BE CHARISMATIC AND CATHOLIC
CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL MOVEMENT, ARCHDIOCESE OF ABUJA, LEADERSHIP SUBMIT, HOLY MASS AT CHIDA INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, ABUJA, 13TH JULY, 24. REFLECTION BY ARCHBISHOP I. A. KAIGAMA.
Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 92(93):1-2,5; Matthew 10:24-33
BE CHARISMATIC AND CATHOLIC
In this Year of prayer declared by Pope Francis, preparatory to celebrating the Jubilee of Hope in 2025, it is important that every little opportunity we have as individuals or groups, we must resort to fervent prayer, especially considering the situation of the high cost of living in our country as well as insecurity. For us Catholics, the Mass is the highest form of prayer; we believe Jesus is present through the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, which results when the priest consecrates the bread and wine.
In Matthew 18: 20 Jesus says: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them,” not to talk of all these leaders of the Charismatic Renewal from different parts of the Archdiocese, celebrating this Holy Mass together.
I commend the leadership of the Charismatic leadership led by Bro. Christian Ngwu, who doubles as the newly elected president of the Archdiocesan Laity Council in Abuja, for this noble and ecclesial initiative
GIFTS TO BE SHARED NOT HOARDED
1 Corinthians chapter 12 speaks of a variety of gifts. Verse 8 tells us that to one, through the Spirit, is given words of wisdom; but to another, according to the same Spirit, words of knowledge; verse 9 says, to another, in the same Spirit, faith; to another, in the one Spirit, the gift of healing; verse 10 says, to another, miraculous works; to another, prophecy; to another, the discernment of spirits; to another, different kinds of languages; to another, the interpretation of words; while v. 11 says, but one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one according to his will.
Spiritual gifts must be shared gifts, not hoarded. They should be used for edifying the Church, not to cause division. Hoarding is a negative aspect of Nigerian behaviour. We must not hoard gifts, whether spiritual or material. All members of the Charismatic Renewal must share their gifts with others and must ensure that daily, they renew their lives through personal prayer and the sacraments and dedicate themselves to Jesus. You must actively engage in praying, reading and sharing the word of God, visitation, and offering your services to the Church. We thank God for using you to teach these in the Church. Nobody gives what he/she does not have (Nemo dat quod non habet).
CHANGE MUST START WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL
Prophet Isaiah says in the first reading, “What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts…. Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this, he touched my mouth and said: ‘See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’ I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’”
John the Baptist was born for a purpose, to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus. He invited people to repentance; and spent himself in lonely and prayerful preparation in the desert. Luke 1: 80 says, “And the child grew, and he was strengthened in spirit. And he was in the wilderness, until the day of his manifestation to Israel.”
Luke 3: 4 The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths. To all he said, “Whoever has two coats, let him give to those who do not have. And whoever has food, let him act similarly” (Luke 3: 11). To the tax collectors he said, “You should do nothing more than what has been appointed to you” (Luke 3: 13). To the soldiers: “You should strike no one, and you should not make false accusations. And be content with your pay” (Luke 3: 14). But Herod the tetrarch, when he was corrected by John the Baptist concerning Herodias, his brother’s wife, and concerning all the evils that he had done (cf. Luke 3: 19), Herod was angry and confined John to prison (Luke 3: 20), and eventually killed him.
Similarly, Jesus began his mission by calling all to repentance. Matthew 4: 1 says: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil.” This was a period of preparation, forty days of prayer and fasting. And when he started his public ministry, he declared as in Matthew 4: 17, “Repent. For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” The effectiveness of both the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus was rooted in personal connectedness with God. They did not depend on their powers or the wind of doctrines of the time. St. Paul advises us even today not to be tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming (cf. Eph 4:14).
THE POWER OF PRAYER
In comparing the prophets of Baal and Elijah, we notice a very great difference. 1 Kings 18: 26: “And when they had taken an ox, which he had given to them, they prepared it. And they called on the name of Baal, from morning until midday, saying, ‘O Baal, heed us.’ And there was no voice, nor did anyone respond. And so they leaped upon the altar that they had made.” Verse 28: “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and they cut themselves, in accord with their ritual, with knives and lancets, until they were entirely covered in blood.” Verse 36: “And when it was now time for the holocaust to be offered, the prophet Elijah, drawing near, said: ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, reveal this day that you are the God of Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have acted, in all these things, in accord with your precept.'” Verse 38: “Then the fire of the Lord fell down and devoured the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and even the dust, and it absorbed the water that was in the trench.”
Queen Esther’s prayer softened the king’s heart, causing his change of heart, which led to the defeat of the enemies of the Jewish people and the lives of her people were saved. God will answer our prayers too, if we persevere in prayer and live lives that are pleasing to Him. She prayed to the Lord God of Israel, and said: “O my Lord, you only are our king; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, for my danger is in my hand.” God certainly did answer.
Hannah got her prayer answered. 1 Samuel 1: 13 describes what happened: For Hannah was speaking in her heart, and only her lips moved, and her voice was barely heard: “Oh, God Almighty, if you will only see my misery and remember me by giving me a son, then I will give my son to serve you, God, for all the days of his life.” Therefore, Eli considered her to be drunk.
God will answer our prayer not necessarily under dramatic circumstances. 1 Kings 19:11-12 tells us that “After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, came a gentle whisper. God was not in the storm, earthquake, fire but in the small still wind.
THE STRENGTH OF A CHRISTIAN
Ephesians: 6: 11 – “Be clothed in the armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the treachery of the devil.”
Ephesians 6: 13 – “Because of this, take up the armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand the evil day and remain perfect in all things.”
Ephesians 6: 14 – “Therefore, stand firm, having been girded about your waist with truth, and having been clothed with the breastplate of justice.”
Ephesians 6: 16 – “In all things, take up the shield of faith, with which you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one.”
Ephesians 6: 17 – “And take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit”(which is the Word of God).
DISCIPLES: DO NOT BE AFRAID
“If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household? Jesus says to his disciples:
‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:24-33).
CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC MEMBERS SHOULD PROMOTE CATHOLIC DOCTRINES AND TRADITIONS
Use the gift of enthusiasm, speech, and knowledge founded on scripture, to discover the reasons for all catholic teachings and traditions and promote them. Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church, not your private views, opinions or fantasies. How do you react when people accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary? Do you join them or try to express your conviction about our Blessed Mother? Do you join others in attacking the Pope? How do you promote the Church’s teaching on the dignity of life as against abortion; the holiness of marriage between man and woman as against same sex union; the importance of the sacrament of reconciliation? Etc.
Why the charismatics had problems in the early beginnings and had to be brought to order by the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, was because some of them were bending towards Pentecostalism, overemphasizing miracles, speaking in tongues and prosperity; their shallow and fundamentalist reading and interpretation of the word of God, etc. Instead of using the gifts they had to build order, unity and progress, they wanted to do things their own way, as if the Church, with over two thousand years of history, was not fit to be their mother and teacher. Some set up ministries with the intention of breaking away. It was not for the salvation of souls, but for ulterior material motives.
In conclusion, my dear leaders of the Charismatic Renewal, we count on you to help to contribute to enrich the Catholic faith practice; bring back those who have deviated; use the scriptures to explain the Catholic traditions and doctrines. Be ready as Catholics to answer anyone who calls you to account for the faith or the hope that is in you (cf. 1st Pt 3:15). In your leadership duties, always be TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD AND TO THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS YOU SERVE.
I want to challenge the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Abuja Archdiocese to build a church in one of the newly created pastoral areas owing to the fact that some of them do not have befitting church building for worship.
May the power of the Holy Spirit continue to guide and renew your strength daily, until you reach your heavenly inheritance, through Christ our Lord.
