Author: Editor, Kingdom Revelator
Saint- Nicholas Owen- The Carpenter
This is the inspiring story of how an ordinary lay man used his extraordinary practical skills to preserve the Catholic faith in England during a time of intense persecution.
HIS EARLY LIFE
Nicholas Owen was born around 1562 in Oxford and was the son of a Carpenter. His parents were devoutly Catholic and he was brought up in the faith. The faith-filled young man was apprenticed to an Oxford joiner for eight years where he learnt all his skill as a carpenter and stone mason. In 1588 he started working for a Jesuit, Fr Henry Garnet. At the time, during the reign of Elizabeth I, Catholics were forbidden to practice their religion and from 1585 any Catholic priest found in England would be tried for treason, punishable by death. There were many Catholic priests still living secretly in England at the time providing the Sacraments where they could but they were in great danger and needed good places to hide when the authorities came looking for them.
HIS WORK
Nicholas began travelling all round England building hiding places in the manor houses of those still practicing the Catholic faith. He would work at night, on his own, carving concealed spaces out of the stone walls or in the ground. He was ingenious in constructing hidden entrances and escape routes and would ensure that no-one but the owner of the house knew their location. He would then work during the day doing small carpentry jobs so that the rest of the household did not suspect anything. Many examples of his work still survive with priest’s holes in Harvington Hall (Worcestershire), Sawston Hall (Cambridgeshire), Huddington Court (Worcestershire) and Coughton Hall (Warwickshire). He travelled from one house to another, using the name, “Little John”, accepting only the necessities of life as payment for his work. His work was very difficult and very skilled. He worked in the dark, in small spaces carving out rock and stone and he had to work quietly because the fear of capture and death were always with him. But he was steadfast in his faith and trusted that God would protect him.
HIS CAPTURE
It is not known how many hiding holes he created or how many priest’s lives he saved but his work helped the Catholic Faith to survive through a very difficult time of persecution. Eventually in 1594 he was caught and imprisoned but the authorities didn’t realise who he was and what he had been doing so he was fined and released. This did not deter Nicholas and he went back to work building refuges for priests. But in 1605 after the failure of the Gunpowder Plot the authorities became even more vigilant and Nicholas was arrested along with Fr. Henry Garnet and Fr. Edward Oldcorne.
HIS MARTYDOM
Nicholas was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was suffering from a hernia and legally he should not have been tortured but they were desperate to get his secrets from him so he was put on the rack and he was very badly tortured for weeks on end. He had the knowledge that would have condemned most of the remaining Catholics in England but the Lord strengthened him and he remained silent throughout. He died in March 1606 without betraying any of his secrets.
It was for his sanctity as well as his martyrdom that St. Nicholas Owen was canonized by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales in 1970. Their feast day is on October 25th.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
TRYING TO STUDY
During the last few months I should have been preparing for my exams but I was having great difficulty concentrating on studying and instead I would get side tracked into watching films and TV programs, which were completely unrelated to my exams. I knew that I was wasting too much time and I started to worry and became stressed. Then I watched an episode of Abhishekagni by Fr Xavier Khan Vattayil (a TV program in Malayalam available via the Internet) about the power of the Cross. I decided to seek the protection of the sign of the Cross, by starting my study time with a prayer and making the sign of the cross so that I would stop being side tracked. It worked and Jesus strengthened me through the sign of the Cross, so that I was able to resist the temptation to do other things and I was able to study and was well prepared for my exams.
FROM SHAME TO HONOUR
In Roman times the cross was a symbol of dishonour and shame as it was a form of death reserved for the worst criminals. However, since Christ died on the cross to redeem us from our sins, it has become an object of reverence and now it adorns the crowns of kings and sits majestically on the top of churches. However the death and resurrection of Christ was only the start of the Church. It says in the Gospel, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20) and the early Christians underwent great persecution.
CONSTANTINE’S VICTORY
So how did a persecuted religion become the official religion of the Roman Empire? In Acts 5:39 one of the Pharisees, who were trying Peter and the apostles for spreading the new religion, said “If it’s from God, we will not be able to overthrow them.” This is what happened. God did not let his children be overthrown. He protected the early Church just as he protected the Israelites in the Old Testament. For nearly 300 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection the Christians in the Roman Empire were persecuted for their faith but their numbers still grew. The turning point came when the Roman Emperor Constantine became embroiled in a war with Maxentius in the battle of Milvian Bridge. Before the battle Constantine saw a vision from God. He saw a cross of light above the Sun with the words, “In this sign you will conquer.” Constantine asked his troops to mark their shields and armour with the Chi-Rho symbol an early form of the cross (used by early Christians to symbolise the crucifixion of Christ) and Constantine was victorious. This prompted Constantine’s and the Roman Empire’s conversion to Christianity. In AD313 in the Edict of Milan, it was decreed that all Christians in the Roman Empire should be well treated. The first council of Nicaea was chaired by Emperor Constantine in AD325, which led to the formation of the Nicene Creed which is still said during the Mass today.
PROTECTING US TODAY
The cross on which Jesus died, which helped Constantine win the battle of Milvian Bridge, still holds the same power today. In the Youth Catechism (YouCat 360) it states “Through the Sign of the Cross we place ourselves under the protection of the Triune God. At the beginning of the day, at the beginning of a prayer, but also at the beginning of important undertakings, a Christian makes the Sign of the Cross over himself and thus starts his business “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. We are surrounded on all sides by the Triune God; calling upon him by name sanctifies the things we set out to do; it obtains blessings for us and strengthens us in difficulties and temptations.” is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it The following message has been written in code. Can you work out what it says? THE CODE!
The word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Written by Jose Dennis
STEP OUT IN FAITH
SHARING YOUR PROBLEMS
Have you ever been faced with a difficult situation and thought, who can I share this with? Who can I rely on? Will my friends be able to help me? Not many people have a friend that they can tell everything to and many young people don’t feel that they can share everything with their parents. There are certain things that you have to keep to yourself, just for you to know and no one else. Life can feel like a lonely place sometimes but when we stand at a crossroad, wondering which way to go, we do have someone with us. We should not forget that He is there beside us, in our every breath and every step. Yes, I am talking about Jesus.
NEVER ALONE
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2) This powerful Bible verse has helped me to get through many difficult times. It tells me that He is there with me through everything and anything, be it moments of turmoil or happiness, our Lord Jesus is always with us! When we have problems we may say, “Why God?” or “Where are you God?” But if you listen carefully, you might just hear him whisper, “I am right here beside you.”
COURAGE
Deciding to move to Romania to study medicine was not easy for me. Homesickness nearly got the better of me. I was literally all alone, as I did not know anyone and I did not know if I had the strength and courage to live so far away from my family. But if it wasn’t for the School of Evangelisation that I attended in August 2013, I wouldn’t have made the decision to move to Romania just two months later. The unconditional love of God that I felt during SOE gave me an inner strength that helped me through many difficulties including finding accommodation, registering for the academic year and the solitary life that I led in a flat. The list of reasons that I had to be depressed just goes on. However, in every situation God was there for me. He showed me the way; He gave me the courage to be able to love the new chapter of my life in Romania. Now, when I look back to last year, I can just sit and smile because Jesus has been so good to me! His presence in my life makes me giddy with happiness! All I want to say to you is keep your faith in Jesus at all times, especially when things get difficult. Remember that He is walking along your journey with you and will never leave you. Jesus loves you way too much! k
Written by Arlyn Maria Augustine
WHY PRAY THE ROSARY?
When we recite the Holy Rosary daily, our Blessed Mother Mary covers us 24/7 in her blue mantle, which means that we are protected by the Holy Mother of God and we receive many blessings.
IT FEEDS OUR SOULS
When a woman is pregnant, the nourishment from the food she eats is shared with the baby in her womb through the umbilical cord. In the same way, the Holy Rosary is an umbilical cord that connects us to heaven, and the virtues and graces of heaven are passed into us through this umbilical cord. Whenever we recite the Holy Rosary we are connected with Heaven.
IT DRIVES AWAY EVIL
Whips are used for scourging. When we recite the Holy Rosary, each “Hail Mary” lashes the devil. The realms of hell are shaken and shattered when we pray this prayer. The devil cannot overcome anyone who regularly recites the Holy Rosary. St. Louis de Montfort says, “When the devil wishes to make himself the master of a soul, he seeks to make it give up its devotion to Mary.” Mary’s protection really is that powerful, and the devil knows it only too well.
IT PURIFIES OUR HEARTS
Young people particularly, struggle to stay holy and keep their purity. “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 3:8) By meditating on the Holy Mysteries, we fill our hearts with the virtues of God, which are the opposite of the impurities that the devil brings into our minds. The Holy Rosary cleanses our mind through filling it with the heavenly grace of purity. Our Mother Mary will take care of our holiness and purity when we give ourselves into her hands through regularly reciting the Holy Rosary. When we speak the Word of God through the prayer, it purifies our tongues and when we meditate on the mysteries, it purifies our heart and soul, and as a result our flesh will be purified.
IT GIVES US PERSEVERANCE
I used to find the Rosary boring, before I knew about the power of Mary’s intercession. I found that repeating the same prayer over and over again was very irritating and I couldn’t wait for it to finish. I admit that it is sometimes difficult to pray the Rosary, but this difficulty is really the work of the devil, who wants to give us excuses not to spend time praying the most powerful prayer against him. After coming to know Jesus and Mary, more deeply, I decided to recite the Rosary every day. The first time that I tried, I couldn’t finish it because I wasn’t used to it. So I persevered and tried again and I was given the grace to recite it properly. Now, wherever I go, if I am on the train, on the bus or out walking, I automatically take out my Rosary and start reciting it. If I don’t say the Rosary at some time during the day, I feel a dryness within me, and I know that I will fall into sin. The Holy Rosary creates around me a barrier that helps me to resist and defeat temptations. To those who find it boring, St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Say the Holy Rosary. Blessed be that monotony of Hail Mary’s which purifies the monotony of our sins!”
IT TEACHES US HUMILITY
The Holy Rosary is a humble prayer, which requires only 15 minutes out of our 24 hour day. In the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 it was the small boy who offered to Jesus what he had for his lunch. It was a simple offering, and through his humility, Jesus performed a great miracle! In the same way, when we offer five decades of the Holy Rosary through our Mother Mary’s hands, who can say that Jesus will refuse what we ask through her? Mary was humble throughout her life, from the moment of the Annunciation until her death. St. Padre Pio says that the devil trembles in front of humble souls. Humility has great power, and we can obtain this virtue through praying the Holy Rosary. Mary is filled with heavenly virtues, and she is ready to give those virtues to us. The Holy Rosary is the perfect prayer that makes us humble before God. The more we say it, the more humble we will become.
IT STRENGTHENS US
We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but the devil and the principalities of darkness, as St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12. Many of the Saints have encouraged us through their words to say the Holy Rosary and love Our Lady in order to fight against the rulers of darkness. The Rosary was a weapon for St. Padre Pio. Pope Leo XIII describes the Holy Rosary as a remedy for all evil and the root of all blessings. Pope Adrian VI knew that it was the whip for us to scourge the devil. St. John Vianney said that we should always carry our Rosary beads, for a soldier cannot fight without his weapon. As we are fighting against sin and temptation every day, it is essential for us to recite the Holy Rosary.
IT GIVES US PEACE
When we sin we lose our peace of mind, because we have lost the grace of God in our hearts. When we greet our loving Mother, Hail Mary, full of grace, she shows us our true state and this encourages us to go to Confession so that our peace and purity are restored. If we are angry, upset or worried for any reason, we should take the Rosary beads in our hands, and we will experience a Heavenly peace in our hearts. This is because, each time we say the Holy Rosary, Mother Mary comes and hugs us and puts her protective arms around us. St. Josemaria Escriva’s warned us, “You always leave the Rosary for later, and you end up not saying it at all because you are sleepy, if there is no other time, say it in the street without letting anybody notice it. It will, moreover, help you to have presence of God”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask you to fill our hearts with devotion and love towards our Blessed Mother Mary, and grant us the grace to recite the Holy Rosary daily.
Written by Joyson Joboy
My Experience in Forgiveness
It is, with the deepest gratitude that I stand before my ‘tormentors’! Such a soft feeling now, when the wounds have healed, and the scars are replaced by new growth! When the heart is filled with love and resonates with His words, “I will not leave you nor forsake you because you are precious in my eyes.”
Three times they stamped me “guilty”. There is no way that I can deny that I did anything wrong, I am only human and I reacted to my circumstances in a fully human way. But from where I fell, face down, into the chasm of wrong-doing , I looked up…. and saw.
On the one side there were these people, former friends, who were looking gleefully into my anguished state, and on the other side, A Light, A Presence, A Calm. My Lord! Jesus looked at me, straight into my eyes, straight into my soul, with the deepest love and with outstretched arms.
My friends looked on as if to say, look at those unholy stains, there is no going back, there is no redemption, just dirt and depression, this is the way!
Quietly, but firmly, My Lord said to me, “I Am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life!”
And I chose to live, to live His Way, to live His Life, to live His Truth. I chose to surrender before His all-encompassing forgiving love. Once that decision was made, a huge chasm opened and His love caressed me and His happiness filled me. I was renewed. Into that empty shell of my life He began to write a new lesson in living! Gently He purged the former me with the power of His life-breath, His Holy Spirit empowered my every tentative step back into living a life of freedom, into a life full of forgiveness and a life throbbing gently with His peace.
Bringing people to me, who radiated His gospel truths in their simple everyday lives, He gently threw back the curtains of yesterday and invited me into the sunshine-kissed way of the Cross. Life was not that proverbial bed of roses but every thorn brought a new opening, a new way of thinking and the essential freedom to choose to live! Embroidered into His Body of Life with the threads of His Precious Blood, I let Him write anew, through me,
“Father Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Into your hands I commend my spirit.” Mother Mary, My mother, thank you for teaching me to love your son. Amen
Written by Anju Vincent
THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON- 1 KINGS 3: 1-15
Who was King Solomon?
King Solomon is remembered as the wisest man who ever lived. “I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” (1 Kings 3:12) He was the second son of King David and Bathsheba and possessed many talents. He was a writer, a poet, an architect and a scientist. King Solomon built the first ever temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem and this temple was regarded as one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Solomon asks for wisdom
One night, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for anything he wanted and promised to grant his wish. Solomon answered, “Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then, I will know how to rule your people. If you don’t, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.” God was very pleased with Solomon for asking for wisdom, instead of a long life, riches or the downfall of his enemies, so He promised to make him wiser than any other person. Also, because Solomon didn’t ask for riches or power, God mercifully gave him these too. Finally, God told Solomon that if he was obedient and followed his commands, he would have a long life. When Solomon woke up, he realised that God had really spoken to him in the dream.
What does this story teach us? This story seems simple and straightforward, but there are some messages that lie deep within the story that God wishes us to be aware of even today. Firstly, we learn that if we truly wish for something that is in line with God’s will, He will definitely grant us the desires of our heart. However, in order for our prayers to be answered, we must believe that God has already given us what we have asked for – this is true faith. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) Secondly, even though Solomon didn’t ask for riches or power, God gave him these. This was because God was very pleased with him for asking for the priceless gift of wisdom. This tells us that if we seek only to please our Heavenly Father in everything that we do, He will bless us with everything else that we need or want. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) Thirdly, we should ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with the wisdom that we need to be able to distinguish between right and wrong in the secular world that we live in today. Without doubt, we will receive what we have asked for.
Written by Rosemary Joy
He Is Risen!
What did it mean when Jesus rose from the dead? Here we look at what the Church teaches about this great mystery.
THE RESURRECTION
Imagine what it was like for the Apostles. A few days before they had seen their friend tortured and crucified. They had seen His dead body hanging on the cross. Now He was standing in front of them, inviting them to share a meal. They probably thought that He was a ghost but to prove that He was real He showed them the wounds in His hands and feet and He invited Thomas to touch them. He was showing them that His risen body was the same body that had been tortured and crucified. But there was a difference because His resurrected body was not limited by time and space and He could appear in locked rooms and present Himself to the disciples when and where He chose. When Jesus raised people from the dead, like Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter, they returned to an earthly life and would have gone on to live a few more years but they would still die eventually. But Christ’s Resurrection was very different to this. The Church teaches that Christ passed from the state of death to another life beyond time and space, the Resurrection life.
JESUS IS GOD
By rising from the dead Jesus proved conclusively that He is God, the second person of the Blessed Trinity. Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had once said to Him, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) But many people, including the religious leaders, who had put Him to death would not accept this. They accused Him of blasphemy (being insulting or not reverent to God) when He spoke of God as His Father. Jesus had said: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He.” (John 8:28) Christ’s death and resurrection was all part of God’s eternal plan for the salvation of the world.
PROPHESIES FULFILLED
Jesus had spoken to Apostles about His death and Resurrection and the Jewish Scriptures contained many prophesies about the event. In the Old Testament the prophet Isaiah describes what would happen to the coming Messiah, “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53: 10-11) Jesus had told His disciples, “We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life.” (Matthew 20: 18 – 19) We know that the disciples did not understand what this really meant because after the Crucifixion they were dejected and frightened. But their sorrow turned to joy when Jesus rose from the dead.
DIVINE AUTHORITY
When Jesus rose from the dead it proved conclusively that His teaching had Divine authority. By becoming human Jesus showed us how to live. He taught us to love our enemies and not just those who love us. He showed us how to be humble, merciful and forgiving. His teaching was always inspiring and drew a great following but we know, after His resurrection, that the teaching came from God himself. “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)
NEW LIFE
The Easter story has two sides to it. By His death on the Cross Jesus took upon Himself all our sins and by His Resurrection He offers us new life in Him. This means that we can be reconciled to God, which the Church calls ‘justification’. We achieve this through our Baptism when we die to our old life of sin and are raised to new life in Christ. “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) When we are baptised we are given the grace to become children of God and Jesus is our brother so we are able to share in the inheritance that God has promised to all His children.
ETERNAL LIFE
As children of God we, like Jesus, will be resurrected from the dead. “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) The Catechism says that the Risen Christ lives in the hearts of His faithful while they wait for their own resurrection. Thanks to Christ’s Resurrection death is not the end, He has won for us eternal life with Him.
LIVING LIKE CHRIST!
OUR WITNESS
This world is crying out to know God and many of us would love to go out and bear witness to Jesus. We want to proclaim the living God to all the people who are unaware of Him and His love. We have a burning desire to tell other people about Christ but we lack the courage and the opportunity to do so. It was Jesus’ commandment that we should go out and make disciples from every nation (Matthew 28:19). It’s His wish that we acknowledge Him before others so that He may acknowledge us before His Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32). We can proclaim the Good News in many ways, one of them being through the witness of our lives. St Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words!” Living like Christ and putting on His nature, daily, is the best way to proclaim the message to those who don’t know Him.
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
How do we actually witness to Jesus through our lives? In Galatians 5:22 St Paul describes the fruits of the Holy Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is when we show these fruits in our lives that we are witnessing to Jesus. All that Jesus did was through love and if we want to be Christlike then we should show the fruit of His love in our actions. It is easy to show love to those we like but even when someone is mean to us or if we are told off for things we didn’t do then we can show the fruits of the Spirit in our lives by having gentleness and self-control. One of the best ways to remember to show the powerful fruit of love in our lives is to read 1 Corinthians 13 every day.
SPIRITUAL JOY
Mother Teresa said “Joy is a net of love in which we catch souls!” When people see the joy of the Holy Spirit within us they might ask us why we are so joyful and then we will have the opportunity of speaking about Jesus and how He gave us this spiritual joy, which neither the world nor sin could give us. The other fruits include peace, patience and self-control. Whenever we face a situation where we feel like shouting or lashing out, especially to people in our family, we should call upon the Holy Spirit to give us the grace to keep quiet!
CHILDREN OF GOD
To effectively witness to God through our lives we need to have a personal relationship with Him. Being a Christian does not mean following a set of rules or regulations, it is knowing that we are children of God and loving our Heavenly Father. Many times we have heard the words, “Jesus Died for us” but have we really sat down and thought about what that really means? Have we really thought about the pain that he went through? He died for us and all he that he wants in exchange is our love. Let us pray that we may be able to love our God with all our hearts, our strength and our souls.
Written by Nimmy Biju