Thursday,  08.05. 2014      Nasz Dziennik  - Our Daily
http://www.naszdziennik.pl/wiara-kosciol-w-polsce/76690.html

Put Your Trust in the Lord

By Magdalena Pachorek

Over five thousand people are participating in a New Evangelization retreat preached by charismatic Fr. James Manjackal. Some have come in order to strengthen their faith, others to ask for inner healing and physical healing - for themselves or their loved ones.

The participants of a four day retreat have numerous and various needs and intentions, but what certainly unites them is their faith in the infinite power of God. We often come to a retreat with our own plan, while we should open up to God’s design for us. If we do so, then the fruits of the retreat will surpass our expectations and we will receive much more than what we have expected, told “Our Daily” Fr. Witold Gajda, the parish priest of Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in Warsaw-Miedzeszyn – the organizer of the retreat.

This is my second retreat with Fr. James. I was healed at the previous retreat; I forgave a certain person which would never have been possible for me to do without the help of God’s grace. That was not the only fruit of that retreat. At the time I suffered from back pain, not being able to lift things and I was healed by the power of God through the intercession of Fr. James Manjackal. I want to be here in order to experience God’s grace. I have came to this retreat with an open heart. It is good to surrender to God as He knows best what we need, said Paweł Kośmider from Łuków.

Grażyna also participates in a retreat preached by Fr. James Manjackal for the second time. I met this amazing priest for the first time in Skarżysko-Kamienna. I know that the retreat, which is beginning today, will be a wonderful and holy time. I decided to take part in the retreat because I need spiritual sustenance and inspiration. It is also important for me to meet with others in such a large group, forming a prayer community. Moreover, during the retreat time I can stop the mill of daily routines and give myself fully to prayer. In effect, my relations with others improve, adds the retreat participant.

Anna, in turn, explains that after a time of intensive work she had wanted to step aside and devote some time to God alone. I know that this retreat with Fr. James will be a splendid occasion for me to deepen and strengthen my faith. It is also a very happy and joyful time for me. Certainly it is good to participate in such a retreat because we can learn here how to fill our lives with faith said our interlocutor.

Each day the retreat programme includes talks given by Fr. Manjackal, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet together, prayer for healing and deliverance, followed by the Holy Mass. The preaching of Fr. James is strictly based on the Bible and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy Mass ending the retreat on Sunday will be officiated by His Excellency Marek Solarczyk, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Warszawsko-Praska Diocese.

(PHOTO. M. BORAWSKI)

Friday,  09.05.2014      -    Nasz Dziennik  -  Our Daily
http://www.naszdziennik.pl/wp/76735,prosmy-o-uzdrowienie.html

Let’s Ask for Healing

I wanted to be here. Poland needs healing, especially spiritual healing, says Fr. James Manjackal, a charismatic from India .
By Magdalena Pachorek

After over a year’s break caused by a life-threatening illness, Fr. James Manjackal, a charismatic priest from India has resumed his ministry of preaching retreats. It was his desire to preach this first retreat in Poland. By no means was it a coincidence. I wanted to come to a Catholic country where people would listen to the Gospel with open hearts. Bearing in mind the fact how vividly Poles respond to the Word of God I preach to them at my retreats made me want to be here all the more, said Fr. Manjackal during his first talk at the Trade Fair & Congress Centre MT Polska in Warsaw. It is the venue where he is preaching a four day New Evangelization retreat to over 5000 participants. The priest has loved and held our nation in high esteem for many years. He has preached 41 retreats in our country to date – in which thousands upon thousands participated. He is edified by the attitude of prayerful zeal of the people who to listen to the Word of God and pray together with him. Wherever I meet Poles, they share their joy with me and these are the fruits of the retreats. When I listen to their testimonies, tears of joy flow from my eyes because it makes me realize that the Word preached has touched them; that it has not been wasted, but  has borne abundant fruits. That is why I love you, Fr. James Manjackal concluded.

This love of his has attracted masses of believers. People of various age groups from all over Poland and even from abroad came for the retreat preached by charismatic Fr. James. They have been waiting for this retreat for a long time. Thus, there are young people here, those still working and the older ones as well as married couples with children. The sick came too, hoping to receive healing and sustenance in their suffering. Each and every one of them has some expectations pertaining to this time of prayer and a living faith in the infinite power of God is what connects them.  The theme of the retreat are the words from the Book of Revelation “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5).

Yesterday’s gathering began with a prayer for opening of the participants’ hearts to the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then some relics were carried in, among them the relics of St. John Paul II and Bl. Jerzy Popiełuszko.  Fr. James delivered his first talk in the presence of all the relics. He relayed his amazing experience of God he had had when he was in a coma. I saw eternity. I saw Hell and Satan; Purgatory and Heaven where I met most of the Saints. During this retreat I will share my testimony with you, said the priest. Next he appealed to the participants: accept all the sufferings that may befall you;  surrender to them and say you are happy in your sufferings. And if you are not happy, pray about it. Jesus is Lord who gives new life and can change everything.  All you need to do is surrender to His will.

Anna Daczkowska-Wesołowska, the organizer of the retreat preached by the charismatic priest shared her testimony of the joy and blessings she had received at a past retreat. She experienced conversion at a retreat held in 2009. When she listened to Fr. James preaching she was endowed with a new inner light and countless blessings.

Fr. James is endowed with an exceptional grace of attracting others with his personality and his life example. He makes use of it in his ministry of preaching God and giving others the joy of faith. In spite of his suffering, Fr. Manjackal is a very joyful person, resigned to his fate and open to the will of God. I think that we should all be asking ourselves the question about the meaning of life and the path to holiness that we should follow. And this very retreat is a perfect occasion to do so, adds Fr. Witold Gajda, the parish priest at the Parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel where the retreat is being conducted. The retreat, which started yesterday, will end on Sunday at 2pm - with the Holy Mass officiated by His Excellency Marek Solarczyk, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Warszawsko-Praska Diocese.

The Holy Spirit Heals
 

  Image: M.Borawski/ Nasz Dziennik
 

Interview in Nasz Dziennik (Our Daily News)   16.05.2014.

By  Małgorzata Jędrzejczyk and Karolina Goździewska

The retreat, which leading theme was “Behold, I make all things new”, has just ended. Some 6000 people participated in the retreat. What was the most important thought you wanted to sow in our hearts, Father?

To fall in love with the Holy Spirit.  He will show us the right road to holiness. We read in 1 Thessalonians that we are not called to impurity, but to holiness. Whoever does not care about it insults the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. The Holy Spirit is a Sanctifier; when we open up to Him – He leads us to holiness.

During the retreat many people were healed, yet not all obtained this grace. Why?

I don’t know. We should ask God about it. He has His time and His way of working. I can only point to some reasons for not obtaining this grace. One of them is being in the state of sin, especially the sin of hatred and anger. Someone who is away from the Church, not receiving the Sacraments, may not be endowed with grace. Lack of faith is another reason. There can also be other reasons which are unknown to us. Sometimes is happens that very pious people do not receive healing. They should discern the will of God. Perhaps it is for the sake of their sanctification. In my experience,  at many of my retreats I saw people who were initially disappointed with not having received a healing from cancer or multiple sclerosis, but  after some time they accepted their illness and suffering, having understood that such was God’s will for them – for their sanctification.

Should the suffering of children be justified in this way?

Illnesses and sufferings of children can be the result of their own sin or the sins of their parents or other ancestors. A child can be innocent, but he or she is born of the blood of his or her ancestors; any evil action has its consequences. Sin has its consequences.

How can we make up for it?

Firstly, we can expiate for the sins of our ancestors - pray for them; do penance on their behalf.  For instance, to make expiation one can offer Holy Masses, fast and help the poor. We can also obtain indulgences for them. I have written much on this subject in my book “Liberation from the Curse of the Law”.

During the retreat you spoke a lot about sin and forgiveness. You said that we, Poles, should ask for reparation for the sins of communism. Why is it so important?

Communism is contrary to religion. It caused many injustices in your country – human casualties, deaths. And although many years have passed since its fall, its consequences last  for generations. Many people lost a member of their family, some perished in unknown circumstances or had to renounce their faith. We know that the priests and the faithful were persecuted. All this is part of your history. When I read the biography of St. John Paul II, I learned how the Poles suffered at the time of communism and Nazism. Whenever I come to Poland I feel compassion for the Polish people. I pray that Poles receive inner healing and come out of this suffering; that a new, healthy generation grows up - free of the traumatic consequences of communism. The Holy Spirit must come with the healing grace and help them forgive.

That’s why when I conduct an inner healing prayer session I ask all to forgive everyone, to forgive our personal enemies.

You have also warned us, Father, not to speak badly about our priests and bishops. Why is it so important?

They are chosen by Christ. In many places of the Bible we read that the Lord will be with His priests and prophets. It is written in Ecclesiastes, “Do no harm to your priests”. They are the ones who have completely devoted themselves to the service of God – chose a life of celibacy, left their homes and relatives in order to work in the Lord’s vineyard. Surely, they can have faults and may not always be perfect, but we must remember that they have not come down from heaven. To those who criticize priests I often say that the problem lies in the families which the priests come from. We should all pray for priests. And if they have some faults, we should forgive them and pray for them all the more.

Father, through your suffering, being in a coma for several months, you are a witness to life. What would you like to say to those who oppose euthanasia and abortion?

Be strong and be witnesses. We live in a secularized world which doesn’t understand religious and moral values. Those who defend these values will surely experience persecution. In many European countries - as for instance in Spain, Portugal, Belgium - I can’t express my opinion about euthanasia, homosexuality, trans-sexuality… Anyone who speaks critically about these issues or advises homosexuals to change their lives, can be arrested. Hence, when a priest speaks on homosexuality in accord with the teachings of the Church, he breaks civil law and can be arrested.

Still, there are people who want to defend values. Prayer and penance are very powerful. I often stress that we all need healing on the national level.

You have also warned against yoga and acupuncture which practices in particular open us up to the works of the evil one.

It’s a great problem for the Churches all over the world. Many people are unaware of this. I even know priests who practise yoga. The Hindus believe that a human being can become a god through practising adequate meditation techniques. There are various stages on this path. It is completely contrary to Christianity – as surely no one can be God.

Elements of yoga are used in various physical exercises. We can do yoga and not be aware of the fact. Is it also dangerous?

Yes, those who practise it may have a problem with listening to the Word of God. At my retreats I speak very clearly about discernment of spirits. The Holy Spirit liberates from the evil spirit, while the evil spirit snatches people away from the Holy Spirit. At the last retreat I spoke about the influence of New Age movement which is derived from Hinduism and Buddhism. All esoteric practices are part of New Age and they take Christians away from the Church and the Faith. Let’s look at the Church in Europe of 50 years ago. France was very Catholic; Portugal and Spain were Catholic countries. Now not even 6% of Catholics attend a Sunday Holy Mass there. Almost 60% of marriages end in divorce. This is also a consequence  of dabbling in those practices.

Is confession a sufficient measure for liberating one from the consequences of such practices?

Prayer for deliverance is also necessary. Exorcists pray for deliverance, too. I’m not an exorcist, but I pray for deliverance. In 2001 I preached a retreat in Medjugorje. After one of my talks I prayed over a woman and it was then that an evil spirit manifested in her. He said, “you bloody Indian, what are you doing here? I come from India!” [I apologize for the bad word.] The woman was English. I asked, “who are you?” “I’m lord yoga. I come from India”, he replied.  That was the first time that I had witnessed the personification of that spirit. It was a difficult prayer. During the same retreat I also prayed over a certain man. He was sitting on the floor in a meditation position, his long hair loose and flowing. When I prayed over him, an evil spirit said through him that he was Sai Baba. It was very difficult to chase him away. When the man was liberated after the prayer, he told us his story. He was Sai Baba’s disciple, even though he had never been to India. He received the spirit of Sai Baba. He used to send him money regularly; he stopped going to church, receiving sacraments and he divorced his wife. In such a bad state he came to Medjugorje out of curiosity and happened to participate in the retreat.

I believe that there exists a spirit of divorce and separation. I know many people who got divorced after having practiced Buddhism, yoga, reiki. Satan is always in opposition to the Holy Spirit, sowing discord and evoking conflicts.

So divorce can be a consequence of dabbling in esoteric practices?

In a time of crisis people look for help and in desperation they go to various sources. When looking for help they turn to all kinds of healers who promise to help them.

The Hubner family, who came here with me, had once been on the verge of breaking up. After listening to one of my talks Helen, a wife and a mother, understood her mistake. Prior to that she had practised yoga, without the knowledge of her husband. In their clinic they both used homeopathy. She had a guru who gave her advice. Their elder son suffered from ADHD. They consulted many doctors and finally they went to an esoteric practitioner for help. Their son, Johannes, is not yet fully healed; he is very shy and withdrawn - as if he lost some of his human characteristics. During the retreat God gave the Hubners the grace of understanding why their marriage was breaking up. They renounced homeopathy and yoga. They reconciled. Now they go to Mass every day, pray together and they are happy.

What we need most is preaching the Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. Whether in Poland or in any other country, we need the Word of God to be preached with power. Once preaching and calling upon the Holy Spirit stops, the power of the evil one will be manifested. I’m not saying that everyone should be a charismatic, but we should all live in the Holy Spirit.