Charisms for the New Evangelization

March/April March/April March/April March/April March/April 20192019201920192019

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By: Alan Schreck

“Evangelizing is in fact the graceand vocation proper to the Church,her deepest identity. She exists inorder to evangelize...”

~Pope St. Paul VI, EvangeliiNuntiandi, no. 14, Dec 8, 1975.

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Since that landmark document, Churchleaders have continued to declareevangelization a top priority. Why? Theurgency of his call comes from the effectsof secularization. In cultures historicallyChristian, Christianity’s influence on allspheres of human life is waning, and anincreasing number of people (especiallyyoung people) no longer profess or practiceChristian faith. So, who is called to witnessto their faith in this circumstance?Everybody! Everyone who is a Christian...and yes, that means all Catholics whoprofess and practice their faith!

We expect professed religious and clergy tobe ‘public witnesses’ to Catholic faith, butsince the Second Vatican Council the call toevangelize has gone out to lay people aswell. We are, as the Council taught, a kingly,priestly, and prophetic people — and

prophetic means proclaiming the Gospel,through our words and our lives. Jesus’“Great Commission” to “make disciples ofall nations” (Mt 28:19) was not just directedto the apostles, but to all his followers. St.Peter urged: “Always have your answerready for people who ask you the reason forthe hope that you have...” (1 Pt 3:15). Thisevangelization must go on in everyprofession and place where lay people live,work, and recreate, no matter how ‘secular’(EN. 70).

So, how is the Church, including its laity,equipped to evangelize? Is there a “charism”of evangelization? St. Paul names gifts thatinvolve speaking the truth through words(words of knowledge and wisdom, prophecyin 1 Cor 12:8,10; apostles, prophets,teachers in 1 Cor 12:28 and Rom 12:6,7).Ephesians 4:11 adds “evangelists” to thislist of charisms. Romans 12:8 mentions“exhortation” and St. Peter exhorts “whoeverspeaks, as one who utters oracles of God”(1 Pt 4:10,11). These gifts are important inevangelizing others: asking God (often righton the spot, in the middle of a conversation)for a word of knowledge or wisdom thatwould help open up a person to the Lord, orexhorting them on a path that will lead themto Christ. Some people might seem to havemore of a “gift” for this, but if we are all

March & April 2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Late last summer, I hiked from the North Rim to the SouthRim of the Grand Canyon. We (three priests, a guide andtrainee) camped three nights and hiked over 25 milescarrying backpacks of 35 lbs. Although I am in pretty goodshape, I trained for this hike by loading a backpack withbricks and carrying it up and down the hills and stairs inthe Cleveland Metroparks.

I thought the hike would be easier, after all, I did train. Inthe end, I survived. Most of my body bounced back in acouple of days. Some parts took a week to feel normalagain. One thought I have is: What would have happenedif I did not train?

Some people say that these are trying times forChristians. I disagree, they are tempting times. Thecultural supports that supported Christian beliefs andbehaviors have eroded away. What was blasphemousbefore is now accepted as art. What scripture callsimmoral is now accepted as normal. Just a generationago, attending church on Sundays was thought of asnecessary in order be a Christian. Many people todaythink attending church is irrelevant and unnecessary.

This kind of culture is not a trial for Christians. Most ofus are not being overtly persecuted for our faith. Instead,the contemporary values of our time tempt Christiansto yield to those values. It is easier to round off the hardedges of truth, lower standards of morality and makeSunday our day to do what we want, instead of the Lord’sDay. This kind of life is both easier and more sociallyacceptable.

How can we live our faith in a vibrant manner in thistime? Like hiking the Grand Canyon, we need to train tolive Christian life. Here are three areas for training:

We need to train our minds to be sensitive to moraland religious truth. This means that we need to readand listen to things like Sacred Scripture and theCatechism of the Catholic Church. If we want to be ableto articulately defend our faith, other resources wouldbe needed. If we do not feed on the truth, we may endup “following the age of this world, following the ruler ofthe power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in thedisobedient.” (Ephesians 2:2)

We need to train our behavior to reflect the love andpurity of Jesus Christ. Our Lord taught us to love people,not use them or verbally bash them. Jesus commandedhis disciples to “love one another as I have loved you.”(John 15:12) He told us to “do to others whatever youwould have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) Jesus eventold us to “love your enemies and pray for those whopersecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) This kind of love is notnatural. It is supernatural. We need a purification ofheart, humility and the Sacrament of Penance to growin this love.

We need to train ourselves to embrace community overindividualism. This means connecting with like-mindedCatholics, who worship each Sunday and Holy Day. It alsomeans developing relationships that are mutuallysupportive. These types of relationships provide thestrength to withstand the rip tide of our culture thatdraws us further and further from the Lord and his wayof life. Not many lone rangers will be able to stand againstthe tide of secularism.

These disciplines will train us to resist the lure of oursecular times. These disciplines will also better equip usfor trying times. What are trying times?

In 1531, Henry VIII had taken the title of “Supreme Headof the Church.” People who did not take the Oath of theSuccession of the Crown were tried for treason. Itdeclared that all people taking this oath must deny thepower of any “authority or potentate.” In other words, itmeant denying the authority of the pope in the area ofmarriage. In November of 1534, King Henry VIII declaredin the Succession of the Crown Act that anyone, who didnot recognize his marriage to Anne Boleyn as legitimatewas guilty of treason.

Sir Thomas More resigned as Lord Chancellor of England,over these issues, and Bishop John Fischer, refused totake the oath. In 1535, both were martyred under KingHenry VIII. Thus, trying times began for loyal Catholics inEngland.

Let us enter these seasons of Lent and Easter with theeagerness of spring training. We want think and act with,as well as, belong to the Lord. We will then be ready tomeet the temptations and perhaps the trials of our time.

In Christ,Fr. Bob FrancoPS: I look forward to seeing you at this month’sCharismatic Mass and the Unbound workshop. Detailsare inside.

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Join Catholic Renewal Ministries for UNBOUND... a dayof Healing Prayer. The day will consist of teachingon the Unbound method of prayer, praise & worship,and healing prayer. Unbound is a gentle method ofhealing prayer based on the 5 Keys of healing anddeliverance: Repentance and Faith, Forgiveness,Renunciation, Authority, and the Father’s Blessings.Come and experience the tenderness of God’s love andhealing grace through personal prayer. The Unboundprogram is a well-respected healing model that hasproven results. The day will be held at St. Peter’s Parish,35777 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville 44039, onSaturday, March 30th. The doors will open at 8:00a.m. for continental breakfast and fellowship, and theprogram will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.There is a $25 registration fee, which includescontinental breakfast and lunch. kkkkFor more information, please call CRM at440.944.9445 or Marge Zampino at 216.990.0919. Toregister by mail, send your $25 check made out to CRMto: Marge Zampino, 2747 Vincent Drive, Seven Hills,Ohio 44131. The registration deadline is March 25, 2019.Dan DeMatte, Catholic speaker, retreat leader, and directorof evangelization at the Damascus Catholic MissionCampus in Columbus, OH, will be speaking at the Familiesin Christ Jesus Community Prayer Gathering onThursday, April 4th, at 8:00 p.m. The Gathering willbe held in SS. Robert and William School Upper Hall,367 E. 260th St. in Euclid 44132. For more information,please contact Arch and Marlyn Tunnell at 440-442-7538.St. Julie Billiart and St. Peter Parishes will host a ParishMission from Sunday, March 31st to April 2nd. Themission sessions will start at 7:00 p.m. at St. Julie BilliartChurch, 5500 Lear Nagle Rd., North Ridgeville 44039. Srs.Marie Fidelis and Ana Chiara of the Disciples of the LordJesus Christ (a charismatic community from Texas) will beleading the mission. For more information, please contactthe parish office at St. Julie Billiart, 440-327-1978.

Catholic Renewal Ministries EventsFr. James Cosgrove will be speaking at the Families inChrist Jesus Community Prayer Gathering onThursday, March 7th, at 8:00 p.m. The Gathering willbe held in SS. Robert and William School Upper Hall,367 E. 260th St. in Euclid 44132. For more information,please contact Arch and Marlyn Tunnell at 440-442-7538.Join Peter’s Shadow Healing Ministry for a Night ofHealing Prayer with Fr. Jacob Bearer on Wednesday,March 13th, at 6:30. This evening of healing will be atSt. Martin of Tours Church, 1800 Station Rd, Valley City,OH 44280. Another Night of Healing Prayer will beon Wednesday, April 10th, at 6:30 p.m., at St. BernardCatholic Church 44 University Ave., Akron 44308. Allare welcome, there is no charge for these events.The Holy Spirit Prayer Center invites all to a Concertof Praise and Worship, St. Patrick’s Event, onThursday, March 14th, with James Kilbane, Ireland’s#1 Christian artist, who will sing songs of praise.Denny Carleton from the Holy Spirit Prayer Center willopen with praise music and Worship MinisterDenise Calabrese will host the event. The Concert willstart at 7:00 p.m. at St. Ambrose Catholic Parish,929 Pearl Rd., Brunswick, OH 44212. Tickets are $20.00,you can download the order form online athttp://holyspiritprayercenter.org, send an email totickets@holyspiritprayercenter.org or call the HSPC at440-720-1817. Concert proceeds will benefit the poor.Catholic Renewal Ministries’ Traveling CharismaticMass for March will be held in the chapel at St. JohnVianney Church, 7575 Bellflower Rd., Mentor, 44060,on Friday, March 15th. Praise and Worship will beginat 7:00 p.m. and the liturgy will start at 7:30 p.m.Fr. Bob Franco will be the celebrant. Healing prayerteams will be available after Mass for individual prayer,and there will also be a social after Mass. For moreinformation, please contact Fr. Franco at 440-327-2201or CRM at 440-944-9445. Come and bring a friend!This will be a time to truly encounter the Lord.

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Doors open 8 AM - continental breakfast. Program begins at 9:00 AMThis is an opportunity to receive teaching on the Unbound method of prayer and a time toreceive healing. There is a fee of $25, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

Call CRM @ 440.944.9445 or Marge Zampino @ 216.990.0919 for questions.

Registration deadline: March 25, 2019Register by mail: Send $25 check made out to CRM. Mail to:Marge Zampino 2747 Vincent Drive Seven Hills, Ohio 44131

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called to evangelize, we should expect thatthe Holy Spirit will provide the words weneed, especially if we ask him!

Growth in any spiritual gift involves steppingout in faith. Many Catholics need to beginby praying for the desire to evangelize andthe courage to speak about God, which inour secular age is not ‘politically correct.’ Ithink one of the Lord’s central reasons forthe “New Pentecost” in our times is to giveus the boldness to witness what we see atthe first Pentecost. (This is an essential,precious fruit of “baptism in the Holy Spirit.”)Why don’t most Catholics evangelize despitedecades of Church teaching and bishops’synods? It appears that they haven’t beentouched by the ‘fire’ that changed the firstdisciples from fearful people to boldwitnesses, ready even to die for their faith!More than any particular charisms, we needthis gift of boldness. If we have the burningdesire to evangelize, we will!

You’ve probably heard, “I witness to God bymy life.” Yes, deeds speak more powerfullythan mere words, especially in our day. Someof the charisms are ‘service’ charisms (see1 Cor 12:28; Rom 12:7,8; 1 Pt 4:11), whichinclude healing and miracles, as well as

service and administration. They certainlytestify to the Lord, but in a famous sectionof Pope St. Paul VI’s letter On Evangelizationin the Modern World he writes:

No, we don’t need to explain all of this atonce. For the ‘seed’ of faith to grow, it firsthas to be sown. That’s the first step ofevangelization. If we plant the seed, we trustthat God will give the growth (1 Cor 3:6,7).

Alan Schreck is a professor of theology atFranciscan University and a member of theCommunity of God’s Love charismaticcommunity in Steubenville, Ohio.Reprinted with permission. PentecostToday, Fall 2018 Volume 43 Number 4.

. . . even the finest witness will proveineffective in the long run if it is notexplained, justified. . . and madeexplicit by a clear and unequivocalproclamation of the Lord Jesus. TheGood News proclaimed by the witnessof life sooner or later has to beproclaimed by the word of life. Thereis no true evangelization if the name,the teaching, the life, the promises, thekingdom and the mystery of Jesus ofNazareth, the Son 0f God, are notproclaimed. (EN,22)

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