Goodnews January-December 1996 [antikvár]

What is the Spirit saying? James Parker In the Middle East thcrc is a call for unity taking place among the six different Oriental Uniate rites whcre Christians have bcgun to work together out of love in order to bring Christ to thcir neighbours. In many parts of Africa, therc is a rise in the number of young Catholics who will-ingly travel thousands of miles to help othcrs establish schools of evangelisation in order that othcrs may come to expcricncc life in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit There is the example of Fröre Nour ('Brother Light') who, greatiy respccied by Christians and Moslems alite,, was led by the Lord to give up his profession'as"a lawyer to serve the poor sent him by God. Since the end of the civil war in Lebanon he has been instrumental in setting upa number of social centres, particularly small mater-nity clinics and nursery schools, as well as a Christian radio and televisión station. Through his contagious love and joy at being able to serve he is a profound witness to Jesus ('By this shall men know that you are my disciples, by the way you love one another' (Jn. 13: 35). In these and numerous othcr cases there is a rise in interdependence: a deeper openness and willingness to give and share goodnews delay We are sorry if you have been receiving your Goodncws late over the last few months our computer died and we have been in the proccss of re-programming the new (sccond-hand actually) one we have got This has provcd more difficult than expectcd and thcrc have been several hiccups, over our subscription list Please forgive us and pray for all the Goodnews team and the computers. remember Prayer week-end for prayer group leaders organised by the NSC at Newman College in Birmingham 15th - 17th September 1995. For application forms send S.A.E. to Eileen O'Kane, NSC Office, Allen Hall, 28 Beaufort Street, London SW3 5AA. of time, energy, love and resources for the building of God's Kingdom on earth without thought to personal cost. The Spirit seems to be broadening our vision as to what the whole subject of ecumcnism may actually mean. To begin with, He reminds us as Catholics that il is .iot only a commitment to being unilcd as a family to the tcachings and traditions of the Church, or that second!y it is not only a commitment lo unity among members of different Christian dénominations. More ihanTever i t seems that the Spirit is revealing to us that ccumcnisirUs aboul bringing all s people of all failhs, cultures and races inio a unified relationship with Jesus that we may ali cry, "Abba! Father!" (Rom. 8:16). He is stressing more than ever that the Gospel has a profound and persuasive echo in the hcart of every person - believer and non-bcl icvcr al ike - bccausc it marvcllously fulfíls ali the heart's cxpcctaiions while infiniiely surpassing them.' (EV.2). As Jesus was obcdient to the Faiher (cf. Rom. 5:18-19) we too must not forgcl that wc have been 'made holy by ihe Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ' (1 Pet 1-2). God gives us the Spint without measurc (cf. Jn. 3:34) who leachcs us everylhing wc need to know at ihe appoinicd lime (cf. Jn. 14:26). received by joan le morvan for a day of renewal at worth abbey in june '95 "Spcak of my Peacc. Speak of my Word. Spcak of the peacc that can only be found within my Word. Spcak of ihe Word made flesh. Spcak of her who nourished ihe Word wiihin her hcart and body. Spcak of my love and delighl in my childrcn. Teach a hoiy indifférence to ail thai allracts and distracts from my Word. Many hands have slipped from the plough. Many heads are lurncd away from ihc harvest which only my Word can reap. Tum back with ail your hearis this day my Calling upon the same Spirit on every occasion we must faithfully take up every challenge to see all people particularly Christians, united in Christ We need to be resolved in greater détermination than ever to live in the Spirit and to be guidcd by Him, obedient to sceking the fulfilmentof Jesus' final prayer in John 17:21, that we 'may all be one so that the world may bclicve'. Rcmcmbcring that God's word will not return to Him unfulfilled (cf. Is. 55:11), Íet us move forward 'not with a spirit of limid-ity, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline' (2 Tim, 1: 7). The Church calis us to celebrate this time of the Lord's favoiir as we approach the great Jubilee Ycar 2000 (cf. TMA. 14) and to proclaim the incomparable value of every human person (EV. 2) as we embrace ihe ecumcnical joumey of unity, our eyes al-ways fixed on Jesus Christ in obedience to His word. A journalist once approached Mothcr Teresa and asked her how she measured her success. "God does not ask us for success." She said, "God asks of us only faiihfulness." Holy Spirit, make us faithful instruments to your work of unity! © James Parker peoplc. Take refuge in my Word, Take life from my Word. Draw your vision from my Word. Place your hand in the hand of ihe Moihcr of the Word. Shc will lead you inio truth." Junc 24th 1995. THE NATIONAL SERVICE COMMUTEE for Cathollc Charismatic Renewal in England are Charles Whitehead (Chairman), Fr. lan Petit, OSB, Fr. Sean Conaty, Dr. Jan Knight, Archie Cameron, Myles Oempsey, Roy Hendy, Freddy Muscat (Gibraltar), Sr. Maria Natelta, Eileen O'Kane, Fr. Tom Kenny, Peter Moran. Editor: KRISTINA COOPER Managing Editor: CHARLES WHITEHEAD Promotions Editor: VIVIAN SEWELL Subscriptions: SR. MARIAN LIMBRICK Typesetting: GOWLAND & CO SOUTHPORT Printing: THE ELLESMERE PRESS LTD SKIPTON This Newsletter is published by the National Service Committee of the Catholic Renewal in England. The NSC does not necessarily endorse all the views and comments therein. Goodnews annual subscription L8.70 from Allen Hall, 28 Beaufort Street, London SW3 5AA. S.O.S. PRAYER LINE 8.00 pm - 1.00 am (^01243 51^577551 2