Charismatic prayer groups

[Anglewannabe]

Has anyone ever been to a charismatic prayer group? What was your experience?

I remember going to a protestant group called Christians in Recovery. It was or healing. I went about 10 years ago. I actually found there were a lot of unhealthy behaviours there and people were not truly interested in helping others. Also, the fact that it was a protestant group and I was the only practicing practicing Catholic did not go over well.

So just curious what happens at these events

Angie

 

[Mary_Estelle]

If you want to know-go to one. For each person the experience is different. Peace.

 

[Dorothy]

Angie,

If you go to a Catholic charismatic group keep in mind that there are levels of experience that each group has.

A committed core group of members who take prayer seriously is usually in place. Each person at the meeting is on a spiritual journey, and most likely no one is in perfect union with our Lord Jesus Christ there, but they are seeking and cooperating with God’s grace to them.

My first experience was in making a “Life in the Spirit” seminar with two team leaders, and about six participants. Once a week for seven weeks we heard a talk/testimony from one of the team leaders, and then had a discussion afterwards. Towards the end of the seven weeks the team leaders prayed over us and trusted the Holy Spirit to be renewed in all of us. It was an awesome experience for me…like jump-starting a weak spiritual battery in me! There were several such groups going on at the same time, in different rooms, or sections of a large hall depending on what was available.

Some people stay and become a part of the prayer group, and others do not but feel a renewed vigor in their spiritual lives. Habits of daily prayer (of not just two or three minutes), have begun in their lives.

I would recommend, if possible, if there is an annual charismatic conference near you, perhaps you can go for a day, if not the entire weekend,. The speakers are powerful, and inspiring with their testimonies, and a lot can be learned by them.

Peace and all blessings to you,

Dorothy

 

[seagal]

There is a small Catholic Charismatic group in my area that’s been going since 1974. I used to belong when I was a teenager but I wasn’t very spiritually mature at that time. I went to a Life in the Spirit seminar a couple of years ago and found it to be pretty much as Dorothy described – very good talks followed by interesting discussions. I went to one or two prayer meetings following that but I don’t feel drawn to that kind of spirituality. Having said that, I am friends with at least 10 people who regularly go to the prayer meetings and they are wonderful role models in my life of faith. I encourage you to seek out a Catholic Charismatic group in your area and try it out for yourself. It’s not for everyone, but it might be for you.

 

[commenter]

Start with prayer, ask God to guide you.
Check out your diocese, there usually is a priest, or an office, designated as bishop’s “liaison” or something for Charismatic Renewal. Ask if they have a list of prayer groups they endorse.

There might be some good ones not on that list, or they might not have an office where you live. It is hard to find a group that has a priest coming regularly. It helps if a prayer group has a connection to a parish, or a priest or deacon involved at least indirectly. For instance, I belonged to a group where the pastor met with the leaders periodically, just to get a sense of what is going on.

You want a group where there is a solid foundation in Catholic doctrine. I have seen some ecumenical that are very good for awhile, but eventually there are concerns.

So much depends on the leadership! You need a few leaders who are committed to each other, who balance each other out. I have seen a few cases where an unstable leader arose who used the group to meet his own needs. This does not happen if he has a spiritual director, or is united with other leaders.

Enough of the cautions! There is tremendous good in charismatic renewal, I have seen powerful long term results over the past 40 years. I volunteer at a mission where the leaders, and many other volunteers came from the charismatic movement, where the beatitudes are lived out daily in many practical ways, with a powerful evangelistic and healing outreach. The charismatic movement did not develop how we expected it to, but different, and still following the Spirit.

So check out prayer groups in your area.

 

[SyroMalankara]

I enjoy hearing the speakers and talks, I don’t like the spirituality or prayer styles at all - I find it distracting and not totally ‘real.’

 

[DebChris]

Many Recovery Groups often sink into self-pity, especially if they do not have a trained therapist leading the group. These groups are not to be confused with the Charismatic Renewal even as both use prayer to help facilitate healing from a variety of sources, including addictions. When I think of Recovery Groups, I think of the 12 step programs. In a properly run group, there would have been pairings to help with the recovery process.

Charismatic groups are completely different. A charism is by definition a special grace, or gift of the Holy Spirit. You will see these gifts manifested at Charismatic prayer groups, especially the gift of tongues. This particular gift, which first fell upon the Apostles at Pentecost is described in the Books of Acts. While the most common, it is often the least understood. The focus of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is less on the gifts themselves than on the giver of the gifts. Charismatic prayer groups are filled with praise and worship. There is much singing and rejoicing. There are also times of great solemnity. Prayer is two way. We need to listen as God speaks to us, and allow Him to change and transform us. It is only in allowing God to change us that we can use the gifts that He has given us for their real purpose, the building up of the kingdom of God.
One of the ways that God speaks is through His people. This gift is called prophesy, which is not a foretelling of the future. Often it is a word of encouragement. The person who speaks will wait for discernment, or confirmation from the group, that what is spoken is truly from God and not pure imagination. This often comes from somebody reading a scripture passage or saying how he/she had been receiving the same thought.
This is just a brief synopsis. The only way to discover what the Charismatic Renewal is like is to actually go. If you look in the Adult Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States, you will find that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is accepted as one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works. It enjoys the papal blessings beginning with Pope Paul VI.