Author: Editor, Kingdom Revelator

Uncategorised 

If This Person Was…

“Behold the Man!” (John 19:5)

 

If this person was a piece of music, he’d bring joy and happiness through the sound. If this person was a colour, he’d be white as a symbolism of his purity.

If this person was a bird, he’d be a dove as a sign of his Holy Spirit. If this person was a flower, he’d be a red rose as a reminder of his sacrifice for our salvation.

If this person was a doctor, he’d be a healer knowing all cures to diseases. If this person was a lamp,  he’d light up the whole world.

If this person was food, he’d be bread that satisfies hunger forever. If this person was a drink, he’d be water that quenches thirst forever.

If this person was a book, he’d be the world’s best encyclopaedia giving answers to everything. If this person was an animal, he’d be a humble, innocent lamb sacrificed for us.

If this person was a stone, he’d be the stone rejected by the builders. If this person was a star, he’d be the brightest star in the sky.

Because he died for us on Mount Calvary so that we may find happiness and forgiveness of sins.

 

A poem by Crisilda Jojo

Uncategorised 

The Most Powerful Prayer

Our Lady Asks us to Pray the Rosary

You might think that saying the Rosary is a waste of time, the repetition of the same things over and over again. You might be one of those people watching the clock waiting for it to finish. Despite what you feel when praying the Rosary, it is the most powerful prayer and weapon that we have against Satan. That is why Satan puts all those distracting thoughts into your head when you sit down to recite the Rosary. Whenever Our Lady appears, one of her main messages is to pray the Rosary. She asked the three shepherd children of Fatima – Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta to pray the Rosary every day for peace. She also asked them to spread the devotion to her Immaculate Heart.

Believe that your prayers are answered

Have you ever wondered why your prayers have not been answered? Mark 11:24 says “I say to you, whatever you ask in pray, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”. It’s the same when reciting the Rosary, if you pray it from the heart and ask for something in prayer, then believe that you have received it and it will be granted. I used to recite the Rosary just for the sake of it but as I’ve grown older I realise how powerful this wonderful prayer actually is.

A Crown of Roses

The word Rosary means “Crown of Roses”. Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the queen of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one.

Written by Sreya Cyriac

Saints 

St Margaret Clitherow

In 1581 an Act of Parliament outlawed Catholic religious ceremonies and made sheltering a Catholic priest a criminal offence, punishable by death. Among the many brave people who gave their lives to keep the Catholic faith alive in these troubled times was Margaret Clitherow, a butcher’s wife from York.

 

She Spent Eighteen Months in Prison

Margaret Clitherow, a housewife and mother was jailed in York Castle for a year and a half in a cold, dirty, dark cell. She received little food and was separated from her family and friends. Yet despite this, Margaret is quoted as saying that it was “a happy and profitable school” since no one interrupted her prayers and fasting. She learned to read and write while in prison so that she was could teach Catholic children on her release.

Raised as a Protestant

Born in 1553 in York, her father was the sheriff of the city and a church warden. As a child she went to her father’s church and followed the Protestant religion as ordered by the state. She married a wealthy butcher at the age of 15 and as he already had children, she devoted herself to the care of her step-children.

She Became a Catholic

At some stage in the early 1570s she converted to Catholicism and stopped attending the Protestant Church This was very difficult for Margaret’s husband as he was a Protestant and was responsible for reporting Catholic worshippers to the Protestant authorities in the parish. At first the authorities fined her husband for her non-attendance at Church but as she would still not agree to attend their church, she was put into prison three times to try to make her change her ways.

The Hunt for Catholic Priests

Around this time the authorities were determined to hunt down any Catholic priests and execute them. Between 1582 and 1583 five were put to death in York. When Margaret was not in jail she would make a night-time pilgrimage to the place of their execution to pray. As soon as she was able, she created a secret room in her house as a hiding place for priests and her home became a Mass centre for local people. But the local authorities were watching her closely and during a raid on her home in March 1586, the room was discovered along with vestments and articles that were needed to say the Mass.

She Refused to Stand Trial

Margaret was again imprisoned and questioned. They gave her the chance to renounce the Catholic faith and become a Protestant once more but she would not agree. She also refused an offer from the authorities to stand trial because she was worried that her family and friends would be forced to give evidence and get into trouble themselves. She knew that by choosing not to stand trial she would automatically be sentenced to a very painful execution, but she accepted this to save her husband and children. When she heard the date of her execution she said, “The sheriffs have said that I am going to die this coming Friday; and I feel the weakness of my flesh which is troubled at this news, but my spirit rejoices greatly. For the love of God, pray for me and ask all good people to do likewise.”

Margaret Clitherow was canonized in October 1970 as one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales. You can still visit her house today in the Shambles, York where she lived and sheltered priests.

Be Creative 

Sandra lost her way

One day Sandra went to town with her parents. When they reached the town centre, her parents told her, “Sandra, walk with us always, don’t wander off anywhere”. Sandra happily replied, “Ok dad, I will walk by your side and won’t wander off”.

So they went into the shopping centre. As soon as they entered, Sandra saw her favourite doll set advertised on a window poster. She stopped to read more about it and then went into the shop to take a look at the new doll set inside. She didn’t realise that her parents had continued walking while she was left all alone in the shop.

Soon she started to panic and looked around for her parents, but she couldn’t find them and in the meantime her parents were looking for her in every shop. Sandra asked the staff in the shop for help and they told her to wait there. She didn’t know what to do. Then she remembered her mom telling her, “If you are ever lost or worried, pray for help.” So Sandra started praying.

Before long, her parents found her sitting on a chair in the toy shop. Sandra saw her parents and ran towards them with tears in her eyes and said, “Dad! Mom! I am very sorry I didn’t do what you said. You told me to walk by your side; if I had stayed with you then I wouldn’t have been lost. I am sorry.” Her parents hugged her and told her to be careful from then on.

We are like Sandra when we walk away from Jesus and get distracted by the things of this world. However, when we realise our mistake and say sorry, He will come back to us and love us even more. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

 

Written by Grace Jose

The holy Spirit 

Be Refreshed with the Living Water

In the Bible the Holy Spirit is called many different names, one of them being “The Comforter”. It’s difficult to understand how this Comforting Spirit can help us in our daily lives. Sehion Youth use a simple analogy to show how the Holy Spirit can refresh, satisfy and strengthen us in the journey of life.

 

“But those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” JOHN 4:14-16

 

The Comforter

To see how the Holy Spirit can be a “comfort” to us, let’s imagine that we have been walking in the scorching heat of the sun. After a while our bodies get tired, our feet feel weary, and finally we sit down for a rest, unable to walk any further. There are three things that would really help us in this situation – the shade of a tree to shelter us from the heat, some water to quench our thirst, and a gentle breeze to cool us. For many of us this is what life is like sometimes. In the midst of our sins, worldly pleasures, worries, loneliness, hardships and many unanswered questions, we feel tired and worn out by the journey of life. It is during these difficult moments that we can invite the Holy Spirit, the comforter to enter into our lives to rescue us.

He is the Shade

When we are tired and weary after a long hot walk in the sun, the first thing we look for is some shade to get away from the heat. Isaiah 25:4 says, “For you have been a shade from the heat.” When the Israelites were camping in the desert, on their journey to the Promised Land, the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, comforted them with his divine presence and protection. Wisdom 19:7 says “The cloud was seen overshadowing the camp.” Whenever we call on this holy and comforting spirit, he appears as a shade in our lives protecting us from all danger and the evil power of the enemy.

He Quenches our Thirst

After a long hot walk, the next thing we long for is some water to quench our thirst and bring relief for our parched throat and dry lips. We know that there are many people in this generation, craving for something to quench their thirst and they try many different ways to satisfy their needs, like alcohol, drugs and bad relationships. While the Samaritan woman at the well thirsted for the water of sin, Jesus poured out the life-giving rivers of living water into her heart saying, “Those who drink the water that I give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (John 4:14). It is only the Holy Spirit who can quench the desires of our human hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can bring real peace and comfort into our lives, which the false comforts of this world cannot offer. Let us thirst for more of the life-giving Holy Spirit in our lives.

He is the Gentle Breeze

Now all that we need is a gentle breeze to rejuvenate our body. When we feel this gentle breeze blowing we experiences great relief. After receiving protection from the shade and relief from the water, the gentle breeze begins to strengthen us. Sometimes we avoid and neglect this gentle and comforting breeze but he is always there for us when we need him. Sometimes we meet people filled with the Holy Spirit who want to share the good news of Jesus and we can recognise the comforting message of the Spirit through them. Hebrews 1:7 says, “He makes his angels winds.” These angels carry the gospel of truth and joy. If we are open to the voice of these angels in our lives, we will experience the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray: O comforting Holy Spirit, please come into our lives as a shelter against the evil one, as the living water to quench our thirst, and as a gentle breeze to strengthen us on the journey of life. Take control of our lives and guide and comfort us. Amen.

 

 

Life 

Breaking the Chains of Addiction

Building my Relationship with God

After my conversion experience at a retreat when I was fifteen years old, I knew that I wanted to live my life for Jesus and to help others to get to know him. A short time later when I moved away from home to train as a nurse, I made time each day to build my relationship with God through personal prayer and daily Bible reading. I was growing in discipleship but as I slowly grew closer to God, I was also becoming more aware of my small sins and faults as a teenager.

Addicted to Heavy Metal Music

Although, I had been spiritually blessed so powerfully by Jesus, there were still parts of my life that I had not given over to him. I loved listening to rock music, especially satanicallyinfluenced bands. All my friends were into heavy metal and I just went along with them. At first, I didn’t like any of the lyrics, I was much more impressed by the musical rhythms and the vibes attracted me. I don’t know, even now, why I was so addicted to this type of music. I had a collection of fifty CDs, with the music of famous satanic bands and I wore T-shirts with the bands’ logos and messages printed on them. I knew, at some level, that what I was doing was wrong, but I didn’t want to stop. I knew that this music was not doing me any good spiritually and deep inside, there was always a prompting to stay away from this sort of music, but I never listened to that inner voice and I realise now that I was shackled like a slave to the satanic music.

Keeping Me away from God’s Grace

When I prayed about the situation, I was shown that it was troubling my soul, and keeping me away from God’s grace and mercy and from his plans for me and my future life. So I decided to attend another retreat and during this, God showed me a way to be able to make use of my love of music for his glory instead. I was inspired by a small group of young Catholics and I again began thinking about evangelisation and my future plans to work for Christ as a living gospel. While there, a thought came to me: ‘Why don’t I use the good things about music as a way of proclaiming the Good News, like King David had done with the Psalms?’

Music is a Gift from God

It was then that my way of seeing music changed. I realised that it is a spiritual gift from God. I decided that instead of listening to heavy metal music, I would create worship songs with good catchy rhythms and lyrics that spoke of pure devotion to God. I didn’t know how to start writing music, so I decided that God must have a plan and I would wait and surrender myself to him for this new endeavour. I assured myself that God knew what he was doing. But while I waited, unfortunately, I drifted back to listening to the heavy metal music to which I was still enslaved.

My Blind Eyes were Opened

God is good at reading our hearts and he saw that I was trapped by this music. Exodus 34:14 tells us that God is a jealous God which means that he doesn’t want to share our hearts and souls with anything that is not good for us. So he showed me that I needed to get rid of this bad habit. A few months after the retreat, I caught flu and developed symptoms of a viral fever which couldn’t be diagnosed. Even though I was treated with several different medicines, I wasn’t getting any better. One day I was lying ill in bed listening to ‘Megadeth’ and other gothic metal bands. I still remember the moment, when I realized: ‘I am terribly mistaken’. A new track began with the words ‘Our Father, who art in hell.

Suddenly my blind eyes were opened and I thought ‘What am I doing? Am I working against Jesus, and against his gospel? This is the exact opposite of what I want to do? Am I killing him again by crucifying him with my sins? Am I again scourging my Jesus?’

I Broke the CD into Pieces

So, without a second thought, I jumped out of bed, stopped my CD player, took the CD out, and looked at it. Then suddenly, deep inside me, I heard someone telling me, ‘Get rid of that CD and stick to me. Stick with me and you will be cured of your spiritual blindness and the after-effects of the sin that is ruining your soul and keeping me away from you.’ It was my beloved Jesus again. I quickly broke the CD into pieces and threw it away. To my surprise, I started noticing my fever symptoms disappearing miraculously. I didn’t take any more tablets and by that evening my fever was gone. I believe that Jesus cured me, Thanks and glory to him for keeping me close to him and guiding me safely back to him. I now know that even when my sins were leading me away from him, he grabbed me and bound me closer to him.

I Replaced the CDs and T-Shirts

I threw out all my evil CDs over the next few days and went to Confession. I found it difficult, initially, to get rid of the CDs, which formed a collection made over a number of years. But now, instead, I have got a collection of spiritual and joyful, praise CDs. I also started changing my T-shirts to gospel graffiti and the Word of God as a way to evangelise. Once I had surrendered this part of my life to God, he was able to use me to help him in his mission here on earth. I was chosen as a Christian leader within my nursing college, with many responsibilities, even though there were plenty of other people who I thought were more spiritual or more qualified than I was.

Let Me Lead the Way

Whenever I am unsure what to do, I remember Jesus saying to me: ‘Don’t worry, I am with you, stick with me, follow me, let me lead the way.’ I have let Jesus teach and transform me and I have seen what he can do with a willing servant. At the end of my time at college I was able to organise an evangelistic retreat for three hundred of the first and second year students. Now, I have come to the UK and I believe that God has a purpose and ultimate plan for sending me here to help with his long-planned mission to re-evangelize the UK and Europe. My advice to you is, first of all, give yourself fully to God’s holy plans and trust in him, then he will guide you and use you as an instrument in his mighty hands. He wants the first place in your heart and in everything that you do. That’s all he asks of you.

Written by Prince Paulose

Evangelisation 

The Greatest Love Story

“For 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.” JOHN 3:16

 

A Love Letter

If you ask people to name the greatest love story ever written they may say, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ or even ‘Titanic’. However, the most beautiful and romantic love story of all time can be read in the Bible. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It may not have the melodramatic or cheesy phrases that we hear in the movies but it is a love story that truly captures our hearts because through it we feel the most intimate, powerful and passionate love that Christ has for his people. In fact Jesus wrote his love letter for each one of us personally.

Looking for the Love of Our Life

We are in a world where we are surrounded by stereotypes, where if we are not in a relationship or have never been in a relationship we might be thought of as “strange” In fact, some may use the phrase “you have not lived.” As teenagers, we are at that age where we are keen to get ourselves involved in relationships. Once we think that we have found the “love of our life” we instantly grab the opportunity to let the whole world know by changing our Facebook status from “single” to “in a relationship.” Soon we make it breaking news on instagram by uploading pictures of the person we are “madly in love with” and with the help of Google we copy and paste sentimental love quotes. All of a sudden, we find ourselves in a situation where we say we are passionately in love with this person and this can develop over time and lead to marriage. When a man and a woman fall in love and marry, they grow into a deep, intimate, and passionate relationship. That’s the kind of relationship we can have with Jesus.

We have been Rescued

A common story line in romantic movies that wins the heart of young people is when a man risks his own life for his girlfriend or saves his beloved from the villain. We should not forget that a man did save us from the evil one two thousand years ago on the cross. He went to the extent of bearing the most excruciating pain for each one of us – his beloved. The world cannot teach us about love and what it means. Our heavenly father teaches us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Romans 5:8 says “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Let us never be ashamed to say we are in a relationship with Christ. Our hearts should always beat for Jesus.

The Gem of Christ

In the 19th century in the Catholic Church there was a saint called St. Gemma Galgani. She was known as the “Daughter of Passion” or the “Gem of Christ”. She had an amazing love for Christ from a very young age. At times her entire bed shook powerfully due to the throbbing of Gemma’s heart. On occasions when her temperature was taken, the mercury shot up to the top of the thermometer, because of the intense burning within her for Christ.

St. Gemma’s heart was set on fire because of the extraordinary love she had for Christ. Her heart was always burning with the love of Christ. When St. Gemma was in spiritual ecstasy she said, “I shall love you always. When day breaks, when evening turns into night, at every moment; I shall love you always, always, always!” Is this the kind of love that we have for Jesus? Our heart should be big enough to be filled with his love. His love is unconditional and will make us new people in Christ. Let us ask the Lord to fill our hearts with his love beyond measure.

“Fire! Fire in my heart! This morning it is burning. Dear Jesus, I love you so much! I shall endeavour always to love you; I shall live to love you; I shall die to love you! Give me wings Jesus, so that I can fly to your throne!” St.Gemma Galgani.

 

Written by Judy Jose

Evangelisation 

Baptism, why is it so important?

It is easy to attend the baptism of a brother, sister or cousin and not really understand what is happening to the baby being baptised. You probably remember the party afterwards with the sandwiches, crisps and the chocolate cakes but it’s what happens during the Church service that make it one of the most important events in that child’s life. Through baptism they become a child of God through all eternity, in this life and in the one to come. You probably don’t remember your baptism but it was part of God’s plan from the very beginning of time.

 

Water is the Sign of Life

Every living creature needs water or it will die. It has been calculated that about sixty percent of our body weight is made up of water. Water has always been the source of life and fruitfulness. The first words of the Bible Genesis 1: 1-2 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Right from the dawn of time, water existed and God used it in the Creation of all living things. He also used water to form the greatest and best loved of all his creation – mankind.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

In the New Testament, John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus, was calling the Jews to a baptism of repentance. He immersed them in the waters of the River Jordan as a sign that their sins were washed away so that they could have a clean start and turn away from sin. Jesus himself was baptised by John and significantly, when he was baptised, the Holy Spirit, who had been hovering over the waters since the beginning of time came down upon him and God declared that Jesus was his Beloved Son. In the same way, through our baptism God declares that we are his beloved child.

We Die with Christ and are Reborn into New Life

Water can also be dangerous, we can drown in it and so it is equally a sign of death. Jesus referred to his death as a baptism. When James and John asked if they could have the places of honour next to him in heaven he said, “You don’t know what you are asking, can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?” (Mark 10:38)

But for Jesus, death was not the end and in baptism we share in his death and resurrection.

We die with Christ, are freed from our sins and are reborn into a new life in the Spirit as children of God. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as Jesus did at his baptism and become members of Christ’s Body on earth, His Church.

Baptism is the Sign of a True Disciple

The final words that Jesus spoke to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 were “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He could have given them any final message so this must have been a very important instruction as he sent them out on their own to spread his gospel message. He was saying that he wanted them to evangelise the whole world and that baptism was the sign of a true disciple of Christ.

Baptism is a Life-Long Mission

Baptism is not a ‘one off’ event that may have happened to us as babies, but it is a life-long mission and calling. We should live our baptism every day. When we make the sign of the cross we are remembering that through our baptism we are protected by Christ. We believe that baptism leaves a spiritual mark on our souls that cannot be removed. This mark shows that we belong to Christ and for this reason baptism cannot be repeated, it has been called the seal of eternal life.

Children’s Baptisms

In the baptism service for children we see many outward signs and symbols, each one of these points to something that is happening to the baby through their baptism. Running water is poured over the baby’s head three times, once in the name of each person of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The parents are given a lighted candle for the child to symbolise the light of Christ. They will be responsible for ensuring that the light of faith burns brightly in that child’s life until they are old enough to own it for themselves. The child is anointed with sacred Chrism, oil that has been blessed by the bishop, and this signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit that is given to the child. They are anointed, as priest, prophet, and king as in the Old Testament. They are also anointed on their chests with oil to strengthen them in the fight against evil. The child is also given a white garment to signify the new life and purity that they have been given.

Adult Baptisms

When an adult asks for baptism in the Catholic Church they must first profess the faith for themselves. They usually undergo a process of instruction and growing in faith within the parish community. Adult baptisms are often held during the Easter Vigil Service. This is a wonderful celebration of new life held in most parishes on Easter Saturday night. The service starts outside the darkened church where a fire is lit. After blessing the new Pascal (Easter) candle, from which all the baptismal candles during the year will take their light, it is lit from the fire, then all the people take a light from the Pascal candle and process into the darkened church singing, “Christ our Light”. The whole service is a celebration of baptism and the Resurrection of Christ.

A Child of God

The church encourages the baptism of infants because Jesus called the children to come to him and the grace of baptism helps to strengthen us as we grow up. Infant baptism has been practised since the very beginning of the church. In the Acts of the Apostles it tells how whole households were baptised and this would have included the children. When a child is baptised it is the parents and god parents who profess their faith and promise to bring up the child in the Christian faith. As the child grows they will have to make their own profession of faith for themselves. Maybe this is the time for us to ask ourselves whether we have committed ourselves to Christ rather than relying on the faith of our parents. Have we said “Yes Lord, I believe, I want to live like a child of God. I want to live that resurrection faith that you promised to your believers. Come Holy Spirit afresh into my life today. ” “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)

 

Written by June Palmer

Evangelisation 

The Holy Spirit Will Give You Power

When Jesus ascended into heaven he left behind a small group of followers to carry on his work. What was so remarkable about these early disciples that they managed to spread his Gospel to the ends of the earth? Can their experience help us today as we seek to share our faith with others?

 

Missing the Opportunities

Has it ever happened to you? You meet someone unexpectedly and after the conversation you realize that if you had just said the right words to start the conversation, it would have been a golden opportunity to evangelise. I was thinking that this probably happens to everyone but then I realised that if this had happened to the small group of disciples that Jesus left behind when he ascended to his Father then we would not have the world-wide Church that we have today. Something must have been different. I began to wonder if their experiences could teach us anything today so I went to the Holy Bible to see what it could tell me.

They Heard Jesus Calling Them

Jesus began his ministry by preaching the Gospel of repentance, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mark 1:15). He then expanded his ministry by calling Peter and Andrew, ordinary fisherman, to be his first disciples. Immediately they left their nets and followed him (Mark 1:16-20). Jesus’ ministry grew and soon he had many disciples. From these he appointed the twelve apostles and he sent them out preaching and gave them the authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:13-19; Mark 6:7-13). After this Jesus appointed seventy others, and sent them ahead of him, in pairs, to go to every town and place where he himself was about to go (Luke 10:1-3). Jesus calls us today to follow him and when we do this he will equip us with all that we need to do his work and he will send us out to tell the whole world about his love.

Jesus Promises a Helper

From the beginning Jesus mentioned many times the promised helper, the counsellor that he would send (John 16:7-13). He promised them the Holy Spirit, who would guide them to all truth and give them the power to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas even to the ends of the earth (Act 1:4-8). There were about a hundred and twenty of his followers eagerly waiting for the Gift of the Holy Spirit as they continued to pray with Mary, the Mother of our Lord (Acts 1:15). The Holy Spirit was not just for the early disciples but also for us today. We receive him through our Baptism and Confirmation and he gives us the gifts and courage that we need to spread the Gospel.

The Boldness to Proclaim

On the day of Pentecost when they were all gathered in prayer, the Holy Spirit came upon them from heaven as tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4). This is how the early Church received the boldness to proclaim the Good News. On that day three thousand people were converted and baptised in the name of the Heavenly Father and the Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:37-41; 47). The Holy Spirit will give us the courage and the words to use when we don’t know what to say. He is always there for us in the good times and when life is difficult. He came in answer to the disciples’ prayers and he will come to us when we ask for his help.

The Church Grew Despite Persecution

The early Church continued to grow as one family in Christ as the disciples prayed together with Our Lady (Acts 1:14). They held steadfastly to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to communal prayer (Acts 2:42). When Stephen, a bold disciple of Jesus, was arrested and stoned to death in Jerusalem, the other disciples fled to other towns carrying their faith with them (Acts 8:1-4). It was a very difficult time for the believers; they went through much suffering, sacrifice, and opposition from the rulers but they persisted in their prayer and in their loving service to each another and by their example and preaching the Church continued to grow. It is by our example and witness that the Church will grow today. When we pray and work together with our fellow Christians to help the poor and those on the margins of society we will bear witness to our faith. If we are open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit he will show us the opportunities to evangelise and enable us to bring others to faith.

The Holy Spirit Will Speak Through You

The key then seems to be The Holy Spirit. It is he who gave the early Church the courage to speak out and proclaim the Good News. Let us pray that the next time we have the opportunity to evangelise we will call on the Holy Spirit and he will use us boldly to witness to our faith so that the Church can continue to grow in this age.

 

Written by Jitto David