The Charismatic Catholic

John Michael Talbot is considered one of the main leaders of the early Charismatic Catholic movement, an author, and a world renowned Catholic Musician. He also founded The Brothers and Sisters of Charity in 1980 - a Catholic-ish community of celibate brothers and sisters, singles who can marry, and families that live as a monastic and domestic spiritual family in separate cloisters at the Little Portion Hermitage in Berryville, AR. He is also the host of a television program, All Things Are Possible, which is in its 2nd Season on The Church Channel. 

Since its birth in 1967, The Catholic Charismatic Renewal has been a part of at least 100 million peoples' lives in over 238 countries. The Pentecost, otherwise known as baptism of the Holy Spirit, is the foundation of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Many Archdioceses have Charismatic Liaisons and Renewal Centers designated by their Archbishops. The NM Santa Fe Archdiocese has a Charismatic Center at 1412 5th St. NW in Albuquerque with a monthly healing mass and various events.  

I attended the John Michael Talbot Retreat for Oblates and Friends at Pecos Benedictine Monastery.  

An Oblate is a lay individual who has taken an oath to dedicate him or herself to the Monastery by sharing in the monastic life while living in the secular world. This includes visits, retreats, daily prayers, as well as volunteering at the monastery and contributing in other ways. They play an important role as a means of support and extended community for a Monastery. Oblates are standard to most Monastic Communities, both Catholic and Protestant. 

The retreat I attended was 2 full days with 2 half days. It was a diverse group of participants from all over the United States, mostly Catholic but a few protestants. John Michael was the only speaker during the retreat. He combined charismatic preaching with soulful singing of Christian music. During the music, he would often have the group rise up and joyfully sing along in the praise of God. 

John Michael talked about the Joy of the Gospel. He said the joy of The Lord is unlocked when you forgive. Lack of Forgiveness binds up a person or community and they can drown in bitterness. He encouraged us to let go of your worldly concerns and give them to God. He talked about Practice and how it is learning to see Christ in everyone, bringing the divine into the ordinary. He talked about the process of people surrendering their life to God and compared it to the hulling of wheat. He said when God cuts us down, he will do more with us than we could ever do on our own. He spent much of the time explaining the Liturgy, Monastic Life, Oblates, and other Catholic Theology - it was very interesting to hear and learn. He emphasized vibrancy in all of your practices and to breathe life into the Liturgy because, Jesus will always show up in the Eucharist.  

"Theology without a personal relationship with Jesus is Vanity" - JMT

These were just a few of the insightful things he shared with us. It was a completely amazing experience. I recommend to anyone, regardless of their denominational affiliation, to go and hear John Michael Talbot speak. 

All things are possible for the one who has faith. ~ Mark 9:23

THANK YOU John Michael Talbot for sharing such a great and amazing experience with us! 

Pecos Benedictine Monastery

—'Let all guests be received as Christ.'

Rule of St. Benedict

Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey is otherwise known as The Pecos Monastery.

 

In 1947, Trappist monks from an Abbey in Rhode Island bought the Valley Dude Ranch and formally established a monastery in on the property in 1948. The Trappists moved to Oregon in 1955 and sold the property to Benedictine monks from St. Benedict's Abbey in Wisconsin who ran the monastery until 1985. Today the Monastery is 1,200 acres that sits on the Pecos River and is now a Benedictine Olivetan Monastery.

I attended a Charismatic Catholic retreat at Pecos Monastery from September 18-21. 

The monastery currently has almost a dozen community members - several monks, a nun, a few oblates in residency, minou the cat, and sophia the dog. Father Aiden is the current elected Prior. They are very gracious to their guests that stay for retreats. They provide 3 meals a day and they have individual rooms for guests. The center is open as a retreat center The Monastery, though Catholic, is open to all faiths and disciplines for retreat purposes. They have multiple services every day, the schedule varies depending on the day of the week.  Most days, they have Lauds at 7am, Holy Mass at 7:30am, 12pm Midday Prayer, Rosary at 4:30pm, Vespers at 5pm. Some days there is Compline, Vigils, or Confession in the evening. Lauds, Vigils, Vespers, and Compline are different Catholic Prayer services. 

This Monastery is governed by the Rule of Benedict (RB) which constitutes the basic guide of monastic life. Written in the sixth century the Rule was followed by thousands in monasteries in Europe during the early Middle Ages. "It is written for ordinary Christians who wish to immerse themselves in a pattern of living in which the life of Christ can be lived out with understanding and zeal. Monastic communities accept it as their basic inspiration even as they mitigate it, supplement it, or adapt it to the living conditions of today." ~ The Order of Saint Benedictine. 

One of the Monks, Father Sam, is 90 years old and has been a monk since 1957. He has a True Cross artifact he blessed all of the items guests had. A True Cross Artifact that has a sliver of what is considered the be from the True Cross.    

Normally in Catholic Churches, communion is reserved only for baptized Catholics. The monastery states in their information publication that what they require to receive Holy Communion is:

1. Be a baptized Christian
2. Share the Catholic understanding of the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
3. Be properly disposed in Heart and Mind. 

I really was not sure what #2 meant, so I just went up and received a blessing from the Prior. 

The first mass I attended Father Aiden's sermon spoke of the loyal women followers of Jesus and how important a role they played in the early years of Christianity. The second Mass, Father Aiden shared his personal testimony of conversion. How his recent medical condition brought him even closer to God and renewed his faith again.

Thank You Pecos Monastery for graciously accepting me into the Community for the Weekend Retreat!

My Pilgrimage to Chimayó

Join me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ.
~ 2 Timothy 2:3

Chimayó is an historical site in Northern New Mexico. It is considered Holy Land to Chrisitians as well as the Tewa tribe. Thousands of Peregrinos, Pilgrims, make the journey every year to Chimayó from all over the world. Many New Mexicans make an annual pilgrimage during the Holy Week and walk from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos...Holy Week is the last week of Lent and starts with Palm Sunday and includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. This sacred site was the original site of a Tewa mineral spring, where many miracles are believed to have occurred. El Santuario de Chimayo, a catholic chapel, was built there in 1816.  When the spring dried up, the people still came for the dirt that they felt had healing powers. 

The chapel walls have numerous reredos, brightly painted wooden screens, and bultos, statues, of saints which have been restored over the years.  There are rooms to the side of the altar. In the far back room is a hole in the ground called a pozito, where the holy dirt is - visitors collect holy dirt and also holy water to take with them or rub on parts of their bodies that need healing. It can be gathered in a container that you bring or one purchased from the on site gift shop. In the other room are more altars and the walls are filled with pictures of those that are requesting prayers and old crutches left by those who profess they have been healed.
During the Bataan Death March in World War II, many New Mexican soldiers prayed to the Santo Niño de Atocha, and believed they survived as a result of those prayers. After the war ended, some of those same soldiers began an annual tradition of walking to el Santuario de Chimayó. Individuals can make the pilgrimage alone and make arrangements for someone to follow them and transport them back or can take the pilgrimage with a group. Several churches in New Mexico make pilgrimages during the week before Easter.  

I made arrangements to do the pilgrimage with a church group from Santa Fe, Santa Maria de la Paz Parish. The group left at 6am from Santa Fe, but picked up more people at the Sacred Heart Church in Nambé. When I arrived at the Church, I was told the group had already passed by there. The pilgrimage from Nambé is 8 miles. I was a little nervous but had faith and set out on the trek alone and bout a mile into my walk, I caught up with the group.  

The Santa Maria Reverend, Daniel Balizan, walked the pilgrimage also. The group collectively carried a large wooden cross with petitions for prayer and healing attached to it. The bus followed the group and provided rest for the elderly that could not make the whole journey and also had a restroom facility. Those that stayed on the bus prayed and shared readings with the group. 

I went ahead of the large group of pilgrims and walked most of the journey by myself. Toward the end, a small group of men from Santa Fe - some of whom have been making the journey for 40-50 years, caught up with me and finished the last few miles with me.

We got to the chapel ahead of the large group. When the main group of pilgrims arrived to the sanctuary, they entered singing. Reverend Balizan presided over mass at the chapel. There were prayers, readings, Holy Communion, and lots of singing. The songs were almost all in Spanish. The Reverend said a few words at the beginning of the service. He talked how great Holy Week is because it is a time when God is in our midst. He shared how he loved all of the rituals and ceremonies of the week, but cautioned us to live the rituals that are a part of the religion or they mean nothing. He also talked of the spiritual death that we all must experience before we are given new life. After the service ended, we had time to visit the museum and shops, then the bus took us back to our cars. 

Chimayó holds a special significance to Catholics, but I doubt many could visit and deny the sanctity of the site. It was an amazing experience and visiting by way of a pilgrimige makes it all the more powerful. 

THANK YOU Santa Maria de la Paz for adopting me into your family and letting me be a part of the pilgrimage to Chimayó. 

 

Blue Mass

Red Mass has been a tradition with the Catholic Church since the thirteenth century. The tradition honors St. Thomas More, the patron Saint of the legal profession. It was named Red Mass because,  "lawyers and judges would proceed into a church clothed in red garments, signifying the fire of the Holy Spirit's guidance to all who pursue justice."

Red Masses are still a tradition in most large cities, but there has not been one in New Mexico for years. In 2010, NM Judicial Advisory Opinion No. 10-09 deemed Red Mass a religious activity and prohibited a judge from using his official position to promote such an event.

Blue Mass came about in the same fashion as Red Mass but to pray for members of a different profession - Police Officers. The first Blue Mass was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Washington DC in 1934. It has since been expanded to honor all First Responders ~ Police Officers, Firefighters, Military, Correction... 

Blue Mass was adopted as a tradition by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe many years ago. This year, I attended their Seventh Annual Blue Mass at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque. 



11:50 The law enforcement animals were blessed 
12:00 Catholic Mass in the gymnasium

The service started with a memorial video of all the fallen warriors from New Mexico over the last few decades. It was sad to see so many military and police personnel who have died in the line of duty. 

Archbishop Michael Sheehan presided over the services.

LORD BLESS THE PEACEKEEPERS

The main mass was Catholic and included the Liturgy and Communion. Archbishop Sheenan praised the first responders for risking their lives for others and prayed for the safety and protection of those who protect our community from harm. He advised those in careers in public service, to fulfill the Parable of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37. 

The bishop blessed coins that were later given out to attendees. Those that weren't Catholic could receive a blessing in lieu of Communion.  After Communion, Chaplains from the different disciplines gave their unique blessings. A member of the Navajo Code Talking Assoc. recited the Marine Corps Hymn in Navajo which was a touching thing to watch. The service concluded with taps and Amazing Grace. 

It was quite an impressive event - Very touching to have a tradition to Bless our Public Safety personnel and to show them support in such a meaningful way.

THANK YOU to everyone who makes this wonderful event happen every year. 

New Mexico's Society of Jesus

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞     ✞




✞✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ Jesuits (or The Society of Jesus)

St. Ignatius, a  soldier-turned-mystic Ignatius Loyola, founded the Society of Jesus in an effort to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Rather than break off as a separate church, the Jesuits became a distinct order of priests in 1534 and received commendation from Pope Paul III in 1537. Pressured by the royal courts in Europe, Pope Clement XIV denounced the Society, causing Jesuits throughout the world to renounce their vows and go into exile. The suppression lasted for 41 years, until what is called their restoration on August 7, 1814. Jesuit priests take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Today they are the largest all male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are well known for their schools, including higher education, but are mainly a missionary order. 

The Jesuits are celebrating 2014 as their 200th Anniversary from the Restoration

Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pontiff

Jesuit Spirituality 

•    Finding God in all things 
• Listening with a discerning heart
• Choosing to live for the greater glory of God 

Founded in 1883, Immaculate Conception Church is the only Jesuit Church in New Mexico and only one of a handful in the Southwestern part of the United States. They have an affiliated school and nursing home next door, St. Mary's Catholic School and St Mary's Rest Home.

I attended the 5pm Saturday Mass.

It is a large and gorgeous chapel in the heart of Downtown Albuquerque. The service had well over a hundred people in attendance. Right away I noticed something pleasantly different about this Catholic service. Women were an integral part of the service - leading the chants, doing readings, helping with communion. There was not a individual bulletin for the service, but I believe it was Father Oren Key who presided over the mass. 

The liturgy was a traditional one otherwise. The sermon was based on Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians. Fr. Key spoke of Paul's heartbreak at the news of the divisions in Corinth for Paul believed, "we are one in Christ. Brothers and Sisters in Christ." He talked about the relevance to today's issues of division and discord among different denominations of Christians and that the differences should only serve as an enrichment, rather than a division. He talked of the passion Paul had for unity. Just as Paul urged the Corinthians to set aside their difference and come together, so he urged his congregation:

That is the spirit we still have to strive for today ~ Fr. Key 

I really liked the sermon. I feel it spoke to the mission of my journey. While preparing to share communion, they did not announce any restrictions but I knew from experience that only baptized Catholics in good standing are meant to partake, but I did go up and get my blessing.  

It was a great way to spend my Saturday evening, well worth the trip downtown. 

THANK YOU Immaculate Conception Church for welcoming me into your sanctuary to Worship God. 

St. George Greek Orthodox Church

† † † † † † † † † † Home of the Annual Grecian Festival - St. George Greek Orthodox Church is one of the few Eastern Orthodox Catholic churches in New Mexico.

Between the fourth and tenth centuries, the Greek Orthodox Church separated from the Roman Church to follow the Byzantine Rite. The church teaches that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission with two great sources of authority:

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND HOLY TRADITION
They follow holy Sacraments, which they believe are "the visible means by which they believe are imparted the invisible Grace of the Holy Spirit:"

                                   Obligatory:

1.      Baptism
2.      Chrismation (anointment with holy oil)
3.      Confession
4.      Holy Communion
Optional:
1.      Matrimony
2.      Holy Orders (Ordination)
                                   3.      Unction (anointment of the sick) (GOARCH)

The Greek Orthodox Church traditions and ceremonies are far more expansive than I can detail here. Their ceremonies are rich in culture and history and their goal is to, "achieve union with Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of Holy Communion." 

Prior to attending the service, I acquainted myself with the ceremonious services by visiting the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's site. It explained the different services and even provided the words and prayers that would be used.

Sunday services include:
Orthros at 8:15 am
Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am

I attended the Divine Liturgy service. They perform the same liturgy service that has been used since the beginning of the Orthodox Church. When I first arrived, a small group was still leading the Orthros Chant. The transition from Orthros was without interruption. They had a Divine Liturgy book that provided the words to the service. The service was largely conducted in English but some parts were in Greek and the Lord's prayer was additionally done in Slavonic. I cannot say that I did not get lost a few times, so I was happy to have the guide.  

Father Conan Gill & Deacon George Collaros conducted the service. 

The service is very formal but the feeling of the church is comfortably casual. It is a welcomed diverse congregation, I heard several different languages being spoken by the members. The sanctuary is amazingly, beautiful filled with ornate fixtures and vibrant portraits. 

Most of the service was chanted except the sermon. In his sermon, Father Conan made parallels of the massacre at Sandy Hook to the massacre of children in Matthew 2:18 and predicted in Jeremiah 31:15. He spoke of the archetype of the mourning mother Rachel. He assured his congregants that doubting faith or the faith of God during the quake of such tragedies was not bad. In fact, this is "what lead us to wonder and awe." We may not know what work God is doing during these tragedies, but we can be assured that:

"Even in the darkest moment, when it seems that God is not around - 
                        He is doing his greatest work"   ~ Fr. Conan 

After the sermon, more people entered the church, many of them with children. Holy Communion was then given and was only for those who have been baptized and chrismated in the Orthodox church. After the completion of the service, there was fellowship in the building adjacent to the church. 

It was very interesting to see an Orthodox service being conducted, I felt almost transformed in time. 

THANK YOU St. George for letting me experience an Orthodox worship service.