Working With The Charismatic: My New Decision

By Dr jarlat Uche opara

Few days ago I talked to my parishioners on their penchant for penticostal ministries, seeking for miracles, signs and wonders. Quite frankly I got feedbacks that I never imagined from some of my parishioners.

Some of the feedbacks I got suggested the need for my homilies to be top-notch, tailored to address the need of those parishioners that seek help outside the Catholic Church environment. I was equally asked to teach them how to access those rich miracles I highlighted in my piece rather than make them sound like historical facts that cannot be replicated in this time and age.

I quite agreed with all these suggestions, in addition to them, I have decided to work with the Charismatic group in my Parish. Though there are other societies in the church ( St Jude, St Rita, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St Anthony etc) These are pious societies in the Catholic Church that have unbroken records of miracles, signs and wonders which so many of their members have shared from.

Sadly, not many of my parishioners understand the richness of God’s blessings that are in those societies. They would rather prefer where prayers are not recited and said slowly, instead with energy, fire and power, displaying some unusual spiritual manifestation.

I know the Charismatic in my Parish has such characteristics. Going forward, I would be working closely with them. I will make them more visible and engage them more in the organisation of some of my parish activities.

Instead of creating avenues for our members to go outside, scouting for solutions for their challenges and being at the risk of either scamed or polluted with strange spirits, it would be better to strengthen the Charismatic which is within and their operations monitored, guided and given visibility for positive impact.

From next week, the Charismatic in the parish would be empowered to be organising a midweek revival and spiritual reawakening called “Let Your Fire Fall Again”. It would begin with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, adoration, ministration and would be concluded with Eucharistic celebration.

There is power in the Catholic Church. There is power in the Eucharist. With this arrangement God’s helping us, those things that our parishioners seek in those Pentecostal ministries, would be given to them not on a platter as those ministries promise them but out of patience, diligence, faithfulness and determination.

There is nothing like genuine fast food miracles. That is not the kind we are promising. Check every miracle that happened in the bible, they were cocktails of faith, determination, faithfulness etc and God’s power. One has to be involved using the instrument of faith to attract miracles, signs and wonders. Though there could be exceptions.

In the Catholic Church we teach our members to do it themselves rather than relying on one powerful man of God somewhere, using emotional manipulations to get their selfish intents and purposes achieved through gullible members.

I am Fada Blunt