The God who gives Victory

STRUGGLING TO REVISE

Just after Easter, I was trying to revise for my fast approaching GCSE exams, but it was no use because when I tried to revise, nothing seemed to be going in. So one day, I asked my dad what I should do. His advice was to watch an episode of Abhishekagni, which is a series of programs in Malayalam given by Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil. These programmes contain Bible talks and include praise and worship, as well as Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He also suggested that I read the Bible and claim the Scriptures for myself before I began to revise. So every day, before I started to study and before each exam, I used to watch one episode of Abhishekagni and prayed that the Lord would teach me what I needed to know, and write every exam with me.

IT MADE A DIFFERENCE

From the first day that I tried it, I started to notice the difference; God helped me to work hard and not to waste time. My concentration, as well as my memory, improved and I even had the desire to study! Before I went for each exam, I praised and worshipped God and prayed just before I did my last minute revision on the morning of the exam. Through all my prayers I found that God had strengthened my faith and helped me to believe that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

“Give praise for His mighty deeds, praise Him for His great majesty.” Psalm 150:2

MY DAILY BLESSINGS

Every day I get a blessing from my parents before I go to school, but on the day of my exams I would ask my dad to especially bless me. He would always reassure me with the bible verse from Habakkuk chapter 3:17, “For though the fig tree blossom not, nor fruit be on the vines, though the yield of the olive fail and the terraces produce no nourishment, though the flocks disappear from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord and exult in my saving God.” So even when my exams did not go as well as I wanted, I would remember this Bible verse, and praise the Lord because I knew that God had a plan for me.

CLAIMING THE SCRIPTURES

My dad also used to pray for me “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (Matthew 6: 33) and my mum would bless me with, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the prosperity of your children.” (Isaiah 54:13) I myself would claim “Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel: I, the Lord your God, teach you what is for your good and lead you on the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17) By claiming these Bible verses and many others I knew that nothing was impossible for God.

PRAISE THE LORD

On the 22nd of August, my results came through for my GCSE’s and by the grace of God, the girl who was predicted to achieve B’s and C’s, ended up achieving 10 A*s and 2 As. All glory belongs to Jesus!

 

Written by Brijil Joseph

OUR LORD’S BIRTH

GOD’S PLAN

When the time came for God to send his only begotten son into this world, as had been foretold by the prophets, the Roman Emperor, Augustus, had ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. Everyone had to register with the authorities in their own town and Joseph and Mary had to journey to Bethlehem in Judea (the birthplace of King David) to present themselves. The emperor had made the law, but this law helped to fulfil God’s plan that the Saviour would be born in Bethlehem.

MARY’S AGREEMENT

Before their journey began, Mary was engaged to Joseph, but she was pregnant, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nine months earlier the Angel Gabriel had appeared to her to ask her if she was willing to be part of God’s plan of salvation by carrying the Son of God in her womb and being an earthly mother to him. She agreed saying that she was God’s servant and would do whatever he asked of her. The journey was slow and difficult for Our Lady, as they had to travel over hilly country. But she was calm and peaceful. She knew she was doing God’s will. She was happy thinking of her Divine Son, soon to be born.

HUMBLE BEGININGS

When Mary and Joseph reached Bethlehem, they found that there was no place for them to stay. At last, they found shelter in a stable. There, in that rough ground, the Son of God was born on Christmas Day and they named him Jesus, as the Angel had requested. His Blessed Mother wrapped him up warmly and laid him in a manger. Jesus chose to be born in the most humble conditions to show us that riches and comforts are not important at all.

AN ANGELIC FANFARE

The night that Jesus was born, God sent his angels to announce the birth. The angels were not sent to the emperor or the king, they were not even sent to the learned doctors and chief priests, they were sent to some poor shepherds who were watching their flocks on a nearby hillside. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and revealed the good news “Today in David’s town your Saviour has been born, Christ the Lord!” As soon as they heard the angel’s message, the shepherds hurried to see the wondrous sight and when they reached the stable they found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby Jesus lying in a manger. They were the first people to bow down to the Saviour of the world and they returned to their flocks giving praise and glory to God.

LET US REJOICE

Many Old Testament prophets had been comforted by the thought that one day the Saviour would come into the world. If those who lived in the hope of his coming were happy, then how much more should we rejoice because we know that God has kept his wonderful promise and Jesus has been born among us, to save each one of us. John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” God did not send his son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour. Today we have Jesus’ teachings in the Bible. We have his Church, his body on earth and we have Jesus himself on our altars at every Mass. Christmas is the time when we realize more than ever how much God loves us. Let us praise and thank God for the gift of his Son, Jesus.

 

Written by Jerrin Joseph

A Mission to Punjab

Proclaim the Good News

The last instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples before he ascended into heaven was, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation.” (Mark16:15) At Sehion Ministries Fr Soji Olikkal was inspired by these words and felt that the Holy Spirit was asking him to send teams to India and Africa. My husband and I were chosen to go to Punjab, a state in Northern India, and we gladly agreed, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us? I said: here I am, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) So in July 2014 six of us (including three young people) started our journey to Punjab.

ARRIVING IN PUNJAB

We arrived at the Amritsar Airport and Fr Simon Kalladayil was at the Airport to receive us. We then had a four hour journey by road to “Prarthna Bhawan Retreat Centre” in Machian Khurd where we stayed during our trip. Punjab is a beautiful state, it is a fertile plateau filled with lush vegetation. It is very flat, we couldn’t see any hills at all and the weather was hot and humid, about 43°C. When we arrived at the Retreat Centre we were welcomed by Fr Paul Roy, the Parish Priest and Fr Basil Mookkenthottam, the Director of the Centre.

THE HISTORY OF THE RETREAT CENTRE

Seventeen years ago Fr Basil, a religious monk, was the Head Master of a School, when Jesus told him to leave everything and go to the jungle to minister. He obeyed and stayed in a mud hut for the first eighteen months. Over the next few years his preaching ministry developed and he built the Retreat Centre. He suffered many hardships and problems but he surrendered himself and submitted all these problems to the Lord who protected him. Now God uses him powerfully. He is a well-known and well respected charismatic speaker and the Lord works many healings and miracles through him. Many retreats and conventions are conducted at the Retreat Centre and the majority of those who come are non-Christians. About fifteen thousand people gather for their monthly Friday Night Vigil Service.

BLESSED BY THE BISHOP

On our second day there, we were blessed by the presence of the Bishop of Julandar who was the main celebrant at the Mass. Bishop Franco was very happy that we were there, he gave us lots of advice to help us with our mission and he blessed us by laying his hands on us. Then we went out to visit the local people and prayed for them and shared our testimonies with them. We were surprised by their faith, which is simple and strong, and by their hospitality and love. The local people are very hard working and they respect and help each other. Their mother tongue is Punjabi but almost everyone knows Hindi. The Elders did all their services in Hindi and the young people did theirs in English which was translated to Hindi. We were taken to a village where most of the people are very poor, they could not read or write and many were snake charmers. The religious sisters and priests had worked very hard here and by the grace of God, many of them had become Catholics when they realized that Jesus Christ is the true living God and their children were being taught in Catholic schools. We were touched by their simplicity and strong faith. Many of them had said goodbye to their bad habits especially alcoholism and they now go regularly to Sunday Mass.

MANY HEALINGS AND MIRACLES

We helped with various conventions by giving our testimonies, teaching the locals some action praise songs, helping with the healing services and providing some spiritual sharing. Jesus said “These signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark16:17-18)

In each convention many people received physical, mental or spiritual healing. For example there was a lady who had suffered from acute asthma for the past twenty five years and another who had had asthma for eight years. Both were unable to walk properly and one of the ladies was lying at the back of the Church. Medical science could not help them, but during the healing service our Lord touched them and cured them. They both jumped to their feet and praised the Lord, thanking Jesus. There was also a baby boy, who was about eighteen months old, who had an abscess on his back. The wound was big and smelly and pus was leaking out of it continuously, but the boy was healed and there was no mark or scar left on the baby’s back at all. After the service the baby’s family didn’t want to leave because of this miracle. The amazing thing for us was that the people who were healed were non-Christians. In all the conventions only about a quarter of the people who came were Christian.

SCHOOL MISSIONS

While in Punjab we ran services in the parish centre where many people came and were anointed by the Holy Spirit. We also had the opportunity to visit an orphanage and a home for disabled people run by the Sisters of Charity. The dedication and the hard work of these Sisters is amazing and it really touched our hearts to be with them. We were also asked to conduct a one day mission in two Schools run by the Sisters of the Congregation of Daughters of Mary, where about 90% of the students were non-Christians. Our theme was having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the true living God who wants to help each one of us to live our lives to the full. We worked with years 8, 9 and 10 and tried to show them how much Jesus loves all his creation, especially us humans. When we talked about how he died on the Cross for us many students started crying saying that they had sinned and were not living their lives as God wanted them to. During the school missions the young people with us led the sessions and shared their testimonies. Their teaching was so anointed that everyone who heard them was touched, even the teachers. Many of the students came to us for spiritual sharing where we prayed for them and they renounced their bad habits and became a new creation. They all wanted to start reading the Bible and praying the Rosary.

TELEVISION CHANNEL

The Retreat Centre also runs a Television Channel and they broadcast programmes throughout the day and night. They recorded all our sessions so that they could be broadcast later. On our last day there we were all interviewed by one of their presenters who asked us about our missionary work with Fr Soji and the Sehion team and why we had joined the team. Everyone had half an hour to explain the motivation behind their missionary work.

A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE

On the whole, our Mission trip was a very anointed experience because the Holy Spirit used us so powerfully and in such a way that we will never forget. I will cherish the experience for the rest of my life. Jesus Christ gave us the opportunity to meet and serve other people with very different backgrounds and religions. If you ever get the opportunity to go on a mission, please don’t hesitate because the Holy Spirit will guide you and take care of you. Once you are working in the Lord’s Vineyard you don’t want to stop because he fills you with his missionary zeal. Please do pray for priests, religious and lay missionaries working in the mission field because they face many more hardships and problems than we could ever imagine.

 

Written by Marykutty Tomy

REFRESH YOUR HEART IN CHRIST

Refresh is a familiar word that we hear all the time. Googling it brings many results in a few seconds. A well-known mobile phone provider in the UK has a tariff plan called ‘Refresh’. The ad says that it’s a new kind of contract that helps you upgrade and change your old phone. Fizzy drinks ads often say that they are refreshing as they give us new energy and revive our tired spirits. We all spend time to refresh our bodies and our minds. A shower or even a quick splash of cold water on our face wakes us up and refreshes our tired bodies. Listening to music or reading a book can refresh our minds. Treating ourselves to a relaxing holiday refreshes our body and mind.

 

GOD LOOKS AT OUR HEARTS

But we are more than body and mind. In the depth of our being each one of us has, what the Bible calls ‘the heart’, where we can choose to follow God or to reject him. Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.” (Luke 6:45) This does not refer to our physical heart but to that part within us where faith dwells. The Bible says that sin also originates from the heart, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness and slander.” (Matthew 15:18-19) The heart is a very special place because “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts” (Galatians 4:6) but when we sin or turn away from God our hearts are wounded and we are unable to love as we should. The state of our heart is important as it says in 1 Samuel 16:7 “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” But how do we refresh our hearts in Christ? We do this by remaining close to the heart of Jesus Christ and his church. To refresh my heart in Christ is to have a Christ-like heart! Let us look at how we can make our hearts more like the heart of Jesus.

A LOVING HEART

There are times when we get angry and wish bad things on other people but ‘stop hating and start loving’ should be the motto of our life. The heart of Jesus is full of love for us. The Bible says “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13). So let us live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2) Let us be more loving in all that we do.

A HUMBLE HEART

In the materialistic world of today many people look for power, popularity and possessions to make them feel good. They proudly show off their latest gadgets, knowing that their friends will be jealous. Pride is in fact a thirst for praise and honour. The Bible says “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Let us try to live this verse by following the heart of Jesus. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) Humility is putting other people first. Let us always think of others and their needs before we think of ourselves.

A FORGIVING HEART

When we are hurt, our hearts are miles away from being able to forgive. The one who let us down could be our best friend, a close relative or even our parents but remember how much more we gain by forgiving rather than by holding onto our hurts. When we hold on to anger our hearts become bitter and we are punishing ourselves not the person who hurt us. Even in times of agony and suffering, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke: 23:34) When Christ was crucified on the cross, he prayed for those who persecuted him. The greatest thing that he did by dying on the cross was to purchase for us the forgiveness of our sins. Let us forgive others by following his example.

“A new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

A CARING HEART

Jesus wants us to have compassion towards others, just as he did. In Mark 1:41, when Jesus saw a leper, he was moved with pity and stretched out his hand to heal him. When he met the widow, weeping because her son had died, he told her to stop crying, touched the coffin and commanded the young man to rise. The dead man sat up and began to speak and Jesus gave him back to his mother. (Luke 7:13) Jesus always noticed the people who needed him. Let us ask the Lord to give us a caring heart to help those around us. Are there people we know who are marginalized or bullied who need a friend to help them?

A TRUTHFUL HEART

Lying is a real problem. It is so easy to lie about not doing your homework, drinking alcohol, where we have been or who we have spent time with. Usually, it is easier to tell a lie than to face up to the fact that you have done something that you shouldn’t. “Everybody else is doing it” is a common lie which can have serious consequences. When we do not tell the truth about little things, then we find that we have to lie more and more to cover up our faults and this creates suspicion and affects our relationships with others. We all sin and fall short but by being honest and open we build up trust and respect in others. Jesus was truthful at all times, even in the most difficult situations, regardless of the cost to himself. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22) Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Let us get into the habit of always speaking the truth.

A SUBMISSIVE HEART

The bible teaches us that Jesus always wanted to do his Father’s will. His only thought, his only wish and his only aim was to do his Father’s will. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work” (John 4:34). Even at a very young age, Jesus had a clear vision of his purpose here on earth. When Mary and Joseph found the twelve year old Jesus sitting among the teachers in the temple, Mary told Jesus that they had been very worried about him. But he told them that he was doing his Father’s business (Luke 2:49). Also Luke 22:42 says that even during Christ’s agony in the Garden of Olives when he knew that he was about to die on the cross, he only wanted his Father’s will to be done. Let us try to be more submissive to the will of God by devoting ourselves to more prayer and Bible reading.

A GRATEFUL HEART

Most of us have a tendency to take things for granted! Let us remember that even the basic necessities that we enjoy are a luxury to many people in other parts of the world. Having a grateful heart is one of the best cures for complaining. Jesus openly expressed his gratitude to God, so that others would trust in the Lord. When Jesus prayed that Lazarus would be raised to life in John 11:41, it says that Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me.” He also thanked God for both physical and spiritual food. While eating the Passover meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread and gave thanks to God for it (Luke 22:19). He then broke the bread and gave it to each of the disciples. Jesus also said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” (Matthew 11:25). We too can inspire others to have faith in Jesus by being thankful to God for all the blessings that he has given us.

A PRAYERFUL HEART

The most common excuse for not praying is the lack of time in our busy lives. Most of us complain that we are bombarded with homework and other projects. Some even say that prayer is boring! But prayer works miracles! A simple form of prayer is talking to Jesus, just like you are talking to your best friend and listening to him by reading the bible. Jesus called us friends in John 15:15. Even during his busy schedule, Jesus found time to pray. Mark 1:35 says “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Today let us take the decision to talk to Jesus, our best friend each day.

MAKE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

We can renew our hearts this advent by going to Confession and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can go to Mass and receive Holy Communion more often. We should find more time for personal prayer and for reading the Bible. Let us ask for the help of the Holy Spirit as we pray with Saint Augustine of Hippo, “Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there your cheerful beams.” This season of Christmas, let us pour out our hearts to God, praying as King David did in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” In the Beatitudes it says “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”. Let us pray that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) This Christmas, let heaven rejoice over our repentant and changed hearts! This Christmas, let us give Jesus, the best possible gift, which is our own pure and refreshed heart!

 

Written by Mili Rengi

Christmas Eve With The POPE

How did you first meet Pope John Paul II?

It was Christmas Eve when reality set in: Here I was, spending my first Christmas away from home working as a Swiss Guard in the Vatican. In Switzerland, the big event at Christmas time is Christmas Eve. I was to report to my shift at 8 p.m. and serve most of the night. Before I left for my duty, I called my parents and spoke to my mother. Naturally, it was a very emotional conversation. You know, my mother, having her youngest son on the phone, his first Christmas Eve away from home. Needless to say, there were tears; from her, and then from me as well. But eventually I prised myself away from the phone and went to report for duty. I was assigned to one of the exits of the Pope’s apartment that night. It was dark and lonely up there. I had plenty of time for being sad, thinking about my family in Switzerland celebrating Christmas without me. I missed them and I was pretty miserable.

It was a lonely night?

Yes. Then, at about 10 p.m., I received a two-minute notice that the Pope would use my exit to go to celebrate midnight Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. I had just enough time to straighten out my uniform and stand properly. The door opened, and Pope John Paul II came out and stood opposite me. He stopped, looked at me and said, “We’ve never met. Are you new? What’s your name?” I told him. As he got closer to shake my hand, he took a better look at me and my cover was blown right then and there. He said, “You seem to be sad. Is this your first Christmas away from home?” I confirmed that it was. He held my hand and elbow for what seemed to be an eternity. He looked at me with his intense, light grey eyes. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. He was paying 100% attention to me. Then he said: “Well, I thank you for the sacrifice you’re making for the Church. I will pray for you tonight.” It was an extraordinary experience for me: Here was the leader of the Catholic Church, with all of his concerns, with the whole world to consider, and he took the time to focus just on me, for that moment, and reach out to me in my time of need. That touched me deeply. From then on, he knew me by name, and our meetings continued, each time we talked he picked up the thread of the conversation. How he did that with all the people he came in contact with is beyond me, he really focused on the individual.

What other encounters did you have with him?

I became accustomed to my work at the Vatican and I quickly got the hang of it. The work schedule as a guard was split into three days: two days of work and one free day. Well, it’s supposed to be free. On that day, the “free” guards were assigned to serve at any special events the Pope may hold. And with the schedule Pope John Paul kept, the third day became the “special events” day. One day I was assigned to serve as a guard of honour during a Mass that he held for the sick and disabled. It was after two long days of service, and I had been looking forward to my day off. I really needed it. As I took my place in front of St. Peter’s, next to the open-air altar, I really did not want to be there. I spent the entire one-and-a-half-hour Mass absorbed in my resentment, in self-pity and anger. Finally, the Mass ended. A few more minutes, I thought, then he’ll leave, and I can enjoy the rest of my day off. But on his way out, Pope John Paul II looked into the crowds and walked down the stairs into St. Peter’s Square to the first row of pilgrims. I wanted to shout, “Hey, stop that, that’s not in the plan. You’re supposed to leave now.” But the Holy Father began to greet and bless the first, then the second, then the third pilgrim and he took his time doing it. My impatience boiled over, my feet hurt, my back ached and I was sweating and uncomfortable from standing in the glaring sun for hours.

That’s when you saw the Pope?

I don’t know what triggered it, but my eyes came into focus on the Pope talking to a handicapped man. The person had no arms and no legs: his body was severely malformed. As an interpreter communicated with him by touching his hands in certain ways and sequences, I realized that this person was also blind and deaf. Yet the guy was beaming with happiness. His face was pure joy as he interacted with the Holy Father. I was dumbstruck: Here I was, absorbed in my own petty complaints, yet I was healthy. I was suddenly happy to have legs that hurt. As I looked out over the square, I saw hundreds and hundreds of wheelchairs and hospital beds with pilgrims wanting to see the Pope. And John Paul II went to row after row, blessing them and talking to them. They had the opportunity to experience what I had on Christmas Eve in the palace and that made me feel ashamed. I realised that I was privileged to be part of Pope John Paul II’s ministry, yet I was too absorbed in my own little world to realize it. I’m sure the Pope was also tired. It was four hours since the Mass had started, yet he took his time, making sure he did not miss anyone and that he gave the same amount of attention to each person.

How did this affect your work?

It opened my eyes: He was a Pope of compassion. He took his ministry beyond officiating at Masses and audiences. He approached the pilgrims as a pastor, focusing on them, hearing their stories, one by one. After this experience, where the Pope showed me that I was taking part in his ministry, I started to pay more attention to his speeches. His actions inspired me; they made me want to listen more carefully to what he had to say. He actually made sense.

I started to collect some of his speeches so I could read them again in peace. It was like discovering a treasure, pearl by pearl.

Did you see a side of him that we didn’t see?

Yes, we’d invite the Holy Father to lunch at our barracks once in a while and he was very happy to come. He was interested in our lives, what we were doing and how we were doing. We’d try to cook something Swiss for him. One guy took pictures of our daily life, and we showed them to the Pope. It was very funny to have him comment on the things that he didn’t normally see. You hear in the media about people in the Vatican living as if they are in an ivory tower but I was impressed with how connected with the world the Pope was. I once talked to him about meeting a young woman from the United States, who was studying in Rome, Michelle, who is now my wife.

How did this come up?

Our exchanges, short as they may have been at times, always seemed to pick up from where they left off. At my final meeting, he asked me what led to my decision to leave, and I told him of meeting Michelle. He was very supportive and understanding; we had a very nice, albeit short, discussion about the relationship and my future in which he gave me his parting advice. He again assured me of his prayers and he blessed our young love at that time. What struck me specifically is that he always knew how to talk to a young person: He joked, teased a bit, yet during all of it, he actually conveyed very profound and helpful guidance.

Like a parish priest!

Pope John Paul II was a pastor who deeply understood the human heart and psyche. Anyone who doubts that should read his books, Love and Responsibility and The Theology of the Body. He had a keen understanding of the human condition.

 

Written by Andreas Widmer

Heavenly Joy

THE DELIGHT OF MY HEART

It’s been two years since I really met Jesus for the first time and ever since, by his grace, people keep asking me, ‘How can you be so happy?’ and ‘Why are you always smiling?’ The truth is that it is because after experiencing his love so profoundly, his words became to me the joy and the delight of my heart (Jeremiah 15:16). Meeting with Christ gave me this joy and nothing else!

SEARCHING FOR HAPPINESS

Pope Benedict XVI said, ”Dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hiding in the Eucharist.” Young people today are searching for happiness, they run around seeking something, someone or somewhere that can give them the love and joy that they crave. Unfortunately, the worldly joy that we experience is often mistaken for the real joy that lasts for ever! Have you ever thought about why we sin? It’s because it gives us a momentary feeling of joy. However, this ‘joy’ will only last for a few seconds. I have tasted life without Jesus and life with him and I can tell you that only he can give you true joy, a happiness that I cannot describe properly with words! I agree with the Psalmist who said, “In your presence there is fullness of Joy!” (Psalm 16:9).

JESUS IS WITH US

We cannot expect to have a life without problems and Jesus never promised that if we followed him, life would be easy going. St Paul was a man who had found momentary joy in rounding up members of the early church and killing them, but after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, the profound joy of the Holy Spirit filled him completely. He says in Romans 8:35, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” Even though he, himself was persecuted, beaten and put in jail, he was full of joy, praising and worshipping the Lord. Our Blessed Mother endured many trials in her life time, but she could bear them all because her “soul rejoiced in God, her Saviour.” Why? Because Jesus, the king of love, promises to be with us when we suffer and when he is with us, the joy of heaven that he brings is amazing!

JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Jesus never commanded us to be serious. He never said don’t laugh or tell jokes. The Bible says that there is rejoicing in heaven all the time. Jesus, talking about the lost sheep in Luke 15:7, says that there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who has repented. In Romans 14:17 St Paul, filled with the power of the spirit, says that the kingdom of God is not food or drink, but joy in the Holy Spirit. Many people don’t understand what having faith in Jesus Christ really means, they think that if you want to be spiritual then you have to be serious. That’s definitely not the call of Christians. The call that we have is to become an instrument of peace wherever we are sent by Christ and to sow joy where there is sadness (as St. Francis of Assisi prayed). Blessed Mother Teresa said, “Joy is a net of love in which we catch souls.” Let’s use the joy that we have inside us to win souls for the kingdom of God.

A LIFE-TIME GUARANTEE

The joy that we receive is a fruit from Holy Spirit dwelling within us and it will never end. We have a life time guaranteed supply! Jesus says that “your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22) Are you filled with real heavenly joy? If not then just say “yes” to Christ Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to come and turn your mourning into dancing. (Psalm 30:11)

 

Written by Nimmy Biju

You Are Invited…

Dear friend, You may not know me but I know you and I love you. You are very precious to me and I want the best for you. As you know, it will soon be my birthday again. Every year I watch all the people busily getting ready for the Christmas parties and celebrations, shopping for presents and for special food and drink, but I’m not sure that many of them understand what my birth really means for them.

There are many parties in houses across the world as they prepare for my birthday. I see children talking to men dressed in red coats with long white beards telling them all the things that they want to receive to celebrate my birthday. I am so disappointed, why don’t they come to me and ask me for good things? I could give them everything they need and far more than they could ever imagine!

Even when my big day comes, I am usually excluded, when I really want to be with them, sharing their lives. On Christmas day when families come together to eat their celebration meals rarely do they thank their heavenly Father who provides all the wonderful food. After a huge lunch they give each other gifts but there is usually nothing for me, no recognition that it is my birthday that they are celebrating. How would you feel if, at your birthday party, everyone else received gifts but you were ignored?

My friend, please remember to invite me to your celebrations this year. Two thousand years ago, I was born into this world so that I could give my life for you. I died on the cross, to save you. Please say that you believe it and invite me into your life today. There is something else that you should know. I am planning my own celebration for my friends, a wonderful party that will last for ever and will be better than you anything that you can ever imagine. I’m still making the final arrangements but I want you to be there with me. This is your invitation. Please let me know if you want to come as there is a special place reserved just for you. Please do say yes!

See you soon. I love you very much!

Your very special friend Jesus

 

I am so excited because very soon one of the most wonderful times of the year will be here. But Christmas is not just about the fun, the holidays and the Christmas dinner. It is the day when Christ was born to save us. We are all eager to unwrap those big shiny presents under the tree, but are we as keen to invite Jesus into our celebrations at Christmas. I think that this letter says everything that there is to say. So remember not to forget the ‘Christ’ in Christmas! by gitty george

GOD’S BEAUTIFUL PLAN

YOU ARE MADE FOR A PURPOSE

You are unique! There is only one of you. There has never been anybody the same as you before and there never will be anybody the same as you again. You are a complete oneoff, created by God in his image and likeness. And God did not create you just to make up the numbers. He didn’t create you randomly or accidentally. No, he made you because he loves you and therefore you are planned and absolutely necessary to God. He tells us: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). I like to imagine God smiling, ‘knowing’ us before we are even born. Smiling at the beautiful plan he has for each of our lives. The story I want to share with you is how I discovered God’s beautiful plan for my life. “God has a plan for my life?” you may ask yourself. Yes he does; a beautiful plan. And just as you are unique, so the plan that God has for your life is also unique. He wants you to be joyful, happy and full of love.

I WAS RESTLESS

But before I begin my story, I want you to imagine for a moment what it must feel like to live without ever knowing God’s plan for your life, without ever becoming the beautiful person God created you to be. It must be so sad. You would never quite feel happy, never quite feel fulfilled, and never quite feel yourself. Something deep inside of you would always be restless. Well this is just how I felt as I graduated from university and entered my twenties. When I was younger, I never once asked God what his plan was for my life. It never even occurred to me that God might have a plan for my life. And even if he did, I had my own plans and what could be better than my plans for my life? My plans would make me happy; they would make me successful, and perhaps even rich! What could be better than this? And so I followed my own plans and to some extent they did begin to make me successful and wealthy, but they certainly did not make me happy.

I LANDED A DREAM JOB

After leaving university I applied for a job as a trainee Chartered Accountant. I’d heard that the salary doubled within three years provided you passed all the exams and this was my motivation for becoming an Accountant. Well I passed the exams and after three years qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Then I landed a dream job in the finance department of a dynamic and growing company and after a couple of years I was promoted to Finance Director, all by the age of 28. This meant that I was responsible for all the financial decisions of the company. Initially I thrived on this. I worked in London and flew regularly to Hong Kong for business meetings (and parties). I played the role and lived the lifestyle of a young executive.

IT WAS NOT REALLY ME

But over time, I began to realise that despite the generous salary, the lifestyle and the sense of status and success, I felt unhappy. I sometimes felt lonely and was often quiet and sad when I was alone or with my family. I felt like I was wearing a mask, that I’d adopted a lifestyle and personality that was not really me. But for all of this, I couldn’t understand why I was so unhappy. After all I had everything, or so I told myself. I had plenty of money, success and status, but none of these things made me happy. It was around this time that I went on my first ever pilgrimage. I’d been brought up in the Catholic faith and always went to Mass, but I’d never really connected with my faith. Church was just somewhere I went for an hour on a Sunday morning but the rest of the week it had little relevance to my life. So how the Lord managed to get me onto a pilgrimage is something of a mystery. I think the prayers and example of my parents played a large part, but however it happened, in 2006 I ended up on a pilgrimage to a place called Medjugorje, in Bosnia Herzegovina.

A SHORT AND SIMPLE PRAYER

I remember vividly the bus journey from the airport. It was dark, cold and wet. I felt anxious and nervous, but also excited. I didn’t know it at the time but this was to be a very significant bus journey, because it was on this bus that I first opened my heart to Jesus and began to discover his plan for my life. The way it began to unfold was by no means dramatic though, I simply started to pray! I can still remember the words that I prayed. My prayer was to Our Lady and I simply said: “Please Mary, help me to open my heart to your Son”. That was it, this was my prayer, it was short and simple but it was one of the most important prayers I’ve ever prayed because it came straight from my heart.

I FELT PEACEFUL

I was amazed at how this prayer was answered. Within a few days I felt joyful, peaceful and happy. I couldn’t remember feeling this happy and at peace before. The mask I had put on started to slip and I began to discover my true self and God’s beautiful plan for my life. It’s difficult to describe how it happened, it just seemed to dawn on me, somehow I realised that God might want me to be a Priest! It felt like a new thought, a new idea, but also that it had always been there, something I’d always known. It seemed to rise up inside my heart from somewhere deep within me and yet it also seemed to come from elsewhere, from God. You want me to be a Priest? … Me? … A Priest?! I must confess I was terrified by the prospect. Why on earth would I want to be a Priest? How does one become a Priest? What would people think? I’d have to give up my career! Everyone would think I’m crazy!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Wisdom 3:5-6

I LET GO OF MY PLANS

God seemed to be asking so much of me and holding out so little in return. How wrong I was! God was actually revealing his beautiful plan for my life. He was showing me how to be joyful, how to be happy and how to love. I was afraid because I was not yet in a position where I could trust in God and his plan for my life. At first, I struggled to let go of my plans and to allow God to make me happy. When I returned to work after the pilgrimage something had changed deep within me. At first I tried to ignore any thought of the priesthood, but it kept coming back to me until eventually I began to think seriously about it. Could I really be a priest? Could I live the life? Could I be happy as a Priest? Is that why God created me? These were the sort of questions I was asking and the answer to each one was YES!

THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE

About a year later I finally said yes to God’s beautiful plan for my life and left my home, career, lifestyle and all my plans behind and entered seminary, where men train to be priests. I was finally ordained as a Catholic Priest on 13 July 2013. This was the happiest day of my life! I can honestly say that I have never once regretted giving up my plans and following the Lord. It wasn’t that my plans were bad; I have friends who are Accountants and love their jobs. But the problem was that it wasn’t God’s plan for me. It wasn’t why God created me.

BE WHO YOU ARE MEANT TO BE

God created each of us for a very specific purpose. Saint Catherine of Sienna once said “Be who you are meant to be and you will set the whole world ablaze!” God wants you to set the world ablaze by your life, by your love. I now know that God wants me to do this by being a Priest. The question is: what is God’s beautiful plan for your life?

 

Written by Lee Marshall

December 2014 – Editorial

Advent Greetings, First of all we would like to share with you the good news that Bishop Robert Byrne of the Birmingham Archdiocese in the UK and Bishop Jacob Manathodath from the Palakkad Diocese in Kerala have both agreed to become Patrons of this magazine. We are very grateful to Bishop Robert and Bishop Jacob for their support and we ask you to pray for them and their ministries.

In our magazine this month we bring you the testimony of Fr Lee Marshall, who tells us why he decided to give up a successful career in the business world to become a Catholic priest. There is a report on the Sehion Ministries mission to Punjab and details of an unusual school project that developed after a group of pupils visited the Holy Land and saw the plight of the Christian families there. We look at how the birth of Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before he was born and the Saint we look at this month is St Nicholas, who has inspired great devotion around the world although very little is known about him.

If you have been to St Peters in Rome you will have seen the Swiss Guards, in their blue and yellow striped doublet and breeches, wearing metal helmets with red feathers in them and holding their pikes, standing guard around St Peter’s Square. These colourful soldiers work in the Vatican and are employed to guard the Pope and his household. We have been given permission to reprint an interview with one of these Swiss Guards, who had his first meeting with Pope John Paul II one Christmas Eve a few years ago. This article gives a wonderful insight into the man who would become a Saint only a few years after his death.

The season of Advent is a time to look forward to the joys of celebrating the birth of our Saviour and it is also a good time to think about inviting Jesus more deeply into our lives so that he can be reborn in us. But it is not just a time to think about ourselves, there are so many places in the world today that are torn apart by war and famine and many people who live in great fear or have been forced to flee their homes. We may not be able to do much to help them but let us remember in our prayers all those who are suffering through war, violence, persecution and famine at this time of year and do what we can to help others. Remember that each time we do one small act of kindness we are making the world a better place for someone else.

For most of us it is a busy time of year but please don’t forget the reason for the season. May God bless you all.

 

Written by the editorial team