Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth Jn: 9 1-12
nDear Friends
M
any people struggle with their faith at different times in their lives.
Some of the most committed and godly leaders have struggled with doubts, just like everyone else. The very essence of faith is to believe in that which we cannot see.1 As physical beings, we tend to put faith in what we experience with our senses. Spiritual realities are not tangible and must be experienced outside our senses. So, when that which is tangible and visible seems overwhelming, doubts can shroud that which is invisible. The first aspect to consider is the object of faith. The word faith has become popular in recent years, but the popular meaning is not necessarily the same as the biblical meaning. The term has become synonymous with any religious or irreligious adherence,
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regardless of whether there is foundational truth upon which to base such adherence. In other words, someone could claim “faith” in dandelions for spiritual healing, and that claim would be considered equally viable to the Christians’ claim that the Bible is God’s inspired Word. So, when struggling with “faith” it is vital to define the object and reasonableness of that faith. All faith claims are not equal. Before we can be secure in our faith, we must answer the question: my faith is in what? Many hold to the idea of having faith in faith. Faith itself is seen as the object, rather than God Himself. The biblical purpose for faith is to bring us into the presence of God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” We can only find Him when we come to Him through faith in His Son.2 Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” God does not bless halfhearted attempts to know Him. He desires that we pursue Him with passion, the same way He pursues us.3 However, God understands our inability to exercise the faith we need at times. In Mark 9:24,
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Do you sometimes doubt if Jesus can heal you?
The blind SEE again! The lame walk, those suffering from disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life.
a man admitted to Jesus that he wanted help with His unbelief. Jesus did not rebuke the man, but healed the man’s child anyway. He honoured the man’s desire to grow in faith and was pleased that He, Jesus, was the object of that faith. So, if we have the desire to believe what the Bible teaches, then we have the right foundation for continuing to fight for faith. God has given us countless evidences of His existence and character.4 Jesus fulfilled all prophecies necessary to validate His claim to be the Son of God.5 The Bible has been proven true over and over again for thousands of years. We have all the evidence we need, but God leaves the believing up to us.
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It can be encouraging to remember that, when we struggle with faith, we are in good company. Elijah the prophet experienced such a struggle. One of the greatest prophets of all time had just called down fire from heaven, killed over 400 false prophets, and outrun King Ahab’s chariot—a feat that would have been the envy of any Olympic gold-medalist.6 Yet the next chapter finds Elijah hiding in a cave, depressed and asking for death.7 After all those miracles, he gave in to fear and doubt because a wicked woman hated him.8 During times of stress and exhaustion, we can easily forget all that God has done for us. John the Baptist was another
who struggled with faith when at the lowest point in his life. Jesus had called John the greatest prophet.9 John had been selected by God
before birth to be forerunner of the Messiah.10 He was faithful to that calling all of his life.11 Yet even John, after being imprisoned Continued overleaf
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Production Editor: A. Sargent: angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is handdelivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. You’ll find exclusive Christian gifts in the WebShop. Cover: David Payne at Lathbury Retreat Centre. Photo: A. Sargent
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Marian Events
The blind SEE again!
continued from p3 and sentenced to die, struggled with doubts about Jesus’ identity.12 He sent messengers to ask Jesus if He was truly the One sent from God. Jesus did not rebuke John in his weakness but instead sent him a message that only a student of the Scriptures, as John was, would recognize.13 He quoted from Isaiah 61 and reminded John that He alone had fulfilled that Messianic prophecy. We learn from these heroes of faith that God is patient with
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Special Gift of an Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe
us when we desire to believe.14 When we experience times of doubt, we must immerse ourselves in truth. We can bolster a sagging faith by reading scriptural accounts of God’s miraculous interventions, listening to encouraging sermons, and reading books that appeal to our reason. But the greatest power to overcome doubt comes from the Holy Spirit Himself, who “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”.15 We can cry out as the man cried to Jesus, “I believe. Lord, help my unbelief!”16 And we can expect Him to answer. God bless you
†Father Stuart
Heb 11:1 2. Jn 14:6 3. 1 Jn 4:19 Ps 19:1; Lk 19:38–40 5. Mt 2:15–17; 13:25; 27:35; Jn 12:38 6. 1 Ki 18:36–38, 46 7. 1 Ki 19:3–5 8. 1 Ki 19:2 9. Mt 11:11 10. Lk 1:11–17, 76 11. Mk 1:4–8 12. Lk 7:20 13. Lk 7:22 14. Ps 86:15; 147:11 15. Ro 8:16 16. Mk 9:24. 1. 4.
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O
n May 4th, the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Europe, Mgr. Charles Azzopardi celebrated a very special Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe.
During the Mass Fr. Charlie reminded the congregation that there were several things to celebrate that day. Bishop Edward Rapallo was responsible for making Our Lady of Europe the principal Patroness of Gibraltar and for changing the feast day to Europe Day, 5 May. And never was there a more critical time to beg our Lady, as our principal Patron, to protect us and indeed all of Europe. But few of us knew that the Feast day was shared with St. Hilary of Arles, who was known for his austerities, his aid to the poor, and for ransoming captives. Fr. Charlie went on to tell us that one of the many Monasteries that used to thrive in Gibraltar was the Monastery of the Mercedarians in Cloister Building on the corner of Irish Town and Market Lane, to this day the Order is still working in the USA and around the world, for the redemption of captives which they say is to be “considered as a work of great mercy and charity”. Concrete evidence of the existence of the Mercedarians Order in Gibraltar lives on in the stone pillars which can be seen in Corks café and carved in a stone lintel near the toilets! Recently the Mercedarians sent a mission to Mexico, and we have now come full circle, as it is also believed, Fr. Charlie told us, that there was at some point a church or chapel in the upper Rock area dedicated to our Lady of Guadaloupe and that it is highly likely that there were links between Gibraltar and devotees of Our Lady of Guadaloupe on the American Continent many hundreds of years ago. It was Dr. Monique Risso who gifted the special image of Our Lady of Guadaloupe to the Shrine, also on this day, she had brought it from Mexico herself. The presentation marked the end of a Women of Grace led, 33 day preparation for Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary, which saw the shrine packed with those who had completed the course. Including ladies from one of the La Linea groups of Women of Grace.
Gibraltar 2015
The Annual Global Rosary Relay idea is a simple one. Each of the participating shrines, in 50+ countries, prays a particular mystery of the Rosary at a specific half hour on the day, in thanksgiving to God for our priests and to implore the protection and loving care of Our Lady, Mother of all priests, for all her priestly sons. With the coming of midnight on the Friday 3 June 2016, the entire world, by then, will have been encircled in prayer for our priests on this The 6th Annual Global Rosary Relay Day.
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USA 2015
Columbia 2015
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Freedom of the City Civic Honours
n“Now, therefore, by way of civic
honour, the Freedom of the City is hereby conferred upon Special Olympics Gibraltar”.
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Anne Mesilio writes
T
hose few words spoke volumes as Gibraltar Parliament unanimously resolved to recognise the contribution made by this organisation over the past thirty years and that it “continues to work at present with Special Olympic Gibraltar athletes at home and internationally”. Speaking in response to this exciting news from Los Angeles, where a team of twenty two athletes were competing in the World Summer
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Games 2015, Annie Risso, Programme Chief Executive; “Here in L.A. so far from home, the feeling of belonging has intensified and we are emotional, ecstatic and grateful for this acknowledgment”. The Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, an organisation, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. It even dates back to Ancient Rome from the “Trumphus” granted by the Senate to Generals and their army after a substantial and important victory. The General was granted the exceptional and rare privilege of entering Rome at the head of his army. Ancient Rome has links to Special Olympics as mentioned by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, founder of Special Olympics. On her way to the first ever Opening Ceremony of the first ever Special Olympics World Games, she made the final draft of what would become the Athletes Oath and opened the Games with the words; “In Ancient Rome, the gladiators went into the arena with these words on their lips; “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”. Since its inception in 1985, Special Olympics Gibraltar has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of athletes with intellectual disabilities. It is through the power of sports that athletes discover new strengths and abilities, as well as skills and confidence. Not just on the playing field, but throughout life in general, our athletes find joy and fulfilment and share
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this with their communities and world wide at the Games. It was indeed ‘one step at a time’ the Programme was built up, with willing community support and that of each successive Government. The spirit of Special Olympics is shared through competition, where athletes reach deep inside for the best in themselves, and those who witness this will realise that there are no barriers that cannot be overcome. The Freedom of the City of Gibraltar is an entirely ceremonial honour. It has legal basis, Act no. 33 of 1960, which may be cited as the Freedom of the City Act, and which provides for the admission of Honorary Freemen of the city. Recipients enjoy the prestige and honour of being a Freeman of the City of Gibraltar. The Medallion of Honour was awarded simultaneously though it ranks below the Freedom. However, all Freedom of the City holders are automatically entered in the Roll of Honour. Special Olympics Gibraltar have been working tirelessly in a small community where Games celebrate abilities and raise awareness for those who stretch themselves to reach their full potential. This June will see the thirty first Games take place where, to take these athletes seriously is to acknowledge the abilities and courage which helps form a united world, where we encourage the potential in all of our citizens and value their level of social and personal achievement. At last years celebratory Games there was a
Eunice Kennedy, 1921 - 2009 Foundress of Special Olympics
very good example of this in the participation of Jan Lopez, who has been with the Programme since the beginning. His mother Elizabeth; “Love and positive energy abounds, it is a very special feeling, everyone so friendly and helpful, and all this has given Jan so much, so many opportunities that he would otherwise not have had, it has allowed him to grow”. Jan loves bowling and went on to win Gold in Bowling Singles in L.A. Annie Risso; “Our Special Olympic athletes face extra challenges but they give of their best, they struggle and push themselves with the encouragement and support of dedicated coaches and family members”. All are volunteers with Special Olympics Gibraltar and are the backbone of the movement. Coaches, trainers, officials, event organizers, fund raisers,, unified partners who play along side the athletes, or just fans cheering from the stands... all support the athletes. In concluding her acceptance speech Annie thanked “the Gibraltar Government, our community and all those who, from the beginning, recognised that this was the way forward. What greater acceptance than the Freedom of the City bestowed on a Programme that works entirely with volunteers whose aim is to better the lives of all our athletes”.
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...IN THE HOLY
David is a man in a hurry, and so the main part of his powerful message to our readers in Gibraltar, was delivered in four words...
O
of the Catholic Faith and the values of the Gospel. “The Holy Father, Pope Francis, wishes to convey his good wishes and prayers for a successful and inspiring launch of The Gift - A Life in the Spirit Resource”. So who is the ‘man’ behind this prestigious introduction? David is a former drug addict who found freedom in Christ 25 years ago. In response to my questions about his personal testimony, he jumped up from
his seat, and in a few athletic strides, had collected a copy of his book ‘ALIVE’ from the Christ the King book table, which had been set up in the hallway of the Retreat Centre. Having covered most of my questions in one fell swoop, David was clearly hoping to be released from our interview free to return to the technical preparations for the next session of the retreat which would feature a Catholic Faith
Exploration (CaFE) video, but with one hand already on the arm of the chair, he paused when I implored him to answer just one question, ‘What is your message for Gibraltar?’ At once David sat back in his seat, “That’s a good question,” he admitted, “I wish I’d had more time to prepare an answer for you.” He sat forward again with his elbows on his knees and hands raised to his chin, finger tips touching, his intense blue eyes sparkling as
n April 22nd, members and guests of the Christ the King Prayer Group assembled at the Lathbury Retreat Centre for a ‘Life in the Holy Spirit’ Seminar. It had been advertised as ‘A Weekend That will Change Your Life’. The main speaker was David Payne, an extremely active and energetic evangelist, an inspiring and entertaining speaker, retreat giver and author. He is the director of Catholic Evangelisation Services based in the Westminster Diocese, England. They produce the widely used CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) DVD resources which are used in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada and Australia. These resources have been endorsed by Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge and in February last year word was recieved that The Pope commended their course ‘The Gift’ when he imparted his Apostolic Blessing upon all those who strive in any way for the promotion and presentation
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SPIRIT!
he gazed without seeing, for that moment, the view from our mountain perch, half way up the Rock of Gibraltar, perhaps looking inwards for inspiration. After a few seconds, only punctuated by the buzz of retreatants chatting over coffee in the nearby dining room, he exclaimed “Listen to the Pope!” and continued, “This year of Mercy has been very well and carefully thought out, the message of Mercy is a hugely important one for the Church
at this time.” ...with that he was off, bounding out of the room in his enthusiasm to return to the lecture hall. So far I have read the first 90 pages of David Payne’s book, and it seems to me that he, like so many of us, is a survivor of the terrible affects this World can sometimes have on our souls. We are very fortunate. David gives a very powerful testimony about the prayers of his Mother when he was a drug
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Angela Sargent writes addict, how she kept giving him religious books; and about the time he and some mates went to a prayer meeting when he was still using, but looking for a way out of his addiction. This led to him being ‘zapped’ by the Holy Spirit, and walking away clean. Even if our testimonies are not so dramatic, we know what God has done in our lives, and we too can maybe remember one person who put us on the right path. Now in the Year of Mercy, we can reach out our hands and be that one person for someone else; help one more person on the first rung of their new ‘clean’ life: a life free of drugs, free of debt, free of sickness, free of obesity. Jesus cured a man born blind, a deaf and dumb man, he even raised the dead to life, and he said “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and he will do even greater works because I am going to the Father.” (Jn 14.12) Your new life can start today too, what part of your life still needs to be healed? But even as you work on that, who else can you help?
If you are outside the Church, learn about how Jesus can cure you, starting today. Christ the King Prayer Group meet at 8.30pm on Tuesdays at St. Bernard’s Church, if you would like to join them call Joanna on 58008446 or Jeannine on 54014042. David Payne’s book ‘ALIVE’ is a simple and entertaining paperback book that will deepen your faith through a mixture of inspiring personal experiences and basic, down to earth teaching. Find it on the CaFE website www.faithcafe.org
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The Eucharistic
Miracle During the Last Supper, Jesus said: “Take this all of you, and eat it ... Take this all of you, and drink from it ... Do this in memory of me”.
European Press Photo Agency Photo: MACIEJ KULCZYNSKI
T
hese words confirm to us that Christ wishes to enter into an intimate relationship with all of us. The Love of God is a real Presence. Jesus wishes to unite Himself with every single person on earth. Those who doubt the existence of God will be able to find the answer in the Eucharist. There is no greater proof of the existence of God than that which can be found in the Blessed Sacrament. This article seeks to inspire the reader to
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have a true understanding of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; of the One Who has given up His Life upon the altar of the Cross for our Redemption. In the Eucharist we have ready access to a great treasure – God Himself Who is always with us. As the author of Deuteronomy writes: “For what other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way The Lord Our God is near us whenever we call to Him?” (Dt. 4:7). Despite this reality, man finds the need to find
proof in nature and matter. Jesus, Who is the Lord of both spirit and matter, sometimes provides the proof man needs to believe in His Real Presence. It is in light of this that I wish to mention two Eucharistic miracles which occurred in Poland – the first in October 2008 in Sokolka, in the north-east; the second on Christmas Day 2013 in Legnica, in the south-east – and which share many similarities. [See Upon This Rock Issue 179] Although these miracles occurred in two different places, the setting was the same. Both happened during the celebration of Mass. During the distribution of Communion, the Blessed Sacrament fell on the floor through lack of care. When this happens, the normal procedure is to pick up the consecrated host and place it inside a vessel containing water, to allow it to dissolve. This was conducted in the proper fashion on both instances, and the vessels placed in a safe place in the Church, as a sign of deep respect for the Presence of God. After some time, it was discovered that the hosts had turned blood-red in colour, which suggests the transformation was supernatural in nature. As is the practice in these cases,
both parish priests notified their bishops, who were ordered to exercise complete discretion of the occurrences until they had been investigated by pathological experts. When they performed a number of tests on the hosts, they discovered that they consisted of flesh from the heart of a 30 year old man in agony. They had therefore found evidence of the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus in a little piece of white bread; proof of the One Who died on the Cross in great agony. We know that at every Mass the Sacrifice of the Cross is made present; the Body and Blood of Jesus is the fruit of His Death on the Cross.
It is amazing that these hosts had turned into real flesh from the heart of a man in agony.
By dying, Christ feeds us with His own Body in order to give us eternal life in Heaven. These events are confirmation that there is no difference between the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Eucharist is contained the whole mystery of Redemption and the reality that Jesus is alive. All of this makes us wonder what it is that Jesus wishes to transmit to us through these signs. Will it bring the Polish people blessing or trial, honour or suffering? Although the Photo: Poland 2008 Eucharistic Miracle. Courtesy Archdiocese of Westminster website
Photo: Close up from the display board shown on this page
Fr. Piotr Gasiorek writes
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Modern Day Miracles answer is not clear, I believe it is a grace for Christians throughout the entire world and, as Christians, we are called to defend our Faith and the great treasure that we possess in the Eucharist. Although we may rejoice from these miracles, we should prepare ourselves to suffer for the Faith.
We thank You, Jesus, for Your Presence among us and for these miracles. Please give us the courage to protect and defend the greatest treasure we have on earth – the Eucharist.
CH
Sponsored by R ISTI A
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US
T
N
MIS
The Christian Mission Trust provides local Christians with donations for evangelistic SI O N TR initiatives and outreaches. The Trust is ecumenical and has provided money to many groups, individuals and churches during the last 12 years. It is run by a Board of Trustees.
We invite applications for funding from anyone who wishes to launch an evangelistic initiative or who needs support for an existing Christian missionary activity. Please write to: The Chairman, Christian Mission Trust, 4 South Pavilion Road, Gibraltar.
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Have you been to a Cursillo weekend?
The Gift of
n ‘During these difficult
times we find ourselves fearing loss of jobs, our homes and the ability to feed our families.’
H
ave you ever wished you could win the lottery, that with the winnings you could live your dreams, you could be happy for the rest of your life and never have to worry or fear for anything? You feel that your problems would be over, your life would be secure, no doubt you will have thought of this at one stage or another. We all dream and fantasise about what it would be like to win the big one “the Euro Million”, but most people who win millions in lottery prizes only exchange one set of worries for another. Lots of money suddenly dropping into their bank account presents them with a new set of challenges. If you were asked to choose between these two, which would you choose, winning the lottery or receiving the divine gift of the Holy Spirit? We look to money for the answers to our daily worries, but God has offered us a gift that will secure us more than we can imagine. If you would pick winning the lottery over receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, you would be making a foolish mistake. There is a sad story on the EuroMillions website. In June 1997 one man thought his
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prayers were answered when he won $31 million on the Texas Jackpot*. Billy Bob had battled with financial problems all his life, jumping from one low paid job to another and spending time on the unemployed list. He always felt that he never provided the support that his wife and children really needed. Suddenly he won millions on the lottery and his life changed. He was no longer in need, he was now in a position to give. He took his family on a long holiday, bought cars for his family and friends, donated thousands of pounds to the church. This type of charity attracts people who look for a hand out and he ended up having to change his phone number several times to escape the endless demands for money. He then made a few bad investment decisions and lost a lot of money. After being separated from his wife just a year after winning the lottery, he took his own life, concluding that “Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me”. It is easy to assume that money is a strength, a power and an answer to our problems, but is isn’t. This man’s life was cut short because riches alone can’t provide wisdom, peace and understanding.
Where did he go wrong? The
lesson
here
is
that
money doesn’t change some fundamental facts of our lives. It can’t buy love, it can’t buy courage and it can’t buy peace of mind. And that is the problem with seeking riches as an answer to our fears. This real life lesson shows us that we need something more than material comforts to live successful and happy lives. We need something more to provide peace of mind, we need the Holy Spirit of God. We should develop our spiritual side first and that will create the sound foundations in our lives that will allow us to enjoy the other things in life. Without developing our spiritual side, we would always have that empty space in our hearts that only God can fill. Some of you may be thinking “What is this Holy Spirit?” Simply put it is the essence of God. The essence of God the Father and Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is a power from God and the way in which He creates, communicates and acts upon and within this world. The Holy Spirit can transform
your life beyond anything that you can imagine and allow you to experience an inner peace and happiness that you never thought was possible.
How can the Cursillo Movement help? The Cursillo Movement provides you with an excellent opportunity to have an encounter with God and receive the Holy Spirit through our Cursillo Weekends. We had a Cursillo Weekend recently for women at the Retreat Centre and after the event one of the leaders involved in the weekend event commented, “Once again the Lord has been good to us and we can now count on another group of women who have had a beautiful encounter with the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy
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by the Cursillo Team Leaders
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Spirit has been felt throughout the weekend”.
Who goes to a Cursillo Weekend?
The event was well attended by women from all walks of life and one of the participants said after the event, “I was quite sceptical about attending, I had heard about the Cursillo and had been invited to attend several times but had always held back. Perhaps not knowing what it entailed, fear of the unknown was my issue, but now I regret not having attended earlier. The talks and the music were beautiful, I felt goose bumps throughout the weekend, I don’t know when but at some stage during those three days the Holy Spirit just absorbed me and my body was just filled with love
and warmth and like some kind of good electricity if there is such a thing. It was like an electrical love hug of proportions I just can’t even imagine”.
One lady’s experience, second time around. Some people think that you can only experience a Cursillo once, this is not so, if it is some years since you attended your Cursillo you can attend again. Over the years we all change, the experiences in life we go through change us and a second Cursillo Weekend can be just as rewarding and in some cases more rewarding than the first. One of the participants of this Cursillo who had experienced her first Cursillo over ten years ago said, “my first Cursillo had a
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massive effect on me and I always wanted to experience it again but I thought that it would be like seeing a film for the second time, not quite the same. How wrong I was, an encounter with the Holy Spirit is always a life changing experience and whilst I knew what the weekend was all about, I was impacted by different aspects that had not impacted me the previous time. If you have a true encounter with the Holy Spirit it cannot fail to affect you and I am really pleased that I decided to go through it a second time, I strongly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it”.
ends every year, the next ones coming up will be held from the 13th October till the 16th October for women and from the 10th till the 13th November for men. If you would like to attend, contact us on 58008885, or send us an email on cursillogibraltar@gmail.com to avoid missing out. We would love to see you there. God Bless Cursillo Team Leaders
* http://www.euro-millions.org/ america/238/
When is the next Cursillo Weekend? The Cursillo Movement organises four Cursillo Week-
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The SURPRISING G I F T S of I N F E R T I L I T Y Steve and I began our marriage just knowing that it wouldn’t be much beyond nine months before we would be holding our own perfect little newborn.
G
ranted we were both 38, but we were both healthy and otherwise “successful” people. And the Natural Family Planning charts we had observed during our engagement looked normal enough. It had been overwhelmingly clear to everyone how our relationship – including the way we had met and gotten engaged – had been part of a divine plan. Surely a brood of our own little
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ones would follow easily and naturally, right? Well, six months of marriage and no pregnancy made us begin to wonder. We took a naturalist approach first – dietary changes and supplements – but that didn’t help. By our first anniversary, we heard about Dr. Tom Hilgers (at the Creighton University School of Medicine) and his newly developing science of NaproTechnology. Not only was he achieving remarkable results with infertile couples, but he
was doing it fully in keeping with Catholic teaching. When I first walked into the waiting room of the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, what first caught my eye was a wall covered with photos of babies, children, parents and families.
What can Catholics do?
infertile
The Catholic Church understands that children are the supreme blessing of a marriage. The church likewise appreciates the great suffering of infertile couples and encourages scientific research and medical care aimed at treating infertility. However, out of deep respect for the true nature and dignity of human sexuality, the church also places certain limits upon this research and care. For instance, treatments that physically
disconnect the sexual act from procreation – such as in vitro fertilization – must be avoided. So what is morally acceptable? It’s anything that assists the reproductive act without replacing it. For instance, many infertile couples get pregnant simply by learning about their cycles of fertility through instruction from a Natural Family Planning instructor. It also is acceptable to receive any care that assists or repairs the reproductive organs. For example, trained FertilityCare practitioners and physicians provide treatment proven to be at least as effective as in vitro while being more humane, less invasive and commonly less costly. Some couples simply will not be able to bear children of their own. The church empathizes
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Family Planning Matters with such couples – like Bridget and me – and encourages them to “unite themselves with the Lord’s Cross, the source of all spiritual fecundity. They can give expression to their generosity by adopting abandoned children or performing demanding services for others.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2379) We felt immediately wrapped in the warmth of a love for life. Nine months after first meeting him and his staff, Steve and I were blessed with the announcement that I was pregnant. As we watched our little one’s heart beat at five weeks, our hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude. That was only to last for a month, however. The next ultrasound showed no heartbeat. Our tiny child had died. The brimming joy of a brand new life all too soon gave way to the numb sorrow of a very early death. But we wanted our joy, not our sorrow, to be our lasting memory and so we named our little one Cause of Our Joy, one of the titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We kept our hope up for a while longer, but as we began progressing through our early 40s, it was dawning on us that we would not likely conceive another child. God was asking us to bear the cross of infertility. Hard as it was to carry, another
words by Bridget Patton photos by Cathy Joyce would be added. We still knew we wanted to be parents, so we turned to adoption. We ended up suffering through not one, but three failed adoption attempts. So, not only could we not conceive a child the normal way, we couldn’t even adopt one the normal way. While we didn’t give up hope of adopting, we decided that while we were waiting, we would provide state-licensed foster care. God was quietly preparing the way. Five years, two months and 17 days into our marriage, we got a call from our assigned caseworker. “We have a newborn girl, will you take her in?” What a little beauty she was: a full shock of hair, eyelashes to die for, elfin eyes and a bubbling, happy spirit. With foster care, when you take a child in you never quite know how long she or he will stay. We had already taken in a boy a few weeks earlier, only to see him leave a month later. But in Krystena’s case, her stay was for life. Within six months, it was clear to the state that it was never going to be safe for her to return to her biological parents, and we were asked if we would adopt her. Oh yes! And so our little Krystena was ours. Jacinta came shortly afterwards. An ob-gyn friend of ours
contacted us out of the blue: She had a birth mom who wanted her child to be adopted and our friend thought, knowing our story, that we would be the right fit. Was she ever right! We were introduced to Jacinta’s biological mother when Jacinta was five months old in her mother’s womb. God had cleared the way for our dear little, darkeyed and deep spirited Jacinta to be placed in our arms at birth. Before we knew it we were a family of four, and it had happened in ways we could never have imagined or even prayed for at the beginning of our marriage. But God wasn’t finished with us yet. Six years later, having already turned 50, God stirred within Steve’s and my hearts. We decided, “Let’s welcome one more.” We reactivated as foster parents and asked for a boy under two. We first took care of an 8 month old boy for about a month and then we welcomed in a 15 month old. He was sick and scared when he arrived, but after several weeks of good meals and loads of “TLC” – which the four of us were delighted to give – he emerged as a spunky and bright little boy. And, as with Krystena years
earlier, we were soon asked if we would be willing to adopt him. Again, yes! And so he became our Dominic. What is the moral of our story? Children are gifts freely given by God. We can and should ask him for these gifts, but we can never expect him to give them – not in the way that we might have expected. That is the nature of a gift. Naturally conceived children are God’s normal gift for married couples, but with some couples that is not his plan. But even if God might not give his gifts to these couples in the normal way – in the way they might have expected – he still wishes to give gifts to them. Steve and I cannot imagine how a family with three naturally conceived children could be any happier and more grateful than we are with our three adopted ones. But we could never have known that when we began our journey together as a married couple. First published in the Catholic Herald. Nov/Dec 2011 www.diocese-sacramento.org – Stephen Patton is associate director for family and respect life ministries for the Diocese of Sacramento.
If you are interested in Natural Family Planning, talk to Dr. Monique Risso Dr. Risso MB ChB MRCGP General Practitioner. The Creighton Model Fertility Care System Practitioner, and NaPro Technology Physician. The Specialist Medical Clinic, Unit 7, First Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49999. www.ladyofeuropefertilitycare.com
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