October 8 – 10, 2010

Featuring

Francis & Judith MacNutt
Founders of Christian Healing Ministries
www.christianhealingmin.org

Also presenting
Michael Evans
Fr. Jim Curtin
Linda Strickland

Praise and Worship – Susan Potvin and Living Praise

CHM seeks to advance our Lord’s ministry of healing through prayer. CHM is dedicated to praying with those in need of healing in the physical, emotional, and spiritual areas of their lives and to teaching others about this often overlooked aspect of Christ’s ministry.

Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore
Skokie Banquet and Conference Center
5300 W. Touhy Avenue
Skokie, IL 60077

Rgistration fees

Single – $100.00
Married – $200.00
Student - $25.00

For information call the CCRCC Office, 708-209-1199

Please download the 2010 Conference Brochure and Registration Form

PLEASE JOIN US IN AN EXCITING SPIRIT FILLED WEEKEND!

Young Leaders of Chicago

Saturday, November 20. 2010

With Fr. Michael Sparough, S.J.
Music by Mark NimoAdults
$28Youth & students $16
Plus Silent Auction & Raffle

Elmcrest Banquet Hall
7370 West Grand Avenue
Elmwood Park, IL

Tickets (by November 12)
708 209 1199 (Day)
708 244 5460 (Eve)
630 753 9079 (Eve)

For additional information on the event and
to register online, please click here.

Download the Flyer with Registration Form

Sept. 5 (1st Sunday)
Healing prayer
Following 5:30 pm Mass at St. Michael Church, 14327 Highland Ave, Orland Park, IL 60462.
For info call Fr. Paul Burak at 708-873-4611.

Sept. 6 (1st Monday)
Charismatic Mass and Healing Service – 7:30 pm. Celebrant: Fr. James Holup.
Infant Jesus of Prague Church Prayer Group, 1131 Douglas Ave, Flossmoor, IL 60422.
For info call Bettyann at 708-799-1234.

Sept. 13 ( Monday)
Charismatic Mass and Healing Service – 7:30 pm.
Aylesford Prayer Group Carmelite Center, 8433 Bailey Rd., Darien, IL 60561.
Celebrant TBA.
For information call Carol at 708-484-9191.

Sept. 14 (every other Tuesday)
Charismatic Mass and Healing Service – 7:00 pm. Celebrant: Fr. Justin Dike.
St. Dennis Church, 1204 Hamilton, Lockport, IL 60441.

Sept 17
Charismatic Mass & Healing Service – 7:30pm. Celebrant: TBA.
St. Margaret Mary Church, 1450 Green Trails Dr, Naperville, IL 60540.
For info call Deacon John Freund 630.894.1843.

Sept. 20 (3rd Monday)
Charismatic Mass and Healing Service – 7:30 pm. Celebrant: Fr. Bob Sears.
Cenacle Prayer Group St. Bernadette Church, 9349 S. Francisco, Evergreen Park, IL 60805.
For information call Pat 708-448-5374.

Sept. 20 (3rd Monday)
Charismatic Mass and Healing Service - 7:00 Praise & Worship, 7:30 pm Mass.
Santa Maria Del Popolo Chapel 116 N. Lake Street, Mundelein, IL 60060.

By: Francis MacNutt

When I hear the phrase, “Jesus saves,” I think of poorly lettered billboards on many a country road. I also remember an unpleasant incident when I was buttonholed by a street evangelist who asked: “Are you saved, brother?” But these unhappy experiences of insensitivity cannot change what is central for me, as for every Christian: Jesus does save.

What does it mean? What does Jesus save me from, and how does it affect my life? In traditional terms, Jesus saves us from personal sin and from the effects of original sin, which include ignorance, weakness of will, disoriented emotions, physical illness, and death. Some of this freedom will unfold only after our physical death. But even now the process has begun: “The kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus wants to free us from physical sickness—from all the sickness that destroys or lessens our humanity—in order to give us new life, a new relationship of love and union with his Father.

This is the astounding message of the good news. The danger is, and always has been, that we let this news remain a doctrine, a truth to be believed. But in reality, healing is the practical application of the Christian message of salvation, a belief that Jesus means to liberate us from personal sin and from emotional and physical sickness. So if we want to understand a Christian view of healing, we need to penetrate deeper into the meaning of “Jesus saves,” into the meaning of his mission—and ours.

Jesus the Savior. The Hebrews attached great significance to choosing a name for a newborn child. The name often indicated the role the child was to play in the family or in the history of God’s chosen people. The son of Isaiah, for example, was named “Shear-jashub,” “a remnant will return,” and the very name symbolized hope that the Israelites, after Isaiah’s own time, would return from exile and punishment. Similarly, John the Baptist was named at God’s command as a sign that he was specially chosen to play a unique role in preparing his people for the coming of the Messiah.

Little wonder, then, that when God came to dwell among us he chose a name that would indicate both who he was and what his mission would be. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said: “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus” (Luke 1:31).

The word “Jesus,” or “Yeshua” in Aramaic, means “Yahweh is Salvation,” and though it was a common name in that day, the name here proclaimed the very mission of the one who bore it. The Messiah had come to express by his words and his works that “Yahweh is Salvation.”

Healing and Salvation Are Linked. This is precisely how Jesus conceived his mission: The time of the Messiah would be a time of healing, liberation, and salvation. As Jesus began to preach, he expressed clearly why he had come: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19)

Later, when John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus again pointed to his healing ministry as the sign that he was the Christ: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them” (Luke 7:22).

Today, we no longer view the miracles of Jesus solely as proofs of his divinity or as guarantees that his teachings came from God. Rather, we see that Jesus’ healing power is an integral part of the good news of the gospel. The healings weren’t just proof. They were actually part of the way Jesus wanted to save his people, the way he wanted to restore all that they had lost.

The Mission Continues. Since the healing of our humanity is an essential part of the gospel message, we can now see why Jesus gave his disciples the power to heal when he sent them out to preach (Luke 9:1-2; 10:1,8-9). Jesus was simply giving them the same power to preach the message of good news that he himself preached. And that message was not just a doctrine; it contained the power of God to liberate our sick humanity from the wretched state it was in.

The inspired account, of course, that describes the activity of the early church is the Acts of the Apostles. One important theme in Acts is that the early Christians had the same power to preach, to heal, and to cast out demons that Jesus had. The church is the continuation of Jesus’ saving power in history. The Jerusalem church (Peter) and the gentile churches (Paul) all carry on the same preaching and healing that Jesus did, because Jesus is the one who is still doing it. Only now he is multiplied in his apostles—and in us—who can be his witnesses to the end of the world.

Just as Jesus combined both preaching and healing in his presentation of the gospel, the early apostles carried on that tradition as well. The ordinary expectation of the apostles is shown by their direct form of prayer: “Walk” (Acts 3:6), “Stand up” (10:26), “Rise and make your bed” (9:34), “Stand upright on your feet” (14:10). The apostles use the same form of prayer that Jesus had used and that the church uses in the sacraments: It is a prayer that expects something to happen because we have prayed for it.

The clear implication is that healing and liberation are the mission of the church. The work of the church is not yet complete but is meant to continue with modern apostles, contemporary Christians who preach and perform the same acts of power that Jesus—and Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Agabus, Ananias, Philip, and Stephen—did.

An Evangelistic Strategy. What we have said so far about the centrality of healing to the preaching of the gospel was certainly understood by Christians for the first three hundred years. The approach to religion in the early church was very simple. Just as Jesus attracted crowds by his miracles and sent his disciples out to heal and cast out evil spirits, so too the early Christians saw healing and exorcism as a key to conversion.

In the centuries when Christians were persecuted, there were no massive evangelistic crusades. Instead, the ordinary conversion went something like the following. Imagine you are a sick devotee of a pagan god. A Christian friend tells you that you can be healed; you say, “All right, I’ll try it.” Your friend sends for an elder, and they pray for you. You are healed and you are so impressed that you ask for your whole household to be baptized. Then comes the teaching.

This approach appealed to the masses, while the intellectuals, a tiny segment of the population, scorned it as suited only to children, slaves, and women. Christians, however, attributed the explosive growth of the church to such works of healing and exorcism. What a difference in outlook from today!

Jesus Still Wants to Save—And Heal. Unless we hold that healing was meant only for the early Christian community, the healings in the early church should somehow continue happening in our day. We still have the sick with us, and we are still standing in the need of being made whole. All around us in the pews on Sunday morning, we see wounded people. And often those in the pulpit or at the altar are wounded as well. Clearly, we still need healing as much as ever.

If our work as Christians is to carry on the same mission as Jesus, we need to recapture the key elements of his mission. Think of what it might mean if you could, in all honesty, describe how you have fully entered into the life of Christ and you could truthfully say: “God has anointed me with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God is with me, I go around doing good and curing all who have fallen into the power of the devil” (Acts 10:37-38).

And think of what it might mean if the entire church could answer those who honestly ask why they should join: “Go and tell the doubters what you have seen and heard: The blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the good news is proclaimed to the poor, and happy is the one who does not lose faith in me” (Luke 7:22).

Reprinted with permission of The Word Among Us, 9639 Dr Perry Rd #126, Ijamsville, MD 21754 Issue Date:(July, 2009), <http://www.wau.org,1-800-775-9673>www.wau.org,1-800-775-9673

October 29-31, 2010
St. Paul, MN

For additional information on the event, please click here.

Francis & Judith MacNutt
Founders of Christian Healing Ministries
www.christianhealingmin.org

Also presenting
Michael Evans
Fr. Jim Curtin
Linda Strickland

Praise and Worship – Susan Potvin and Living Praise

CHM seeks to advance our Lord’s ministry of healing through prayer. CHM is dedicated to praying with those in need of healing in the physical, emotional, and spiritual areas of their lives and to teaching others about this often overlooked aspect of Christ’s ministry.

Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore
Skokie Banquet and Conference Center
5300 W. Touhy Avenue
Skokie, IL 60077

Rgistration fees

Single – $100.00
Married – $200.00
Student – $25.00

For information call the CCRCC Office, 708-209-1199

Please download the 2010 Conference Brochure and Registration Form

PLEASE JOIN US IN AN EXCITING SPIRIT FILLED WEEKEND!

Yet baptism in the Spirit, certainly an experience is also meant to lead us to a life-style and ultimately, total transformation.

Luke, the author of the gospel picked up his pen again to give us the book of the Acts of the Apostles.  His first volume (the gospel) portrays the life, ministry, passion, and victory of Jesus…by the power of the Holy Spirit.  His second volume (Acts) explores the same themes, but this time the Spirit is empowering the Church of Jesus.

If we really want to use Luke’s writings as a blueprint of the ideal Christian life, the life of Pentecost, then it is essential for us to really examine the story, the whole story.

Ecclesial life:  Luke, lists the names of the apostles in Acts 1:13.  To Luke, it is important that we realize that the Apostles are in the upper room.  Peter “stood up in the midst of the brothers.” (Acts 1:15)

One of the first things that happen in the upper room is that Judas’ replacement is chosen. The Apostles are setting their house in order.  Clearly the Apostles, led by Peter, are in leadership position, and have a special prominence among the group of 120 people gathered in the upper room.

Mary:  The only other proper name mentioned by Luke, besides the Apostles is Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Luke mentions Mary prominently in his gospel as well.  Luke wants us to know that Mary has a unique and highly honored role in the first community.  Mary, along with the Apostles and the other 120 people, will experience the power of the Holy Spirit in a charismatic dimension when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon them.

Community: “When the time of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.” (Lk2:1)  The words “all in one place together” are Luke’s way to show us that God not only works in the lives of individuals but with a group, a people.  In our individualistic society, “all in one place together” seems tedious, unnecessary, and burdensome.  Yet, it was the community that was to receive the Visitation from on high.

Experience/Charisms:  When the Spirit descended on the community…something tangible happened.  There was a real encounter, not a philosophical discussion.  They saw something, they heard something, and they felt something.  As the experienced deepened, they found themselves using strange and new methods of proclamation of God’s glory.  They all were enraptured in the Spirit and gave themselves freely to a new release, a new expression of what they were experiencing.

Proclamation:  With a new boldness, the 120 went outside to meet the curious, amazed, and somewhat cynical crowd.  The fervor was so great, Peter words so eloquent that 3,000 more persons were added to the Church that day!

Lifestyle:  In the days, weeks and months that followed “those who were being saved” lived lives of such holiness, generosity, and joy that their very lives were part of the proclamation of the kingdom.

If we truly want to hold up the Pentecost account of Luke as the ideal Christian life, we must measure ourselves against this standard:

Do I see myself under the authority and in union with Peter and the Apostles?  Am I in line with the teaching of the Holy Father and in Communion with Cardinal George?

Can I truly embrace Mary as not only my Mother but a member of the Christian Community.  Am I willing to stand by her in the upper room and pray at her side in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Can I think “us” instead of “me?”  Am I willing to invest myself in some form of “community?”  Am I willing to be “in one place” with people who are less than perfect?  Will I work for unity in the body of Christ.

Am I open, truly open to experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in my life?  Will I ‘fan in to flame’ the gifts and charisms that the Spirit bestows on me?

Will I boldly testify to others about the Lordship of Jesus?  Will I refuse to “beat around the bush” and instead to calmly yet clearly proclaim the truth of the kingdom?

Am I willing to live a life of holiness, generosity and joy?  Am I committed to live an exemplary life?

Don’t give pat answers.  Wrestle with these questions.  By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, may you come to live all of these areas of an authentic life in the Holy Spirit.  If you do, you will be living an authentic Pentecost.

Jim Murphy is President of Vera Cruz Communications.  www.veracruzcm.com

October 8 – 10, 2010  Save the date!

Every Easter we hear the words, “Jesus is risen.” And every Easter, we are quick to agree.

But as familiar as these words may sound, they do not always carry the expectation and anticipation that they should. Sure we enjoy the Easter Vigil Mass, and it’s great to recall the Old Testament history that led up to the birth of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. But the miracle of Easter has the power to draw us deeper into the heart of the Lord. The resurrection of Christ contains within it the promise of a tangible resurrection experience of our own – an experience of renewed love, the grace to forgive, and the inspiration to live a holy life.

As we begin this Easter season, let’s put on the mind-set of Martha’s sister, Mary, who sat at the feet of the Lord. Let’s ask Jesus to help us become more expectant. Let’s ask him to help us ponder the miracle of Easter. It is worth our time and energy. After all, Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest event in human history. And that means that Easter should be held in the highest regard.

It’s about Life and Death. Writing to the believers in Rome, St. Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Every time we recite the Nicene Creed at Mass, we do “confess” publicly that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. The question now is whether we “believe in our hearts” what these words mean.

What does it mean to believe “in our hearts?” Think about how often we hear about the risks involved with a poor diet: high cholesterol, heart disease, unhealthy weight gain, and so many others. We are warned to eat right and get plenty of exercise. Some of us heed the warnings, while others do not. But these warnings take on a whole new light when we have a stroke or a heart attack. Suddenly we want to learn about healthy eating. We change our diet, begin to exercise, and encourage our friends and family members to follow our example. This little illustration shows the difference between just believing something because it makes sense and believing something in our hearts.

Paul tells us that the most remarkable accomplishment gained through Easter is that Jesus won eternal life for us: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body” (Philippians 3:20-21). In other words, this world is not our home. We are foreigners in this land, and that means we should live like foreigners. We should work hard to make this world a better place, and we should cherish education and serving those in need. But this is not our ultimate goal, nor is this world our ultimate destination. We are citizens of heaven, and that’s where our hearts’ deepest desires should be.

It is this offer of heavenly citizenship that makes Easter so special. This is why Jesus came and lived among us. Out of love for us, God sent his Son to save us, “so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Easter message calls us to fix our eyes on heaven – always. Tragically, there are people in the world who can be more excited about finding a good bargain at a store than they can about the fact that heaven has been opened to them.

This is not to say that the more perishable goals or items that we pursue are wrong or evil in themselves. But Jesus is asking us to keep him and his kingdom in the forefront of our minds and hearts. He is asking us to place our other priorities in order behind this one. So let’s not allow these perishable goals – both the good and the bad – to take the place of honor that only Jesus deserves.

What Happened to Mary at the Tomb? If we look at the scriptural accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, we can see that a group of women led by Mary Magdalene brought spices to anoint Jesus’ body. Why would they do this if they believed Jesus’ promise that he would rise again? They must have been convinced that he was dead. In essence, they allowed good human logic to replace faith in Jesus’ promises. But then, just as they were wondering how to roll away the stone that covered his tomb, they found that it had already been moved for them. They must have wondered what happened. They must have been puzzled as to why the guards had abandoned their post as well.

Even more disturbing than the missing guards and the rolled-away stone was the fact that Jesus’ body was missing. Still assuming that he was dead, they wondered whether someone had taken his body, perhaps as a hoax or worse, to defile it in some way. That’s when two angels appeared, dressed in pure white robes. “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?” They asked. “He is not here, but he has been raised” (Luke 24:5-6).

Any doubts that Mary and the other women might have had were erased once the angels spoke to them. Any worries about where the body was or about what had just happened were removed. Their faith returned, and it even increased! They realized that Jesus had overcome even death itself. He did what he promised to do, and they were filled with amazement. Does the reality of Jesus’ resurrection fill you with joy and amazement? It really should!

Take a Second Look. What happened to Mary before she saw the angel can happen to us as well. We too can doubt Jesus. We too can be fooled by the philosophies of the world. We too can fall into the trap of making human logic the primary basis for our faith. But if we do this, we will end up minimizing Eater, seeing it as a good event but not giving it the highest place in our hearts. We will never find the living God among the “dead” ways of this world. We will find him only as we seek him in faith, only as we knock on his door and ask him to open to us.

While there are many similarities between John’s account of the resurrection and the three other Gospels, one difference is that according to John, Mary actually met Jesus before she went to tell Peter and the others about the empty tomb. At first, Mary didn’t recognize Jesus. It sounds incredible, doesn’t it? How could she not know him? She knew what he looked like and how his voice sounded. She had spent a lot of time with him, so she would have known his mannerisms. Still, Mary looked right at Jesus but couldn’t tell who he was. Is it possible that this happened because Mary was too convinced that Jesus was dead to believe otherwise, even which he was standing right in front of her?

Whatever the reason, Mary did recognize Jesus when he called her by name. It was in her second look that she finally saw him for who he is. Sometimes this is just what we need – a second look. Sometimes our first look doesn’t go far enough. Sometimes logic or fear or worry or doubt get in the way and keep us from looking deeper. Sometimes these distractions keep us from simply throwing ourselves into prayer, into the Scriptures, and letting Jesus set our hearts on fire.

Easter Is…Brothers and sisters, Easter is expectation. Easter is enthusiasm. Easter is anticipation. Easter is exhilaration. Easter is God’s own power and energy. It calls for a second look, and a third look, and even a fourth look. Easter is nothing less than the promise of eternal life.

So thank God for the miracle of Easter. What happened on the first Easter Sunday is incomprehensible to the human mind. But while no one can fully understand it, everyone can believe it. Why? Because people like Mary and the other women, the eleven apostles, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and everybody else who saw the risen Jesus could not possibly deny what they experienced. Why else? Because Jesus himself promised to bless those who could not see him and touch him but believed. And he never makes a promise he cannot keep.
Copyright: 2010 The Word Among Us. All Rights Reserved.

The Real Presence of Christ makes each one of us his “house” and all together we form his Church, the spiritual building of which Saint Peter speaks. “Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious”, the apostle writes,” and like living stones be yourself built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Pt 2:4-5)…

The love of Christ is the love that “never ends” (1Cor 13:8), the spiritual energy that unites all who share in the same sacrifice and are nourished by the one Bread, broken for the world’s salvation…

Thus, every time you approach the altar for the Eucharistic Celebration, may your soul be open to forgiveness and fraternal reconciliation, ready to accept the apologies of those who have injured you and ready, in turn, to forgive others”…

The altar of the sacrifice becomes in a certain way the meeting point between heaven and earth; the center, we might say, of the One Church that is heavenly yet at the same time a pilgrim on this earth where, amidst the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God, disciples of the Lord proclaim his passion and his death until he comes in glory.

Indeed, every Eucharistic Celebration already anticipates Christ’s triumph over sin and over the world and in the mystery shows the radiance of the Church, “the spotless spouse of the spotless Lamb. It is she whom Christ loved and for whom he delivered himself up that he might sanctify her…

May the Spirit of the Risen Lord, who is the Spirit of Pentecost, open you to his horizons of hope and nourish within you a missionary impetus to the vast horizons of the new evangelization.