Jubilee Time As A Style Of Life
by Charles Whitehead
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is not a fringe organization for a
group of enthusiasts. Through Baptism in the Holy Spirit we are called
to be fully committed to Jesus Christ, His Church and to bring His
love and life to all those we meet. All Christians are called to bring
people into a life of faith. If we are to play our full part in this,
we must be properly rooted in the life of the Church while retaining our
distinctive dimension. This is what we mean when we emphasize the need
to be at the heart of the Church, to be fully involved in parish and
local Church life. Every movement, community, congregation, institute
and ministry has something special to bring to the life of the Church. If
any contribution is missing, the body is incomplete. In
I Cor 12:12-30, St. Paul reminds us of the importance of
every part of the body, and this is a lesson we need to remember. What
particular gifts are to be part of our life-style as we enter the third
millennium?
Living in the power of the Holy Spirit
The aims of the Charismatic Renewal are one and the same as the objectives
of the Church - the conversion, sanctification and salvation of every
human being. Our distinctive characteristic is understanding that the
role of the Holy Spirit in this work has not changed since the day of
Pentecost. Today we can experience His outpouring, His power and His
gifts, in the very same way they were experienced and recognized by
the early Christians. This understanding is the main gift we bring to
the Church. Therefore, the challenge we face is to live in the power
of the Holy Spirit and not in our own strength. We experience this
power through Baptism in the Holy Spirit - a grace that comes from God,
setting us on fire with a love and a zeal to serve Him and His people.
This means allowing the Holy Spirit to change every part of our lives and
learning to rely on the power of God and not on our natural abilities,
and trusting His word rather than our human wisdom. As we try to
communicate this message to others, we need to be sure our lives are
showing forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit if we expect people to take
notice of what we say. What is the fruit of the Spirit? The nature of
Jesus Himself, evident in a number of different flavours - love, joy,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
(Gal 5:22). When others see the fruit of the Spirit in our words and
actions, they will listen as we tell them about the life-changing work
of Jesus and about the power of His Spirit.
Rejoicing in salvation!
One flavour of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Pope John Paul II tells
us in Tertio Millennio Adveniente 16, "The term `Jubilee' speaks of joy;
not just an inner joy but a jubilation which is manifested outwardly,
for the coming of God is also an outward, visible, audible and tangible
event, as Saint John makes clear (I Jn 1:1)". What we are celebrating
is the greatest event in history - the coming of God as man to bring us
the gift of salvation. When charismatics celebrate, people notice the
freedom and enthusiasm. Let us be even more joyful as we celebrate the
coming of Christ 2000 years ago. Our lives should be full of praise and
thanksgiving - as St. Paul says "Always and everywhere giving thanks
to God" (Eph 5:20) no matter what our partuicular circumstances may
be. Then we will be those joyful witnesses Pope John Paul is looking for,
as people ask the reason for our joy and we tell them about the saving
work of Jesus and the power of His Spirit.
Good news to the poor
Charismatic Renewal and social justice go together. The gifts of
healing and deliverance are given to set people free from whatever binds
them. Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor (Luke 4:18). Pope
John Paul, in his Apostolic Letter on the Jubilee (51), reminds us
that "a commitment to justice and peace in a world like ours marked by
so many conflicts and intolerable social and economic inequalities,
is a necessary condition for the preparation and celebration of the
Jubilee". Our life-styles should show our concern for those who suffer
injustice and poverty, as we raise our voices on their behalf. The
Spirit calls us to challenge everything that diminishes men and women,
takes away their dignity, or forces them to be less than the people God
wants them to be. In addition to working to alleviate famine, disease,
poverty, injustice and international debt, we must face the current issues
of materialism, individualism, abortion and euthanasia. As Jubilee people
we need to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, with an active concern
for those caught up in poverty and injustice.
As we put all our gifts at the service of the Church we'll be properly
responding to the challenge given to us by Pope John Paul on the eve of
Pentecost 1998, "Christ repeats to each one of you `Go into the whole
world and proclaim the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). He is
counting on each one of you; the Church is counting on each one of you.
Mar-Apr 2000
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