mercy. Now he has become a disciple.”
We, too, must respond to God’s mercy by becoming disciples, Father Obi said.
For ourselves, the gaze of mercy is purifying. It leads to an awareness, not so much of sin, as of how much we are loved and how often unworthy of it. It also leads us into worship: “We have to start practicing gazing on the one who gazes on us with mercy.”
We also must learn to look at other people as Jesus looked at Bartimaeus. “There is a way of looking at people that gives life,” Father Obi said. “It changes everything—the one who gazes, and the one who is gazed at. Someone will say ‘I feel comfortable in your presence, I feel loved.’” Other gazes can be threatening, but this is “the gaze that brings life.”
In his second talk, Father Obi said God’s mercy is a reference point in every book of the Bible. He cited both Old Testament and New Testament examples, beginning with Genesis, where he said we find the first good news at Genesis 3:15, the promise that Eve’s offspring—Jesus—would crush the head of the snake. In chapter 1 of Luke’s gospel, he noted that when Mary, “highly favoured” by the angel’s announcement, immediately goes to share the news with Elizabeth. “Once we have received mercy, there is no staying back. “Rejoicing doesn’t stop with us. We must tell others of this rejoicing, and that is evangelization.”
Father Obi said he has had plenty of personal experience of God’s mercy. “When I look at the story of my life, it is mercy within mercy within mercy, and I have no doubt that God is mercy.”
As a school child, he spent his school fees on treats and was sent away from school, crying for shame. A passerby asked him why he was crying, and gave him money to pay the fees. The man told him, “remember someday to be a blessing to somebody.”
“When I receive mercy, it doesn’t have to end with me,” he said. “It must move on to others.”
He cited other texts which emphasize how important mercy is to God. In both Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:7, Jesus reminds his listeners that God desires mercy, not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6), and in Matthew 23:23 he admonishes the Pharisees for their neglect of mercy.
“To be merciful is not an option,” Father Obi said. “Jesus says it is a fundamental demand.”
– Richard Dunstan
PROPHECIES FROM
SUMMER INSTITUTE
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to space constraints, prophetic words consisting entirely of Scripture passages are shown only with the Scripture reference and the first few words, in italics. Get out your Bible and read them!]
Compiled by LOREE RENWICK and Word Gift team
Receive this freedom today and rejoice, for it is yours and I will accomplish it.
Respond to the prophecy: I receive
Colossians 1:9-14 We have not ceased to pray for you…
The Lord is saying “I have been looking for someone among them to build a wall and a man to stand in the breach in front of me. To defend the country and to prevent me from destroying it” (from Ezekiel 22:30). And then he says “but my light has shone upon you. I am bringing you in to my kingdom, I am calling you, I am anointing you, I have called on you today, you will be my breach, you will be the man that will come and defend your country, I have come that you might have life and have it to the full, and that you would bring new life into your land. I am giving you this new life open your heart open your mind my Spirit is leading you in power.” Respond to him in all your being.
Jeremiah 31:15-17 In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning, of bitter weeping…
Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I kneel before the Father…
John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. And I see a fire, a raging fire, in this room. This fire is to purify us, to burn away the dross so that we may be shining like gold, so that we may be refined like silver, and then that we would be on fire, that we would be the fire.
I saw streams of living water flowing over us, and the Lord says that the source of this living water, the source of the streams of water, are my Spirit and my Spirit my people is flowing over you and into you today. Relish it, bathe in it, splash in it, receive it fully. This is my gift to you this day, the streams of my Spirit, the living water which will refresh you and make you anew. You will be a new transformation because my Spirit my Living Water is flowing over you this day.
Give yourself to the Lord that He will give to you. And that you will respond to a new touch of the Holy Spirit, to be used by Him.
As we were singing the Lord gave me an image of a water wheel, so I saw that water wheel spinning and the water was pouring over it, but the water was splashing off of the water wheel, splashing on everyone that was around it. So the Lord was saying to me that that water wheel is making Power, is making Power that’s going out, and we just need to let that water wash over us and that water washing over us is going to splash everyone else and is going to make power, power to transform.
Luke 1:46-50 And Mary said, “my soul magnifies the Lord…”
The water that cleanses us gives us power, his power. The key is to worship like a mother, and the Lord wants you to look within your own heart, for within you own heart on the altar there is a bush. The burning bush. And as Moses stepped closer and God anointed him to go, to go to the people in bondage. And so to you my people there is a fire on the altar of your heart and it is the power. It is the power within you and in us and because it is a fire that is God, it will never burn out. The fire that is on the altar of your heart will never burn out. You who are faithful followers of Jesus, worship, let the water fall and recognize the fire within and let it burn wherever you go.
Clearly heard the Lord saying, “you hurt each other with your words, you hurt each other when you ignore each other. And the hook is hanging, always waiting to be grabbed by us, to form resentments, and even though we are today gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus we continue to be not careful with the words that we speak to one another and the ways we treat one another. And the Lord is saying to me “look in your heart and see, is there someone that you have offended, even today?” And it may mean that you may need to go to that person and say I am sorry, or it may mean just acknowledging in your heart. We need to realize that Satan is constantly trying to divide and conquer, trying to get us to walk away because someone has hurt us, trying to get us to think we are not good enough or as good as someone else here. We are all his favoured children and he wants us to love one another, care for each other and encourage each other. And that there be no negative words against each other, not even in your heart.
I have an image of Jesus, with a very large tool box. And it is not an ordinary box that we think of as a tool box. But it is a toolbox, and he has different tools in it. And he is coming to each of us with his toolbox and he is giving each of us one of his tools to take with us when we leave this place.
Psalm 149:1-4 Sing to the Lord a new song of praise…
We are one body and our power is in unity, and I have this strong sense what God is doing this week is making us one. He’s making us one to go out there and it doesn’t matter which part of the world we are in, we are one in Christ. We are One in Christ. And the power, because we are united it doesn’t matter that we are at opposite ends of the world, it doesn’t matter where we are, we are positioned uniquely where God wants us, and our power is in our unity and it doesn’t matter where we are. He is with us and we are one Body and his Spirit working throughout the world to bring his light into those dark places.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear. Rather the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship, and by him we cry Abba, Abba, ABBA, ABBA, ABBA.
Psalm 63:1-5 (1-6 in the New American Bible) O God you are my God…
I implore you, my people, to keep before you the vision of the hands reaching out of the abyss. I ask you to put your loved ones, your friends, your workmates, put their faces there in the abyss and know that I am calling you to go to those who do not know me, to those who have been forgotten, to those who have begun to walk different paths. You need to go, my people. I have called you this week to prepare you to go, and you must step out to go. When you
begin to step out you will realize that my Spirit will give you words, my Spirit is there to enable you, to encourage you. But you need to have hearts that are filled with compassion for those who are lost. The places that I may call you to may not be pleasant places. They may be barren and dry and filled with ridicule, but I am telling you today that you will not be afraid if you are walking in the power of my Spirit. That Spirit of fear has been bound in you this week, and you will not walk in fear, but you will walk in joy that you have the ability to carry my word to my people. Many will be saved, many will be saved. Keep your eyes on the victory that will be one for me because you are my hands and feet and my mouth, and I need you to go. Step out and don’t be afraid. (Confirmed)
Blessed are the feet that bring good news. People, I want you to know today that those are your feet. Blessed are your feet that bring good news, for you are my body, as I send you out this week and the coming weeks and months. Blessed is your mouth too, for you are to speak my word. Fear not about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it, my children, fear not. Open your mouth and begin and I will fill it. As I said to St. Paul, in the times of trials and stress I will give you the words. Blessed are you my people, go and take my word to my people.
The Lord says “My people, my friends, brothers and sisters of Jesus, when you pray, often you pray as if I am not in the room with you. You focus on the words, you focus on the intentions, but what I want of you, my people, is that you gaze on me. I gaze on you continually. My eyes are never off you, and I desire that when you pray that you gaze on me, focus on me, see me. I already know what your intentions are, I already know what your prayers are, but what I desire of you is that you gaze on me. Think of a couple in love: they gaze on one another, they gaze into one another’s eyes, they don’t have to say a word. So I desire that you, my beloved, that you gaze on me when you pray.
My people, my wonderful people, how I love you, I have graced you abundantly this week with my mercy and my spirit, and yet there are a few among you that do not believe that my hand is not too short to save. I have come to set you free, I have come to give you of my abundance. Believe and trust in me. My hand indeed is not too short to save you and yours. Come and believe and trust in me.
1Peter 4:8-11 Above all, let your love for one another be intense…
A song: Forever I am changed by your love. In the presence of your majesty, Majesty, Majesty. Your grace has found me just as I am. Empty handed but alive in your hands. And we sing. Majesty. Majesty. Forever I am changed by your love. In the presence of your majesty. Majesty. Majesty. Majesty. Majesty.
Prophetic tongues. Interpretation: When you come in my name, there is power. In yourself you have no power; all power comes from me. But when you come in my name I pierce the darkness, chains are broken, prison doors are opened. When you come in my name you have my power within you. Call upon my power, depend on my power – not on yourselves, on my power. Watch and see the kingdom of darkness be destroyed; actually I have already destroyed and defeated the enemy. I welcome you to come into the promised land, all the promises I have given you.
I am the Paraclete. I come to tell you that you are loved. My love is so vast it is beyond measure. It is as deep as the ocean and as vast as the sky. My love is never ending and it is always there for you. Open your hearts, my people. Open your hearts of stone. Give me your hearts of stone; they do not belong to you. I want to break the rock that is your heart. Open it up, open it up to me. Receive my love, receive me, receive me the Lord God Almighty, I have come to you through my son through the Holy Spirit. I am with you and I make you whole, I make you strong, I give you the power. Most of all I give you my love; take my love, accept it is as big as the ocean, as big as the sky. There is no limit to my love and it is all available to you. You my servants, to you I come, to you I send forth in my power Jesus name.
I send my love in my son Jesus. And he sends his love in the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit in you is meant to bring my love to everyone.
Luke 1:76-79 And you, child will be called prophet of the Most High…
You are indeed my chosen ones. I chose you before the foundation. I chose you to go forth and to bear fruit. I have spent years forming you into my people, I have gifted you, I have made you into an army of praise. But I am asking you now to be the army that will go out, to be the feet that will bring the gospel that will bring the good news to others. If you do not step out, my people, the revival will not come. The Holy Spirit works through you. I need to be people who are willing to be shod with the sandals of good news. Take it to your families, take it to your friends, but go step out in faith, my children and know that I am with you. Know that the Holy Spirit will put the words in your mouth and that I will begin to work signs and wonders as such you have never seen, if you will step out, if you will go forth and proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
This was birthed from the video that Sister Linda showed us. (The previous word) And the Lord said it is not enough. It is not enough to praise me; it is awesome that you are here praising me, but that praise needs to lead you out, out, and as long as we keep staying in this spot, souls will be lost. I feel that God is so incredibly serious about telling us to take that step out of the boat. Take that step in faith and believe that you can walk on water. But I can’t make you take that step; you need to do it yourself. So decide today, before you leave this place, decide whom you are going to tell the good news to. Weather a letter or a phone call or in person, begin to evangelize. We are all more than capable of doing it, because we have the Holy Spirit. We have the power, and Jesus is sending us out to Galilee and he will go before us.
There is a vision that keeps coming to me: there was this great river and it was humongous and it blew out the wall like it came through the wall; it did not come through the door, it came through the wall and blew out the whole wall. And it just came in with such force; it was the river of God, His Spirit coming through in power, and as it came through the people were caught up in it and some were fighting against it like trying, instead of just being caught up in the flow of it. And I just really feel like He is breaking down all the walls and we just need to flow with Him instead of fight Him – not resist it but just be caught up and let him have his way.
Image: Jesus was above the ground quite a bit and he was happy, he was the risen Christ and he was so happy and he was walking towards me and then he dissolved. The message he gave me was: I am risen, I am risen. Don’t you believe? When my first followers saw me risen and alive, what did they do, how did they feel? And I said, oh Lord they were so happy. And he said, but I am alive today – why are you not so happy? I want you to be happy and rejoice because I am your risen savior. Yes, I died, and you must know that, but you must know and believe that I am risen. Take yo
urself from the cross and bring yourself to my resurrection.
Open your heart. Let me speak to you. Gaze on me and I will gaze on you. Be still.
I confirm the quiet. The quiet.
An image of the Lord in front of us and it was like he was the magnet, and each one of us was just being pulled into him and that is the least resistant and that is how he wants us.
1Peter2:9 But you are a chosen race…
Catholic Charismatic Prayer Groups
Vancouver archdiocese
Vancouver
El Shaddai Sun 1 p.m. St. Jude (gym) 3078 Renfrew St.
Contact Cindy Lui 604-323-0723
Mission Ablaze Tues 7:30 St. Mary’s 5251 Joyce St.
contact Oscar and Riz Geronimo 604-454-3143
St. Patrick’s Church Tues 8 p.m. 2881 Main St. (downstairs hall)
contact Bernard Lee Wen (604) 708-3326
El Shaddai Thurs 7 p.m. (in St. Patrick’s hall—see above)
contact Grace del Rosario 604-708-3326 or 604-321-5403
Our Lady of Sorrows Thurs 7:30 555 S. Slocan St.
contact Dianee Washburn (604) 255-8656
Abbotsford
One Body in Christ 7:30 St. Anne’s (second and fourth Fridays) 33333 Mayfair Ave. contact Ken and Mena Beatch 604-855-9701
El Shaddai Sun 1 p.m. St. James parish gym 2767 Townline Rd.
contact Rosalina Cole 604-859-8465 or 778-344-9323
Burnaby
Holy Cross Mon 7:30 1450 Delta St. (music room)
contact Alba Stevenson 604-299-4123
Mustard Seed Mon 7 p.m. Our Lady of Mercy 7455-10th Ave.
contact Lila Caldera 604-507-0351
St. Francis de Sales Wed 7:30 6610 Balmoral (hall) St.
contact Alex Lim 604-435-9134
Cloverdale
Precious Blood 17475-59th Ave. (phone for information)
contact Deirdre Thomas (604) 543-8035
Coquitlam
Our Lady of Fatima Wed 7:30 315 Walker St.
contact Janet Tng 778-998-8098
Gibsons
Spirit Alive Mon 7 p.m. St. Mary’s Church (hall) Gibsons Way
contact Mavis Wilson 604-886-7718
Ladner
Sacred Heart (clubhouse) Wed 7:30 3900 Arthur Dr., Delta
contact Terence D’Souza 604-948-1719
Langley
St. Joseph’s Tues 7:30 20676 Fraser Highway
contact Hans Gottwald 604-534-8765 or Norma Williams 604-514-9859
Maple Ridge
St. Luke’s Thurs. 7 p.m. 20285 Dewdney Trunk Rd.
contact Bill Sharp (604) 467-6989
Mission
New Beginnings Prayer Group Thurs 7:30 St.Joseph’s (meeting room) 32550-7th Ave. contact Eileen Roberts 604-826-8105
New Westminster
Community of the Risen Lord Thurs. 7 p.m. Video teaching/live Skype meeting St. Peter’s parish hall 405 Royal Ave contact Ashanti Munaweera 604-526-9910
North Delta
Immaculate Conception Fri 8 p.m. (after 7:30 Mass) 8842-119th St. (hall)
contact Lennie David (Mrs.) (604) 594-7296
North Vancouver
St. Stephen’s Thurs 7:30 1360 E 24th St.
contact Ted Holowka (604) 924-0573
Port Moody
St. Joseph’s Thurs 7:30 140 Moody St.
contact Jocelyn Rochard 604-469-0713
Powell River
Maranatha Wed 7:30 Assumption (bottom floor meeting room) 7109 Glacier St. contact Don and Charlene Bourcier 604-485-9595 or Pat Clark 604-483-9982
Richmond
St. Joseph the Worker Wed 8 p.m. 4451 Williams Rd. (hall)
contact Miriam Saldanha (604) 277-5580
St. Monica’s (hall) (call for information) 12011 Woodhead Rd.
contact Dave Buyser 604-278-2607
St. Paul’s Tues 7:30 8251 St. Alban’s Rd. (parish centre)
contact Melanie de Souza 604-214-0456
CCMC Chinese group Thurs 7:30 Canadian Martyrs 5711 Granville St.
contact Elvis Tong 604-838-7728
Squamish
St. Joseph’s Friday 7 p.m. 2449 The Boulevard Garibaldi Highlands
contact Sister Josephine de Leon 604-389-8113
Surrey
St. Bernadette Mon 7:30 6543-132nd (parish centre) St.
contact Danny Guerrero 778-628-2084
St. Matthew’s Mon 7:30 16079-88th St. (hall)
contact Steve and Margaret Potusek 604-597-8202
BLD Fri 8 p.m. St. Matthew’s (see above)
contact Franco and Remy Tang 604-274-7036
Our Lady of Good Counsel Thurs 7:45 10460-139th St. (Mary Help of Christians hall) contact Rose Zuniga 778-829-8007
The Potter’s House Wed 7:30 Star of the Sea 15024-24th Ave. South Surrey
contact Jae Ewing 604-536-7860
Kamloops Diocese
Kamloops
Light of God Thurs 7 p.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help basement 635 Tranquille Rd. contact Berthe Hall berthe1@shaw.ca
El Shaddai Sunday 1 p.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help basement 635 Tranquille Rd. contact Ida Sunga rsunga@hotmail.com
Nelson diocese
Castlegar
Community of Hope Thurs 7:30 St. Rita’s parish hall 513-7th Ave.
contact Armando Cardoso 250-365-5932
Cranbrook
People of Unity Wed 7:30 Christ the Servant prayer room 1100-14th Ave. S.
contact Flo Reid 250-426-7570, Lynne Williams 250-489-1702, or Sharlyn Sorge 250-489-9768
Creston
Life in the Spirit Wed 7 p.m. Holy Cross parish hall (starts Oct. 12) 128 16th Ave. N contact David Manning 250-402-6505 Yvonne Horne v.horne@live.com
Grand Forks
People of Peace Wed 10 a.m. Sacred Heart sacristy 7269-9th St.
contact Gladys Miller 250-442-8589 russ-m@telus.net or Johanna Tournemille 250-442-2421 johanna.tournemille@gmail.com
Kelowna
People of Faith Tues 7 p.m. St. Pius X Church (side door) 1077 Fuller (corner of Gordon) contact Piera 250-762-6150
Keremeos
Dawn Prayers Wed 7 p.m. Our Lady of Lourdes
contact Robert and Barbara Quaedvlieg 250-499-7033 redbridgeguestsuite@nethop.net
Nelson
Trinity Prayer Community Thurs 9 a.m. (after 8:30 Mass) Cathedral of Mary Immaculate Jubilee room 813 Ward St. contact Loree Renwick 250-352-7960
Oliver
Christ the King contact Doreen Steger 250-498-6091 (call for information) fdsteger@telus.net
Osoyoos
New Life Praise Group Mon 7 p.m. St. Anne’s Church 7709-87th St.
contact Laurie Martin 250-495-2964 lkmartin@persona.ca or Maria (Maite) Gonzalez-Richer cell 250-408-4246, maite33@telus.net or Patricia Norman fishenpat@gmail.com, 250-495-2910
Penticton
Shekinah Prayer Group Tues 7 p.m. St. John Vianney hall 361 Wade Ave.
contact Bernadette Barry 250-492-3478 bkbarry@shaw.ca
Summerland
Holy Child Church Sun 3 p.m. 14010 Rosedale Ave.
contact Bev MacIntyre 778-740-0508 bevmacintyre777@gmail.com
West Kelowna
Our Lady of Lourdes Tues 6:30 p.m. 2547 Hebert Rd.
contact Marcia Lawrence parish 250-768-4114 ololoffice@ololwestbank.ca
Prince George diocese
Prince George
St. Mary’s Thurs 7 p.m. 1088 Gillette (conference room)
contact Louis Dauvin 250-563-8538
Kitimat
Christ the King Mon 7 p.m. (every other Monday) 23-863 Lahakas (private home) contact Mike Weeres 250-632-5609
Terrace
Abba Prayer Group Thurs 7:30 Sacred Heart 4830 Straume Ave. parish 250-635-2313
Victoria diocese
Victoria
Led by the Spirit Mon 7:15 p.m. Sacred Heart Church (Pope John Hall) 4040 Nelthorpe St. contact David MacIntyre 250-383-9955 macintyre500@hotmail.com
People of Hope Tues 7:30 St. Andrew’s Cathedral (enter via parish centre on View Street) 740 View St. contact Lynn Dunstan Weedmark or Richard Dunstan (250) 477-4700 richard@thedunstans.com
Spirit-filled Websites
Dear Friends in Christ,
I have been blessed by some daily devotions in which I find great strength and direction. These I wish to share with you as you also continue on your spiritual journey.
The first is a link to Bishop Sam Jacob’s Spirit Aflame, Thought for the Day and Reflections on Scripture. spiritaflame1@gmail.com
The second is a link to Father Mark Goring’s Daily Video in which he addresses many pertinent topics that give us cause to ponder and be challenged by the wonders of God. padregoring@gmail.com
And for those who may wish to pray more novenas I have found a wonderful site, PrayMoreNovenas.com
I pray that these links may bless and spiritually nourish you abundantly.
Blessings,
Flo Reid
chair, CCRS of BC
‘Mercy is falling’ – God’s mercy is for all
By LYNNE WILLIAMS
St. Pius X in Kelowna was the site of the Nelson Diocese Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference, April 29-30. Father Pierre Ducharme spoke on God’s Mercy using three scriptural references: The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15:11-32), Jesus Appears to the Disciples (Jn. 20:19-31), and Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples (Jn. 21:1-19).
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15:11-32):
Our God is a God of love and mercy. Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit share everything in common, when we receive God’s mercy and love, it goes right back to where it came from and we become one in God’s love. God has perfect love within himself, and God’s love is for us even though we are limited and not perfect. We are invited into this family relationship, to dance and sing and experience pure joy, doing for others what God has done for us.
We need mercy and forgiveness. In the Old Testament, the Jubilee Year was about mercy. The people were called to share their abundance and forgive debts. Forgiveness of others and ourselves is something we work toward, but it is not easy to get there. Sometimes there are situations where we cannot pay back. By dying and rising for our sins, Jesus atones and makes up for what we cannot. We have a God of abundance whose inexhaustible mercy is put before us. Even when we, like the Prodigal Son, have squandered everything and been completely selfish, we can always go back home and return to our Father God who welcomes us, clothes and feeds us, and puts a ring on our finger. We are a child, we belong, and our family relationship has been restored.
Our God is a merciful God who changes us through mercy. Our God calls us out of ourselves and assures us that we are loved; he assures us we are good, and even when we are not good, he assures us we are still loved. We have a God of abundance, a God of Jubilee, a cup that overflows and sets us free to live in the Spirit and go forth following Jesus. We are called to be like the merciful Father, to take on the mission of mercy, to embrace both the younger and the older son. Forgiveness accepts people where they are at; our task is to go out and pull them in and remind them that they belong, and where they belong, they will be fed and always loved.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples (Jn. 20:19-31):
Have we welcomed God’s mercy in our lives to the point where we will use the gifts we have, or were we sold a lie (e.g. we’re not good enough; mercy is limited)? The Spirit of mercy and love is not limited. The dignity to the human person is affirmed by the fact that God came into the world and took it on. Our God loves us; nothing can take his love away from us. Like the disciples, we can lock ourselves away, but God will go to great lengths to find us. He wants us to see our lives as missionaries of peace, to send us out to heal the broken, to be present to those who refuse to be present to us, and who don’t know God.
As people of faith, we are called to believe and give ourselves to a God we can touch and see, one who is tangible and real and who came to life just like us. To be human is not to be other than God but to be like Jesus who was good and knew he was loved, and who responded with love and faithfulness, always giving credit to the Father. Believe in Jesus and allow the Spirit to be breathed upon us and embraced in us so we are fully human and alive. Be confident that we and the world around us are good. God created the world and loved it. Can we love it too and allow ourselves to be changed in a way that is good, becoming transformed into more loving, human and real friends of Jesus? Can we be people of the Spirit who fall before our Savior and know, that like Thomas, he is, “My Lord, and my God”?
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples (Jn. 21:1-19):
The Holy Spirit that falls upon us is fire, passion, and life. We have been touched by the fire of the Holy Spirit and are uniquely ourselves. Not one of us is the same as the next person, yet we are called together to recognize God’s mercy, unconditional love and absolute forgiveness.
God made us and loved us first, initiating our relationship; he came among us and lives with us. As Christians, we believe we have an ever present God who animates disciples. We believe in the Holy Spirit and believe in the work the Holy Spirit can do. We have been given a diversity of gifts and talents and are members of the church, a body working together to make a difference and change things. As people of faith, let us do what God has called us to do. Let us set sail with Jesus. Evangelization is our mission. It is an issue of great importance.
Our world needs to know there is a merciful God. People are hurting and need to know they are loved, forgiven, belong, and embraced. For whatever reason they are staying away, God is aware of them. We absolutely depend on a loving and merciful God. The Spirit is in charge. If we don’t get out of the way and let God lead, we won’t get very far.
Can we trust our Lord to lead even if we do not know where he’s going? Can we trust that our Lord loves us? The Lord has proven his love for us through the life and death of Jesus, and continues to prove it through his grace. We are called to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus and follow wherever he leads us. We can’t abandon people. We are called to invite them into a journey, to build community, to share our struggles, and to go out serving and seeking relationships with people who need it. We are called to be a people of mercy, always seeking to share more. We are called to go out on a mission. Any good we have is meant to be shared. We ought to go fishing. We are called to include even the ‘fish’ we don’t like.
God’s love never ends and is inclusive, expansive, and powerful enough to change the world. It will always bear fruit that will last. We journey with one another as people of faith, as church, as the hands and feet of Christ to bring love, hope, and joy to the world. Let’s go fishing.
“God does not call the equipped – he equips the called.” (Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave)
Upcoming events
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Nelson diocesan leaders’ retreat Kelowna, Seton House contact Gladys Miller 250-442-8589 russ-m@telus.net
Oct. 1 Mass and dedication: Fr. Don Wilson memorial Kelowna, Seton House (limited space) contact Gladys Miller 250-442-8589 russ-m@telus.net
Oct. 14-15 Like a Mighty River: Divine Mercy and Renewal Okotoks, Alberta, St. Joseph Church with Sister Ann Shields contact Anthony Banka 403-667-0637 www.cccrs.com
Oct. 21-22 Year of Divine Mercy Retreat: Healing and Forgiveness North Delta, Immaculate Conception (school gym) Fr. Denis Phaneuf and Moira Noonan contact Lennie David 604-594-7296 lennieptl@telus.net
Feb. 23-April 6 Life in the Spirit Seminar Port Moody (Thursdays) St. Joseph’s Parish contact Jocelyn Rochard 604-469-0713
April 28-29 Nelson diocesan conference: Jubilee of Fire Kelowna, St. Charles Garnier Parish with David Mangan, present at first Catholic Holy Spirit retreat, Duquesne University 1967. contact Scott Frymire 250-493-3554, scottfrymire2@gmail.com or Roy MacIntyre 778-740-0508, roymacintyre@shaw.ca
Aug. 13-18 Our Lady of Pentecost Summer Institute Kelowna details to be announced; see spring B.C. Charismatic newsletter contact Gladys Miller 250-442-8589 russ-m@telus.net
To include your Life in the Spirit Seminar, prayer breakfast, healing Mass, day of renewal, or other charismatic event in this listing, email B.C. Charismatic editor Richard Dunstan at richard@thedunstans.com
Trips planned to Rome for charismatic jubilee
Two pilgrimages are scheduled to give charismatics from B.C. a chance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal with Pope Francis in Rome next year.
One, led by Father John Brioux, Father Rey Usman, and Lennie David of Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of B.C., will leave Vancouver May 29, returning June 11. The pilgrimage includes six days in Rome plus visits to Monte Cassino, San Giovanni, Lanciano, Loreto, Assisi, Florence, Padua, and Venice. For more information, contact Lennie David, 604-594-7296, lennieptl@telus.net.
The other, led by Carol Jones of Kelowna and accompanied by a chaplain, will leave Kelowna May 23, returning June 5. It will include seven days in Rome plus visits to Assisi, Lanciano, and San Giovanni. For more information, contact Steve Baker of Flight Centre, 250-390-9891, toll-free 1-866-539-4379, steve.baker@flightcentre.ca, or Carol Jones, jonesfamily@shaw.ca.
DONATIONS TO CCRS OF B.C.
All donations promote the work of CCRS-B.C. Tours, provincial conferences, leadership workshops and the CCRS of B.C. newsletter. CCRS of B.C. is a registered non-profit organization, and issues receipts for income tax purposes. Indicate below if you wish a receipt (over $10 only) and print your name and address plainly.
Please make cheques payable to CCRS of B.C. and mail to CCRS of B.C.,
c/o Jocelyn Rochard, treasurer, 137 Williams St., Port Moody BC V3H 2R7
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Your prayers and financial support are appreciated.
B.C. Charismatic
CCRS of BC newsletter published spring and fall editor Richard Dunstan 308-225 Belleville St. Victoria BC V8V 4T9 email: richard@thedunstans.com phone: 250-477-4700 website: www.bccharismatic.ca
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