Tag: Editorial

Editorial 

June 2015 – Editorial

Welcome to Kingdom Revelator. This month the magazine will be distributed at a number of big conventions and conferences and so we are expecting many new readers. If you are one of them then we hope that you enjoy the articles and that your faith is strengthened and renewed through your reading.

The magazine is produced by the Sehion Ministries team in the UK, a charity that is dedicated to evangelisation and renewal in the Catholic Church. They have been running Schools of Evangelisation for young people for a number of years and last year Fr Soji Olikkal, the Director of Sehion Ministries, while praying before the Blessed Sacrament, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to start a magazine for teenagers. He called together a small team to start working on the project along with a group of young people who would write their testimonies and some of the articles. After a year the magazine is flourishing, with fifteen thousand copies being printed this month for distribution in the UK, Ireland and Australia and further copies printed for young people in the USA.

The success of the magazine is all due to the prayer support that is behind everything that we do. Without committed people praying regularly, none of this would be possible. Through prayer Our Lord has transformed the work of a few people with no experience in this field, for His glory. Prayer is vital in all that we do. Through prayer we can discern what God wants to do in our lives, we can cast off our worries and concerns and we can be certain that God is with us.

Today, we pray that the Holy Spirit will be with you as you read this magazine to open your heart and mind to God’s love and mercy in your life. When you have read it, why not pass it on to someone else, it’s a great way to evangelise!

Editorial 

May 2015 – Editorial

Welcome to the current issue of Kingdom Revelator, a magazine designed for teenagers and young people. In this issue we continue to look at different aspects of our faith and how they can help us in our everyday lives. Our faith is not just about going to Mass on Sunday and then living the rest of the week as if God is not interested in us. Our Sunday Mass should be the highlight of the week and from that we get the strength to live the rest of the week as true followers of Jesus. When we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist the blessings that we receive are not just for ourselves but they are to be shared with those around us. So in this issue we look at evangelisation and how to spread the Good News and help our friends to encounter the love of Christ.

One of our readers has written an article about the problems of sin and how it had a hold over him for many years. He looks at the effect that it had on him and those around him and how it is possible to break free from an addiction. To complement this there is an article about Penance and Reconciliation, a wonderful Sacrament that can bring amazing healing and peace to our lives. Continuing from the last issue we include a description of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and how we can recognise the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There is the story of how a trip to India to join his parents went disastrously wrong for one of our young readers but God provided two wonderful people who made sure that he got home safely. These personal testimonies are very encouraging and help to build up our faith. If you have a similar experience of how God has worked in your life that you would like to share with our readers please e-mail your story to us at kfkmag@gmail.com.

May the Holy Spirit enlighten your hearts and your minds as you read and bring you to a deeper faith and trust in Christ Jesus.

Editorial 

April 2015 – Editorial

Welcome to latest issue of Kingdom Revelator. In this Easter season we look forward to Pentecost, when the Church celebrates her birthday and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles in the Upper Room. We find out about the Holy Spirit, the Gifts that the Spirit brings and publish some thoughts by Pope Francis on what Pentecost means today. There is an interview with Mary Beth Bonacci from Life Teens Incorporated who discusses her work in talking to young people about sexuality, chastity, and marriage. This is a challenging area for young Catholics who are trying to live by the Gospel values, which are very different to the messages that they receive through popular culture.

As the exam season is approaching, one of our readers shares how God helped her to revise and gave her good exam results, when she thought that she had failed. This encourages us all to pray and trust in God when times get difficult. Our situation may seem hopeless to us but God can turn any situation around and bring something positive from the worst situations, if we only trust Him. Dr John Das, a Catholic evangelist, echoes this in his article showing us why we should not be afraid. This is a common message in the Bible. Our human nature is to worry and panic when unexpected things happen but when we trust in God He will send us the help that we need.

St Dominic Savio, who died before his fifteenth birthday, is an inspirational figure for young people because his holiness was recognised from an early age. He once said, “I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God.” That is a great motto for our lives. Let us make sure that everything we do is pleasing to God then we too will be on the road to sainthood!

Editorial 

February 2015 – Editorial

is nearly a year since we began publishing Kingdom Revelator and we hope that you are still finding it helpful in developing your spiritual life. We would like to thank the young people who have sent us their inspiring testimonies of how God has helped them through many varied and difficult situations. By sharing these, we hope that other young people in similar situations will be encouraged to pray and trust more fully in God’s saving help.

We receive many contributions and each one is considered for publication by an editorial team as to whether it is suitable and helpful to our teenage readers and conforms to the Teaching of the Catholic faith. Our circulation is growing, with 10,000 copies being printed each month and these are distributed in the UK, USA, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Please join us in praying that many more schools will want to distribute the magazine to their pupils.

This month we are in the middle of Lent and so we include an article about the wonderful Easter Liturgies in the Church. We also have an interesting piece by Fr Xavier Khan Vattayil on Guardian Angels, an inspiring testimony of how one of our young readers was healed at Lourdes, as well as Bible stories, articles and reflections. We hope that you enjoy the new puzzle page that is included and we would welcome your feedback on this or any other aspect of the magazine. If you are a young person and have some suggestions for improvement please e-mail us at: kfkmag@gmail.com.

If you have missed previous issues of Kingdom Revelator they can be downloaded from www.sehion.net/home/magazine. Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page: Kingdom Revelator.

Editorial 

January 2015 – Editorial

Welcome to the first issue of Kingdom Revelator in 2015. In this issue we focus on the coming season of Lent, a time when Christians traditionally look at their spiritual life and focus on ways to deepen their faith in preparation to celebrate Easter. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, an important day in the Church’s calendar and we present an article that explains the significance of using ashes to mark a cross on our foreheads. We have also included some suggestions for how to approach Lent as a time of new beginnings in your spiritual life. There are the usual inspiring testimonies from young people and following our report on the mission to Punjab in the last issue, Neethu, who was one of the young people who went on the mission, reflects on what she learnt from the people that she encountered in India.

In October 2014 Fr Paul Moss, the Director of Vocations for the Birmingham Archdiocese and some of his team attended the second Saturday Catholic Convention and spoke to many young people. For those who did not get the chance to meet him, he has written an article about discerning our vocation – how to work out what God is asking us to do with our lives, a very important topic for young Christians. A new feature this month is the liturgical calendar on the inside of the front cover. This gives the daily readings so that you can follow the Scripture passages that are read out in Mass every day. We have received feedback from young people asking for more interactive features in the magazine so we have included a page of puzzles towards the end. Please do let us know what you think of these new features.

We thank all those who have sent in contributions to the magazine, we do try to publish as many articles and testimonies as we can, although it may take a few months for them to appear. Please do continue to send them to us at kfkmag@gmail.com. We hope and pray that God will speak to your heart through this magazine and that your faith will be strengthened. Please pass it on to a friend when you have finished reading it and let us know if you have any suggestions for improvements for future issues.

Thanks

 

Written by the editorial team

Editorial 

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

Editorial 

November 2014 – Editorial

Welcome to the latest edition of Kingdom Revelator. In this issue we have included more testimonies and articles written by young people who have experienced the power of God’s love in their lives. We have found that when young people are touched in a special way by the Holy Spirit they want to share their experiences with others and we are very grateful to everyone who has sent in their stories. We also continue investigating how science can help in our search for the truth and in our series on the Sacraments we look at what the Catholic Church teaches about Marriage. Please do continue to send us your faith stories, articles, drawings or details of any Christian projects or charities that you are helping with that you think might be of interest to our young readers. We would also value your feedback and suggestions for improving the magazine, by e-mail to kfkmag@gmail.com.

In the Church, we are moving towards the end of this Liturgical Year. November is traditionally a month for remembering our loved ones who have died. At the beginning of November we celebrate All Saints Day when the Church honours all the Saints who have died and are with God in Heaven. On the following day the Church celebrates All Souls Day (also called Commemoration of the Faithful Departed) when all those who have died but who have not yet been purified and reached heaven are remembered. In many parishes there is an opportunity to write out the names of our deceased family and friends whom we want to remember and then Masses are said and prayers offered for these Holy Souls throughout the month. On 30th November the new Church year begins with the First Sunday of Advent as we look forward and start preparing for the coming of Christ at Christmas time.

We pray that you will be blessed by this magazine and ask that when you have finished reading it you pass it on to a friend. It’s a very easy way to spread the Gospel message. If you would like to order more free copies for your school or parish please use the new e-mail address krcopies@gmail.com that we have set up for our distribution manager. May God bless you in your reading,

 

Written by : the editorial team

Uncategorised 

Fear not, for I am with you

What an assurance! Who says so? It is the one who is the Lord of all creation, the immortal God who promises to be with us; to guard us, to protect us and to lead us to everlasting happiness. Fear is a fundamental human emotion and we all experience it. Fear is caused by a real or perceived threat to life or potential harm to health and it can also be a direct outcome of sin and guilt. There are two types of fear; one that is constructive and makes us cautious when faced with danger and the other is destructive and prevents us from accepting challenges to grow. The former leads to hope and righteousness and the latter to stress, depression and condemnation.

The only fear we should have is the fear of God. Psalm 119 says ‘My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.’ This verse sums up a good understanding of the fear of the Lord.

As Christians we are never to be conquered by fear and cannot allow it to subdue us. Each time Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection he told them not to fear. This is exactly what Jesus is telling each one of us today. Worship him and place your trust in him and the Holy Spirit will give you the courage to face all the challenges of life. When we feel insecure, inferior, lonely or lack confidence in ourselves then fear can overwhelm us but God understands our weakness and has taken all our fears and anxieties away.

The key to overcoming fear is total and complete trust in God. Trusting in God means refusing to give in to fear, it is a conscious decision to rely on him for courage and guidance even in our darkest times. This trust comes from knowing that he is good and reliable. We have great examples of fear giving way to extreme courage in the lives of St. Peter, St. Stephen and a host of other saints and martyrs throughout the Church’s history.

Jesus said, ‘I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ If God is with us there is nothing we should be afraid of. Psalm 27 says that when you have the Lord, your God on your side you have no one and nothing to fear. So don’t allow fear to define you and limit your personal growth in Jesus. Surrender all your fears and worries to the Almighty and worship him so that you will gain more courage, hope and eternal happiness.

Written by fr soji olikkal

Editorial 

September 2014 – Editorial

Do you know what a blueprint is? It is the photographic print of a building plan prepared by the architect. The greatest of all architects, who created everything seen and unseen, is God. And we are the crowning glory of his creation as St. Paul says “for we are God`s workmanship.” (Ephesians 2:10) We are the masterpiece of all that he created because he made humans in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). This means that our lives are precious, divine and unique.

As God so magnificently designed us and endowed us with the power to know Him and allowed us to call him “father”, we are the most privileged and blessed of all creatures. God made everything with a purpose. As sons and daughters of the Creator we have been made for a reason and that is to live a fruitful and happy life in this world by enjoying the fruits of God’s creation and to return to his eternal kingdom of heavenly bliss after this earthly life.

The word of God is the blueprint for us to follow so that we can achieve what he has planned for us. In the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel we read “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.” So the word of God means God himself. This word came down from heaven and became man as Jesus Christ. Through his birth, life, death and resurrection, Jesus opened the doors to heaven for us so that we could be saved. Jesus is our model, mentor, redeemer, lord and master. Our destinies are bound to him. The written form of the word of God is the Bible which contains the revelations that God made through the generations.

My dear young people, “the word of God should be engraved on your hearts.” (Deuteronomy 6:6) You should remember this because whatever is in your heart will be reflected on the outside. Our lives are to be moulded according to the word of God. That is our call and our goal in life. The word of God is our shield and protection against evil and helps us to overcome our human frailties. The Psalmist proclaims “I have laid up your word in my heart that I may not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) The word of God is the most powerful antidote against sin. When it has a place in our hearts; it promises to help us to turn away from sin, and will lead us to greater purity of heart and life.

So my dear young friends be energized by the word of God. Let it inspire you at all times. Pray constantly, asking God to fill your hearts with a yearning to love him with all your might. I pray that the Spirit of God may fill you and your loved ones with a new fervour for the holy word of God in your life and that it will be your road map to peace, happiness and salvation.

 

Written by Fr Soji Olikkal