Published in16.08.2018 
Bóg jest święty

W Roku Jubileuszowym w rokitniańskim sanktuarium Matki Bożej Cierpliwie Słuchającej ojciec James Manjackal poprowadził 16 sierpnia spotkanie rekolekcyjno-modlitewne.

Ojciec James Manjackal w Rokitnie
KS. MARCIN SIEWRUK /FOTO GOŚĆ

Bądźcie święci, jak Bóg jest święty – zacytowałem wam dokument pierwszego papieża św. Piotra. Wiem, że Polacy mają szacunek do dokumentów papieskich – zwracał się do uczestników rekolekcji o. James. Indyjski charyzmatyk wraz ze towarzyszącą mu ekipą był w Rokitnie, obchodzącym Rok Jubileuszowy Pani Rokitniańskiej, po raz pierwszy i zwrócił uwagę, że rokitniańskie sanktuarium jest wyjątkowym miejscem łaski, w którym Maryja wstawia się za wierzącymi. Podczas spotkania odbyły się dwie konferencje, Eucharystia oraz Adoracja Najświętszego Sakramentu połączona z modlitwą wstawienniczą, zakończoną Apelem Maryjnym.

Ojciec Manjackal przypomniał, że wielu Polaków pisze do niego listy i maile z prośbą o modlitwę w ich intencjach. – Czytam: ojcze, mój mąż, dzieci nie mają wiary. W mojej rodzinie trzy osoby zachorowały na raka. Moje dzieci wzięły ślub, ale nie mogą doczekać się potomstwa, albo mam trójkę dzieci, ale żadne z nich nie może znaleźć swojej drugiej połówki. Jestem lekarzem i nie mogę znaleźć pracy. Jestem w depresji, nie mam pieniędzy, chcę popełnić samobójstwo. Lista waszych intencji jest jeszcze dłuższa i dzisiaj Pan odpowiada na wszystkie wasze potrzeby. Uświęćcie się dziś, bo jutro Pan sprawi cuda wśród was. Modlimy się do Boga, konkretnie do Jezusa. A kim jest Bóg, jest święty. Wszyscy jesteśmy stworzeni na obraz Boga. Jaki jest obraz Boga? Bóg jest święty, jest dobry i Bóg stworzył mnie i ciebie na taki obraz. Bóg jest także miłością i w tym duchu Bóg nas stworzył – mówił ojciec James Manjackal.

Indyjski duchowny zwracał uwagę, jak wielu katolików nie zdaje sobie sprawy, że Bóg nie może wysłuchać modlitwy grzeszników i pytał czy podczas spowiedzi wyznawane są wszystkie grzechy? Bo można zewnętrznie być dobrym katolikiem, przystępującym systematycznie do spowiedzi i przyjmującym Komunię św., ale jednocześnie, nie wyznającym jakiegoś grzechu, nie żałującym szczerze za grzech przeciwko Bogu. Aby Bóg mógł działać potrzeba nawrócenia, uświęcenia. W geście modlitwy nie ma sensu wyciągać rąk nad skałą, a tylko nad kochającym Boga sercem.

Published in16.08.2018 

Google's translation

God is holy!

During the JubileeYear at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Rokytnia, Father James Manjackal led a retreat and prayer meeting on August 16th

Father James Manjackal in Rokitno

KS. MARCIN SIEWRUK / PHOTO GOŚĆ

Be holy, as God is holy - I have quoted you the document of the first Pope, Saint Peter. I know that the Poles have a respect for papal documents - Fr. James addressed the participants of the retreat. The Indian charismatic along with its accompanying team was in Rokitno, celebrating Rokitniańska's Jubilee Year, for the first time and pointed out that the Rokitniański sanctuary is a unique place of grace in which Mary intercedes for the believers. During the meeting, two conferences, Eucharist and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament took place, combined with intercessory prayer, culminating in the Marian Appeal.

Father Manjackal reminded us that many Poles write letters and e-mails to him asking them to pray for their intentions. - I read: father, my husband, children have no faith. Three people have cancer in my family. My children got married, but they can not wait for the offspring, or I have three children, but none of them can find their other half. I am a doctor and I can not find a job. I'm depressed, I have no money, I want to commit suicide. The list of your intentions is even longer and today the Lord answers all your needs. Sanctify today, because tomorrow the Lord will work miracles among you. We pray to God, specifically to Jesus. And who God is, He is holy. We are all created in the image of God. What is the image of God? God is holy, He is good and God has created me and you for such an image. God is also love and in this Spirit God created us - said Father James Manjackal.

An Indian cleric pointed out how many Catholics do not realize that God can not hear the prayers of sinners and asked if all sins werw confessed during confession? 
For one can be a good Catholic externally, who systematically confesses and receives Holy Communion, but at the same time, not confessing any sin, not sincerely repenting of sin against God. For God to act, there is a need for conversion, sanctification. In a gesture of prayer, there is no point in extending one's hands, but only over the loving God's Heart.

Published in29.07.2018 
Moja świętość! Alleluja!

Tak odpowiadało kilka tysięcy osób na słowa o. Jamesa Manjackala w Oborach.

KS. WŁODZIMIERZ PIĘTKA /FOTO GOŚĆ
DODANE 29.07.2018 23:30

Mimo upału, do Matki Bożej Bolesnej przybyło bardzo wiele grup pielgrzymkowych. Modlili się przed cudowną pietą, chętnie się spowiadali, prosili o błogosławieństwo o. Jamesa i chcieli dzielić się swym świadectwem. W tym tłumie ludzi widać było jakąś determinację, aby trwać, słuchać, modlić się i wielbić Pana. A charyzmatyk z Indii pomagał im w tym, i pytał: - Popatrzcie na pietę z Obór i zastanówcie się, co widzi Maryja, gdy patrzy na ciało martwego Jezusa? Widzi Go umarłego, ale też zmartwychwstałego, widzi Kościół, który jest Jego mistycznym ciałem, i widzi tych, którzy odchodzą od wiary i miłości. To nad nimi płacze dziś Maryja - wyjaśniał o. James.

Przekonywał zgromadzonych o współcierpieniu Matki Bożej i jej uczestnictwie w smutkach i troskach ludzi współczesnych. - Tak, ona się smuci tymi, którzy żyją w grzechach, zwłaszcza smucą ją księża żyjący bez łaski uświęcającej. Bardzo smuci ją każdy, kto wchodzi w stan potępienia, kto żyje w niemoralności i rozpuście - akcentował.

Jak więc pocieszyć Maryję i w jaki sposób ocierać jej łzy? Przez takie i podobne pytania, przez zachętę, aby wpatrywać się w oborską pietę i przede wszystkim słuchać słowa Bożego, o. Manjackal angażował zgromadzonych, aby odpowiedzieli na zasadnicze pytanie: "jaka jest wola Boża dla was?". A wszyscy gromko odpowiadali: "Moja świętość! Alleluja!".

- Nie pójdziesz do nieba odmawiając tylko wiele różańców, ale wypełniając wolę Bożą - akcentował charyzmatyk, i zachęcał do modlitwy wewnętrznej, aby "sercem mówić do Jezusa i Maryi, i aby z dłonią na sercu podjąć dobre i święte decyzje. - Niech zstąpi ogień Ducha Świętego na to miejsce i na wszystkich Polaków! - zakończył swą katechezę o. James Majackal.

Charyzmatykowi w czasie spotkania w Oborach towarzyszył m.in. o. Abraham Vettuvelil, generał zgromadzenia Misjonarzy św. Franciszka Salezego, do którego należy o. James. W czasie Mszy św. to on wygłosił kazanie. Z mocą podkreślał, że "duchowość Ewangelii dotyczy tego, co dzieje się z człowiekiem po upadku". - Twój grzech niech nie będzie tragedią, lecz nauczycielem. Niech on ciebie uczy, że jesteś słaby i że sam sobie nie poradzisz. Dopiero, gdy oddasz Bogu to, co jest ważne i wartościowe w twoim życiu, On wreszcie zacznie działać. Tak właśnie uczyniła Maryja, gdy "stała pod krzyżem".

Kaznodzieja mówił o postawie Maryi, która była pełna nadziei, otwarta na Bożą mądrość i działanie, posłuszna i gotowa, aby cierpieć. Przestrzegał zgromadzonych nie byli "chrześcijanami krótkodystansowymi", aby nie byli dobrzy i pobożni tylko w kościele.

W spotkaniu uczestniczyli m.in. pielgrzymi z Płocka, Obrytego i Karniewa, żeby wymienić tylko niektóre grup z pielgrzymów, które przybyły z różnych części Polski.

Published in29.07.2018 

Google's translation

My holiness! Alleluia!

A charismatic from India, Fr. James Manjackal at the meeting of prayer and evangelization at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows.

KS. WŁODZIMIERZ PIĘTKA /FOTO GOŚĆ
DODANE 29.07.2018 23:30

That's how several thousand people answered the words of Father James Manjackal in Obory.

Despite the heat, many pilgrim groups came to Our Lady of Sorrows. They prayed in front of the miraculous foot, eagerly confessed, asked for Fr. James's blessing, and wanted to share their testimony. In this crowd of people one could see some determination to abide, to listen, to pray and to worship the Lord. And the Indian charismatic helped and asked them: - Look at the Pietà in Obory and think about what Mary sees when she looks at the body of the dead Jesus? He sees him dead but also resurrected, he sees the Church, who is his mystical body, and he sees those who depart from faith and love. It is Mary who cries about them today," Fr. James explained.

He persuaded the attendees about Our Lady's co-suffering and participation in the sorrows and worries of contemporary people. "Yes, She is saddened by those who live in sin, especially by the priests who live without sanctifying grace. It is very saddening for anyone who enters the state of condemnation, who lives in immorality and debauchery" he stressed.

So how do we comfort Mary and how do we rub her tears? By these and similar questions, by encouraging us to look at the Pietá and, above all, listen to God's word, Father Manjackal engaged those present to answer the fundamental question, "What is God's will for you? And all of them responded with boldness: "My holiness! Alleluia!"

- You will not go to heaven just praylng many rosaries, but doing the God's will," emphasized the charismatic, and encouraged inner prayer, "to speak with your heart to Jesus and Mary, and to make good and holy decisions with your hand on your heart. - Let the fire of the Holy Spirit come down on this place and on all Poles! - He finished his catechesis. James Majackal.

During the meeting in Obory, the charismatician was accompanied by, among others, Fr. Abraham Vettuvelil, General of the Congregation of Missionaries of St. Francis Sales, to which Father James belongs. During the Mass he preached. He insisted that "the spirituality of the Gospel concerns what happens to man after his fall". - Let your sin not be a tragedy, but a teacher. Let him teach you that you are weak and that you will not be able to cope on your own. Only when you give to God what is important and valuable in your life will He finally begin to act. This is what Mary did when she "stood under the cross".

The preacher spoke of Mary's attitude, which was full of hope, open to God's wisdom and action, obedient and ready to suffer. He warned the congregation not to be "short-distance Christians", so that they would not be good or pious only in the church.

The meeting was attended by pilgrims from Płock, Obryte and Karniewo, to name but a few groups from pilgrims who came from different parts of Poland 

30.07.2018 

28 lipca br. O. James Manjackal MSFS po raz piąty poprowadził Spotkanie modlitewno - ewangelizacyjne w Sanktuarium M.B. Bolesnej w Oborach

Spotkanie na placu przed oborskim sanktuarium Matki Bożej Bolesnej zgromadziło pielgrzymów przybyłych w ponad 70 grupach autokarowych z całej Polski oraz wielu przybyłych prywatnymi samochodami, także z innych krajów. O. James Manjackal, Papieski Misjonarz Miłosierdzia ze Zgromadzenia Misjonarzy Św. Franciszka Salezego z Południowo - Zachodniej Prowincji Indii, w pierwszej części spotkania wygłosił konferencję, a w drugiej części poprowadził Adorację Najświętszego Sakramentu z charyzmatyczną modlitwą o uzdrowienie duszy i ciała. Homilię podczas Mszy świętej koncelebrowanej wygłosił O. dr. Abraham Vettuvelil MSFS z Rzymu, Superior Generalny Zgromadzenia Misjonarzy Św. Franciszka Salezego. Dwie poruszające konferencje wygłosił także dr Ricardo (Richie) Febres Landauro, lekarz rodzinny o. Jamesa. Wielu kapłanów przez długie godziny słuchało spowiedzi świętej. W programie spotkania znalazła się także wspólna modlitwa różańcowa i ceremonia uroczystego przyjęcia Szkaplerza Matki Bożej z Góry Karmel. Wszystkim, którzy pomogli w zorganizowania spotkania z serca dziękujemy i polecamy czułej opiece naszej Niebieskiej Matki - Ojcowie Karmelici. 

30.07.2018 

July 28 this year Father James Manjackal MSFS led the prayer and evangelization meeting
at the Our Lady of Sorrows in Obory for the fifth time. 

The meeting in the square in front of the sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows in Obory gathered pilgrims who arrived in over 70 coach groups from all over Poland and many arrived in private cars, also from other countries. Father James Manjackal, Pontifical Missionary of Mercy from the Congregation of Missionaries St. Francis de Sales from the South-West Province of India, in the first part of the meeting gave a conference, and in the second part he led the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with a charismatic prayer for healing the soul and body. The homily during the concelebration Mass was delivered by Fr. Abraham Vettuvelil MSFS from Rome, Superior General of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Franciszek Saleis. Two moving conferences were also given by Dr. Ricardo (Richie) Febres Landauro, Father James's family doctor. Many priests have been listening to confessions for hours. The program of the meeting also included the common prayer of the Rosary and the ceremony of the solemn reception of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We would like to thank all those who helped in organizing the meeting from the heart and recommend the loving protection of our Heavenly Mother - Carmelite Fathers

Published in14.04.2018 

Bóg stworzył człowieka w rodzinie i zbawia człowieka w rodzinie

O. James Manjackal we Wrocławiu poprowadził rekolekcje małżeńskie

- MĄŻ I ŻONA UDOSKONALAJĄ SIEBIE NAWZAJEM, OBOJE STARAJĄ SIĘ O SWOJĄ ŚWIĘTOŚĆ. OBRAZ BOŻY WIDZIANY JEST W CAŁEJ DOSKONAŁOŚCI POPRZEZ MAŁŻEŃSTWO MĘŻCZYZNY I KOBIETY - MÓWIŁ PODCZAS REKOLEKCJI DLA MAŁŻEŃSTW WE WROCŁAWIU O. JAMES MANJACKAL.

- Mąż i żona udoskonalają siebie nawzajem, oboje starają się o swoją świętość. Obraz Boży widziany jest w całej doskonałości poprzez małżeństwo mężczyzny i kobiety - mówił podczas rekolekcji dla małżeństw we Wrocławiu o. James Manjackal.

Hinduski kaznodzieja charyzmatyczny prowadził w stolicy Dolnego Śląska trzydniowe rekolekcje dla par małżeńskich pod hasłem: „Błogosławieni, którzy wezwani są na ucztę Godów Baranka”.

- Modlę się za wszystkie pary małżeńskie w Polsce. Panie, zjednocz i uświęć te rodziny. Ty wiesz, ile jest różnych rozłamów w rodzinach, ale teraz odbudowujemy Polskę według katolickich wartości. Odbuduj fundamenty tego kraju, chcemy kraju bez rozwodów, bez aborcji. Uświęć, Panie, nasz kraj i każdą rodzinę - rozpoczął rekolekcje o. Manjackal.

Jak przyznał, po raz pierwszy głosi rekolekcje we Wrocławiu, choć już kilka razy przejeżdżał przez to miasto. Po krótkiej sondzie okazało się, że zdecydowana większość uczestników rekolekcji modliła się już na różnych wydarzeniach z o. Jamesem.

- Pracuję w centrum modlitewnym w stanie Kerala w Indiach. To centrum Ruchu Odnowy w Duchu Świętym, które założyłem 28 lat temu. Przez 5 lat byłem nie tylko założycielem, ale także dyrektorem. Wcześniej wykładałem w seminarium, a później, kiedy zostałem ochrzczony w Duchu Świętym, zostawiłem to i całkowicie poświęciłem się głoszeniu słowa - opowiadał kaznodzieja.

Przypomniał wezwanie papieży Jana Pawła II i Benedykta XVI do nowej ewangelizacji. - Wtedy moje zgromadzenie wysłało mnie na ewangelizację świata. Pan Bóg przez moich przełożonych powiedział mi, że mam pojechać do Europy - oświadczył o. Manjackal.

Tłumaczył, że nie są to charyzmatyczne rekolekcje, ale specjalne, dla par małżeńskich. - Wiemy, że możemy mówić o wielu charyzmatach. Charyzmacie śpiewu, uzdrawiania, uwalniania. Ja tutaj będę się skupiał tylko na jednym charyzmacie: małżeńskim. Moją intencją główną nie jest uzdrowienie fizyczne ani skłonienie was do prorokowania czy modlenia się językami. Moim celem jest to, żebyście żyli razem w jedności i świętości, więc będę wam pomagał, abyście żyli w pełni powołania, którym obdarzył was Bóg - mówił do uczestników rekolekcji.

Jak stwierdził, bardzo się cieszy, że ma szansę głoszenia rekolekcji małżeńskich w Europie, gdzie średnio połowa małżeństw kończy się rozwodem. - Np. w Austrii ta statystyka wynosi aż 65 proc, a w Niemczech, gdzie mieszkam, to 56 proc. Cieszę się, widząc szczególnie doświadczone pary małżeńskie. Całe niebiosa i Bóg wszechmogący radują się z waszego powodu. Bóg, który was powołał do jedności i który was złączył, On też wezwał was na te rekolekcje - podkreślił o. James.

Apelował, by uczestnicy modlili się także za swoje rodziny, za swoje dzieci i wnuki. - Jesteście pełnymi mocy Polakami. Bądźcie potężni. Nasze rodziny powinny być mocne i potężne w Duchu Świętym. Bóg stworzył człowieka w rodzinie i zbawia człowieka w rodzinie - nauczał o. Manjackal.

I to jest widoczne w Piśmie Świętym w pierwszej księdze - Księdze Rodzaju. Tam czytamy: „Stworzył więc Bóg człowieka na swój obraz. Na obraz Boży go stworzył. Stworzył mężczyznę i niewiastę”. - Po pierwsze, Bóg jest miłością. Po drugie, Bóg jest święty. Po trzecie, Bóg jest dobry. To trzy główne cechy charakterystyczne Boga. A ty i ja zostaliśmy stworzeni na to podobieństwo i taki właśnie charakter po Bogu odziedziczyliśmy. Każdy człowiek powinien w stanie powiedzieć: jestem stworzony z miłości, w świętości i jestem stworzony jako dobry - mówił kaznodzieja.

Wyjaśniał, że kiedy mężczyzna i kobieta są razem, tworzą rodzinę. To dlatego Bóg stworzył ludzkość jako rodzinę. Św. Jan Paweł II mówił, że według katechizmu, sakrament małżeństwa został wymieniony jako ostatni, ale według priorytetów - jest pierwszy.

Kiedy zaistniało pierwsze małżeństwo nie było kapłanów, biskupów, nie było chrztu, itd. Pierwszym sakramentem w Biblii jest zatem małżeństwo. - Zobaczmy, jak ważny okazuje się sakrament małżeństwa. Pełen obraz Boży jest widzialny w kobiecie i mężczyźnie razem, a nie w jednym z nich. Bóg powiedział też, że niedobrze, by człowiek był sam - zwrócił uwagę hinduski kapłan. - Pierwotnym planem Boga wobec ludzkości był jej rozwój w rodzinach. Bo kiedy mąż i żona żyją razem, żyją dla świętości. Pamiętajcie o dwóch ideałach życia chrześcijańskiego - uczulał o. Manjackal.

Pierwszy ideał to: "Bądźcie więc wy doskonali, jak doskonały jest Ojciec wasz niebieski" (Mt 5,48). - Jak ja mogę być doskonały jak Bóg? Ale po to On ci dał partnera życiowego, abyś ze swoim współmałżonkiem się doskonalił. A więc mąż i żona udoskonalają siebie nawzajem, oboje starają się o swoją świętość. Zaś pierwszy papież, św. Piotr, powiedział: "Bądźcie święci, jak Bóg jest święty". To dwa ideały Boga przekazane ludzkości - tłumaczył kaznodzieja.

Zaznaczył, że obraz Boży widziany jest w całej doskonałości poprzez małżeństwo mężczyzny i kobiety. - Moi drodzy mężowie, Bóg podarował wam wasze żony po to, byście poprzez nie stawali się święci. Moje drogie żony, Bóg dał wam waszych mężów, byście się uświęcały poprzez nich. I byście obydwoje zostali zbawieni. Pierwszą intencją Boga wobec nas nie jest nasze zdrowie, pieniądze, bogactwo, ale zbawienia - stwierdził o. James.

Jak dodał, mamy być zbawienia poprzez krew Chrystusa, którą przelał za nas, i jest to możliwe w życiu małżeńskim. - Żadne zwierzę nie wystarczała człowiekowi. I wiecie, co się wtedy działo? Pan Bóg był pierwszym anestezjologiem. Zesłał głęboki sen na Adama i w czasie tego procesu anestezjologicznego wyjął mu jedno żebro i stworzył z niego kobietę - oświadczył żartobliwie kapłan. 

Published in14.04.2018 

Google's translation

God created man in the family and saves man in the family

The Indian charismatic preacher ran a three-day retreat for married couples in the capital of Lower Silesia under the slogan: "Blessed are those who are called to the feast of the Mating of the Lamb."

- I am praying for all married couples in Poland. Lord, unite and sanctify these families. You know how many divisions there are in families, but now we are rebuilding Poland according to Catholic values. Rebuild the foundations of this country, we want a country without divorce, without abortion. Sanctify, Lord, our country and every family - began the retreat of Father Manjackal.

As he admitted, he preaches the retreat in Wrocław for the first time, although he passed through this city several times. After a short probe, it turned out that the vast majority of participants of the retreat had already prayed at various events with Father James.

- I work in a prayer center in the state of Kerala in India. This is the center of the Holy Spirit Renewal Movement that I founded 28 years ago. For 5 years, I was not only a founder, but also a director. Earlier, I lectured at the seminary, and later, when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I left it and completely dedicated myself to preaching the word - the preacher said.

He recalled the call of popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI for a new evangelization. - Then my congregation sent me to evangelize the world. God, my superiors, told me that I should go to Europe, "Fr. Manjackal declared.

He explained that they are not a charismatic retreat, but special for married couples. - We know that we can talk about many charisms. Charism of singing, healing, and releasing. I will focus here only on one charism: marital. My main intention is not physical healing or making you prophesy or pray in tongues. My goal is that you live together in unity and holiness, so I will help you to live in the fullness of the calling that God has given you - he told the participants of the retreat.

As he said, he is very happy that he has a chance to preach a marriage retreat in Europe, where on average half of marriages end in divorce. - For example, in Austria, this statistic is as much as 65 percent, and in Germany, where I live, it is 56 percent. I am glad to see especially experienced couples. All the heavens and God Almighty rejoice because of You. God, who called you to unity and who united you, he also called you for this retreat - said Father James.

He appealed for the participants to pray for their families, for their children and grandchildren. - You are full of power Poles. Be powerful. Our families should be strong and powerful in the Holy Spirit. God created man in the family and saves man in the family - taught Father Manjackal.

And this is evident in the Scriptures in the first book - Genesis. There, we read: "God created man in his image. He created him in the image of God. He created a man and a woman. " - First, God is love. Second, God is holy. Third, God is good. These are the three main characteristics of God. And you and I have been created for this likeness and we have inherited this character from God. Everyone should be able to say: I am created out of love, in holiness and I am created as good - said the preacher.

He explained that when a man and a woman are together, they form a family. That is why God created humanity as a family. St. John Paul II said that according to the catechism, the sacrament of marriage was mentioned last, but according to priorities - it is the first.

When the first marriage occurred there were no priests, bishops, no baptism, etc. The first sacrament in the Bible is therefore marriage. - Let's see how important the sacrament of marriage turns out to be. The full picture of God is visible in a woman and a man together, not in one of them. God also said it was unfortunate that man would be alone, the Hindu priest pointed out. - God's original plan for humanity was its development in families. Because when husband and wife live together, they live for holiness. Remember the two ideals of Christian life - Father Manjackal was sensitive.

The first ideal is: "Be ye therefore perfect, how perfect your heavenly Father" (Mt 5:48). - How can I be perfect like God? But that's why he gave you a life partner that you would improve your spouse. So the husband and wife perfect each other, they both seek their sanctity. And the first Pope, Saint. Peter, he said: "Be holy as God is holy." These are two ideals of God communicated to humanity - the preacher explained.

He noted that the image of God is seen in all perfection through the marriage of man and woman. - My dear husbands, God gave you your wives so that you could become saints through them. My dear wives, God has given you your husbands, so that you may be sanctified through them. And that both of you will be saved. God's first intention with us is not our health, money, wealth, but salvation, "Fr James said.

He added that we are to be saved through the blood of Christ, which he shed for us, and this is possible in a married life. - No animal was enough for a man. And you know what happened then? God was the first anesthesiologist. He sent a deep sleep to Adam and, during this anesthetic process, he took out one rib and created a woman from him, "said the priest jokingly.

Published in11.04.2018 

Pope tells Missionaries of Mercy their service is precious for the Church

During an audience with some 550 Missionaries of Mercy in the Vatican, Pope Francis reaffirmed them in their mission saying they provide a much needed service to the Church and warned them that the Christian path is an ardous one, "with stones upon which to stumble and banana peels on which to slip".
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

The Missionaries of Mercy are meeting in Rome for a few days of prayer and reflection organized by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization.

During an audience with Pope Francis on Tuesday, he told them that they are providing a much needed service to the Church.

Although his initial intention was that their mandate would cover only the Jubilee of Mercy, the Pope told them that he had decided to prolong their service because of the many testimonies of conversion attributed to their service.

He said he intended his reflections to be supportive of the responsibility that he had given to them so that the expression of the “ministry of mercy” that they are called to live might be improved. [ Video Embed: Pope Francis meets the Missionaries of Mercy]

Message of Mercy
Pope Francis told them that “the message that we bear in Christ’s name is that of making peace with God…. God needs people to bring the message of his pardon and mercy to the world.” This is the mission that Jesus entrusted to his apostles the evening of his resurrection. The lives of those who fulfill such a mission must be in harmony with it, the Pope reminded them “To be collaborators of mercy, therefore, presupposes to live the merciful love which we ourselves have first received.”

St Paul: the mirror for the true Missionary of Mercy
The Pope reflected substantially on the experience of St Paul who acknowledging his past as a “blasphemer and persecutor…received mercy” (1 Tm 1:13) from the Lord. Because of his past he became an ambassador of God’s reconciliation (2 Cor 5:20), and declared that he gave scandal to no one so that his ministry would not be discredited (2 Cor 6:3). The key to collaborate with God is that one always acknowledge that “God has treated me mercifully,” the Pope said.
God makes the first move
Some concrete advice the Pope gave was that priests should remember that God makes the first move. Thus, when a penitent approaches the Sacrament of Reconciliation, they need to remember that God’s grace is already at work. “Our priestly heart should perceive the miracle of the person who has encountered God and who has already experienced the efficacy of his grace,” he said.

The priests’ work is the second move
The Pope explained that the priests’ cooperation in God’s grace already at work consists in “the not rendering vain the action of the grace of God, but to sustain it, and allow it to come to perfection.” Like the father of the prodigal son, confessors need to look in the eyes of the penitent, listen to them, and throw open wide their arms to welcome them, so that they can experience the love of the Father “who forgives no matter what, clothes the son with the festal garment and the ring which is a sign that he belongs to his family.”

The path is slippery
Departing from his text, Pope Francis told the priests to encourage penitents and give them hope, letting them know they don't need to be embarassed if they need to return to Confession--"because the path is strewn with rocks and banana peels that make you slip," he quipped.

In conclusion, Pope Francis said “Living in communion with the Source of Life, Missionaries of Mercy are called to be interpreters of and to bear testimony to this experience: that everyone is always welcome without distinction into the community that sustains those who find themselves in a moment of need or difficulty.”
 

Published in11.04.2018 

Pope Thanks Missionaries of Mercy 
for their Service to the Church

Meets with 500 Members Before Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica

APRIL 10, 2018 JIM FAIR

Pope Francis on April 10, 2018, thanked the Missionaries of Mercy for their service to the Church during the recent Jubilee Year of Mercy – and beyond.

His remarks came in an audience with more than 500 members of the group in the Sala Regia of the Apostolic Palace, before celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The group is meeting in Rome from April 8 – 11 under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.

The Missionaries of Mercy were priests who received a special commission to forgive sins and offer mercy during the Jubilee (December 8, 2015, to November 20, 2016, the Feast of Christ the King.) The Pope extended their authority beyond that time due to their success.

“For me, it is a joy to meet you after the beautiful experience of the Jubilee of Mercy,” the Pope said. “As you well know, at the end of that extraordinary Jubilee your ministry should have come to a conclusion. However, reflecting on the great service you have rendered to the Church, and on how much good you have done and offered to so many believers with your preaching and above all with the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation, I considered it appropriate to extend your term for a little longer”

The Pope explained that he had received “many testimonies” of conversion related to the work of the Missionaries. And through this they serve as a witness to God’s mercy and that the Church “cannot, must not and does not wish to create any barrier or difficulty that may hinder access to the Father’s forgiveness.”

In the sacrament of Reconciliation, the “first initiative is of the Lord, and it is He who precedes us in love”, the Holy Father reminded those present. “When a penitent approaches us, it is important and consoling to recognize that we have before us the first fruit of the meeting that has already taken place with the love of God, who with His grace has opened his heart and made it willing to conversion.

“Our task – and this is a second step – consists of ensuring the action of God’s grace is not in vain, but supporting it and allowing it to come to fruition.”

Address of the Holy Father

Dear missionaries,

Welcome, thank you, and I hope that those who have been appointed as bishops have not lost the capacity to be merciful. This is important.

For me, it is a joy to meet you after the beautiful experience of the Jubilee of Mercy. As you well know, at the end of that extraordinary Jubilee your ministry should have come to a conclusion. However, reflecting on the great service you have rendered to the Church, and on how much good you have done and offered to so many believers with your preaching and above all with the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation, I considered it appropriate to extend your term for a little longer. I have received many testimonies of conversions realized through your service. And you are witnesses to this. Truly we must acknowledge that God’s mercy knows no bounds, and with your ministry, you are a concrete sign that the Church cannot, must not and does not wish to create any barrier or difficulty that may hinder access to the Father’s forgiveness. The “prodigal son” did not have to pass through customs: he was welcomed by the Father, without obstacles.

I thank Msgr. Fisichella for his words of introduction, and the collaborators of the Pontifical Council for New Evangelization for having organized these days of prayer and of reflection. I extend my thoughts to those who have not been able to come, so that they may, in any case, feel they are participants and so that, though from a distance, my appreciation and thanksgiving may reach them.

I would like to share some reflections with you to give greater support to the responsibilities that I have placed in your hands, and so that the ministry of mercy you are called to live in an entirely particular way may be best expressed, according to the will of the Father whom Jesus has revealed to us, and who in the light of Easter acquires its fullest meaning. And with these words – my address may be a bit long – I would like to underline the doctrine of your ministry, which is not an idea – “let’s have this pastoral experience and then we’ll see how it goes” – no- It is a pastoral experience that has a true doctrine behind it.

A first reflection is suggested to me by the text of the prophet Isaiah where we read: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Is 49: 8, 13-15). It is a text steeped in the theme of mercy. The benevolence, the consolation, the closeness, the promise of eternal love: all expressions that intend to express the richness of divine mercy, without being able to exhaust it in a single aspect.

Saint Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, returning to this text of Isaiah, updates it and seems to wish to apply it precisely to us. He writes thus: “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you’. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 1, 2). The first indication offered by the apostle is that we are God’s co-workers. How intense this calling may be is easy to confirm. A few verses beforehand, Paul had expressed the same concept, saying, “We implore you” – it seems he is on his knees – “on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (5: 20). The message we, like ambassadors, bear on Christ’s behalf is that of making peace with God. Our apostolate is an appeal to try to receive the forgiveness of the Father. As you can see, God needs men who bring His forgiveness and His mercy to the world. It is the same mission that the risen Lord gave to the disciples the day after his Pasch: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (Jn 20, 21-23). This responsibility placed in our hands – we are responsible for it – requires a style of life consistent with the mission we have received. It is again the Apostle who reminds us to act “so that our ministry will not be discredited” (2 Cor 6: 3).To be co-workers of mercy, therefore, presupposes living the merciful love that we experienced first. It could not be otherwise.

In such a context, I think of the words Paul wrote at the end of his life, by now elderly, to his faithful collaborator Timothy, whom he left as his successor in the community of Ephesus. The Apostle thanks the Lord Jesus for having called him to the ministry (cf. 1 Tm 1: 12); he confesses to have been “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man”; yet – he says – “I was shown mercy” (1, 13). I confess to you that many times, many times, I stop at this verse. “I was shown mercy”. And this does great good to me, it gives me courage. So to say, I feel it like the embrace of the Father, the caresses of the Father. To repeat this, for me personally, gives great strength because it is the truth: I too can say, “I was shown mercy”. The grace of the Lord was abundant in him; He acted so as to make him understand he was a sinner and, starting from there, made him discover the core of the Gospel. Therefore he writes. “This word is worthy of faith and of being received by all: Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners, the first “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His immense patience” (1: 15-16). The Apostle, at the end of his life, does not fail to recognize who he was, he does not hide his past. He could have made a list of his many successes, name the many communities he had founded… instead, he prefers to underline the experience that most struck him and marked his life. To Timothy he indicates the road to travel; to recognize God’s mercy first of all in one’s own personal existence. It is certainly not a matter of settling on the fact of being sinners, as if to want each time to justify, thus annulling the power of conversion. But we must always start from this fixed point: God treated me with mercy. This is the key to becoming God’s co-workers. One experiences mercy and becomes a minister of mercy. In short, the ministers do not place themselves above the others as if they were judges of their sinful brothers. A true missionary of mercy is reflected in the experience of the Apostle: God has chosen me; God trusts me; God has put His trust in me by calling me, despite being a sinner, to be His co-worker to make it real, effective and to allow His mercy to be touched by hand.

This is the starting point, let’s say. Let us continue.

Saint Paul, however, adds something extremely important to the words of the prophet Isaiah. How God’s collaborators and administrators of His mercy must pay attention not to nullify the grace of God. He writes: “We urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain” (2 Cor 6: 1). This is the first warning we are given: to recognize the action of grace and its primacy in our lives and people.

You know that I really love the neologism primerear, to express precisely the dynamics of the first act with which God comes to meet us. The primerear of God can never be forgotten, nor taken for obvious, otherwise, the mystery of salvation achieved through the act of reconciliation that God accomplishes through the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ cannot be fully understood. Reconciliation is not, as we often think, a private initiative of ours or the fruit of our commitment. If this were the case, we would fall into that form of neo-Pelagianism which tends to overestimate man and his projects, forgetting that the Saviour is God and not us. We must always reiterate, but especially regarding the sacrament of Reconciliation, that the first initiative is of the Lord; it is He who precedes us in love. For this reason, the Church knows how to “move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast. Such a community has an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the Father’s infinite mercy” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 24).

When a penitent approaches us, it is important and consoling to recognize that we have before us the first fruit of the meeting that has already taken place with the love of God, who with His grace has opened his heart and made it willing to conversion. Our priestly heart should perceive the miracle of a person who has met God and who has already experienced the efficacy of His grace. There could not be true reconciliation if this does not start from the grace of an encounter with God that precedes that with us confessors. This gaze of faith allows us to form well the experience of reconciliation as an event that finds its origin in God, the Shepherd, who as soon as He notices the lost sheep goes in search of it until he has found it (cf. -6).

Our task – and this is a second step – consists of ensuring the action of God’s grace is not in vain, but supporting it and allowing it to come to fruition. Sometimes, unfortunately, it can happen that a priest, with his behavior, instead of approaching the penitent, dismisses him. For example, in order to defend the integrity of the Gospel ideal, the steps that a person takes day by day are neglected. This is not how God’s grace is nourished. Recognizing the repentance of the sinner is tantamount to welcoming him with open arms, to imitate the father of the parable who welcomes his son when he returns home (cf. Lk 15: 20); it means not letting him even finish his words. This has always struck me: the father did not even let him finish the words, he hugged him. He had the prepared speech, but [the father] hugged him. It means not letting him finish even the words he had prepared in order to apologize (see verse 22), because the confessor has already understood everything, strengthened by the experience of being a sinner too. There is no need to be ashamed to those who have already recognized their sin and know they have been wrong; it is not necessary to inquire – those confessors who ask, ask, ten, twenty, thirty, forty minutes … “And how was it done? And how? …” – it is not necessary to inquire where the grace of the Father has already intervened; it is not permitted to violate a person’s sacred space in his relationship with God. An example of the Roman Curia: we speak so badly about the Roman Curia, but inside there are saints. A cardinal, Prefect of a Congregation, has the habit of going to confession in Santo Spirito in Sassia two, three times a week – he has his regular schedule – and one day, explaining, he said: When I realize that a person begins to struggle to speak, and I have understood what it is, I say: “I understand. Go ahead”. And that person “breathes”. It is good advice: when you know what it is, “I understand, go ahead”.

Here, the beautiful expression of the prophet Isaiah acquires its full meaning: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you” (49.8). In fact, the Lord always responds to the voice of those who cry out to Him with a sincere heart. Those who feel abandoned and alone can experience that God is meeting them. The parable of the prodigal son recounts that “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son” (Lk 15,20). And he threw his arms around him. God is not idle to wait for the sinner: He runs to him, because the joy of seeing him come back is too great, and God has this passion to rejoice, to rejoice when He sees the sinner coming. It almost seems that God Himself has a “restless heart” until He has found His son who had been lost. When we welcome the penitent, we need to look him in the eye and listen to him to allow him to perceive the love of God Who forgives in spite of everything, He dresses him with the festive robe and the sign of belonging to his family (see v. 22).

The text of the prophet Isaiah helps us to take another step in the mystery of reconciliation, where he says: “He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water”. (49: 10). Mercy, which requires listening, allows then to guide the steps of the reconciled sinner. God frees from fear, anguish, shame, violence. Forgiveness is really a form of liberation to restore joy and the meaning of life. The cry of the poor who call for help corresponds to the cry of the Lord Who promises release to prisoners and to those who are in the darkness says: “Come out” (49: 9). An invitation to come out of the condition of sin to resume the garment of children of God. In short, liberating mercy restores dignity. The penitent does not hesitate to be pitied for the sin committed, and the priest does not blame him for the evil of which he repented; rather, he encourages him to look to the future with new eyes, leading him “to the springs of water” (cf. 49,10). This means that forgiveness and mercy allow us to look back at life with trust and commitment. It is like saying that mercy opens up hope, creates hope and nourishes itself with hope. Hope is also realistic, it is concrete. The confessor is merciful even when he says: “Go ahead, go, go”. He gives him hope. “What if something happens?” – You come back, there is no problem. The Lord is always waiting for you. Do not be ashamed to return, because the path is full of stones and banana skins for us to slip on.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola – allow me a little bit of family promotion – has a meaningful teaching on this, because he talks about the ability to make God’s consolation felt. There is not only forgiveness, peace, but also consolation. In this way, he writes: “Inner consolation […] drives away all disturbance and attracts all to the love of the Lord. This consolation illuminates some, others discover many secrets. Finally, with it, all the pains are pleasure, all the rest work. To those who walk with this fervor, with this ardor and this inner consolation, there is not so great a burden that it does not appear light, penance or other pain so great that it is not very sweet. This consolation reveals to us the path we must follow and what we must escape – I repeat: this consolation reveals to us the path we must follow and the path from which we must flee. We must learn to live in consolation”. Ignatius continues, “It is not always in our power; he comes at certain moments determined according to God’s plan. And all this for our benefit” (Letter to Sister Teresa Rejadell, 18 June 1536: Letters 99-107). It is good to think that precisely the sacrament of Reconciliation can become a favorable moment for enabling the inner consolation that animates the path of the Christian to be perceived and to grow. And I have to say this: we, with the “spirituality of complaints”, run the risk of losing the sense of consolation. Also to lose that oxygen that lives in consolation. Sometimes it is strong, but there is always a minimum consolation that is given to everyone: peace. Peace is the first degree of consolation. You must not lose it. Because it is precisely that pure oxygen, without smog, of our relationship with God. Consolation. From the highest to the lowest, which is peace.

I return to the words of Isaiah. We find the sentiments of Jerusalem that feels abandoned and forgotten by God: “Zion said: The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me. Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you” (49: 13-15). On the one hand, this rebuke to the Lord for abandoning Jerusalem and His people seems strange. With much more frequency, we read in the prophets that it is the people who abandon the Lord. Jeremiah is very clear about this when he says: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (2: 13). Sin is abandoning God, turning one’s back on him to look only at oneself. A dramatic self-confidence, which makes cracks on all sides and is not able to bring stability and consistency to life. We know that this is the daily experience that we live in first person. And yet, there are moments when one really feels the silence and abandonment of God. Not only in the great dark hours of humanity in every age, which give rise to many questions about the abandonment of God. I am thinking now of Syria today, for example. It happens that even in personal events, even in those of the saints, one can experience abandonment.

What a sad experience, that of abandonment! It has different degrees, up to the definitive detachment for the arrival of death. Feeling abandoned leads to disappointment, to sadness, sometimes to despair, and to the various forms of depression that many suffer from today. And yet, every form of abandonment, paradoxical as it may seem, is inserted within the experience of love. When one loves and experiences abandonment, then the trial becomes dramatic and suffering has traits of inhuman violence. If it is not inserted in love, abandonment becomes meaningless and tragic, because it does not find hope. It is, therefore, necessary that those expressions of the prophet on the abandonment of Jerusalem from God be placed in the light of Golgotha. The cry of Jesus on the cross: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Mk 15: 34), gives voice to the abyss of abandonment. But the Father does not answer Him. The words of the Crucifix seem to resonate in the void because this silence of the Father for the Son is the price to pay so that no-one may feel abandoned by God. The God Who loved the world to the point of giving His Son (cf. Jn 3, 16), to the point of abandoning Him on the cross, He will never abandon anyone: His love will always be there, close, bigger and more faithful than any abandonment.

Isaiah, after reiterating that God will not forget His people, concludes by saying: “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (49.16). Incredible: God has “tattooed” my name on His hand. It is like a seal that gives me certainty, with which He promises that He will never stray from me. They are always before Him; every time God looks at His hand, He remembers me, because He has engraved my name there! And let us not forget that while the prophet writes, Jerusalem is really destroyed; the temple no longer exists; the people are slaves in exile. Yet the Lord says: “Your walls are ever before me” (ibid). On the palm of the hand of God, the walls of Jerusalem are solid as an impregnable fortress. The image also applies to us: while life is destroyed under the illusion of sin, God keeps His salvation alive and comes to meet with His help. On His fatherly hand, I find my life renewed and projected towards the future, full of love that only He can realize. The book of love also returns to the mind, the Song of Songs, where we find an expression similar to the one recalled by the prophet: “Put me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm” (8: 6). As we know, the function of the seal was to prevent something intimate from being violated; in ancient culture, it was taken as an image to indicate that love between two people was so solid and stable that it continued beyond death. Continuity and perenniality are at the basis of the image of the seal that God has placed on Himself to prevent anyone from thinking of being abandoned by Him: “I will never forget you” (Is 49: 15). A seal, a tattoo.

And so I will finish. It is this typical certainty of the love that we are called to support in those who approach the confessional, to give them the strength to believe and hope. The ability to be able to start over again, despite everything, because God takes us each time by the hand and pushes us to look forward. Mercy takes our hand and infuses with certainty that God’s love defeats every form of solitude and abandonment. The Missionaries of Mercy are called to be interpreters and witnesses of this experience, which is inserted in a community that welcomes everyone, always, without discrimination, that sustains anyone in need and in difficulty, that lives in communion as a source of life.

In recent weeks, I was particularly struck by a Lenten time collect (Wednesday of the fourth week), which somehow seems to summarize these reflections. I share it with you, so we can make it our prayer and lifestyle:

“O Father, give the reward to the righteous
and do not reject forgiveness for repentant sinners,
listen to our supplication:
the humble confession of our faults
may you obtain your mercy.
Amen”.
 

Published in15.01.2018 

Une intense retraite de prières

Hier matin, Monseigneur David Macaire a célébré la messe 
avec le père James Manjackal. (Phos/France-Antilles)

Durant quatre jours, plusieurs milliers de catholiqueS se sont réunis dans le grand hall de l'Espace Perrine pour une retraite, dont le temps fort était la grande messe célébrée par Monseigneur David Macaire et le prédicateur missionnaire indien James Manjackal, venu spécialement d'Allemagne.

Créée en 2011, l'association Yeshua s'est donnée comme mission principale d'accompagner et d'aider la personne sous différentes formes. Que ce soit sur le plan moral, psychologique, matériel, financier ou spirituel. Et cette grande manifestation que les femmes et les hommes qui composent cette association ont su mettre sur pied, est la démonstration à la fois de leur foi et de leur capacité à se mettre au service des autres, afin qu'ils expriment leur foi. Il est vrai qu'ils se considèrent comme « des ouvriers à la moisson du Seigneur, portant leur aide à la détresse humaine et en faisant de l'homme, le centre de tout intérêt et de toute préoccupation immédiate » .

5 000 PERSONNES EN 4 JOURS

Durant les quatre jours, de 8 h 30 jusqu'aux environs de 17 heures, ils étaient plus d'un millier à avoir prié ensemble. Des prières qu'ils ont voulues pour eux mais aussi pour leurs proches, la Martinique et l'humanité tout entière. Et chaque jour, le prédicateur James Manjackal était présent à la tribune pour des témoignages mais aussi, des prières et des messes.
.

Des milliers de fer vents catholiques ont répondu à l'invitation  de l'association Yeshua	Le père James Manjackal est l'auteur de plusieurs livres,  poèmes et articles.
	Les choristes ont donné une place de choix au chant  et à la musique durant cette rencontre.