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My wife and myself attended at least one prayer group a week, plus a young adult group once a month, which we traveled a great distance to attend.
Now, it is the opposite; most parishes don't have a prayer group, and if they do, it is a very small group. What has happened ? I believe that this is the reason for their demise: Many times during charismatic prayer meetings, the Lord would speak to the people in prophecy. These were always beautiful words from the Lord. Every once in a while, someone would speak a prophetic message from the Lord, which conveyed a need for repentance . There were also sometimes specific messages pertaining to future events. When these type of prophetic messages were given, immediately, the "leaders" of the group would say, "that's not from the Lord", and thereby stifle the Holy Spirit. If it wasn't a message of "good news', they didn't want to hear it. Any messages of "doom and gloom" were in their opinion not from the Lord. So, the authorities in the church succeeded in stifling the Holy Spirit and the entire charismatic renewal, simply because they thought that they had all the answers and also the mind of God.
I think that Hawko and bartek are showing the truth of this. Catholics want to be both charismatic and catholic.
Let me tell you what I see dawning in the Church. The charismatic renewal has opened up catholics to the possibility of using charismatic gifts. Also many have had a renewal of teh graces received through the scraments. We also have received the gift of praise and worship in a big way.
But these gifts are meant to foster a deeper renewal of what we have already received in teh sacraments. Escpecially the eucharist, which the church rightly terms the source and summit of our faith.
The next generation is becoming more fully catholic and charismatic, both together. The sacraments are becoming central to the renewal and now we are seeing huge growth like that of steubenville. Thousands of young people are being taught both solid catholic tradition and also the charismatic elements are there.
I agree with what you are saying. If the "leaders" try to control or squash the Holy Spirit, then eventually there will be no more prayer group.The biggest things that I have seen cause the disbanding of charismatic groups are spiritual pride and controlling prophesies and generally poor leadership.
When there is poor leadership where prophesies emerge that seek to control or instill fear in people or others begin to assert themselves as more spiritual than others then rivalries crop up and people cease to attend and I think rightly so.
I saw this several times toward the end of the millenia where some unfortunate hysteria occured. It caused the disbanding of two groups I am aware of and I think they should have. A third group that did survive moved its meetings into the Church chapel under the guidance of a Deacon but hasn't grown in size nevertheless and in which only one regular participant besides the Deacon can I see visible spiritual growth and fruits in the past eight years but the fellowship is still good. Its akin to an ultreaya meeting from which I have seen one person seek to become a Deacon after offering eucharistic services at nursing homes. Hope he made it all the way, I don't know the outcome because I moved. I think for it to actually grow it would be helpful for more clergy to be leading the meetings with a consistant format adding things such as benediction and littanies.
Peace.
I agree with what you are saying. If the "leaders" try to control or squash the Holy Spirit, then eventually there will be no more prayer group.
Winsome,
If you want to know what the new generation of catholi charismatics are like, the steubenville thread here really paints a good picture. They are praising and worhiping, raising their hands, the pray in tongues, and they also prya the rosary and have adoration. All of the catholic elements are coming together as one. Although the older leadership in the church does not approve, it is actually what they worked so hard to bring out. Full incorporation.
I think that if people would realize that this renewal matures, and that it becomes more and more full catholic, then there would be an epiphany.
Thanks for pointing that thread out. Wonderful things are going on.
In Australia Flame Ministries International are doing wonderful work as well. They are running a rally called ARISE; A Trumpet Call for a Joshua Generation.
They say:
THERE IS A BOLD GENERATION OF JOSHUA-WARRIORS RISING IN THE CHURCH THAT TRANSCENDS AGE GROUPS, GENDER, DENOMINATIONS AND POSITION TO GATHER THE LATTER DAY HARVEST. THEY COME FROM ALL AGE GROUPS AND WALKS OF LIFE.
In Australia Flame Ministries International are doing wonderful work as well. They are running a rally called ARISE; A Trumpet Call for a Joshua Generation.
They say:
THERE IS A BOLD GENERATION OF JOSHUA-WARRIORS RISING IN THE CHURCH THAT TRANSCENDS AGE GROUPS, GENDER, DENOMINATIONS AND POSITION TO GATHER THE LATTER DAY HARVEST. THEY COME FROM ALL AGE GROUPS AND WALKS OF LIFE.
I really have no idea how big/small the Renewal is, lol. I live in a small(ish) town and I found a church nearby that has a charismatic prayer group that meets once a week, a healing mass once a month, and Life in the Spirit seminars (is that what they're called? I can't really remember). I guess that's pretty lucky!I don't know how big the prayer group is though. I'm hoping to visit the healing mass sometime and see how it's like. There's another church in my town that also has a charismatic prayer group but it looks very small because the church is small. I don't know how it's like in Canada though...
I really have no idea how big/small the Renewal is, lol. I live in a small(ish) town and I found a church nearby that has a charismatic prayer group that meets once a week, a healing mass once a month, and Life in the Spirit seminars (is that what they're called? I can't really remember). I guess that's pretty lucky!I don't know how big the prayer group is though. I'm hoping to visit the healing mass sometime and see how it's like. There's another church in my town that also has a charismatic prayer group but it looks very small because the church is small. I don't know how it's like in Canada though...
Winsome,
I can see that they are working in the vineyard in a different way, reaching out to the non-churched. That is truly wonderful to hear about. Can you give a link to flame ministries for those who might be interested. I have been to their site before and got the free book called "Walk in the Spirit."
Thank you for this post
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