1 KARISMA

KNKs 19
th
Anniversary Mass
KNK celebrated its 19
th
anniversary with a
Thanksgiving mass held on 28
th
June at 11
am at St Peter Apostle Mission Parish,
Hoppers Crossing. Sherwin led the
congregation in Praise & Worship before
mass. Our parish priest Fr Pius
Kodakkathanath was the celebrant and
the KNK Music Ministry was the choir for
the day.
Celebrations concluded with fellowship,
where everyone enjoyed the shared lunch
at the community centre.

Josephine and Buxtons 25
th
wedding
anniversary on 24
th
June











KNK extends heartiest congratulations to
Josephine and Buxton. They were prayed








over at the fellowship after the anniversary
mass. We thank the Lord for this dedicated
couple and their children who serve the
Lord through KNK. May the Lord bless,
guide and protect them always.

Mommy Lumings 90
th
Birthday













Mommy Luming, one of KNKs pioneer
members turned 90 on 8
th
August. Praise
and thanks to our God for the gift of
Mommy Luming and for the 90 wonderful
years He has blessed her with. The KNK
members wish her many more wonderful
years filled with many joys & blessings.

Meet the Editor

We are pleased to
introduce to you our
new editor who has
helped revive
Karisma after such
a long break. Anita
DSouza is a long
standing member of
our prayer group.
We thank God for
this silent prayer
warrior, who adorns
St. Peter Apostle Mission Parish, Hoppers Crossing, VIC Australia 3029 Ph: 9749 4300
Email: thomage@yahoo.com Helping to build the Body of Christ Facebook a/c: Katawan N. Kristo
KNK Prayer Community
Official Newsletter of
Katawan Ni Kristo
(Body of Christ)
Prayer Community
Vol No 2/September 2014

KNK Miscella-News

2 KARISMA

our prayer group with her beautiful smile.
With patience and love she ministers to
those in need, bringing Christs love to us
all. Anita is also a member of our prayer
ministry and now has taken this added
responsibility of publishing the Karisma,
sharing Gods abundant grace to one and
all. We wish her and her beautiful family
many blessings as they continue to
witness Christs love to the world.


JOURNEY WITH DEMENTIA
Charismatic and Sacramental Grace
By Adrian Commadeur

Since 2008 Anne and I
have journeyed with the
progress of dementia her
type being Lewy Body
Dementia. This has been a
journey of grace and surrender. From the
time of marriage in 1974 when we
promised each other to be faithful in
sickness and in health, we have
experienced the graces of the sacrament
of marriage and the blessings of
Charismatic Renewal. Whilst Anne was
active locally and I was active globally,
both of us were deeply committed to the
Lordship of Jesus in the power of the Holy
Spirit. The journey with dementia has been
an expression of surrender to the Lordship
of Jesus. One of the graces has been to
accept the diagnosis when first made. To
know that whatever the future would hold
for us, Jesus would be with us.

Progress of Dementia
At first there were the medical appointme-
nts and research project Anne was
involved in. This required of us planning
and patience and cooperation with lots of
medical and research staff. It interfered
with our time, but it allowed us to make a
contribution to humanity! We learned how
many people today suffer from dementia,
and a cure would save $8 billion from the
health budget. We saw the dedication of
staff, their professionalism, their concern
for the patients and the hopes they had for
a future cure. The graces of the dementia
showed another face of kindness. As Anne
progressed to walking with a stick, then
pushed in her wheelchair, the people in the
parish and prayer groups and neighbour-
hood began to show greater attention to
her. They expressed the love of God
towards Anne, who usually smiled in
response, and we both experienced
goodness from people. Gods mercy came
to us through the compassion of many.

Late Stages of Dementia
As Anne continued to deteriorate we
learned of all the helps available to her and
me as carer. This ranged from the local
Council help, to Carers Victoria advice, to
Alzheimers Australia for information, to
Statewide Equipment Program for
alterations to the bathroom, to local
agencies providing day care for Anne. In
this way God has provided for our every
need just at the time it was required. For
me this was confirmation that as we both
surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus He
would meet our needs. Often I remember
St Mary MacKillops saying: God gives me
strength for what is necessary. It is on one
of my favourite coffee cups! I have learnt
that Gods timing has been perfect.
Sometime people say that it must be hard
for me. To tell the truth, the grace of
marriage and the fruit of the Holy Spirit
make my care for Anne a joyful experience
and our love for one another has grown
deeper. I realise the dignity of Anne as a
person in the image of God. As I serve and
care for her, I serve and care for Jesus,
who lives in her.

In High Care
In the month of May, in the month of Mary,
Anne was admitted into High Care. She is
in a beautiful nursing home, with caring,
smiling staff. I can see Gods provision in
the loving attention given to her. I am at
peace with our situation, I feel Gods
presence, and especially I feel buoyed by
the prayers of so many. It is true that I now
live alone, but I sense the presence of the
love of the Lord surrounding me. We do
not know what the future holds, but we do

3 KARISMA

know Who holds the future. With this
comforting thought sadness is diminished.

To the Future with Hope
As I continue to surrender to the Lord, and
ask that Gods will be done in all
circumstances, there was a moment of
sadness when making Advanced Care
Plans which concern the last stages of
dementia. In all circumstances I see Gods
goodness, especially when Anne has a
better day. There are two little statements
she has made when more alert. One day
as I came in, Here comes my world! It was
a word of consolation inspired by the Holy
Spirit. Another day she whispered: I love
you with all my heart. I know that God
allowed her to say that to comfort me when
the going gets tough. I know that God by
his Holy Spirit will give me the strength to
keep going.


AN ESSAY ON CHRISTIAN HOPE
By Brendan Thomas

There have been many
criticisms of Christianity
and its apparently
escapist tradition.
Christians today are
confronted daily with
contradicting viewpoints, challenging
situations and scenarios which wouldnt
have been possible two thousand years
ago. This undesirable condition is surely
attributed to societys vision for happiness
a vision that is completely self-absorbed
and non-transcendental. A world that
believes killing can bring happiness is a
world that has its priorities completely
inverted. Christians are seen either as
cowards, who want to avoid dealing with
issues of the temporal world because of
their intentional focus on the eternal world,
or they themselves fall into the sin of the
world by succumbing to its beliefs. This is
a world that is characterised by
hopelessness, because they hope in

1
Henry Bars, Faith, Hope and Charity. London: Burns &
Oates, 1961. p. 66
everything but God: they have lost their
sense of belonging, their sense of kinship
and their bearings in general. Christian
hope is abandoned by many Christians as
well as non-Christians, and as such, the
world is a darker place. St. Augustine
warned believers of this disaster, yet many
Christians still lost their way. C.S. Lewis
enlightened believers to the devils tactic
of separating us from God, yet many
Christians still lost their way. Isak Dinesen,
a non-Christian author, showed the world
the benefits of having Christian hope, yet
many Christians still lost their way. Even
the sacrament given for the specific
purpose of hope is undermined and
unused. What is needed in todays society
is a revitalisation of Christian hope, a hope
whose sole object is to return to its creator.

Hope is present in the Bible from Genesis.
Henry Bars states that the Old Testament
is hope from beginning to end. It is
pointed towards a future, which it first
expects and then demands, with a sort of
anxious impatience.
1
The hope that is
prevalent in the Old Testament is the
longing for salvation, the yearning of
human souls to return to a proper
communion with God. After Jesus Christ
saved humanity, the Old Testament hope
was replaced with a joyful hope. Christians
were granted salvation, but still werent
resurrected as Christ. Bars states that
(Salvation) is obtained, but it is not held
indefectibly: it is here that hope comes in.
2

Faith and hope are very closely tied, to the
point where they are sometimes
indistinguishable, in the Bible. Christians
believe through their faith that they will be
resurrected as Christ was, and they hope
for the second coming where the
resurrection of the body will take place.
Therefore, the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting, as stated in the
Apostles creed, are the things Christians
are called to hope for: For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose, so too will God,
through Jesus, bring with him those who
2
Ibid, p. 70

4 KARISMA

have fallen asleep (1 Thes. 4:14). Hoping
in worldly things however, will not attain
salvation.

St. Augustine clearly sets out the two
choices a Christian has in this lifetime in
his City of God. Augustines basis for The
City of God was the capture of Rome by
the Goths in A.D 410. He undertook to
show that it was the irreligion and
immorality of Rome which was the true
cause of her downfall to show men that
the City of God alone was eternal
3
This
great figure in Church history attributed the
emergence of two cities to the fall. This
(the fall) is the reason why there exist
according to our Scriptures the two
cities. One city is that of men who live
according to the flesh. The other is of men
who live according to the spirit.
4
The
search for happiness is embedded into the
human person: At the heart of human life
is a desire for an infinite happiness, and
mans response to this desire determines
not only the quality of individual life, but the
structure and destiny of societies.
5
Augustine believes in a linear progression
of history, and as such states that all things
are pointed towards something that
something is different for the two cities.
Augustine outlines some of the miseries
that the human life is filled with, including
the miseries of man in living with his own
mind and body, the miseries of the world
and the drawbacks of the society of men.
6

The undesirable aspects of the city of men
is contrasted to the benefits of the city of
God including peace, the absence of evil
and every good one could ever think of.
Augustine therefore prescribes to readers
that in order to achieve true happiness,
one must choose to live for the city of God.

The City of God isnt the only work in
literature that speaks against the city of
men. Works like Screwtape Letters
suggest that it is one of the devils tactics

3
Marthinus Versfeld, A Guide To The City Of God.
London: Sheed and Ward Ltd. 1958. p. 8
4
St. Augustine, City of God. Trans. by G.G. Walsh, D.B.
Zema, G. Monahan and D.J. Honan. New York: Image
Books 1958. p. 295
to draw men away from hoping in God and
only looking to the temporal sphere. C.S.
Lewis The Screwtape letters was written
in 1942. Lewis attempted to show readers
through this satirical Christian apologetic,
the various tactics demons might use to
draw men into damnation. Letter fifteen
consists of Wormwoods uncle Screwtape
suggesting to Wormwood that the best
way to draw mankind away from God is to
make him focus on the future. The future
that Screwtape prescribes only has
temporal glory as its goal such as
"Creative Evolution, Scientific Humanism,
or Communism
7
Screwtape feels that
the enemy (God) would ideally have
mankind concerned with eternity. The next
best situation was that hed have them
concerned with the Present, although this
wouldnt be much better because the
present is a reminder of eternity. He finally
decides that focussing on the temporal
future is the best possible way to draw
them away from God. In a world, the
Future is, of all things, the thing least like
eternity. It is the most completely temporal
part of time for the Past is frozen and no
longer flows, and the Present is all lit up
with eternal rays.
8
The present therefore,
is also important.

Isak Dinesens Babettes Feast portrays
the disadvantages of disregarding the
temporal sphere completely. Babette is a
Catholic, who shares no interest in the two
puritanical/Lutheran sisters foolish
abstinence. The two sisters, who devote
their lives to helping the people of their
village, dont live life to its fullest. Their
father, the founder of the religious sect,
taught that everything in this world was
aimed at evil only abstinence from all
pleasures would result in happiness. This
is portrayed directly through the food they
ate: split cod and an ale-and-bread-
5
Versfeld, op.cit. p.72
6
St. Augustine, op.cit. XIX, chapters 4-9.
7
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters. London: Fount
Paperbacks, 1977. p. 77
8
Ibid, p. 77

5 KARISMA

soup
9
This is contrasted with Babettes
outlook on life. She is still a faithful and
honest maid who does her best to make
the sisters life comfortable, physically as
well as financially. Yet she strives to make
others happy, the best way she knows how
cooking. The story culminates when
Babette provides a feast, spending all the
money she won in the lotto, for the two
sisters and their small council of believers
who vow not to say a good work about the
food, because indulgence is sinful.
Despite all this, they all walk out after the
feast overjoyed. When the sisters asked
whether Babette was to remain poor for
the rest of her life, she replies No, I shall
never be poor. I told you that I am a great
artist. A great artist, Mesdames, is never
poor. We have something, Mesdames, of
which other people know nothing.
10
The
sisters who were so loved by everyone in
the village, didnt realise how much
happiness Babette had brought to people
around her until this particular night.
Babette wasnt striving for wealth or
temporal glory (as they thought she had
been). She just lived life in servitude and
showed two sisters who were admired for
their faith, the disadvantages of
disregarding the temporal world
completely. Therefore, a constant looking
forward to the future, in denial of the
temporal life, is never a recipe for
happiness.

These two examples of literature depicting
the relationship between hope and
happiness show the two extremes of hope.
Screwtape encourages Wormwood to
force humans to look to a future of
temporal things, while the sisters in
Babettes Feast look forward to a future
with the impression of the world and
everything associated with it, as sinful and
disgusting. In both these cases, a proper
hope isnt apparent. In The Screwtape
Letters, humanity would ideally not look

9
Isak Dinesen, Babettes Feast, in Anecdotes of
Destiny. London: Penguin, 2001. p. 36
10
Ibid. p. 67
11
Bars, op.cit. p. 76
forward to eternity: In St. Augustines
terminology, they would choose the city of
man. In Babettes Feast, the sisters are
looking forward to a false sense of eternity.
Bars speaks out against this view by
stating that no man may hold his social
community cheap, for it is also the
community of others.
11
The Church
strongly believes this notion, which is why
part of the sacraments of initiation is that
of confirmation.

Confirmation is the final sacrament of
initiation that is commonly misconceived
as a mere spiritual coming of age
ceremony. Others believe that it is a
remembrance of Pentecost, but this again
is false. Bishop Thomas Dowd believes
that these conceptions arise as a
testament to the individualistic trend in
western civilization. Confirmation is in fact
incorporation into the Church militant. The
Church works within the boundaries of
itself, but also aims to influence change
and achieve peace outside its walls.
Baptism incorporates one into the
community of the Church, while
Confirmation gives the individual the Word
of God and the Holy Spirit as guides to
evangelise and combat evil in the world.
Confirmation has a special meaning for
Christians. It gives believers the tools
necessary to wait in joyful hope for the
second coming. Hope therefore, is the
main objective of Confirmation: I will ask
the Father, and he will give you another
advocate to be with you always, the Spirit
of truth, which the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows it
(John 14:16-17) Confirmation is the
time for people to learn what it means to
be *Catholic*.
12
This sacrament
encourages Christians to look forward to
eternal life, while still staying strong and
fighting for good in the temporal life. It is
intrinsic to Christianity therefore, to involve
itself in matters of the world while still
12
Bishop Thomas Dowd, Why Confirmation, in
Waiting in Joyful Hope, published 8/05/2004.
http://bishopdowd.net/home/node/33

6 KARISMA

looking towards heaven as the ultimate
goal.

C.S. Lewis states Hope means a
continual looking forward to the eternal
world (which) is not a form of escapism or
wishful thinking, but one of the things a
Christian is meant to do.
13
He argues that
the Christians that did the most for the
world were the ones who constantly
thought of the next. This is logical even in
simple terms. If a person wishes to be
rewarded, and the only way to be
rewarded was to be good and fulfil the
Lords prayer thy will be done on Earth,
as it is in heaven then of course he/she
will do their best to be good and improve
the world. The Apostles were exemplars of
this notion, and so too were the Church
fathers such as St. Augustine. Aim at
Heaven and you will get earth thrown in:
aim at earth and you will get neither.
14

Lewis very coherently emphasises the
importance of living on this Earth with
Heaven in mind. He states three ways in
which a man can attain a false sense of
happiness: believing that it is achieved
through worldly things; not believing that
worldly things have happiness; and
accepting that happiness is found in God
who created all things, for humanitys
benefit. The last, he states, should be the
Christians choice.

A Christian is called to look towards the
next life, for this life is temporal, full of
temptations and things that dont matter.
Hope for eternal life in communion with

13
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. San Francisco: Harper,
2001. p. 134
God is contrasted with the pleasures that
the world has to offer. Examples of these
false sources of happiness are highlighted
and contrasted in many literary sources
like The Screwtape Letters and Babettes
Feast. Confirmation is the sacrament that
endows a Christian with the tools to fully
realize hopes goals; this is done by
improving the temporal world, with the
template of the eternal one. There is no
need to be worried by facetious people
who try to make the Christian hope of
Heaven ridiculous by saying they do not
want to spend eternity playing harps. The
answer to such people is that if they
cannot understand books written for
grown-ups, they should not talk about
them.
15



THE GLORIA
By Angela Vivona
During a Sunday mass
some months ago, at our
local parish there was a
visiting priest from Africa.
During his homily, I
experienced the power of
God manifested through his sharing of the
Gloria.
His love and understanding of the prayer,
was evident in him. As he spoke his face
shone and his eyes sparkled, it was like he
was talking about heaven. His sharing left
me with an everlasting appreciation of the
prayer. He said that the Gloria is a prayer
of praise, thanksgiving and adoration and
is so holy that when saying it, he could only
say it with his eyes shut, and that during
the prayer he felt the presence of immense
holiness. I am forever grateful to that
sharing and so when asked to lead the
prayer meeting at KNK, I thought it was a
good opportunity to share that beautiful
inner peace and love which I experienced
14
Ibid. p. 134
15
Ibid. p. 137

7 KARISMA

and will continue to experience every time
I say the Gloria.
The following is a brief explanation of my
talk, which I shared.
The Gloria is a joyful response to the
forgiveness received in the Penitential Act.
It is called the Angelic Hymn because it
begins with the song of the angels that was
heard at the birth of Jesus Christ (Lk.2:14)
Glory to God in the highest and on
earth peace to people of good will.
The peace to people of good will
announced by the angels is one of the
characteristics of the eternal covenant
established through Jesus Christ: I will
make a covenant of peace with them; it
shall be an everlasting covenant with
them. (Ezek. 37:26)
The Gloria continues with praise of God
the Father for His majesty:
We praise you, we bless you, we adore
you, we glorify you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord God,
heavenly King, O God, almighty Father
Here we carry out two of the four ends of
prayer: Adoration and Thanksgiving. We
praise, bless, adore, glorify, and thank
God for the glory He has revealed to us.
While the old translation summarized all
these verbs we worship you, we give you
thanks, we praise you for your glory - the
new translation renders each one
individually. It might seem a little repetitive,
but those words do not all have the exact
same meaning. The abundance of words
is a reminder of how constant our praise of
God should be. It is also a sign of our
inability to describe our response to Gods
greatness with just one or two words.
The next part focuses on God the Son,
Jesus Christ: the Father and the Son are
both invoked as Lord God, affirming the
equality of the Father and the Son. After
invoking Jesus by several of His titles, we
pray a three-fold litany asking Him to have
mercy on us and hear our prayers:
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the
Father, You take away the sins of the
world, have mercy on us;
You take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
You are seated at the right hand of the
Father, have mercy on us.

Through invoking Jesus by these titles, the
Gloria describes our faith in who Jesus is.
The three-fold litany (which was reduced
to only two in the old translation) provides
the other two ends of prayer: contrition and
petition. We again ask the Lord for mercy
(twice) and we beseech Him to hear us
when we pray. These four ends of prayer -
adoration, thanksgiving, contrition, and
petition - are summed up here in the hymn
we sing most Sundays of the year. The
Gloria, along with the Our Father, should
be a model for personal prayer: glorify God
and give Him thanks first, then present
your needs to Him.
The hymn ends with a brief Trinitarian
doxology. We profess the Son, the Spirit,
and the Father as the one Holy and Most
High Lord:
For you alone are the Holy One, you
alone are the Lord, you alone are the
Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy
Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
The word alone here might be
misleading. It does not mean that Jesus is
alone, for God is a living communion of
three Persons, and neither the Father, nor
the Son, nor the Holy Spirit can be alone.
Rather, it means only, in the sense that
there is only One Who is Holy, the Lord,
the Most High, and that One is three

8 KARISMA

Persons. The affirmation that Jesus Christ
is the Most High is another clear
identification of Jesus with God.

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
By Sherwin Simangan

Being a Christian, I am
proud to declare that I am
blessed. It means that I
am a believer of a living
and loving God who
blesses me with life and
sustains me with spiritual
strength to carry on in this
lifes journey. For me being able to freely
practice and share my faith is a basic
human right that I cannot simply take for
granted.

It has been reported to the UN that over
200 million Christians are being
persecuted or being denied their human
rights for simply being a Christian. That is
a staggering 10% of the Christian
population in this world. It is also claimed
that Christians like you and me are being
harshly targeted in at least 139 countries.
It is estimated that for every five persons
being persecuted for their faith, four are
Christians i.e. 4 out of 5.

It may sound to be an exaggeration that
this can occur in this modern time. But we
do not have to investigate further as
Christian persecution is as real today as it
was during Jesus Christs time in this
world. Christian persecution is not new,
our Lord Jesus Christ was condemned to
death but the persecution did not end on
the cross. Most of Jesus disciples were
hunted down and faced a horrible death.
The Romans also martyred many
Christian believers. Many Saints were also
martyred for their faith and the tyranny of
Christian persecution persists even to this
day.

How are Christians being persecuted?
It can start with simple verbal abuse or
being denied certain services such as
medical, education, housing and
economic opportunities. Then it
progresses to being not allowed to openly
show a Christian symbol such as a cross
or a Bible and practice Christian activities
or even being denied to worship and to
evangelise. At worst, being physically
harassed, be driven out from their homes,
confiscation of properties, to be subjected
to laws that contradicts Christian values,
forced to renounce Christianity and to
convert, to be kidnapped, abducted,
imprisoned, raped, tortured, murdered and
even crucified. In some cases, a Christian
may experience many of these forms of
persecution rolled in to one.

Why are Christians facing persecution?
It may be a political, religious, cultural or a
historical motivation. As Christians we are
easily targeted because:
1. Christianity is the largest religion in the
world. There are an estimated more than
2 billion Christians around the world and
can be found almost everywhere.
2. Christianity Evangelises. Our faith calls
on us to actively reach out to spread and
share Gods good news. Other religions
may see this as confrontational and a
threat to their faith.
3. Christianity is a true religion of
martyrdom. From Jesus Christ, to his
apostles and the early Church, many
Christians accepted martyrdom rather
than denounced their Christian faith.
Jesus himself reminded us that whoever
denies me before men, I will deny him
before my father in heaven Matthew
10:33. Thus our faith encourages us to
face death rather than renounce the faith
that will lead us to eternal life.

So because of a big Christian population,
being visible and actively seeking out to
evangelise and to live and die for our
Christian faith, we find many of our
brothers and sisters in Christ being
targeted and attacked.

The persecution Christians face, is among
the largest human rights violation issues in
todays world. The statistics I have

9 KARISMA

mentioned previously, are not just
numbers but a revelation and the truth that
Christians are suffering and are being
made to suffer, simply for being a follower
of Jesus Christ. Despite the technology
where information can pass on from one
part of the world to another within a
second, the atrocities targeting Christians
hardly made news. Many of us will be
aware from the news of the current civil
war occurring in parts of the Middle East
such as that of Syria and Iraq. The area is
a battlefield with many human casualties.
On the surface we understand that this is
a civil war but if we look closely and
intensely, this war is turning to genocide,
not just a form of ethnic cleansing but also
a religious cleansing.

The current civil war in Syria was aimed to
remove a despotic government that has
been in existence for many decades.
From the chaos in this civil war, an Islamic
group called ISIS has grown as major
armed resistance who are not only fighting
the Syrian regime but also systematically
targeting Christians. The Christian
minority who have existed for many
centuries in Syria, have faced persecution
and at times execution at the hands if ISIS.

In Iraq, the same Islamic group ISIS, a
group that even Al Qaeda distanced itself
because of its extremism, has singled out
Christians in parts of northern Iraq.
Christian homes are marked for
identification and confiscated while
Churches are occupied and raided.
Christians are forced to leave everything
and there are those executed on the spot
especially those who will not renounce
their faith. Today, Iraqs second largest
city, Mosul is now virtually Christian free.
What used to be a Christian community of
60,000, all Christians have been driven
out. For the first time in its 1600 years of
Christianity in Mosul, no masses are being
celebrated.

Recently, another Iraqi town Tal Kayf has
fallen. Once more the Islamic Jihadist
have forced out 100,000 Christians to flee
while their homes confiscated, churches
occupied, crosses and ancient
manuscripts removed or destroyed. The
Christians fled with nothing but their
clothes on. The plight of Christians in Syria
and Iraq, is just one of the catastrophes
being faced by Christians today.

Back in April this year in Nigeria, we heard
about the 300 teenage and young girls that
were kidnapped by a notorious Islamic
fanatic called Boko Haram. Perhaps, what
the news did not reveal in detail is that
90% of these young girls and teenagers
are Christians. Some girls have escaped
but their captors are still holding many.
The escapee told how they are being
forced to convert to Islam, forced in
marriage to a Muslim or sold as child
brides. Rape is reported to be common as
well as execution. This group Boko Haram
has been systematically targeting not just
Christians but specifically Christian girls,
as a way to weaken the Christian
population and humiliate it.

The anti-Christian assault is not just
limited from Islamic extremists. Just last
month in Sri Lanka, a hardline Buddhist
group launched a 4-day campaign to stop
all Christian activity in particular in
evangelisation. An incident included 5
Buddhist monks and its followers raided a
Christian family who were praying at that
time. A female Christian was taken away
to a Buddhist temple and was both verbally
and physically assaulted. She was
threatened that she will be killed if she
goes back home.

Here in Australia, there is no apparent
direct persecution of Christians. But there
has been an aggressive kind of
secularism, which is intolerant of
Christianity. Christians ideas, symbols
and activities are being marginalised. An
e.g., some schools or public places are
being forced to not display images relating
to Christmas, instead being encouraged to
show other symbols of that season. The
nativity set is replaced by Santa and his
elves and during lent; it is about a bunny

10 KARISMA

and chocolate eggs. The Relaxation of
certain laws about abortion, same-sex
marriages and euthanasia are affront to
Christian beliefs. And this is happening
now nationwide. An attack to Christian
values is an attack to the Church and its
flock.

With the persecution of Christians
becoming more frequent and extreme,
how do we as Christs believers react to
this? How do we respond? Jesus Christ
told us If the world hates you, you must
realise that it hated me before it hated
you. John 15:18. Remember the words I
say to you. A servant is no greater than his
master. If they persecuted me, they will
persecute you John 15:20.

Here Jesus reminds us that as he was
persecuted, we as Christians could expect
the same treatment. This does not mean
that we should seek out persecution but to
be aware that we will encounter it in this
world. To be persecuted is not the goal,
but to live and follow Christ as he lived. In
times of persecution it is a trial that will test
our faith, a time to be one with God, to
seek him and trust him. In persecution we
are faced with two choices, to be with God
or to deny him. In Matthew 10: 32 -33,
Jesus said Whoever acknowledges me
before others, I will also acknowledge
before my Father in heaven. But whoever
disowns me before others I will disown
before my Father in Heaven.

For the Christians who are enduring
persecution, Jesus promised this reward
Blessed are those who are persecuted in
the cause of uprightness; the kingdom of
heaven is theirs blessed are you when
people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. Rejoice and be glad
because great is your reward in heaven
this is how they persecuted the prophets
before you. Matthew 5:10-12.

So what can we do for our suffering
brothers and sisters in Christ?
We pray. We pray for the suffering
Christians. And we pray for those who
persecute us. As Jesus has said, love
your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you. Why pray? Because it
works. One example I can give to you is a
story of a pregnant woman in Sudan who
was imprisoned last year for marrying a
Christian. She was accused of renouncing
Islam yet she maintained she was never a
Muslim. Her brother in law in US started to
fight for her freedom in a small prayer
group. They prayed and lobbied until the
day she was released. Few weeks ago,
Pope Francis in the Vatican welcomed this
persecuted Christian Ms Meriam Ishag.

Another example, 20 years ago in
Rwanda, the world has witnessed a
genocide so
horrific that
saw one million
people died in
100 days. One
survivor named
Concille
witnessed all
her children
literally being snatched from her arms and
were killed. But through the support of her
Charismatic Catholic group and through
the healing hand of God, she has forgiven
and now reconciled with the man who
killed her family.

As I end this sharing, I ask you to spare a
moment of your time each day for our
fellow Christians who are facing
humiliation, persecution and even
extermination. Remember them in your
prayers. And so we ask God and pray

Dear God, as our father and creator, we
humbly offer this prayer for our fellow
Christians who are facing persecution and
even death. Strengthen their resolve to
remain faithful to you even when
humiliation and despair is weakening
them. Send your angels to rescue and
protect especially the defenceless
children, elderly, infirmed and those with
affliction.

11 KARISMA

That through our Lord Jesus Christs
merciful sacred heart will shine ever so
brightly to give them light in their darkest
hours, to give them hope and courage to
stand against cruelty and pain.

That through the Holy Spirit they will feel
your presence and your mercy.
That through our Mother Mary that she will
lift up their prayers and plight to you.

And for those who have died for their faith,
welcome them to your kingdom and give
comfort and grace to those who are now
grieving. For the survivors of persecution,
have mercy on them. With your love, help
them, heal, forgive and reconcile.

In your glory Lord, in your time, your will be
done.

Amen.


A LIFE-CHANGING ADVENTURE
By Jean Ephraums

In April this year (2014), I
had the good fortune of
going on a spiritual
journey, along with my
two daughters. We first
made our journey to Sri Lanka, and began
our pilgrimage with a group of people from
there. It was a soul-stirring pilgrimage that
deepened my faith in the Lord, with the
intercession of Mary, our Dearest Mother.

On day 2, we arrived at Milan, Italy, at the
shrine of Rosa Mystica. The story of Rosa
Mystica began in 1947, where Mother
Mary appeared to Pierina Gilli, a nurse in
a room of the hospital, where she worked.
Our Lady, dressed in a beautiful violet
dress and a white veil around her head,
was very sad and her eyes were filled with
tears. Her breast was pierced by three
swords. During the apparition she uttered
the words prayer and penitence. Our
Lady had made 7 apparitions with
miraculous healings.
Our next visit was to Padua, to the
magnificent church of St. Anthony, where
his precious relics were transferred. When
after thirty years, the vault in which his
sacred body had reposed was opened, the
flesh had turned to dust, but the tongue
was found to be fresh and uninjured. St.
Anthony performed many miracles and
has been known to be a wonder worker. It
was a joy to visit the church of my favourite
saint.

On day 3, after breakfast, we made our
journey to the papal Basilica of St. Francis
of Assisi. The lower Basilica is in
conformity to Christ - poor and crucified;
the upper Basilica an Icon of the
Church. The lower Basilica leads to the
famous four sails above the main altar
where the Italian artist and architect artist
Giotto di Bondone represents St. Francis
in glory and the allegories of the Vows or
Evangelical Counsels of poverty, chastity
and obedience. The frescoes of the lower
Basilica tell the spiritual journey of Saint
Francis as he followed Christ. There are
live scenes of the life of the Saint with five
episodes from the passion and death of
Christ. To the right of the main altar are
episodes from the infancy of Christ. The
upper Basilica has been called the most
beautiful house of prayer in the world. The
absolute originality of style and
extraordinary content have stunned the
world. Both the lower and upper Basilica
are entirely painted by some of the
greatest artists. Their works of art are so
amazing.

Now to tell you about St. Francis he was
born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone
[nicknamed Francesco by his father] in
Assisi, Italy, in 1181 or 1182 A.D., to
wealthy parents Pietro di Bernadone and
Lady Pica. His father was a businessman.
Wanting to become a knight, Francis left
Assisi to fight a battle in Puglia, Southern
Italy, in 1204, but when he was a short
distance away, he had a vision which
directed him back to Assisi and totally
changed his life. Two moments of his
conversion experience are well-known

12 KARISMA

meeting and embracing the leper, and
hearing the Crucifix of San Damiano
speak to him. St. Francis was the founder
of the Franciscan Friars Order. The
second Order was the Order of the Poor
Clares (or the Order of St. Clare). It was
through an inspiration of St. Francis that
St. Clare founded this Order. St. Francis
also set up the first known Nativity Scene
at Christmas.

On 14
th
September 1224, while praying on
the mountain of La Verna, Italy, during a
forty-day fast, the sky opened and the
Crucified Christ appearing as a seraph
angel appeared to him. That day, Saint
Francis received the stigmata. He was the
first Christian in the history of the church to
receive the gift of the stigmata. He died on
the evening of 3
rd
October 1226 at
Portiuncula in Assisi, Italy. There is much
more to be learnt of St. Francis. I was
deeply touched by the life of this great
Saint and it taught me to always accept the
will of God for His Greater Glory.

We had an overnight stop at a hotel in
Rome and after breakfast, on day 4,
commenced a full day tour of the Vatican
and Rome, including St. Peters Basilica,
which is located within the Vatican City. It
has the largest interior of any Christian
church in the world, holding 60,000 people
and is regarded as one of the holiest sites.
It is the symbolic Mother Church of the
Holy Catholic Church, and can be
described as the greatest of all churches
of Christendom. It is the burial site of Saint
Peter, who was the first Holy See and the
first in line of the papal succession.

We proceeded to the Sistine Chapel in
Vatican City, which is one of the most
famous art galleries in the western world.
Michelangelos famous Sistine Chapel
ceiling depicts scenes of the Creation
from Genesis, and on the wall below, the
Last Judgement.

Whilst in Rome, we visited the Basilica of
St. John the Lateran, which ranks as the
oldest and first among the four papal
Basilicas or major Basilicas of Rome.
Next, we visited the Holy Steps (The Scale
Sancta), which, according to Christian
tradition, are the steps that lead up to the
praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem,
which Jesus stood on during His Passion,
on his way to trial. The stairs were
reputedly brought to Rome by St. Helena
of Constantinople (mother of the Roman
Emperor Constantine the Great) in the 4
th

century A.D. The Scala Sancta, as it is
called, has attracted Christian pilgrims
who wished to honour the Passion of
Jesus.

We thereafter proceeded to the Basilica of
the Santa Croce, or Holy Cross, in
Jerusalem. The Basilica was consecrated
to house the Passion Relics brought to
Rome from the Holy Land by St. Helena.

The following morning (day 5) after an
early flight from Rome and a trip by coach,
we arrived at Lourdes, France, in the
evening. This was my long-cherished
dream and the Blessed Mother answered
my prayer in bringing me here. I had heard
and read such wonderful stories about
Lourdes that I always yearned to visit the
The Church at Lourdes, France

13 KARISMA

grotto where Mother Mary had appeared
to a little girl by the name of Bernadette
Soubirous, 150 years ago. Pilgrims who
come to this place have a living story to
relate. Many hearts broken by suffering
have found in this hallowed spot alone, the
remedy for their ills. It is a haven for the
afflicted and abandoned. The lame walk,
the deaf begin to hear, and the dumb
speak. Our Lady is also a dispenser of
heavenly gifts. It is a place of spirituality
that helps people to learn to live in our
world today.


Thanks to Our Lady for the graces
received. The group with whom we
travelled on the pilgrimage were blessed
to spend Easter in Lourdes, attend all
church activities including baths, Maundy
Thursday Mass and Holy Hour in the night,
also Mass at the grotto. We spent four
days in Lourdes.


On day 9, at 2.00 a.m. in the morning, we
headed by coach to Nevers, France,
where the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette
Soubirous lies at the Convent of St.
Gildard. From Nevers we proceeded by
coach to Paris, where we did our
shopping. Paris has a population of 12
million. We saw the famous and beautiful
Eiffel Tower; the River Seine, whose
banks are a World Heritage; world-class
galleries; classy shops; and lively cafes.


Our pilgrimage ended at Paris where we
travelled back to Colombo, Sri Lanka,
transiting through Muscat, Oman.


I thank God for the opportunity he gave me
and my daughters to travel on this spirit-
filled pilgrimage. I am also grateful to all
the group members we met, who have
been a strength to us on this journey.


THE BEAUTY OF GODS CREATION
By Beverly de Silva

Whenever I wake up each
day and look out of my
kitchen window, I never
fail to notice and marvel at
the beauty outside the
serenity, the morning light,
the grass, the trees, the flowers, birds, and
their early morning twitter. Sometimes the
day is gloomy, misty or rainy yet, I see
the beauty in that creation as I admire the
silver dew-drops scattered like sparkling
confetti on the grass, or see the trees
dancing and swaying to the breeze.

The almond-tree is one of the first trees to
bloom in spring, and as usual this year, at
the start of August, the almond-tree began
to blossom. It was during this time that I
looked out of the window one gloomy
morning and saw the snow-white
blossoms stand out against the gloom like
stars in the midnight sky. The scene was
breathtaking and I just stood there for a
few moments, as I always do, staring in
awe, marvelling at the wonder of Gods
creation and thanking Him for what He has
given us.

Often, when I see a beautiful scene, a
flower, a bird, or some wonder of nature,
my heart is filled with such joy as I run
inside to grab my camera to try and
capture that moment. I have lots of these
beautiful pictures on camera, but the
experience and atmosphere of that
moment can never truly be captured. I also
attempt to express my admiration of
nature through poetry, so here is a poem
that I wrote a while ago entitled spring,
which I feel people can relate to at this time
as spring has just begun. It reminds us of
the beauty of nature created by a loving
God who is waiting for us to shower his
love and blessings on us. Yet so often in
the rush and busyness of our lives we miss
recognising and enjoying Gods creation
and his blessings.


14 KARISMA

SPRING
Bursts of lime-green shoots now and
then,
On a withered, browny, barren stem,
Green grassy carpets laid anew,
Velvety slopes backing the view,
Silvery sheets cascading down
Glinting jewels on a crown,
Dabs of red, yellow, white and pink -
Flowers a-blossoming on the brink,
Flashing colours going past
Flitting butterflies roving fast,
Tasting nectar so many flowers,
Relishing each sip as two sweet lovers,
Gauzy-winged dragonflies, buzzing bees,
Birds a-chirping in the trees,
Sparkling waters, morning sun,
Clear blue sky,
Spring has come!

How to find Jesus, by Pope Francis

Pope Francis at Santa Marta
Pope Francis has resumed his daily Masses at
Santa Marta after a summer break. In his first
Homily on September 1, 2014 he called on us
to proclaim the Gospel with humility, because
only those with an open heart can receive
Jesus - Vatican Radio
We need to proclaim the Gospel with humility
not with wise words because Jesus Himself
is the power of the Word of God, and only
those who have an open heart can receive
Him, said Pope Francis Monday morning, as
he resumed his daily Mass at Santa Marta
after the summer break.
Commenting on the readings of the day, the
Pope explained what the Word of God is and
how we should receive it. St. Paul reminds the
Corinthians that he does not proclaim the
Gospel based on persuasive words of wisdom.
"Paul says, 'I did not come here to convince
you with arguments, with words, or making a
good impression... No. I chose another way, a
different style. I came to show you the Spirit
and His power. So that your faith might not rest
on human wisdom but on the power of God.'
So, the Word of God is something different, it
is not the same as a human word, a word of
wisdom, a scientific word, a philosophical word
... no: it is something else. It comes in a
different way.
This is what happens with Jesus, when he
comments on the Scriptures in the synagogue
in Nazareth, where he grew up. His fellow
citizens, initially, admire him for his words but
then become angry and try to kill him: "They
went from one side to the other" - said the
Pope - "because the Word of God is different
to the human word.
In fact, God speaks to us in the Son, "that is,
the Word of God is Jesus, Jesus Himself" and
Jesus "is a source of scandal. The Cross of
Christ, scandalises. And that's the power of
the Word of God: Jesus Christ, the Lord. And
how do we receive the Word of God? How do
I receive Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that
Jesus is present in the Scriptures, in His
Word". This is why - the Pope said - it is so
important to "read a passage from the Gospel
during the day ".
"Why, to learn? No! To find Jesus, because
Jesus is right there in His Word, in His Gospel.
Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus. Yet
how do I receive this Word? Well, you should
receive it like you receive Jesus, that is to say
with an open heart, with a humble heart, with
the spirit of the Beatitudes. Because that is
how Jesus came, in humility. He came [to us]
in poverty. He came with the anointing of the
Holy Spirit".
ARISMA
Official Newsletter of Prayer Community
Karisma is published on a quarterly basis. It contains reading materials
directed generally but not necessarily limited to its members. Comments,
suggestions and articles for publication are welcome. The editor has the
discretion to edit or not publish any article submitted based on Karisma
guidelines
Contact the Editor at:
Email: anitadsouza@bigpond.com
Ph: 0411 772 320