Charismatic Prayer Group

With access to a semi-solitary beach, I am blessed to have “Just Jesus and me time.” I invite Him to walk with me and share His beautiful creations. I am especially amazed with the variety and beauty of the rocks that are around for my inspection.

Soaking up the sun and God’s love at the same time, I wonder, “Could this get any better?” Well Jesus, maybe we could find an agate?

I return home with God’s peace, a little sunburn, sand in my shoes, and an agate in my pocket! Perfect.

Reprint permission of July/August issue of Gleanings from Western Washington Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

On May 22, St. Thomas parish in Tukwila sponsored the “Effusione” event following the Pentecost Vigil Mass, a special time of prayer with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. During the Eucharistic procession around the church, Fr. Jim Northrop paused, with monstrance raised, at individual pews. During this time a woman experienced a dramatic inner healing, as related below. We can all experience the Lord’s presence through the many opportunities for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that are available in our parishes. The Lord meets his people as they seek him in expectant faith.  

Rev. Dr. John Roddam, a member of the planning committee for the Pentecost Effusione event, writes, “It was a blessing to be part of the Pentecost Eve Celebration. I wanted to share a testimony from a Lutheran friend (with her permission!) who attended the event in person.” Here is her testimony:

“During the time of (my words as I am not familiar with all the Catholic terms) Processing the Host, the Lord did a profound work in me identifying and allowing me to release deeply hidden grief… like a video of memories of my husband Dave’s cancer journey… things I had “motored through” but never cried about because I had to be strong.

“And so the memories came up, one by one. I didn’t have to create this or work to dig them out… they just surfaced one by one in quite rapid succession….and I quietly wept. This went on for maybe 30 min as Fr. Jim slowly made his way around the room holding up the cross in which was contained the Host.  He would pause by each pew for some moments and allow congregants to simply gaze upon this. I have NEVER participated in anything like this. Oh my.

“Finally, the last piece, the Lord showed me that though He had “sung” Dave across, I had not specifically released him. Jesus stood with me by the head of his bed and allowed me to release him.  Then Jesus gave a picture of us hiking a favorite trail at Holden Village where, in past years, we often visited.

“At one point, we stopped and Jesus said, ‘Is it ok if I take Dave on a new trail, higher up and further in?’ I hesitated, but I could see the excitement and joy on Dave’s face.  He was healthy, his guitar hand was healed (he had nearly cut off fingers in a home table saw accident in 1996 which prevented him from being able to play guitar). His cancer was gone and he could breathe (at the end he had a tracheotomy due to a fibrous fungal infection in his lungs that was literally asphyxiating him).

“In some strange way, Jesus, with hiking gear was with him and also standing with me at the same time. He whispered in my ear, ‘Trust Me, this is going to be the greatest adventure.’ I nodded and waved and said, ‘I will see you later.’Dave said, ‘I will tell you all about it.’ He and Jesus then continued down the path. Jesus and I turned to walk back. The Presence was so visceral.

“I felt like I had just had deep spiritual surgery. The anointed worship prior (where I could hardly stand) was the Holy Spirit softening me up, like the old wineskins soaking in oil in preparation for the healing!!!  

“I just maintained a very open, expectant stance. I was impressed by Fr. Jim’s sensitivity as he was careful to stand as directly in front of worshipers, one pew at a time, both ends of the pews, just standing silently, eye contact, but focus was on the monstrance*. He would linger longer in some places. I was assuming he was functioning in knowledge gifts of discernment and words of knowledge or wisdom. It was very powerful and touched me deeply. Afterwards when I shared with a friend, she said, ‘I knew the Lord was dealing with some deep grief in you. I saw the Lord just reaching in and pulling things out of you one by one, until there was no more.’ That is exactly what happened, and I am different today. Another friend shared a word with me that from last night this is going to be a year of great favor for me…we will see how all this plays out!”

Praise the Lord for His Goodness! It was a powerful evening!

The Rev’d. Dr. John and Holly Roddam live in Richmond, BC Canada.

* The monstrance is a liturgical vessel used to display the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the form of the Sacred Host for its adoration and veneration outside of Mass and outside of the tabernacle. It is used during perpetual and public Eucharistic adoration and during Eucharistic processions such as on the Feast of Corpus Christi. (Etym: Latin monstrans, from monstrare, to show, point out, indicate.)

Reprint permission of July/August issue of Gleanings from Western Washington Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

a praise poem inspired by the renewal of spring and Christ’s Resurrection

Hopefully you have seen the monthly announcement in the bulletin, but do you know what Adoration is really all about? In its most basic explanation, it is the worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass. Father Rick places the Host in a monstrance, which is a beautiful golden sacred vessel that holds the treasure we know is Christ, who is present in the Eucharist. Our Lord is right here on the altar! Here you have the quiet, uninterrupted moment; no phones, no distractions. Just you and Jesus. How you spend your time with Jesus is up to you. You can pray: thank the Lord for His blessings, intercede for others, pour out your heart telling Him your joys and your sorrows. Adore Him! It is Adoration! You can pray your rosary, read your Bible. Or just sit and just be with Him. And don’t forget to listen! Listen to what He wants to tell you. There is just something about Adoration that is hard to put into words. Bell Moore shares her experience below. ~ Becky Williamson

St. John’s gospel says: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Greek translation is: “The Word pitches His tent among us.” I believe St. John. Jesus lives in the Eucharist and I love to spend time in His presence, that is why I make a Holy hour once a week and wouldn’t miss a First Friday holy hour! I actually feel the love of Jesus surrounding me as a warm blanket or sometimes I feel like a swaddled babe. Some people like to read holy books or pray the rosary, I just like to sit before His loving gaze. When I am quiet, I can hear whispers from the Holy Spirit and I keep a journal. Time flies, as I hear there is no time in God’s Kingdom. St. Paul says: In Him, we live and move and have our being. Stay close to the Eucharistic Jesus, my friend. ~ Bell Moore

How do you hear from God? How do you know the message is from God, your own spirit, or an evil source? After researching, I have concluded that there is no easy answer!!

In order to hear God clearly, we should pursue a closer relationship with Him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” We must develop seeking hearts. John 10:26 tells us that His sheep (we believers) know His voice. The better you know someone, the better you know their voice.

But, we should be cautious about the possible source of any “word” we suspect may be from God. It must agree with the teachings of the Church and the Scriptures. Fr. Jacques Philippe, Community of the Beatitudes, says it well: “What comes from the Spirit of God brings with it joy, peace, tranquility of spirit, gentleness, simplicity, and light. On the other hand, what comes from the spirit of evil brings sadness, trouble, agitation, worry, confusion, and darkness.”

God has never spoken to me in an audible voice. Mostly, I sense His direction through gentle “impressions” or repeated “nudges.” There are other times when I have an internal certainty that He is asking something of me.

We will all sometimes “get it wrong”, but if what we have in mind will bless someone, why not “err” on the side of grace as we learn to hear His voice?

Those of you who read your church bulletins regularly will have seen articles written by members of the Living Light Prayer Group. Maybe you even read one I wrote! I hadn’t planned to do any writing, but I believe that when the Holy Spirit prompts—you don’t say no!

Early this year the prayer group decided to write bulletin articles as an encouragement to our fellow parishioners. When asked to write something, I said, “No, thank you, I can’t write.”, and thought that was that! But the Holy Spirit was already at work “behind the scenes.”  Bell Moore and I had exchanged emails about our mutual love of Adoration and our desire that others experience this blessing as well. Bell said to me, “You and Jean [Beers] should write about this.” Nope. Not me. I don’t write.

During our group meeting the following week, Jean said, “Becky, I think you should write an article on Adoration.” Coincidence that they made the same suggestion? I don’t think so. I believe it was the Holy Spirit encouraging me. 

And, you know, I am still not qualified as a writer. What has changed is that I said “yes” and stepped out of my “comfort zone.”      

I encourage you all to listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit, follow His guidance, and say “yes” to whatever He leads you to do. He may choose (and enable) you to be a blessing to others.

Prayer is to be a two-way conversation with God. So, during our Living Light Prayer Group meeting, we sit expectantly with our eyes closed (for maybe ten minutes), just listening for what the Lord would tell us. Then Jean, our leader, will ask us, “Did you receive any word from the Lord?” Often several of us will share what we believe He has placed on our hearts. Often, I seem to “hear” nothing at all. I am still a work in progress, learning to hear His voice clearly. Maybe some of you are, too. 

There have been times when I am certain I have heard from the Lord. For example, some time ago an older friend asked me to be her legal guardian. She had no family members close by. The choice of going from a close friendship to being responsible for her finances and health care was a big decision, so I prayed for help. I knew the Lord was saying, “You just have to do this.” I did choose to help her, and though sometimes it is challenging, it was a blessing from God. 

So how do you hear from God? Do you actually hear a voice? What is required? How do you know that it’s a message from God and not from your imagination or an evil source? I plan to do some research in order to answer these questions and will share what I learn in a few weeks. 

Blessings, 
Becky Williamson

What does God look like to you? I “see” God the Father as powerful, sitting on a huge throne, and having snowy white hair. Jesus looks more “human” to me and I picture Him with laughing eyes and as the power of God to heal and save. 

Visualizing the Holy Spirit is more of a challenge to us, I think. The “Holy Ghost,” can be, dare I say it, spookier! How do you picture a spirit? Perhaps like the wind. The disciples were commanded to wait for the promised gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who showed up in a mighty rushing wind at Pentecost. For what purpose? To comfort, infill, teach, and empower us for evangelization. 

The Holy Spirit abruptly transformed St. Peter from an uneducated fisherman who denied Christ three times to a preacher so powerful that three thousand were saved as a result of his first sermon! 

Next week we will begin submitting articles about how to prepare ourselves for “close encounters” with the Holy Spirit. He can be an exciting and powerful friend, but friendships need to be nurtured in order to thrive. The Living Light Prayer Group members pursue a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit through prayer, praise, and shared testimonies of our encounters with Him, for now, via Zoom each Tuesday at 3:00. Why not join us? You may contact us if you have questions. 

Blessings, 
Sue Martell
Jean Beers
stewardship@sthubertchurch.org

The gift of faith leading to salvation in Christ is somewhat different from the spiritual Gift of Faith mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:9. The spiritual Gift of Faith provides Christians with unusual confidence in God’s promises, power, and presence so they can take heroic stands for the future of God’s work.

Our Lady is a good example of one who had this supernatural Gift of Faith. Mary’s reply (as an unmarried virgin) to the angel Gabriel who announced the birth of Jesus to her was, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word.”  (Luke 1:38) This response would have required an extraordinary amount of faith.

This gift is available to us today. I believe I experienced it when asked to make a wall-hanging for the Marian Room a few years ago. I had no idea what fabrics to buy or how to design this project, but felt God wanted me to try. Suddenly I found myself purchasing the fabric without having a clear pattern in mind. I researched ways to make a halo, water, trees and land and found people to help create this project! This was not my work. I knew the Holy Spirit had given me the faith!

The most important things about receiving and using the Spiritual Gift of Faith are to pray, listen for God’s answer, say “yes” when He does answer, follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and let it happen! You will be blessed as I was!

The gift of speaking in tongues is very useful. It is like the pots and pans in my kitchen. Each one is designed for a specific use: boiling, frying, steaming, etc. When a person prays in tongues, the Holy Spirit guides their prayer according to the specific need. 

This gift and many others are sources of renewal to empower ordinary Christians to minister to others. Millions of Catholics have opened their hearts and tongues to this gift, resulting in expressions of praise and worship. When sung in unison, this becomes a touch of heavenly music on earth. 

The tradition of praying and singing in the Spirit has remained in the Church from the earliest times and was known by St. Augustine and others as “jubilation”. The Holy Spirit has revived the gifts of the Spirit in our times through the movement called “Charismatic Renewal”. 

St. Paul urges us to “Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts above all that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God, for no one listens; he utters mysteries in spirit. On the other hand, one who prophesies does speak to human beings, for their building up, encouragement, and solace. Whoever speaks in a tongue builds himself up but whoever prophesies builds up the church.” (1 Corinthians 14:1-4). 

We are needed now more than ever to minister to others. This is the time to ask for the spiritual gifts.