December 2016 The Spirit in a Prayer Group Cultivates Community Testimonial article by Larry Nawrocki Taking You Back I was the older brother of the prodigal son in Scrip- ture. I was the altar boy, I respected and obeyed my par- ents as I was growing up and I generally was compliant and conducted myself in a manner I considered right- eous. I met my wife Mary in Puerto Rico when my US Navy ship visited San Juan. A month after the wedding, I re- ceived orders transferring me to shore duty in Turkey. I made the transfer firmly holding on to my concept of God, figuring that I knew who God was and how He related to my life. Little did I know that my concept of many things would change dramatically when I went to a charismatic prayer group meeting. It was our first expe- rience with charismatic spirituality. Attending a prayer group meeting was one of the best decisions of my life. We started attending every Sunday evening. Early on, I was comfortable with the people there and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. As the gifts of the Spirit were exercised, however, I started to resist. “I thought, just who did these people think they are….prophets who had their finger on the power of God?” A few who felt like I did left in the middle of the prayer meeting. I stayed, but I felt disturbed. I didn’t realize it at the time that I was experiencing pride— feeling that my “truth” was being contested; feeling envy because I wanted what the Holy Spirit was doing in oth- ers. Letting God Work For a few weeks, Mary and I took a break from attending the prayer group. It was a painful time for me: God was working to change me. Change can be difficult, and deep change can be very painful. When we returned to the prayer group meetings a few weeks later, the pain which had existed was gone and I was a changed man. Praise God! It turned out many people were praying for me during my conversion experience. Nurturing the Charismatic Gifts in Community I could share much about my spirit-filled life since my baptism in the Holy Spirit, but time and my waning memory limit me. Mary, my wife, and I recently reflect- ed on one aspect of spiritual life: COMMUNAL GROWTH. I feel the commitment of our prayer group is deep. I realize that the significance of community often gets lost. This communal relationship is based on love and the desire to serve. These are created often through one-on-one evangelization. Through the manifestations of the Spirit, exercising the charisms, deepens & fosters love and the community grows. We are commissioned when we are sent at Mass, “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.” What are prayer meetings or prayer groups? † It’s a time to gather in community to praise, worship, & honor God as the Holy Spirit moves you. † They are meant to build up the Body of Christ as brothers and sisters. † It’s a place to exercise the charismatic gifts of tongues, prophecy, and others. † Scripture reading, teaching, testimony, sharing † Come to give your full attention to Jesus. Encourage a friend to attend one today. Check the website for in- formation. Try something new to grow you faith! Larry Nawrocki has been active in the Renewal for 43 years. He served on the CCRO Board for approximately 18 years. He has been part of the leadership team of the Prayer Group at Immaculate Conception Church in Columbia Heights. The group meets every Tuesday at 7:30 pm in the Church fellow- ship hall. All are welcome.
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December 2016
The Spirit in a Prayer Group Cultivates Community Testimonial article by Larry Nawrocki
Taking You Back
I was the older brother of the prodigal son in Scrip-ture. I was the altar boy, I respected and obeyed my par-ents as I was growing up and I generally was compliant and conducted myself in a manner I considered right-eous.
I met my wife Mary in Puerto Rico when my US Navy ship visited San Juan. A month after the wedding, I re-ceived orders transferring me to shore duty in Turkey. I made the transfer firmly holding on to my concept of God, figuring that I knew who God was and how He related to my life. Little did I know that my concept of many things would change dramatically when I went to a charismatic prayer group meeting. It was our first expe-rience with charismatic spirituality.
Attending a prayer group meeting was one of the best decisions of my life. We started attending every Sunday evening. Early on, I was comfortable with the people there and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. As the gifts of the Spirit were exercised, however, I started to resist. “I thought, just who did these people think they are….prophets who had their finger on the power of God?” A few who felt like I did left in the middle of the prayer meeting. I stayed, but I felt disturbed. I didn’t realize it at the time that I was experiencing pride—feeling that my “truth” was being contested; feeling envy because I wanted what the Holy Spirit was doing in oth-ers.
Letting God Work
For a few weeks, Mary and I took a break from attending the prayer group. It was a painful time for me: God was working to change me. Change can be difficult, and deep change can be very painful. When we returned to
the prayer group meetings a few weeks later, the pain which had existed was gone and I was a changed man. Praise God! It turned out many people were praying for me during my conversion experience.
Nurturing the Charismatic Gifts in Community
I could share much about my spirit-filled life since my baptism in the Holy Spirit, but time and my waning memory limit me. Mary, my wife, and I recently reflect-ed on one aspect of spiritual life: COMMUNAL GROWTH. I feel the commitment of our prayer group is deep. I realize that the significance of community often gets lost. This communal relationship is based on love and the desire to serve. These are created often through one-on-one evangelization. Through the manifestations of the Spirit, exercising the charisms, deepens & fosters love and the community grows. We are commissioned when we are sent at Mass, “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.”
What are prayer meetings or prayer groups? † It’s a time to gather in community to praise, worship, & honor God
as the Holy Spirit moves you. † They are meant to build up the Body of Christ as brothers and sisters. † It’s a place to exercise the charismatic gifts of tongues, prophecy, and
others. † Scripture reading, teaching, testimony, sharing † Come to give your full attention to Jesus. Encourage a friend to attend one today. Check the website for in-
formation. Try something new to grow you faith!
Larry Nawrocki has been active in the Renewal for 43 years. He served on the CCRO Board for approximately 18 years. He has been part of the leadership team of the Prayer Group at Immaculate Conception Church in Columbia Heights. The group meets every Tuesday at 7:30 pm in the Church fellow-ship hall. All are welcome.
Page 2 Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office
Attending prayer groups is one way to grow your gifts. At-tending a conference is another. “The Life in the Spirit Sem-inar isn’t the only program that is reaching parishioners and introducing them to the power of the Holy Spirit. Parishes around the country are having amazing success in evangeli-zation with programs like Christ Life, Alpha and others. People are hungry for something real.” [Taken from Pentecost Today Vol. 41; N. 4; page 9] Locally, Charismata will be a place to grow and to encourage others. You will hear more about that next month.
Winter Teaching Conference: February 4, 2017 8 am—5 pm
“Father, Forgive Them”
Join us for Mass at 8 am with Archbishop Hebda.
We welcome Fr. Jim Livingston as our Keynote Speaker.
Fr. Michael Becker, Fr. Byron Hagan, & Fr. Matthew Bonk, will be teaching work-
shops on Healing, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness. Stay tuned for a detailed
line-up. Register early! You won’t want to miss it.
Registration Form: 2017 Winter Teaching Conference
NAME: ____________________________________
ADDRESS:_________________________________
CTY/ST/ZIP:_______________________________
PHONE:___________________________________
EMAIL: ______________________
COST: $30 early bird; $35 after 1/20; Students/Seniors over 75 years: $20
Includes Mass, lunch, praise & worship music, two keynotes, and three workshops.
Register and see more details on our website: www.ccro-msp.org
Mail check to:
CCRO; 4714 Central Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55421
Can you volunteer at the event?
Yes No
Conference location:
Epiphany Catholic
Church in Coon Rapids
Walter Matthews puts it like this, ‘As we eagerly await the surprises of the Spirit’ that will unfold in our first Jubilee Year and beyond, there are [some] areas in which we need to make every effort to coop-erate with the Spirit in moving forward.” One point is this. “We must accept that the Renewal is already demonstrating new forms of being together and this trend will continue. Our task is to continue to ‘share with all, in the Church, the grace of Baptism in the Holy Spirit’ (2014) regardless of forms and struc-tures. Another point Walter emphasizes is this: “The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is oriented
ARE YOUR GIFTS GROWING?
Page 3 December 2016
HAPPENINGS
ADVENT RETREAT
A RETREAT WITH FR. ANTONY
THEKKENATH VC SATURDAY, DEC. 10 9:30 AM—5 PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 11 9:30 AM—NOON
3128 Leyland Trail, Woodbury, MN
Holy Mass, Adoration, Teachings, Prayer, and
Praise & Worship
Contact Rita at [email protected] or call 651-321-3056.
See flyer on the CCRO website. Lunch is provided on Sat-
urday. No cost but a collection will be taken to support
Father’s mission of evangelization.
December 2 (Friday) FIRST FRIDAY WITH THE
FRANCISCANS, 7PM. 1289 LaFond Ave., St. Paul, MN.
Adoration, Franciscan Crown Rosary, Compline and
Benediction. Fellowship follows.
December 2 (Friday) COR JESU, Praise & Worship
Night at the St. Paul Seminary (St. Mary’s Chapel) 8-
10PM, 2260 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN. Information
and directions: 651-962-5050.
December 10 (Saturday) Mini-Retreat for Women
COMPANIONS IN THE HEART OF JESUS, Church of
St. Paul in Ham Lake. 8:30-11:30 AM Hospitality,
Praise & Worship, Talk, Reflection, Prayer. Speaker:
Donna Zroka. Topic: Song of Mercy. No RSVP
needed. Questions 763-370-3166. To reserve child care,
call Tara 763-786-1745.
December 15 (Thursday) PRAISE & WORSHIP
NIGHT Church of St. Paul, 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd.
NE, Ham Lake. 7PM Contact 763-757-6910 or
December 16 (Friday) EMMAUS, Church of St. Mark,
2001 Dayton Ave., St. Paul. 7-8:30PM. Adoration,
Confession, Praise and Worship. Call 651-645-5717.
December 16 (Friday) SCHOOL OF HEALING
PRAYER, University of St. Thomas, Owens Science
Center, Rm. 150, 7:00—10:00 PM. All are welcome.
Contact Fr. David Smith, [email protected].
OUTWARD to New Evangelization. It is not possible to evangelize effectively without the power of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis has directed us in the Renewal in this way: ‘I expect from you an evangelization with the Word of God which proclaims that Jesus is alive and loves all men(2014).’
Let us give thanks to the Lord for this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and ‘let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America.’ [Pope Benedict XVI, 2008] If we do, we will see in the next fifty years an even greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” (Excerpt taken from Pentecost Today Vol 41; N. 4)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Join us for CHARISMATA
Friday, January 13, 2017
8 -10 pm
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in New Brighton
“Encounter God in Praise, Adoration, & Prayer Ministry”
A place to grow your gifts and foster community.
Scheduled for the second Friday of every month.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
DECEMBER HEALING MASS
December 6 (Tuesday), HEALING MASS at St.
Peter’s Catholic Church, North St. Paul with Bishop
Cozzens. Rosary 7 PM; Mass 7:30PM. Call Peter 651-
353-4311. Join us for a special evening. Prayer teams
available. All are welcome. Invite someone to come.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2967
A BIG THANK YOU!
Thank you for joining us for the fall Charismatic Mass
of Thanksgiving as we closed the Church Year of Mercy.
Thank you for donating on Give to the Max Day.
Together, we raised $1900! We are still in need of funds in order
to continue to bring you the monthly newsletter. Please remember
us as 2016 draws to a close.
A new way to give through Amazon.
Use smile.amazon.com. Amazon donates .5% of the purchase price when
you select CCRO.
Charismatic Gifts Workshop are coming back!
More details in January’s newsletter.
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