Author: Editor, Kingdom Revelator

The Sacraments 

What’s it like to Hear Confessions?

May God grant you pardon and peace

The truth is that a priest can’t say much about the things he hears in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but in nearly every Confession I have said: “God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself, and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God grant you pardon and peace, and I absolve you of yours sins, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

Powerful words

For many Catholics, these are among the most consoling and the most powerful words they hear. For a Catholic priest, they are among the most joyful to say. As a priest, I see how this simple but profound prayer has a power far beyond any help or counselling I can offer.  It renews, heals, transforms, and most importantly, forgives; not just theoretically, but in reality.

Some have such a radiant joy

I wish I could have a camera with me to take a picture of people’s smiles after hearing their Confession; some have such a radiant joy, not even a photo could show their emotion. To know that my own priesthood has brought so much freedom and joy to someone else is, in itself, a true joy.

The priest remembers the joy of forgiveness

Many of us, myself included, are worried about what the priest will think about us when he hears how terrible and bad our sins are. This is probably the number one reason why we don’t go for Confession regularly. But, what the priest remembers, and what he wants to offer, is the joy of forgiveness.

This has been my experience of Confession; both as a priest offering forgiveness, and as a priest receiving absolution when I go to Confession, as well.

 

Written by Fr Jason Smith

Christian Living 

Conquer Your Anger

“Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back.” Proverbs 29:11

 

A problem with Anger

Recently, by the grace of God, my faith has been strengthened and I have grown closer to Jesus Christ. I started trying to live by the Gospel values but I really struggled to control my anger, especially when my parents and sister were around.

One day, I had a heated argument with my sister (which I knew was really my fault) and this led me to be rude and swear at her. On the same night, I happened to listen to the Word of God that had been preached at a Sehion UK convention and I realised that God knew what I had done “God knows your hearts.” (Luke 16:15) It also quoted James 1:26: “Does anyone think he is religious? If he does not control his tongue, his religion is worthless and he deceives himself.” It felt like this Bible passage was a dagger piercing my heart. I knew that the Lord was speaking to me and that I had to do something about my anger. My mind was very restless and I knew I had to apologise to my sister, but I was very hesitant. Eventually I did go and say sorry to her and gave her a hug and a kiss. When I did this it felt like a big rock within me had been broken into pieces and I felt a new sense of peace.

A Struggle to Apologise

Another time after I bought a new car, I wanted to drive alone at night but my father wouldn’t let me and he said that he would go with me. I was boiling with anger, threw the car keys at him, got out of the car and stormed to my bedroom. Afterwards I was filled with guilt and wanted to apologise but I just couldn’t. But I knew that if I didn’t say sorry for my actions, no matter what I tried to do to please God, I felt that he wouldn’t listen to my prayers. So while my dad was sleeping that night, I approached him, jumped onto his bed and hugged him. Afterwards I felt so peaceful. “Man’s anger does not achieve God’s righteous purpose.” (James 1:20)

Ask for More Self-Control

So, remember that your tongue can be used to uplift a person and it can also be used as a weapon to destroy someone. James 3:6 says, “The tongue is like a fire,” and in James 3:9: “We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse our fellow-man.” Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to give us more self-control (Galatians 5:22) for the Glory of God.

 

Written by Justine Thomas

Christian Living 

Jesus Walks With Us

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28 : 20

 

“Two of the disciples were walking towards a village called Emmaus when Jesus himself came up and started walking with them but they didn’t recognise him. When Jesus asked what they were talking about they said, “We were talking about all that has happened in the last few days when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. We all thought that he was the one to redeem Israel. It is now three days since this happened and some women of our company amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning and did not find his body; they came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive. Others went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Jesus said to them, “O foolish men, why do you not believe all that the prophets have said! It was necessary that the Christ should suffer all these things and enter into his glory.” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he showed them all the places in the scriptures that related to himself”. (cf. Luke 24:13 – 27)

Jesus was God Himself

Initially we see the two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem. Jesus himself comes up to them but they don’t recognise him. I wonder why? Could it be because they were still thinking of Jesus, the man, their friend who had just been crucified and had died? They didn’t appreciate that Jesus was God himself. When the disciples talk about the women who saw the vision of angels and Jesus not being present in the tomb you can sense a feeling of disbelief in their words, which is why Jesus calls them ‘foolish men’.

Our Eyes will be opened

We can fail to recognise that Jesus is constantly walking besides us because we are blinded by the discussions and the arguments for and against God. Our eyes are covered by the blindfold of human thoughts and opinions when they are meant to be bathed in the light of Christ. When we develop a personal relationship with God through the life of Christ, our eyes will be opened and we will be able to recognise that Christ is with us.

The Scriptures point to Jesus

In the Gospel story Jesus then explains the scriptures to them. He goes through the Old Testament writings and shows how they all point to himself as the Saviour and Messiah. He proves that he is divine and still the disciples fail to see that it is Christ walking with them. We have this same evidence available to us today if we are willing to read it and open our hearts to let the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to us. The disciples had many unanswered questions and naturally wanted some answers.

Let us Look for the Author of Life

We are always striving to find out more about our world and how it works, but it says in Wisdom 13:9 “If they had enough intelligence to speculate about the nature of the universe, why did they never find the Lord of all things?” It is saying to us, you spent years trying to figure out the genetic code of the human genome so why don’t you spend some of your energy searching for God? Scientific investigations are important but we also need spiritual investigations that will lead us to the answer and the author of life.

He Can Lead Us

Later in the story it describes how the disciples came to a fork in the road when Jesus started to go away from them. He was testing them to see if they would call him back, which they did and Jesus stayed with them. In our lives when we come to a fork on the journey of life and have to make a decision about which way to go, let us remember that we have a Saviour who is right beside us on the journey and we can ask him to lead us and guide us.

I am the bread of Life

Finally, the disciples realised that it was Jesus who had been with them the whole time when he “gave” the bread to them. Jesus offers himself to us in the form of bread in the Mass. When we consume the Eucharist it not only nourishes our soul and gives us spiritual sustenance but also helps us realise that the true presence of Jesus is always with us. Jesus himself said “I am the bread of life”. (John 6:35) In Exodus 16 it describes the manna, which God gave to feed the Israelites as the bread from heaven. This is thought to be a foreshadowing of the Eucharist. This manna gave all the nourishment that the Israelites needed for forty years. This surprised me because where did the Israelites get the rest of the nutrition from? Where did they get the vitamins and minerals that they needed to function healthily? The Manna was not only bread but it was life giving. That is why Jesus said “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) In Mass when we consume the Eucharist, let us recognise that it is the life-giving Jesus who is coming to us to help us on our journey of life.

Dearest Mother, open our hearts so that we might love God in the same way that you love him. Give us the grace to always recognise his presence in our lives. Beloved Mother help us to grow closer to your Son. Amen.

 

Written by Mathew James

The Sacraments 

Anointed with Power- The Sacrament of Confirmation

“God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through the gospel that you might share in the glory of our lord jesus christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

 

 

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has played a very important role throughout Salvation History. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and when he was baptised the Holy Spirit came down upon him. From that moment onwards Jesus had the fullness of the Holy Spirit working within him and he promised many times that he would send us a helper who would reveal to us the Kingdom of God. On the day of Pentecost this prophecy was fulfilled and the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. When Peter preached to the crowds many people were converted and baptised. The apostles laid hands on the newly baptised to pass on to them the gift of the Holy Spirit as St Paul writes, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

Confirmation Completes our Baptism

The Sacraments of Confirmation, Baptism and First Holy Communion are together called the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Confirmation is necessary to be fully initiated into the Church and it completes the grace that we received through our Baptism. In Acts Chapter 8 it describes how the apostles Peter and John laid hands on some of the early Christians, “When Peter and John arrived in Samaria, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8: 14 – 17).

The Origins of the Sacrament

Originally the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation were celebrated together. The Bishop, being the successor to the apostles would baptise and then confirm new Christians in the same ceremony. But it became increasingly more difficult for the Bishop to attend every baptism in his diocese so it was decided by the Western Church to split the two Sacraments with the priests or deacons administering the Sacrament of Baptism and the Bishop usually conferring the Sacrament of Confirmation at a later date.

Anointing with Oil

The Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by an anointing with sacred oil called Chrism. In ancient times oil was a sign of abundance and joy and it symbolised cleaning, strength, beauty and healing. When a person is anointed with oil at Confirmation, it shows that they now have the fullness of the Holy Spirit within them and share completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and by this anointing they are also marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. In the time of Christ soldiers were marked with their leader’s seal to show which side they were fighting on and slaves were marked with their master’s seal so that everyone knew who owned them. In the Sacrament of Confirmation God marks us with the seal of ownership, we now belong totally to God and we have been enrolled into his service for ever.

The Celebration of the Sacrament

When Confirmation is celebrated, those being confirmed are asked to renew their baptismal promises and to make a profession of faith. This is a link back to their Baptism when it was probably their parents who made the profession of faith for them. The bishop then extends his hands over the whole group being confirmed, and asks for an outpouring of the Spirit saying, “All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide.” Following this the Bishop invites each of the Confirmands to approach him and he anoints them individually with chrism on their foreheads, saying, ‘Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.’ The newly Confirmed then share the sign of peace with the Bishop signifying their union with him and with all the Church members.

The Effects of Confirmation

When we are confirmed we receive the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit just as the Apostles received it on the Day of Pentecost. It also increases the grace that we received at our baptism and helps us to better appreciate that God is our loving Father. We are united more closely with Christ and so it helps us to pray. We receive the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and are strengthened to go and spread the Gospel and to be true witnesses of Christ in our words and actions.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

At Confirmation we receive the seven fold gifts of the Spirit mentioned in Isaiah 11: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are qualities that develop in us when we are guided by the Holy Spirit in our lives. In his letters St Paul also mentions other gifts of the Spirit, sometimes called charisms, which may also be given to Christians. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12: 7 – 11) These charisms, whether they are simple and humble or extraordinary are graces of the Holy Spirit which are given to build up the Church and the people of God and they should be used with humility and love under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

The fruits of the Spirit are the attitudes that are formed in us as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. When people meet us they should notice these fruits in our lives. The tradition of the Church lists twelve fruits of the Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. When we are guided by the Holy Spirit we will be kinder, more loving and generous. We will also be more aware of the temptations of sin that are all around us and have the strength to fight against these.

It may be some time since we were Confirmed but we should be living the Sacrament daily by submitting our lives anew to God each morning. If we ask the Holy Spirit to be with us and guide our thoughts, words and deeds throughout the coming day he will lead us towards holiness and wholeness in our lives. Come Holy Spirit be our guide and our strength!

 

Written by June Palme

The holy Spirit 

Spanish Model Becomes a Bride of Christ

Olalla Oliveros, a well-known Spanish model and actress, has been speaking about her decision to swap her designer outfits for blue sackcloth and veil after joining the Order of Saint Michael and becoming a nun. As a famous model she took part in glamorous photo shoots and starred in commercials and films and her face was displayed on billboards across Spain. The 36-year-old said she felt an “internal earthquake” after visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal and decided to change her lifestyle. She also said she was increasingly unhappy, despite her worldly success, before becoming a nun. She didn’t describe the experience but said she had made the choice after much thought. She said, “The Lord is never wrong. He asked me to follow him, and I could not refuse.”

The holy Spirit 

Inspired by the Holy Spirit

I recently attended a School of Evangelisation Retreat for young people and absolutely loved each and every second of it. I want to testify to something amazing that happened to me during the last two days and how the Holy Spirit performed an astonishing miracle. I have always loved painting but didn’t really do it much and was not too great at it either. During the retreat I felt an inspiration to paint. I ignored it for a while, but after a week I gave into it and got out my paintbrush. After the painting was done I was amazed at how it came out. It was much better than anything that I had done before. But I just left it at that.

Then, thanks to God, I had the chance to attend another retreat for two days. During the praise and worship I had a strong inspiration to paint again. This time I had a picture in my mind but it was nothing religious. I went home and started painting. I ended up with something completely different from what I set out to paint. From the start, amazingly, at each and every step of the painting, from the colours to the techniques, the Holy Spirit told me what to do. This is the picture that I ended up with.

I can say that I did not do this because I have no idea how to paint like this. Originally I was going to use either blue or brown for the background but the Holy Spirit told me to use red to represent the blood of Jesus. It says in Luke 1:37: “Through him all things are possible” and it came true for me. I seriously did not do this. Each and every inch of this painting is God’s work, not mine. I give all the glory to him!

 

Written by Jees Mathew

The holy Spirit 

The Beginning of Wisdom

Sirach 1:14: “To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; she is created with the faithful in the womb.”

We should pray to the Lord to bless us with the wisdom that we need to overcome the temptations of this world, which are contrary to the will of God. He will definitely give us this wisdom if we ask for it. As we read in Romans 8:6-8: “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” So if we want peace in our mind, in our family and in our society, we should avoid the sins of the flesh. This is an important point to remember.

The fear of God (not literally to be frightened of God but put very simply a basic desire not to offend him because we know that he is so holy and perfect and loving) is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which helps us to refrain from the sins of the flesh and worldliness. “Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his words, and those who love him keep his ways. Those who fear the Lord seek to please him, and those who love him are filled with his law. Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts, and humble themselves before him.” (Sirach 2:15-17) Without fear of the Lord it is easy to ignore or disobey the commandments and we will not be able to withstand the temptation to sin.

How encouraging is the promise of the Lord to those who fear him. As we read in Deuteronomy 28:1-3: “ If you will only obey the Lord your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth; all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.” So let us keep on loving the Lord, and fearing him to claim these blessings that he offers us. “O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want.” (Psalms34:9) Sirach 1:13 further promises “Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end; on the day of their death they will be blessed.” Lord, what more could we wish for.

There is another great promise in the book of Malachi 3:16-18 “Those who feared God talked to one another about this, and God took note and listened; and a book of remembrance was written in his presence recording those who feared him and kept his name in mind. ‘On the day when I act,’ says the Lord, ‘they will be my most prized possession, and I shall spare them in the way a man spares the son who serves him. Then once again you will see the difference between the upright person and the wicked one, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him.” Let us claim a happy end by fearing the Lord, and in this way we will be able to reject all bad thoughts, words and deeds.

 

May our loving father bless you with all his promises. Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil

Christian Living 

Be Positive

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

 

 

JESUS IS OUR MODEL

Life has its ups and downs and sometimes we can forget what a truly awesome gift it is from God. In our lives, we experience happiness and sorrows and even though we may thank God constantly for the many blessings that he showers on us, in times of worry, we can think that God is not there for us. Being Christians we are called to live a life like Christ and we should remember the example of Jesus. He was a man who went through the same experiences that we do but he was always positive and trusted in Almighty God, his Father. Have you ever heard that Jesus was cruel or harsh? No, not at all. In fact, whenever there was rejection or humiliation, Jesus took it all with a smile and radiated peace and joy. We have to believe and stay strong in our faith, and only then can we be like him. Jesus was strong in the face of difficulties because he was so immersed in the heavenly love of His Father that he trusted him completely.

BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS

We each have the opportunity to become more like Jesus by strengthening and developing our relationship with God to a higher level striving for holiness and evangelizing. At times we may have to face suffering, but instead of being discouraged, we can be strong and offer everything to the Lord. It is then that we will see wonders and miracles in our lives. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Being positive is not always easy, but when we learn to think positively, we are are more in harmony with God and are better able to experience his love. It also helps to replace the worry and turbulence in our lives with a sweet melody of peace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) It is easy to say be positive but the hard part is to put it into practice. Sometimes, we may not realise it, but we might help someone out with something as simple as a smile, which Jesus can use perhaps to boost their confidence or just brighten up their lives and help them to draw closer to him. Jesus performed many miracles and if we stay strong and trust in him then miracles will happen in our lives as well.

WE ARE HELD IN GOD’S LOVE

We know that life on this Earth is short, so why do we worry about small things? Our God has a huge heart to hold us in his love and that love can overcome all the so called ‘problems in life’. So be positive and stay strong about all the difficulties that we may be facing right now. Jesus is our brother but he is also our best friend, so just share everything with him and he will give the perfect solution to every problem.

 

Written by Ashmy Jacob

Life 

You have a new Friend Request

How many friends do you have?

If I were to ask you how many friends you had, what would you say? Well, you could start with all your friends at school, then at church and last but not least those outside of Church, and don’t forget those on Facebook and Twitter. We are part of the generation, where the number of friends and followers that we have on social networking sites shows how popular we are and how good we are at socialising. We all have many friends but, let me introduce you to my true best friend.

I Have a Very Special Friend

My one and only all-time star is Jesus. What a great friend he is. Yes, the friendship of God can be a reality in our lives. Many people say that they are lonely, depressed, sad and unloved, but isn’t that because we reject Jesus’ friend request, yet accept all the requests of strange and random people? Jesus constantly longs to be our friend, he said “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) He stands knocking at the door of our hearts, ready to enter when we let him in. Nicholas Sparks, a well-known American novelist, said “Never forget that God is your friend. And like all friends, He longs to hear what’s been happening in your life. Good or bad, whether it’s been full of sorrow or anger, or even when you’re questioning why terrible things have to happen.” 1 Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22 tell us to give everything in our life to Jesus, including problems and worries because he loves and cares for us. I have heard young people say that they couldn’t live without their make-up, phone or without their twenty pairs of shoes, but I would say that we can’t live without Jesus. Jesus says in John 15:16 ” You did not choose me but I chose you.”

We Don’t Need Anyone Else

Jesus never leaves us on our own. A true friend would do anything for you. We know that Jesus is our true friend because he selflessly gave us his life as a sacrifice for us. As a gift he poured out his blood for us. We remember this each time the Holy Eucharist is celebrated, when he offers us again his body and his blood. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to be our friend to the end of time. Nicholas Sparks also said, “the best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.” When we fully receive Jesus as our best friend and companion, we will realise that we don’t need anyone else. We experience the desire to be with him every second of our lives, a consuming fire within us is ignited to love him more and we experience an unexplainable kind of peace, because he gives the peace that the world cannot give (John 14:27). We won’t need to update our statuses regularly and see how many more friends and followers we have gained. When Jesus is in our lives, we have the fullness of the Holy Trinity, because in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:19) and so therefore we will have an abundant life with him (John 10:10).

It is Jesus that People Lack

Pope Benedict XVI when talking to a group of children said, “People do not know that it is precisely Jesus they lack. But they feel that something is missing in their lives. If God is absent from my life, if Jesus is absent from my life, a guide, an essential friend is missing, even an important joy for life, the strength to grow as a man, to overcome my vices and mature as a human being.” He also said “We really need God’s friendship, which helps us to make the right decisions.” To make these right decisions in our life, we need to first of all accept that friend request from Jesus!

 

Written by Gitty George