THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF RALEIGH

CHARISMATIC RENEWAL

THE FLAME

September 2019 issue

Charismatic Renewal Diocese of Raleigh presents

Rev. Fr. Thomas Sunil, V.C.

Divine Mercy Healing Conference

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20TH *please bring your bible and be ready to take notes

4:15 p.m. Registration/ticket confirmation 5:00 p.m. Rosary recitation *maintain a silent reverence during the conference 5:20 p.m. Praise & worship led by PRAISES FROM THE HEART BAND 6:00 p.m. Session - 1 7:00 p.m. Short Break followed by praise & worship 7:30 p.m. Session - 2 8:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration Healing Service 9:00 p.m. Conclusion *may go overtime

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21ST *please bring your bible and be ready to take notes

8:00-8:45p.m. Registration/ticket confirmation/light refreshments 9:00 a.m. Rosary recitation *maintain a silent reverence during the conference 9:30 a.m. Praise & worship led by THE SURRENDER BAND 9:45 a.m. Break/refreshments 10:00 a.m. Session - 1 11:00 a.m. Praise & worship 11:30 a.m. Holy Mass 12:30 p.m. Lunch break *preordered lunches served onsite 1:15 p.m. Praise &worship 1:30 p.m. Session - 2 2:30 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration Healing Service 4:00 p.m. Conclusion

A special THANK YOU to all volunteers, CCS Board Members, prayer teams, intercessors, music ministries

The FLAME—September 2019

A Crisis of Forgiving

By Fr. Thomas Sunil V.C.

Life is not problem-free. Every time you solve one, the next one seems to take its place. But God has a purpose behind every problem. Our lives are cluttered with people who wound our feelings in small ways, but who mean no real harm. We suffer some inevitable aches simply because we are vulnerable people with a fragile spirit, and sometimes accidently collide with other people. Not everybody is out to get us. But we always seem to face a crisis of forgiving, when somebody seems to wound our feelings unintentionally. What he/she meant and what I experience can be two different things. I recall a testimony of someone who pursued theological studies and had a crisis of forgiving. His colleague once wrote a letter to his board to accuse him of some theological delinquencies. “His letter was unfair to me, and it caused me a lot of trouble”, he said. “I believe that my colleague meant to be fair. But what he meant and what I experienced were two different things”, he added. He continued to feel it was unfair, no matter if his colleague meant it to be fair. And the unfairness of it threw him into a crisis. People often fall into this trap of ‘it-was-unfair’ feeling and thought, and let that incident fester in their memory. When this has been happening from the childhood they become blind to the reality at hand, and fail to be liberated from a vicious cycle. With every experience their personality becomes weaker and more vulnerable and darkness sets in. “…God is light and in him there is no darkness at all…if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1John.1:5-7).The sad state is the unawareness about the trap the evil one has set, filled with lies. At this point the devil readily becomes their blind guide. And the outcome is their unwillingness to walk into freedom in spite of the help offered by others. Silently they seem to tell, ‘I don’t need

help’. Jesus said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners (Markk.2:17). When we don’t accept our state of being unwell, we keep Jesus, the healer, waiting for long at the door of our hearts. Numerous times during the Retreats, when people let go and let God, they begin to experience wondrous healings, physical and emotional. To let go is hard but we need to. Sometimes you can’t know for sure whether you have been the victim of an unavoidable accident or whether you have been wrongfully wounded. You may need help to sort out your hurts so you can see the difference between feeling the pain that comes from our vulnerability/fragile spirit, and the pain that comes from being the butt of an unfair at-tack. It’s important to know the difference, if you are willing to grow through those circum-stances. Because God has a purpose behind every situation or struggle. Even after realizing the intention of the one who caused the hurt, it’s hard to let go. That’s because what they have intended does not take away the unfairness we feel. Most people who mean to hurt other people believe they are being fair. When we are hurt in this way, we enter the crisis of forgiveness. We cannot relate to the person who hurt us as a friend or a family member until we come to terms with the unfairness of the hurt. We need the healing touch of our Lord Jesus and receive a restoration of our spiritual sight. “If the SON makes you free, you will be free indeed.”(Jn.8:36 ) Forgiving is love’s remedy to be used when we are hurtfully wronged by a person we trusted to treat us right. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.”(Rom.12:17). Forgiveness has creative power to liberate us from a past moment of pain and break the grip that past wrong and past pain have on our minds. “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what are they doing.”(LK.23:34). So let’s plead to the Lord for the grace to forgive and ask for the strength to overcome evil with good.

The FLAME—September 2019

Do You Not See the New Blessing? By Fr. Thomas Sunil V.C. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the waste-land.” (Is.43:19). Our God is a God of promises. And this is one of His wonderful promises; a NEW thing. It is more than just inviting or celebrating a New Year. ‘New’ here signifies that God is intend-ing to do something unprecedented in its won-derful character. Now it shall spring forth. It shall spring up as the grass does from the earth; or it shall bud forth like the opening leaves and flowers - a beautiful figure, denoting the manner in which the events of Divine Providence come to pass. Springing forth gives us a picture of a germinating herb, a beautiful image of the silent but certain gradual growth of events in God's providence. “Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” (Mark.4:26, 27). I recall a person who got fired from work and r emained jobless for over an year. The first 8 months were spent in despair; worrying about the past and anxious regarding the future. After attending a Retreat, he decides to look to the Lord God, the Provider. “Look to HIM and be radiant.”(Ps.34:5). And to make it a reality, he refused to look back and worry and avoided being anxious about the future. He spent an hour or two daily in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord Jesus, read the Word of God, extended his love & care to his family and gave some quality time, attended retreats whenever possible and served at the Center. Even as there wasn’t any sign of a blessing, he believed God was doing a new thing in his life and that it was springing forth. After many months, he receives an invitation letter from a good firm and is now blessed with a very good job. In the whole process, he overcame his worrying attitude and anxious mindset. He learnt to trust God at all times and see His hand work in

every situation. Before he could see the new thing God was doing in his life, he experienced it in unseen ways. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”(1Pet.5:6) God’s grace is reserved for the humble. The New thing that the Lord has in store for you this New Year is not subject to circumstances. It is not based on any human effort or relationship. Rather, it is based on the steadfast love of the Lord and His unending mercies towards us. It is based on our trust as well. A trust in a divine plan and promise from an unfailing god who will secure you in Himself and who will do everything for your good. The greatest of ‘new’ things that sprang forth in the history of humankind was the incarnation of the Son of God; who took flesh of a virgin, appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was made sin and a curse for his people, in order to obtain eternal redemption for them. “And the One seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new…’.”.(Rev. 21:5) It was new by the blood and sacrifice of Christ; and may be also called "new", because it was excellent, complete and eternal, and having so many valuable blessings in it, as justification, pardon, and eternal life. When old things passed away, and all things became new; a new covenant of grace was exhibited, a new church set up, new ordinances appointed, and a new people called to partake of all this, on whom was a new face of things; and wonderful and excellent things were done for them.

The FLAME—September 2019

From Maria Muratore, Director of Charismatic Services ...

10 Traits of a Godly Woman:

#1) Demonstrate an intimate familiarity with God’s Word

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

You reveal the godly woman in you when your thoughts, words, and advice are based on the Bible and not your opinion. You’re not throwing out scriptures to show how knowledgeable and spiritual you are, but rather your key instinct is balancing faith and actions on the word of God.

#2) Resonate a calm and quietness of spirit

“Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:4)

You don’t frantically wring your hands in the valleys of the unexpected. As a godly woman you have the inner peace of the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, and teach you when everything seems out of control. You learn to lay your concerns at the foot of the cross and leave them there.

#3) Be grounded in courage and strength

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;

do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:9)

As our culture tumbles down the slippery slope of worldliness and immorality, you are confident in your Sovereign God to make all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28) You will refuse to let fear invade your thoughts or feelings by constantly reminding yourself of God’s promise to never leave you.

#4) Be relentless in prayer and intercession

“Pray continually." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

We need godly women to fervently grab hold of Jesus just like the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 and refuse to let circumstances dictate the final outcome over faith. As a godly woman, you will never give up praying for the hardest hearts, the deepest needs, or the highest mountain tops.

The FLAME—September 2019

10 Traits of a Godly Woman continued...

#5) Be generous in resources

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…" (2 Corinthians 9:11)

As a godly woman, you will give time, energy, gifts, and finances in days of feasting or famine. You learn to resist the fear of holding back because of your strong confidence in God to meet your needs according to His riches in glory and to grant all your desires according to His will.

#6) Impart wise advice

“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." (Proverbs 31:26)

The godly woman’s advice is punctuated with practical applications of truth drawn from the Bible. Your firm, but gentle words of wisdom will lead many women to the Lord seeking answers for the perplexities of life.

#7) Confess your faults

“I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” (Psalm 38:18)

A godly woman recognizes that she is forgiven and will be careful to not make light of sins that caused Christ to suffer on the cross. By confessing your sins to God on a regular basis, your heart will remain humble and tender to others who fall into sin’s treacherous temptations.

#8) Exercise light-heartedness and good humor

“A cheerful heart is good medicine."(Proverbs 17:22)

Rather than displaying a sarcastic or mocking verbiage at the expense of others, a godly woman brings an inescapable joy with her wherever she goes. You learn to not take yourself too seriously and you will speak life without sacrificing truth or righteousness in your conversations.

#9) Be driven to complete tasks thoroughly

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

As a godly woman, you are fully committed to finishing to the best of your ability. Whether for home, job, or church—your dependability reflects the inner conviction of working for Christ and not for those around you. Your reputation be-comes solid among believers as well as unbelievers.

#10) Forgive as easily as you are forgiven

“Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)

You know that you may be mocked, misunderstood, or mistreated for the sake of the gospel. As a godly woman, your forgiveness is unconditionally given to others as you are unconditionally forgiven by God. You choose to forgive in spite of your feelings—entrusting God to heal all your hurts in His perfect timing.

The FLAME - September 2019

Upcoming Events…

Sept 20th-21st, 2019 The Catholic Charismatic Renewal Diocese of Raleigh

Presents: Divine Healing Conference Featuring Rev. Fr. Thomas Sunil

St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Chapel Hill NC

Friday September 20th 5pm-9pm

Please arrive between 4:15-5:00 to check in and/or register

Saturday September 21st 9am-4pm

Please arrive between 8:00am-8:45am to check in/or register

Rev. Fr. Thomas Sunil V.C. is a Vincentian Priest and the current Director of the Divine Mercy Healing Center, in Washington, NJ - an extension of the world's largest retreat center and the internationally acclaimed Divine Retreat Center, in Potta, Kerala, India. Fr. Thomas Sunil has been conducting Catholic Charismatic Prayer Services - specifically Stay-in Retreats and One-Day Conventions for the last 17 years. . His Ministry includes: Preaching the Word of God, Talks on Inner/Emotional Healing and Healing-Sessions, Praise & Worship, Eucharistic Adoration and Healing Mass. Through this global Vincentian ministry, many have found spiritual comfort, inner / physical healing and the Holy Spirit's calling to a deeper relationship with Christ. For more info about Fr. Sunil, please visit: www.divinenj.org

Registration is now open!

https://ccsraleigh.weebly.com/register.html

***Online Registration ends 4pm Thursday September 19th, 2019. Tickets available at the door 9/20 & 9/21 (Cash or Check Only)

September 25th, 2019 Healing Mass

7pm St. Bernadette Catholic Church, Fuquay-Varina NC