APPEAL FOR A CONSACRATED LIFE

APPEAL FOR A CONSACRATED LIFE
James Manjackal MSFS

"The consecrated life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to His church through the Holy Spirit....In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father's call and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, have chosen special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to Him with an 'undivided' heart" (pope John Paul II, Vita Consacrata, Introduction)

CHARIS MARIAN COVENANT COMMUNITY

When I founded and started a retreat centre in Kerala, India in 1989 by name “Charis Bhavan“, the Lord inspired me to form a community of consecrated single women. Now they are known as Charis Marian Maids, an apostolic community in the dioceses of Vijajapuram, Kottayam, Kerala. I left India in the year 1996 for Europe for New Evangelization in response to the call of the Popes, especially Holy Father John Paul II. In 2002 my congregation, Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales, officially set me apart for the New Evangelization. I have preached several retreats, healing seminars and conventions in all European countries, both in the East and West and elsewhere in other continents and countries like: USA, South America, Canada, Australia, Africa, etc.

Ever since I left India and started preaching in Europe, the Lord Jesus was telling me to gather and form a non formal community of consecrated people all over the world. In the Bible we see that the Israelites were called a covenant people. As a symbol of their commitment to the Lord, they always carried the Ark of the Covenant with them. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments, a part of the Manna given in the desert and the rod of Aaron that blossomed (Heb 9: 4). Now the Lord is telling me to form an Ark made up of people of various categories like singles, married couples, divorcees, widows and widowers who are ready to consecrate their lives to the Lord in living a holy life by keeping the Commandments of the Lord and the Church, being highly devoted to the Holy Eucharist, the life giving Manna, in full obedience to the Holy Father the Pope, the Aaron of today.

We know that at the second coming of Jesus Christ, He will gather all who belong to Him and hand them over to His Father and our Father in heaven (I Cor 15, 24). Although we don't know the time of His second coming, we have certain signs of His coming, hence reading the signs of the times, we must be prepared to belong to Jesus and His Kingdom that will be handed over to the Heavenly Father. It is Mary, the Mother of God, who brought Jesus on earth for the first time, now she is preparing the world by various messages of repentance, penance and prayers through Her many visions and apparitions all over the world for the second coming of Her Son. So it is time for us to gather as many people as possible for the Kingdom of Christ.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the greatest model of consecrated life. She was full of grace and she had given her life totally to the Lord and it is under Her guidance that the first Christian community started in Jerusalem (Acts 1: 14).

Aim

To set apart life for holiness which is God's will for all. “This is God's will for you, your holiness" (I Thess 4: 3).
Because sin is increasing in the world, God's heart is grieved, humanity and the planet are in peril. A great number of holy people will be the safety for the world (Wis 6: 24)

Category of people

The unmarried, the married couples, the divorcees, the widows and widowers who have decided to live alone for the Lord and His Kingdom.
The married couples are allowed to consecrate themselves only together (husband and wife), one partner alone is not allowed.
Priests and nuns and those already consecrated individually or in a community are free to join.

Eligibility

All those who wholeheartedly aspire and decide to live a holy life in their state of life according to the teachings of the Bible and the holy mother the Church.
Age and physical deformities do not exclude anyone but those suffering of mental disorders are excluded because a healthy and sound mind is necessary to response to God's call to holiness.

Rules

Strict observation of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of the Catholic Church found in the holy Bible and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Those who consecrate themselves to the Lord should participate in the Holy Mass daily, find some time to pray alone (personal prayer), recite the Holy Rosary everyday and set apart some time to read the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Other devotions like Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, chaplet of the Divine Mercy, various novenas, fasting, tithing, etc. are encouraged.

Vows (commitment)

Individually or collectively, taken in conscience before the Living Lord for a life of holiness. The vows will be binding one's conscience, but will not be regulated by external rules or coercion. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that calls one to this special type of life and He will be the driving force to live a holy life because He is the sanctifier.

Apostolate

To pray, to intercede and to do penance for the conversion of sinners.
To evangelize by personal encounter and witnessing, by organizing programs for evangelization, by leading prayer groups, by helping the poor and the needy and finally to tell many people about this way of life and to bring them to the “Ark of the Covenant".

Director

Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit
As it is a society of human persons it needs a human person to guide
For the time being Fr. James Manjackal will be the servant of Jesus to gather and to guide, he will only be a servant not a director.

Patron

The Blessed Virgin Mary of the compassionate Heart (Mother of Sorrows)

Advise of Pope John Paul II to the consecrated women and men in Vita Consecrata No. 109
“Dear consecrated women and men: I appeal with trust; live to the full your dedication to God, so that this world may never be without a ray of divine beauty to lighten the path of human existence. Christians, immersed in the cares and concerns of this world but also called to holiness, need to discover in you purified hearts which in faith 'see' God, people docile to the working of the Holy Spirit who resolutely press on in fidelity to the charism of their call and mission. The world and the church seek authentic witnesses to Christ. And the consecrated life is a gift which God offers in order that everyone can recognize the 'one thing necessary' (Lk 10: 42), to bear witness to Christ by one's life, works and words in the particular mission of the consecrated life in the church and in the world.

Consecrated men and women, old and young alike, live faithfully your commitment to God, in mutual edification and mutual support. Despite the difficulties you may occasionally encounter, and despite the lessening of esteem for the consecrated life in certain quarters, you have the task of once more inviting the men and women of our time to lift their eyes, not to let themselves to be overwhelmed by everyday things, to let themselves be captivated by the fascination of God and of His Son's Gospel. Do not forget that you, in a very special way, can and must say that you not only belong to Christ but that 'you have become Christ'.

News

Gaby Landauro already started this way of life on the 31st. of October 2011 by consecrating her life to the Lord Jesus in the holy Mass offered by Fr. James Manjackal and receiving a ring as a sign of consecration.

In case of doubt, explanation, clarification or any futher information, please do not hesitate to contact by email to charismcc2012@gmail.com

THINK, PRAY, DISCERN, DECIDE AND JOIN

(All those who know English, PLEASE WRITE IN ENGLISH)

Application Form

Name

Surname

Other Names

Date of birth (age)

Postal Address

Country

Email

Telephone (both land and mobile with the international code)

Status (choose one):
Married
Unmarried
Already consecrated (even priests or nuns)
Divorcee
Widow
Widower
For how long are you in the choosen status?

The languages that you know.

Write the following personally
I, .(name), the married couples (we) (names of husband and wife), after much prayer and reflexion, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, decide to join the Charis Marian Covenant Community to live forever a holy life according to the will of God.

Once the applications have reached, they will be processed according to the language and country, and they will be gathered in their own regions by Fr. James Manjackal. More details later.

Testimony of Gisèle Bonal

Dear Father James,

On this feast of Saint Francis de Sales, I am pleased to let you know of the important changes in my spiritual and apostolic life since my consecration to the Heart of Jesus.

During your illness I was feeling very close with all the persons registered to Jericho worldwide; it was even impressive to be registered among all those foreign names of the entire globe…this was like an immense mutual support. That is why I was feeling ready to join in the “Community of Alliance Charis Marian” that you founded and now growing internationally.

Every morning when praying alone, in the stillness of the night, at some point, I feel very close with this Community and to the two persons who have declared their consecration at the same time as I: Christiane and Huberte, and to those thousand soldiers of Christ (*) who pray for you. At times I feel like being carried among those persons… (*) When I was offering you this prayer since 15 September 2010 I was only doing it out of a sense of duty in order to assist a priest in his “dangerous” mission. Today this prayer has taken another level.

During several years at Versailles I was providing assistance for the monthly adoration night in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In reaching the Sanctuary of Notre Dame de Montligeon, I was solicited by a priest to organize a night vigil that he was conducting on the 1st Friday of the month. I saw in this a sign of Jesus in honour of his Sacred Heart.

All was going well but since about two years ago I felt a lack of motivation with a feeling of reject and contempt…even going to the extent of cancelling several times, for various reasons, my involvement in the vigil …( nobody is to be blamed, surely a devil’s scheme). Last month I suggested a beautiful meditation, the vigil was very prayerful; I felt an immense joy in my heart and a strong desire to reinvigorate this vigil.

If I ask Christ’s help through His Holy Spirit, I am very calm and collected and I can deliver a virtually perfect speech, this is what I noticed when I discuss sensitive matters with people in hardship, wherein the need to be very careful to what I say. Impressive!

My trials and tribulations are now being experienced at a different level, notably with more confidence. Many things have become clear and have taken form pretty much in my spiritual, apostolic life.

Dear Father James, I am convinced that all this is the result of my consecration.

Quiet frankly, I feel like shouting to all women worldwide who do not have husbands or who do not have them anymore, to devote their life to the Lord according to the rules of your Foundation “Charis Marian”. This is precisely what they need to do, in continuity to familial, professional, apostolic life…
and aware of being consecrated to God, living a holy life and united to a very large and consecrated family.

For a lone woman in my position, living fully a spiritual, professional and apostolic life I consider your foundation to be providential.

I speak out of personal experience as I had a relatively comfortable, half worldly life, with my architect husband, it was wonderful…

While appreciating and honouring all the good and the beautiful that my married, familial and professional life brought to me, I can say that nothing is comparable to this simple and humble life with Jesus and all of Heaven.

May this testimony, dear Father, tells you how I believe your Foundation to be wholly inspired by the Lord in this period where families, couples are divided, resulting for many in the lost of the true values and who are themselves more or less lost. And there are so many women who are alone.

Dear Father James, I am very grateful to you when on that day at Piding you suggested that I consecrate myself to your Foundation.

May God bless you abundantly for all that you are offering HIM for the salvation of souls, for all your courageous acts accomplished at the cost of so much pain.
January 24th, 2015/Gisèle Bonal

PHOTOS

Testimony of Maria Pastorkova

My dear papa James,

I´m sending you my best regards .

Many beautiful memories connected to the moment of my consecration fill up my heart – this day, a month ago, it was the day of it – 14th June. I would like to write you about this day - what it meant to me. I wanted to write to you earlier but I had no computer for a few weeks. And there is another thing – every time I write to you, I have to have somebody to interpret for me.

It is just now when I start to understand what the community is. I have been by myself so far – but after that moment – especially during my praying – I feel (perceive) you, father, and other members of our community; I really have the feeling of your and their presence with me. During the holy mass, in all my prayers, in everything I do during the day – I am always in connection with you and our brothers and sisters from our community.

My consecration drives me forward. I was afraid of entering the community because of the fact that I might not be able to follow the rules. But if I waited until I was perfect, I would never do this step. I realize that I didn´t come in to the community as the saint – but because I want to become saint. I didn´t enter the community because I am sure I can live the rules – but because I do want to learn how to live them.

Before the moment of my consecration I had often given up or got discouraged when some obstacles had come. After it I am driven to fight them. The act of my consecration was a very precious moment for me although I was really shy because of such amount of people around.

I thank you from all my heart for your father-like love and welcome. These days I perceive you more as my father – spiritual father. I left my personal contact infos in the envelope with Richie – you must have got it because you wrote an e-mail to me. Though I think that you didn´t know who I was – the email was just to thank for the donation.

I sent you an sms to you, too - you might not have had and that´s why I´m sending my contact infos to you again:

Maria Pastorkova,
Suja 106,
01501 Rajec,
Slovakia;
tel. number: 00421944300319
e-mail: maruskaterezka@gmail.com

Thank you for all your kindness. May our loving God give you a lot of health and strength so that you will be able to fulfil the mission you got. May the Living Lord Jesus be always
with you with His richest blessings, too. :-)

Love,

Maria, CHMCC, Slovakia

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