I would say I’m now a Charismatic Catholic, was I before? definitely not! my faith was very private and silent.
Last year my parish had a 5 week seminar program for release of the holy spirit, very similar to what Philthy mentioned in her post, it was called Sons & Daughter of the living God, it is very similar to Life in the Spirit seminars, which I highly recommend.
We met 7 times in that 5 weeks, we have a talk on a different subject and testimony at every meeting, We explored the gifts of the holy spirit and developed an openness and understanding of them. All the talkers were Charismatic Catholics, some where priests, some lay people involved in the Charismatic Renewal. We also got handbooks which would prepare us for the talk that week and also daily scriptures to prayerfully read, (lectio Dvina) and other prayers. At the beginning of the seminars we were put in to random small “sharing” groups of between 4-6 per group, I wasn’t keen on this as i never shared my faith before, and actully was walking out and leaving after the talk at the 2nd meeting, until the organiser John, stopped me at the door and we had a chat and I shared with him, then the next week I joined a group.in these groups we would share about anything what spoke to us from the talk or testimony we just herd, or if any thing spoke to us that week trough our lectio Dvina. The meetings always begin and ended with praise and worship, some people waving hands around and stuff.
The conclusion was very similar to the other poster Philthy.The day be got “baptised in the spirit” or the release of the Spirit, we had a talk and group sharing and then the sacrament of reconciliation was offered and exposition of the Blessed sacrament, then Mass and then the laying on of hands and praying for the release of the gifts of the Spirit. I must admit I didn’t feel much, just peace & lightness in my self. While others had a great experience and feelings, people where praying in tongues which made me feel a bit uncomfortable as it was something I wasn’t used to, just like I wasn’t with the waving of hands and dancing when the praise and worship was goin on.
A couple of days after the seminars finished (Wednesday), there was a Life In The Spirit retreat weekend (Friday) in a Franciscan Friary Retreat Centre at Pantasaph, Wales. (I’m from the UK) I and some of the others who attended, we thought it would be a good way to finish the whole Charismatic experience. It was very similar to the seminars I just finished but was alot more intense as it was done over the weekend.
On the day we where to get “baptised in the spirit” or the relase of the Spirit, before hands being laid on prayed over, it was the same as at the seminar, we had a talk, exposition and confessions, then free time, lunch etc. In my free time, away from the schedule, I prayed alot, all the time I was asking Our Lord Jesus to let me feel his Love, I said to him “I know your there and love me, but I cant feel anything, please let me feel you, let experience your love tonight when I get prayed over for the release of the Spirit” There is a mountain at the friary, which has the stations of the cross going up it, also a rosary way leading to a Our Lady of Lourdes grotto. I did both of these and prayed at exposition for my prayer intention I was asking.
The next talk was by Fr. Keith,( he runs the Franciscan retreat center) we then Mass, after mass he exposed the Blessed Sacrament, saying if anything is going to happen tonight it will be because of him (Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament), not any of us. He was so rite!
Praise and worship began, the atmosphere got so Spiritual, you could feel the present of the lord, and the holy spirit was among us. As we had praise and worship, I started getting shivers done my spine, and every time I took a deep breath, I felt like I was getting full of a beautiful sensation which words cant describe. When the time came for me to be anointed with oil and be prayed over, I just went weak and got “laid out in the spirit”. Nothing can describe how I felt when I was laid out, it was the most beautiful feeling nothing on earth could compare to how I felt, my body just erupted with Love, every part of me was tinging with the most sensational feeling what words cant describe, I just knew it was the love of Jesus!
When I finally found the strength to get my self back to my feet and back to my chair, still tingling and weak, Jesus spoke to me through the words of a song being sang ,he said to me “Do not be afraid for I have redeemed you, I have called you be your name you are mine.” As I herd this I broke down with tears, and I never cry! they where tears of gratitude to the lord, When I came back round I found my self praising and worshiping in a way I never did before, even waving of the hands and stuff
Also I had the gift of tongues, which brought me to a new level of praise and worship, which I never thought possible. I had the most amazing experience ever that night, and everyone there said the same. It was so Spiritual, some were singing in tongues which sound angelic, like it was coming straight from heaven!
