SAINTS Next DOOR - Home 1 | Kingdom Revelator USA...Rev. Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil Rev. Fr. Soji...

CATHOLIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ISSUE 54

SAINTS Next DOOR

A GOD OF MIRACLES

Sleeping Like

a Baby

Amidst Crisis!

CO

NTEN

TS

ISSUE 54

Mother Mary,

Pray for our Readers

1616

WHAT ARE YOU

THIRSTY FOR?

WHOSEWHOSE

AM I?AM I?

2020

2121

2222VagabondsVagabonds

St Mosest h e B l a c k

PATRONS

Archbishop Julian Porteous DD

Bishop Joy Alappat

Bishop James Massa

Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan

Bishop Joseph Srampickal

Bishop Robert Byrne

Bishop Bosco Puthur

Archbishop of Hobart, Australia

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, USA

Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, USA

Diocese of Waterford & Lismore, Ireland

Syro-Malabar Diocese of Great Britain, UK

Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of

Birmingham, UK

Syro-Malabar Diocese of Australia & Apostolic

Visitator to New Zealand

Bishop Jacob Manathodath

[email protected]

Diocese of Palghat, India

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Rev. Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil

Rev. Fr. Soji Olikkal

Rev. Fr. Shyju Naduvathaniyil

If you would like to send us your personal

testimony, write an original article for an

upcoming issue (maximum 800 words please),

submit a drawing or poem or just to contact us

with feedback please

E-mail us at :

The Editorial Board wish to give all the

Glory to God. Without His divine help the

production of this magazine would not

have been possible.

[email protected]

[email protected]

P.O Box 22,TECHNY, IL 60082-0022

www.kingdomrevelatorusa.org

www.nanmabranding.com

FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES:

PLEASE VISIT US AT:

DESIGN & LAYOUT :

FOR SUBSCRIPTION OR BILLING:

INFO:

KINGDOM REVELATOR USA

We have a dedicated prayer team waiting to pray for you.

Please send us your intentions and we will pray for you in confidence.

SUPPORT USPlease help us in touching

many souls through KR mission

in prisons, campuses and schools.

To donate, please visit us at

www.kingdomrevelatorusa.org

USA - [email protected]

Y

O

U

C

A

T

S

P

E

A

K

S www.ignatiuspress.com

Kingdom Revelator | 3

EDITORIAL

Many young people go through thisexciting, yet frustrating, process of

finding our own identity. Finding our identityin Christ means to see ourselves the way Godsees us, to know that we are accepted,redeemed, valued, forgiven, set apart andabove all, loved. This is not about someoneelse or the person next door; this is about us.This is who we are regardless of what wewear, how we look or what we do – and yes,this includes both the good days and the bad.

It is one thing to know this, but believing itand living in its fullness is something else.Living as a person who has their identity firmlyrooted in Christ means that we no longer getcaught up in the weaknesses and failures oflife. Rather, our eyes will always be fixed onthe things of eternity. It also means to livewith the confidence of knowing who we areand what we are living for.

Kingdom Revelator wants to remind you thatyour true identity can be found in Christ. Thismonth we explore a range of topics that willhelp each one of you find your identity inChrist: faith, trusting in the Lord, life in theSpirit and much more. So turn the page overand start reading.

402: Love is the free self-giving of theheart. [2346]

To have a heart full of love means to be sopleased with something that one emergesfrom oneself and devotes oneself to it. Amusician can devote himself to amasterpiece. A kindergarten teacher canbe there wholeheartedly for her charges.In every friendship there is love. The mostbeautiful form of love on earth, however,is the love between man and woman, inwhich two people give themselves to eachother forever. All human love is an imageof divine love, in which all love is at home.Love is the inmost being of the Triune God.In God there is continual exchange andperpetual self-giving. Through theoverflowing of divine love, we participatein the eternal love of God. The more aperson loves, the more he resembles God.Love should influence the whole life of aperson, but it is realized with particulardepth and symbolism when man andwoman love one another in marriage andbecome “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

What islove?

As I was reading the Acts of theApostles I had to stop and think

deep at the phrase, “Peter wassleeping”. St James the Apostle, wasmurdered by King Herod. WhenHerod came to know that thispleased the Jews, he captured Peterand put him in prison. Herod hadfour groups of four soldiers eachguarding Peter. In addition, he hadhim fastened with two chains andsandwiched between two guards.“The very night before Herod wasgoing to bring him out, Peter, boundwith two chains, was sleepingbetween two soldiers, while guardsin front of the door were keepingwatch over the prison” (Acts 12:6).

In any normal circumstance, Petershould have been overwhelmed byemotions, fear, and anxiety. His bestbuddy, James, one of the trio whohad the sole privilege of witnessingspecial events in the public life ofJesus, like the “transfiguration”, hadbeen martyred. James was more likea brother and an accomplice toPeter. He should have felt like hisright hand was cut off. Fear shouldhave overcome him thinking that hemight be killed the next day. Heshould have been worried abouthow to answer Herod the next daywhen faced with difficult questions.

Sleeping Peter

Geenu Kunnengode

from Chicago, USA,

wonders how Peter

could sleep like

a baby in prison.

How many times have

we lost sleep thinking

about mundane things?

Faith


SleepingSleepingLike a Baby Amidst Crisis!Like a Baby Amidst Crisis!

He should have been preparingnotes! Yet despite all thesepotential fears, Peter wassleeping! How could he dothat? I was astonished! This isnot the same Peter who hadslept in the Garden ofGethsemane because he didn’tknew back then what wasgoing to happen the next day.

This took me back to the timewhen Jesus Himself wassleeping in the boat whichappeared to be in imminentdanger of being ravaged by adevastating storm. At that timePeter and the disciples wokeJesus up, they were so fearful.When He woke up, He calmedthe forces of nature. Now Peteris faced with a similar situationand perhaps he rememberedJesus’s words to them, “Whyare you afraid? Have you stillno faith?” (Mark 4:40).

Two aspects of the personalityof St Peter stand out here: hiscomplete submission and trustin God and his humility. Nomatter what was to happen thenext day, he believed firmlythat God was with him and hewas not tormented by thoughtssuch as, ‘I am the father of theChurch! What explanations willI give to King Herod, and howcan I make it convincing? If I amto die the next day, who willsucceed me? What will happento the Church without me?’ Hedidn’t draft a hierarchy plan!He simply slept!

How many of us could do that?How often when encounteringdifficult situation, we worryabout what will happen to ourfamilies, loved ones, jobs orministries in our absence. Howwill they survive without us?How many times have we lostsleep thinking about mundanethings? Throughout the BibleGod explicitly reassures us notto be afraid but to trust Him.

Unshakeable Faith

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear,for I am with you, Do not beafraid, for I am your God; I willstrengthen you, I will help you,I will uphold you with myvictorious right hand.”

When St John XXIII becamepope he was already up in ageand it was generally presumedthat he would pass awaywithout making any major

changes in the Church. But,much to the surprise of many,God used him to makesignificant changes to theCatholic Church. He convenedthe Second Vatican Council andpaved the way for a spiritualrenewal of the Church. As we

can naturally imagine, the Popehad to face opposition fromseveral quarters. He wrote anote to himself in his journal:“Giovanny, don’t take yourselfso seriously.”

If you take God seriously, thenHe will take you seriously. Thisis exactly what I am trying to dothese days: bursting the bubbleof my own pride, arrogance,and all those negative feelings,and let God take control of mylife. One of my favorite Bibleverses that I often take refugein, is Isaiah 41:13, “For I, theLord your God, hold your righthand; it is I who say to you, donot fear, I will help you.”

I want to conclude with asimple testimony from my ownlife. I had been havingproblems with a colleague atwork. No matter how hard Itried to make peace with thatperson, things did not improve.One night I drafted a hardcoremessage and was pondering onsending it. Later, as I wastossing and turning in bedthinking hard about how toresolve this crisis, the passagefrom Acts 12:6 came to mymind. I surrendered thesituation fully to Lord anddeleted my draft response.Later I went to sleep trustingthat God provides for Hisbeloved during sleep. The nextday I came to know that theproblem was beautifullyresolved by my boss! Thatnight, when I slept peacefully inGod’s hands, He solved theproblem for me!

Let us give Jesus a chance inour lives. Let us humbleourselves before the all-powerful God who created us!Remember what Jesus said,“Do not let your hearts betroubled. Believe in God,believe also in me.” (John 14:1).

Take God Seriously

Whyareyou

afraid?Haveyoustillno

faith?(Mark 4:40)


The Suffering Rose

When we look at a rose, we catcha glimpse of the beauty of God'swonderful creation. We observehow intricately and delicately ithas been put together by ourFather in heaven. But thisbeautiful rose grows amongthorns. When we look at Mary, wesee a smiling mother wishing tocover us with the fragrance of herlove, but this mother was a rose

that grew among thorns.Devotion to the Seven Sorrows ofMary in the Catholic Church callsbelievers to reflect upon the lifeof this mother who never gaveup hope even in the midst ofunimaginable sufferings.

“A sword will pierce your ownsoul too" (Luke 2:35). Thesewords were spoken by the

1. The Prophecy ofSimeon

Rosemary Joy

from

Birmingham, UK,

meditates on the

seven swords of

sorrow that

pierced the heart

of our Lady.


A ROSEA ROSEAMONG THORNS

Mary

prophet Simeon about Mary whenshe presented baby Jesus at thetemple. The prophecy of Simeon isthe first among the seven sorrowsthat wounded the heart of Mary, theRose of Heaven.

Mary and Joseph had to escape toEgypt to protect the newborn Jesusfrom King Herod, who wanted to killthe baby. Her precious child's lifewas in danger! She had to keep Jesusclose to her, to hide Him from thosewho wanted to take His life. Allthroughout the night, Mary wouldhave kept watch over her baby, notcaring about how tired she felt,because she loved Him.

When Jesus was twelve years old,Mary and Joseph lost Him for threedays. Fear and anxiousness musthave overcome them. In Luke 2:48,Mary says to Jesus after finding Him,"child, why have you treated us likethis? Look, your father and I havebeen searching for you in greatanxiety." These pained words of amother portrays the grief that Maryfelt.

"Look and see if there is any sorrowlike my sorrow" (Lamentations 1:12).These words would have echoed inthe heart of Mary as she gazed uponthe face of her most beloved Sondripping with blood and coveredwith the innumerable woundsinflicted on Him by the most cruelsoldiers. She could only recognizeHim as her Son because their heartswere united with the sword of loveand suffering. The face of Christ hadbecome unrecognizable because ofthe beatings He received. Thismeeting between mother and sonon the way to Calvary pierced thesuffering mother's heart.

2. The Flight into Egypt

3. The Loss of Jesus in theTemple

4. The Meeting of Jesusand Mary on the Way toCalvary

5. The Crucifixion andDeath of Jesus

6. The Taking Down ofJesus from the Cross

7. The Burial of Jesus

Not the End

At Mount Calvary, Mary stoodwatching her precious son beingcrucified like a criminal. Theanguish that mother's heartexperienced can never beimagined. As each nail struck thehands and feet of Jesus, His motherfelt the unbearable pain of thosenails upon her heart.

They took Jesus down from thecross and placed Him in HisMother's arms. As she held thelifeless body of her Son close to herbosom, she must haveremembered all those times whenher baby would fall asleep close toher heart, with His face restingagainst the warmth of His mother'sheart.

From the manger to the grave,Mary always stood by Him. In theend, she drank the last drop ofsuffering from the chalice to whichshe had said yes many years beforewith the words, "Here am I, theservant of the Lord; let it be withme according to your word" (Luke1:38).

But that was not the end of herstory. The suffering rose becamethe glorious rose of heaven whenher Son rose from the dead, just asHe had promised, and took her tobe with Him in heaven, where Hecrowned her as Queen of Heavenand Earth. Looking at Mary's lifewith human eyes, people may havesaid that God hated her becauseshe had to undergo so muchsuffering. But Mary knew that allthe wounds of her heart were wellsof grace, part of the mysteriousplan of God that was for theultimate good. Each of us are calledto this same hope.

Mary knew that all

the wounds of her

heart were wells of

grace, part of the

mysterious plan of

God that was for

the ultimate good.


have always struggled withMathematics, so when the time

came to start applying touniversities I promised myselfthat I would never choose a fieldof study that was math-based.However, when it came down topicking a course, I ended upapplying for Accounting &Finance. It was all God’s plan,because I never thought in mywildest dreams that I’d end updoing a subject based heavily onMathematics.

When I first started, I consideredchanging my course many

times as I was struggling. Ithought to myself, “How

am I going to getthrough thecourse?” But, Idecided to stay on,trusting that myGod would helpme. After all,nothing isimpossible forour Lord! Healways foundways to help methrough mystudies and Iended uppassing my firstyear with a highscore.

During thesecond year, Ifound the courseeven harder andmany times I

Testimony

A GOD OFA GOD OFMIRACLESMIRACLES

wondered, “How will I pass thecourse to get onto the third year?” Idecided to make a promise to theLord that I would write a testimony. Ihad faith that He would never let medown. By the grace of God I passedmy second year with a high scoreagain. I’m still in shock because Ifound all the exams extremelydifficult and I didn’t have much timeto prepare.

Also, I applied to a programme calledLaunchpad, which is accredited bythe Chartered ManagementInstitution (CMI). This course onlyhad 20 seats from the BusinessSchool. By the grace of God, Isecured a place in this highly sought-after programme. The assessmentwas extremely tough - it consisted ofvarious tests and activities, and theother candidates appeared to bemuch more confident than me!

Our Lord is truly wonderful and isalways looking after us! When we arefacing difficulties, He will always findways to help us. All we need to do isjust have faith, pray, and try our best.All praise and thanks to our Lord!

Sara, a student of Accounting & Finance at

university, explains how her trust in the Lord helped her.

I


I can do allthings through

Him whostrengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

MEET THE

APOSTLESSeries by Alvina Benny

Bartholomewis English forBar Talmai,which means‘Son of Talmai’.

It is believed thatBartholomew /Nathanael, whowas introduced byPhilip to Jesus (John1:45-51), are thesame.

It is believed thatBartholomew wasflayed alive andbeheaded in Armenia.

Traditions hold thatafter the PentecostBartholomew preachedthe Gospel in India andArmenia.

St Bartholomew appearsthree times in the synopticGospels, each time as thesixth one in the list of the12 apostles of Jesus(Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18,Luke 6:14).

Basilica of StBartholomew in Romecontains the relics ofBartholomew.

St Bartholomew’sfeast is celebrated onthe 24 of August.

th

Being a “true Israelite”, Nathanael /Bartholomew was a man well-read inthe Scriptures. Which is why whenPhilip told him about Jesus, heasked “Can anything good comefrom Nazareth?”(John 1:46)

The synoptic gospelslist Bartholomewand Philip together,while Nathanael isnever mentioned;whereas in St John’sgospel, Nathanaeland Philip arementioned together,while Bartholomewis never mentioned.

When introduced byPhilip, Jesus said ofNathanael: “Here is trulyan Israelite in whom thereis no deceit!” (John 1:47).

He is seventh inthe list of theapostles in the Actsof the Apostles(Acts 1:13).

In each listof theapostles inthe synopticgospels, heis namedalong withPhilip.


St Bartholomew

P

Mother’s Tip

hilip Rivers is one of themost well-known names in

the American football world.He has officially been ranked ashaving the ninth-best all-timepassing rating of 94.6 and hasalso been ranked as the fourthquarterback to have the mostconsecutive starts for a team inthe National Football League(NFL) history. He has achievedmany accolades within thegame, including the NFLComeback Player of the Yearaward in 2013. However, whatmakes him rather unique is thefact that he is a very devoutRoman Catholic.

Philip Rivers was born inDecatur, Alabama, to Steve andJoan Rivers. He says that hewas fortunate enough to grow

up in a home where the Catholicfaith formed an integral part offamily life. He speaks specificallyabout the influence his motherhad in practicing his faith from ayoung age. When Rivers waspreparing to begin his collegeeducation in North CarolinaState, his mother offered himtips to maintain his faith. Themost significant advice, he states,was his mother telling him neverto miss Holy Mass. As a result ofthis advice, Rivers took theutmost care during his time incollege never to miss Holy Mass,as he continued moving forwardin his faith journey. Tiffany, thewoman that he met in middleschool and who would eventuallybecome his wife, was a convertinto the Catholic faith. She tooplayed a significant part in hisfaith journey.

Relationship with Christ

Fighting Temptations

Perhaps the most inspiring thingabout Rivers is how he keeps hisrelationship with Christ a centralpart of his life despite his busyand celebrity lifestyle as aprofessional athlete. He statesthat if you’re a Catholic you havea home in every city you visit,because the Catholic Church iseverywhere. During away gameswhen the team travels toanother city to play, Rivers hasmade it a habit to visit the localCatholic Church in every city hegoes to. He says, no matterwhich city he goes to, he feels athome when he enters the localchurch.

There’s no doubt that as aprofessional NFL player, and withthe fame and riches that comeswith that position, thetemptations that Rivers faces are


I

RIVERSRIVERSOf HopeOf Hope

Inspirational Lives

Nevil George from Telford, UK,

writes about the life of footballer Philip Rivers.

“ “The best way to resist

temptations is to avoid

situations where you

could be tempted in

the first place.

often of a higher degree thanwhat the average Catholic wouldhave to face. When asked abouthow he avoided or fought againsthis temptations, Rivers gave avery practical and wise answer:“the best way to resisttemptations is to avoid situationswhere you could be tempted inthe first place.” He stressed thateven if you are not in the wrong,but if you continue to putyourself in potentially temptingsituations, there would be asignificant chance of youeventually falling. This is theprinciple that Rivers lived by inhis faith journey.

When asked whether he had anytips to offer to the youth, Riversemphasised that it wasimportant for them to reallyappreciate the faith that was

Tips for the Youth

passed down to them and not totake it for granted. It is especiallyimportant to honour thesacraments and their power. Ifyou are going to live as aCatholic, live with integrity andcourage and go all the way.Everything that you do, do it withall your heart.

During the off-season, Riverstravels to different cities givingtalks at various Catholicconferences. He is a firm andpowerful witness for Christ.Alongside his very successfulcareer as top NFL quarterback,Rivers is the founder andpresident of the Rivers of HopeFoundation which seeks toprovide permanent homes forabandoned children. Philip Riversis a fantastic example of how anindividual in today’s world canstand for Christ and his Church inspite of the culture around him.


PLACES FROM THE BIBLE

Beersheba, also known as Be'erSheva, is a city in the Negev

desert, south-west of Jerusalem,which is referred more than 30times in the Old Testament. Thename Beersheba means “Well ofthe Oath” or “Well of Seven”.According to Genesis 21:31, thisplace was called so because of thewell dug here by Abraham and thecovenant between him andAbimelech. Isaac the son ofAbraham, also took an oath hereand dug wells (Genesis 26:31-33).

Beersheba was a sacred place. Itwas in Beersheba that the angel ofGod called to Hagar from heaven(Genesis 21:14-19). “Abrahamplanted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on thename of the Lord, the EverlastingGod” (Genesis 21:33). The Lordappeared to Isaac in Beersheba(Genesis 26:23-25). While inBeersheba, God asked Jacob to go

BEERSHEBABy Blair Binu

to Egypt, where his son Joseph was aruler (Genesis 46:1-4). Prophet Elijahwas fed by the angel of the Lord inBeersheba (1 Kings 19:1-9).

The proverbial expression ‘from Danto Beersheba’ or ‘from Beersheba toDan’ is used in many places in the OldTestament to designate the wholePromised Land. When the Israelitesdivided the Promised Land betweenthe tribes, Beersheba was included inthe territory given to the tribe ofSimeon(Joshua 19:2, 1 Chronicles 4:28).

At the beginning of the 20 century, apermanent settlement wasestablished here by the TurkishOttoman empire. The city wascaptured by the British during WorldWar I. In October 1948, Israelconquered the Egyptian army tocapture the city. Today, the BiblicalBeersheba lies a few kilometres tothe east of the modern city.

th

JUSTIF

IED T

HROUGH

FAIT

H

Justification for All WhoBelieve

Justification and salvation comesthrough faith in Jesus Christ. Theletter to Romans talks mainly aboutGod’s unconditional love towards usbut it also reminds us that faith is animportant factor. We read in theGospel that God leaves the ninety-nine sheep and goes after the onethat was lost. Those ninety-nine arenot forgotten, but God went to getthat one lost sheep to add on to theninety-nine.

Paul was trying to inform the peoplethat everyone is justified through thefaith that they have in Christ. Thisjustification in Christ is available toeveryone, not just to a certain typeof people or a religious community.In John 3:16 we read, ‘for God soloved the world’, it doesn't say Godloved a specific group of people in

the world, but everyone in theworld. So, if you are thinking thatGod cannot love you because of yoursinful nature, God has something totell you. God sent His only Son, topay the price of our sin in His body,and that sacrifice pleads forjustification.

The major problem with mankind istheir of Christ. Peopleknow that there is a God, but theydon't want to accept Him as a Godbecause if they do, they have to giveup the things that gives thempleasure in their lives. Claiming to bewise, they become fools and theyexchange the glory of God withsomething that is mortal, so they canremain comfortable in theirpleasures. Temporary pleasures

ignorance

Guilt of Humankind andRighteous Judgement ofGod

Joyson Joboy

from Birmingham,

UK, dwells into the

‘Letter to Romans’

and explains life

in the Spirit and

our future glory.

Christian Living


darkens many souls.This is one of thereasons why peopledo not accept theGospel of Christ today.The intention of theGospel is not to forceanyone to be religious,but it teaches that youdon't need to be inthe darknessanymore, for light hasbeen purchased foryou. Believe in Jesusand live a life that hasbeen justified.

St Paul warns fromChapter 2:6 onwardsthat everyone willreceive the result theychoose using theirfree will. To those whoare patient and firm,eternal life awaits, andto others who refuseto accept theirjustification, wrathand fury awaits (2:6-

10), for God shows no partiality. Aslong as justification is available, weare more than welcome to claim it,but if we don't, we are welcomingthe wrath of God. Again, in verse13, Paul warns those who hear theWord of God, but don't bring it intoaction. Faith without deeds is dead,as we can see in the letter to James1:22 and 2:17.

Paul did not write this letter to bejudgemental. Even though none ofus are righteous, yet out of theunconditional love of God theFather, the grace in Jesus Christ wasgiven to us as a gift. Through Hissacrifice, we are now justified inHim.

And in Chapter 5:18-21, we can seehow justification is open toeveryone. When Adam becamesinful and led mankind into

Results of Justification andRising with Jesus

sinfulness, God who is withoutsin, took that sinfulness onHimself. We should never thinkthat we can continue in sin anduse God's sacrifice as a license.Romans 6:11 tells us that weshould consider ourselvesdead to sin and alive in Christ.Through Baptism our sinfulnature is put to death and weare enabled to walk in newnessof life. Only by unitingourselves with Him in death tosin, can we attain eternal life.

Motivation, hope, disciplineawaits us from the Holy Spirit.Those who are in Christ Jesus,Paul assures us, will not becondemned. That doesn'tmean anyone can sin thinking,"I belong to Jesus, therefore nocondemnation”. After knowingChrist, after believing in Him,

Life in Spirit

we are on the path of justificationand to complete thatjustification, we must leave oursinful nature, which is alreadydead through Baptism. We don'tneed that identity anymore.Romans 8:2 says, the law ofChrist has set you free from thelaw of sin and death. If youcontinue in the flesh again, thatmeans you have set your mind ondeath and not on the Spirit, (8:6).St Paul says, those who are onthat path can never please God,(8:8). We are a royal people, achosen nation, so our freedomwith God should be in the sameroyalty. Perhaps there are someareas in our life where we havenot given control to the HolySpirit, and therefore we feeldistant from God.

Romans 8:17 says, “if we arechildren, we are heirs, heirs ofGod and joint heirs in Christ.”Only when we take part in Hispassion, can we take part in Hisresurrection. Pains and sufferingsare temporary, as the glory of thefuture is not yet revealed,(Romans 8:18). The flesh needsto go through pain and decay inorder to attain the freedom ofthe glory of the children of God(Romans 8:21).

Romans 8:28 explains thateverything that happens in ourlife, will work out for our good, ifwe wait patiently. Will not God,who didn't spare His own Son butgave Him up for us, also give useverything else? Who will bring acharge against God's elect; it isGod who justifies! But if you wantGod to justify you, you have toaccept the faith that He putsforward, which is the sacrifice ofJesus Christ. Without Him, wecannot be justified. When weaccept Jesus into our lives,nothing can separate us from thatlove.

Future Glory

For I am convinced

that neither death,

nor life, nor angels,

nor rulers, nor things

present, nor things to

come, nor powers,

nor height, nor

depth, nor anything

else in all creation,

will be able to

separate us from the

love of God in Christ

Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39


SAINTSSAINTSNEXT DOORNEXT DOOR

Pope Francis insists upon theneed for “Saints next-door”-

those who please God by living alife of holiness in their daily pursuitof life. Everyone can be holy byliving out one’s own commitmentin life with joy. We can live holylives with simple but challengingday-to-day acts of charity, loyalty,caring, justice, mercy, forgiveness.

Today the Church needs saintswho live their lives joyfully,without complaining, and beinggrateful for both the good and thehard situations they face daily. TheHoly Father invites the youth, laymen and women to become saints“without veil or cassock,” saintswho are willing to live in the worldbut not of the world. Today theyoung people are into the modernfashions of the present time,listening to music, going formovies, hanging out with friends,having a passive submission to

lifeless crazes – gadgets and socialnetworking. There is still a need tobe holy – putting God first, havingtime for prayer and daily readingof the Bible, passionately lovingthe Holy Eucharist, being pure andchaste in our friendships, beingsocial, friendly, happy and beingcommitted to the poor and theneedy.

The Church wants us, the youth, toponder over the deeper questionsof our lives, to live the faith, and

challenges us to be builders of aculture of love and to be witnessesof the Gospel. We should have thecourage to make definite choices,face the consequences andovercome the difficulties. Weshould make appropriate decisionsabout our life, rediscover ourvocation, and discern God’s will forus, in the light of faith. People oftenmisunderstand the term ‘vocation’as a call to the priesthood orreligious life; rather it is a call to livethe Gospel as God wills it for us,whether it be through marriage,priesthood or religious life. Hence,we should recognise the call andchoose it with authentic freedomand responsibility. Let us make useof our gadgets, networking, energy,time and whatever we are providedwith, to share the love, peace andjoy of the Gospel. Let us be Saintswho wear jeans and sneakers.

Libin Kottappuram from Bangalore, India,

inspires the youth to be the saints of the modern world.

We should be

saints who are

willing to live in

the world but not

of the world.

Christian Living


FILM – The Letters (2014)

A film about the life of St Teresa ofCalcutta that focuses primarily onthe part of her life that she refersto as the ‘dark night of the soul”.The film’s slow pacing helps theviewer to almost live through thedeepest spiritual struggles ofMother Teresa as it unfolds andtake to heart her unending hopeand faithfulness in Christ.

BLOG – Young Voices

https://www.ncronline.org/columns/young-voices

The Young Voices is a part of theNational Catholic Reporternewspaper where the columnistsare young Catholics in their 20sand 30s around the world whonot only share their views on theChurch but pen down manyingenious blogs.

APP SPACE - Breakphone addiction

When it comes to settingtime for personal prayer, thebiggest distraction for manyis their phone. Look nofurther than SPACE…quiteliterally. SPACE allows you tonot only monitor yourphone usage but also helpsyou to control the amountof time spent on the phone,freeing up a lot of time thatyou didn't even know youhad.

BOOK – You WereMade to Make aDifference

By Max Lucado and JennaLucado Bishop

Most young people dreamof changing the world. Inthis book, the Lucados(father and daughter)illustrates the practical waysin which one can make adifference in this hurtingworld once you are filled bythe love of God. Like theysay, “not all superheroeswear capes…”

By Kevin Jose

SONG – Touch the skyBy Hillsong


Every human being has a void

in their heart that causes a

thirst to arise from within. God is

our creator and He created us

with this void within us which

only He can fill. This is why it is

crucial to have a relationship

with Jesus early in life and then

seek to grow in this relationship.

This is the basis upon which the

first commandment still remains

relevant. If God doesn't fill that

void in your heart, then there's

going to be trouble because

nothing else will fill it, This

explains why people get

addicted to different things that

never quench their thirst but

only leave them frustrated.

Many people in the world todaytry to quench this thirst withman-made things which can

Filling the Void

WHAT ARE YOU

THIRSTY FOR?Anney Ngugi

from Ireland,

illustrates

how we can quench

our inner thirst for God.


Christian Living

often create problems forthemselves that can have fatalconsequences. This is why Jesussaid, “Come to me, all you that areweary and are carrying heavyburdens, and I will give you rest.”Jesus wants to take what isburdening and blocking us fromenjoying the fullness of life Hepromised. Jesus died so that wecan have this fulness of life. Hetook our sin, our shame and ourthirst so that we may never thirstagain; this is the story of Salvation.

So, on the cross, aware thateverything was now finished andin order that the scripture mightbe fulfilled, Jesus said, “I amthirsty” (John 19:28). Jesus wasthirsty for the salvation of souls;this was the mission that He wasabout to accomplish, since soonafter that, He said, “It is finished”and gave up His Spirit(John 19:30). He had promised Hisdisciples, “I will ask the Father,and he will give you anotherAdvocate, to be with you forever.This is the Spirit of truth”. WhenJesus ascended, the Holy Spiritcame to fill the void in our hearts.Jesus had spoken propheticallyabout what was to happen whenHe said, “Let anyone who is thirstycome to me, and let the one whobelieves in me drink. As thescripture has said, 'Out of thebeliever's heart shall flow rivers ofliving water.” (John 7:37-38).

In the story of the Samaritanwoman, Jesus promised, “Thosewho drink of the water that I willgive them will never be thirsty.The water that I will give willbecome in them a spring of watergushing up to eternal life.”(John 4: 14). We can clearly seethat there is a connectionbetween thirst and eternal life.Jesus said: “I am the way, and thetruth, and the life”(John 14:6).Whatever it is that you arethirsting for, Jesus knows and onlyHe can quench it. The Samaritanwoman sets an example for us

The Samaritan Woman

when she said, “Sir, give me thiswater, so that I may never bethirsty” (John 4:15). This was justthe beginning of a new life for her.She allowed the life-givingpresence of Jesus to flow into herheart.

God is Omnipresent; He knowsand understands everything we gothrough in life more than we canimagine. He is Sovereign; henceHe can take care of our yesterday,so we don't have to worry aboutit. He is in control of our today, sowe don't have to be anxious, and

He holds our tomorrow in His ablehands.

When we remember the pains ofyesterday, we cannot enjoy thebeauty of today. Today is a giftfrom God. We can't do muchabout yesterday because it'salready gone, but we always haveto remember that our best daysare ahead of us and so we shouldlive looking forward, notbackwards. All thedisappointments and failures ofyesterday should only be a lessonto help us in the future, notburdens and issues that stop us

He can take care

of our yesterday,

He is in control

of our today, and

He holds our

tomorrow in His

able hands.


from living freely.

Like the Samaritan woman, ourencounter with Jesus becomes anew journey that enables us todrop the baggage of our past. Lifebegins afresh when we do this; forbehold, “If anyone is in Christ,there is a new creation: everythingold has passed away; see,everything has become new!”(2 Corinthians 5:17)

Today we have the privilege toexperience the same encounterwith Jesus when we go for theSacrament of Reconciliation.There the Priest takes the place ofJesus waiting at the well, wherewe can open our hearts and allowJesus to lift the burdens in ourhearts. We need to rememberthat, “We do not have a highpriest who is unable to sympathisewith our weaknesses, but we haveone who in every respect hasbeen tested as we are, yet withoutsin. Let us therefore approach thethrone of grace with boldness, sothat we may receive mercy andfind grace to help in time of need.”(Hebrews 4:15-16)

Jesus said, “The hour is comingand is now here, when trueworshipers will worship the Fatherin Spirit and truth; and indeed theFather seeks such people toworship Him” (John 4:23). Thisstatement from Jesus causes meto think there's a connectionbetween thirst, truth, andworship. To understand this factclearly, it requires us to delve intothe Word of God and there weshall find the truth, which is whatbrings peace of mind and opensour hearts to know God.

When we have faith in God, thenwe are protected from the thingsof this world which can neversatisfy. St Augustine of Hipporightly said, “Thou hast made usfor thyself, O Lord, and our heart isrestless until it finds its rest inyou.”

A New Journey

Down2. Which is the second book in the Bible?

3. Who did God choose to liberate the

people of Israel?

4. Who is the Savior of the world?

5. How many choirs of angels are there?

6. Who is the first woman saint of India?

KINGDOM

Revelat r


1

4

7

5

8

9

10

2

6

3

Across

1. How many fruits of the Holy Spirit are

there?

4. Who is described as “a voice crying out in

the wilderness”?

6. Who is Simon Peter’s brother?

7. Which Gospel writer is known to be a

doctor?

8. The walls which city fell down when

believers prayed around it seven times?

9. Which saint is the first martyr?

10. Who was the righteous man God found

to build an ark?

ANOINTING FIRE CATHOLIC

YOUTHCONFERENCE

YOUTHCONFERENCE

“How can young people keep their way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.” Psalm 119:9

For More Details : Saramma - 07838942077 | Justin - 07990623054

Register Online : www.sehionuk.org

DECEMBER 2018

26 to 29th th

From 4pm on 26 to 4pm on 29th th

All Saints Pastoral Centre,Shenley Lane, London Colney, St Albans,

Hertfordshire, AL 21 AF

INVITING ALL YOUNG PEOPLE

TO COME AND EXPERIENCE

THIS 4 DAY SPECIAL EVENT...

Inspirational Talks

Workshop

Drama based on Sacred Scripture

Holy Mass

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Eucharistic Adoration

Heart Touching Testimonies

Guest Speakers

Healing Sessions

Fr Soji OlikkalFr Xavier KhanVattayil

Jose KuriakoseFr Shyju

Naduvathaniyil

MAIN EVENTS

Live Music - Witness Band

REGISTRATION

FEE125£

Live Band

Ihave a deep seated feeling thatI need to belong. In fact I have

spent quite a lot of time recentlyjust thinking about that word –belong. Have you noticed that it isactually made up of two words!

My first thought was that If Ichoose to belong to someone,then it must be my free choiceand that it should be freely made.If anyone should decide that Ibelong to them and act as if I amtheir property and they can dowhat they want with me, then Imust have the courage to standup and say, “No, that is not so!”

If I had been brought up as acotton-picking slave in the 19century and was owned by a man

th

called Smith, then my namewould be Smith. It would be likehaving a label saying that Ibelonged to Mr Smith and my lifewas his. If I had the courage tosay, “Mr Smith, you can neverown me because I belong tosomeone else, I belong to theeternal God living and true”, thenI would probably have beenbeaten for that.

The truth is that we all belong tosomeone. We belong to the onewho gave His life for us and Hewill judge us all on how we haverespected human freedom just asHe does. God loves what He hascreated and He wants us all toenjoy the perfect freedom thatHe has given us as children ofGod.

Christians have always faced thechallenge of prioritising their faithover the demands of the world.The Pharisees laid a trap for Jesuswhen they asked Him if He wasgoing to pay the tax demanded bythe Roman Empire. He askedthem whose head was on the

coin and they said the RomanEmperor's. So Jesus said, “Givetherefore to the emperor thethings that are the emperor’s, andto God the things that are God's”(Matthew 22:21). This teaching ofJesus can help us to make theright choices in our lives.

Throughout the history of thechurch Christians have had tochoose between serving God andserving Caesar

especiallywhen the leader acted as thoughhe were God. St Thomas Morewrestled with his conscience in1535 when he was asked tochoose between the Church andthe State. He came to theconclusion that he was “TheKing's Good servant, but God'sFirst.”

Yes, I want to belong and I havecome to the conclusion that Iwant to belong to God and to noother. I give myself freely to Himby my own free will. Come HolySpirit and take control of my life!

(or the worldleader at the time),

Fr Roy Pannell

from Chesterfield,

UK, ponders over

what it means

to belong to

someone.

WHOSEWHOSE

AM I?AM I?

Reflection


VagabondsVagabondsPoem

Ever since I leaped out of my mother's lap,There floated questions perennial on my mind,Who Am I? Where Am I?And many more like them.

And truly seeking answers,I roamed far and wide,Swam across the oceans,To find answers for my grief-stricken soul.

I heard the sages speak so bewildering,Listened to the wisdom of my time,Until I heard the wisdom of my own soul,That it's faith that answers all my questions.

As evening fell, I lit a candle on my messy table,Dusted the torn book of salvation in an unusual hurry,To find answers to my questions,As I soared into the delight of an abyss.

I took a walk with Abraham who taught me the first lessons,And then Moses led me to Sinai,To show me the divine Decalogue,Then David, Daniel and Solomon lead me on.

The prophets condemned my unbelief,But the tale of Ruth consoled me,The wavering candle still burnt until I saw the 'Light Himself',The son of man, the son of God who's the never ending light.

He purchased for me life and sold death by Calvary's act,Answered all my questions on a piece of wood,Oh! I have found the wellspring of Nazarene,From which flows the eternal water for my weary soul.

Never shall I return to the well of Samaria,Which can tempt me to forget my soul's destiny,As the sun began to shed its crimson rays,I stood towards the east, heeding to the distant church bell.


CROSS WORDA N S W E R S

ACROSS: 1.TWELVE 4.JOHN 6.ANDREW 7.LUKE 8. JERICHO 9.STEPHEN 10.NOAH

DOWN: 2.EXODUS 3.MOSES 4.JESUS 5.NINE 6.ALPHONSA

Fr Vineesh Thomas,MSFS,

Mozambique, Africa

Saints

Alex Edwin from USA,

writes about the

transformation of a man,

who once was a leader

of a gang of bandits.

St Mosest h e B l a c k

Born around 330 AD, St Mosesthe Black, also known as Abba

Moses the Robber, was a slave atan Egyptian official's family. Hewas later expelled from servitude,having been charged with murderand robbery. In the face of limitedoptions to live, Moses joined agang of bandits. A large, imposingfigure, he later became the leaderof a gang. Once a man's barkingdog foiled a robbery attempt byMoses and he swam across theNile river with a knife in his mouthto kill that man. The man hid, andthe frustrated Moses took some ofhis sheep to slaughter them.

The story is told that while fleeingfrom the authorities, Mosessought refuge in a monastery. Thisproved to be a turning point in hislife as the piety and kindness ofthe residing monks left such animpression on Moses that hedecided to become a monk. Mosesfelt the repercussions of hisprevious life throughout his laterlife as a monk. The temptations


were particularly severe in theinitial years of his monastic life.One account recalls how Moseswhile being peppered with insultsand abuses, was asked whetherthe outward sense of calm

apparent on Moses' facetranslated to an inner peace - hisanswer was a firm 'no'. Even in themidst of such trials andtemptations, Moses pursued thesaintly perfection to its fullestdegree through fasting, all-nightvigils, and chores along with otheracts of penance. Moses was laterordained a priest and became aspiritual leader.

He once was the leader of a gangof bandits but later became thespiritual leader of monks. He oncewas a slave to men but laterbecame a slave to God; theparallels between St Moses theBlack's life before and after hisencounter with God are stark andenlightening. They serve to remindus that when we see barren soil,God sees a field waiting to besowed; when we seehopelessness, God sees endlesspossibilities. St Moses the Black isthe patron saint of Africa and non-violence. His feast day is on 28 ofAugust.

th

When we seebarren soil,God sees a

field waiting tobe sowed;

when we seehopelessness,

God seesendless

possibilities.

POPE’SVoice

Pope Francis

Saints are not "Supermen" who are"Born Perfect", but rather are ordinarypeople who followed God with all theirheart.

GLOBAL CATHOLIC NEWSCompiled by Smitha George

Manchester: Therei s a rev iva l o fMarian devotionu n d e r w a y i nBritain. This wase v i d e n t i n t h eRosary on the Coast

in April 2018, which saw 10,000 Catholics gatherin nearly 250 locations. The Bishops of Englandand Wales are keen to promote the rosary as therecital helps the faithful to know and to drawcloser to Jesus, to grow in virtue and holiness.This resurgence of Marian devotion will come toa head in 2020 when the bishops rededicateEngland as the Dowry of Mary.

Sweden: ‘Follow JC Go!’, aChristian take on PokemonGo, lets players "catch" saints,Marian devotions and biblicalcharacters, instead of thelittle monsters. The game wascreated by Fundación Ramón

Pané, a Catholic evangelical group thatpromotes evangelisation. The game uses theplayer's smartphone camera to take in theirsurroundings, then superimposes digitalcharacters and players progress throughanswering questions from the Bible when they"meet" a saint. Pope Francis is said to be a fan ofthe game.

Belfast: Scientists use the Bible to "train" acomputer program to develop a new system thatcan automatically convert written works intodifferent styles for different audiences. Researchscientists said that “the English-language Biblecomes in many different written styles, making itthe perfect source text to work with for styletranslation." The team use 34 Bible versionsranging from the King James Version to the Biblein Basic English.

London: London's first ‘homeless Jesus’sculpture will be officially unveiled in Januaryat the Jesuit church of Farm Street, Mayfair.The sculpture depicts Jesus as a homelessperson, sleeping on a park bench coveringHimself with a blanket; but crucifixion wounds on His feet revealing His identity.“The permanent home here for Homeless Jesus allows its message to ring trueand reflect the core beliefs of the congregation and may inspire all those whosee it to thoughtful consideration and action in the community”, says Fr DominicRobinson SJ, the parish priest.

Sydney: According to the latest report from Agenzia Fides, the world's population of Catholicshas grown by 14 million since 2015. Of the entire human population, 1.3 billion people areCatholic, which is nearly 18% of the world's population. The greatest Catholic growth wasfound in Africa, with over six million new Catholics in 2016. While, the number of Catholicsper priest increased by 39 units, to an average of 3,130 a decrease was observed in diocesanpriests worldwide by about 1,600, down to about 53,000.

Vatican: Saints are not just the well-known men,women and young people on the liturgicalcalendar, they include simple people "from nextdoor, our relatives and acquaintances who noware part of that 'immense multitude' in heaven,says Pope Francis while addressing the crowd onNovember 1 on All Saints day at Vatican. People need to ask themselveswhether they really want to be holy or are they content being Christians whobelieve in God and respect others, "but without going overboard”, he added.

st

BRITAIN EXPERIENCESRESURGENCE OF MARIAN PIETY

CATHOLIC SAINT-FINDINGGAME TO RIVAL POKEMON GO

BIBLE STORIES TEACH COMPUTERS TO 'EXPRESS'THEMSELVES

HOMELESS JESUS IN LONDON

WORLD POPULATION OF CATHOLICS INCREASE BY 14 MILLION

EITHER HOLINESS OR NOTHING, POPE FRANCIS


Disclaimer: Kingdom Revelator Magazine seeks to uphold the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church and considers its sources reliable. Where possible thepublished data is verified, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. We have encouraged young people to submit articles and so the views of the writers may not necessarilyreflect the views of the Editorial Board. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior writtenpermission from the Editor. Kingdom Revelator has been produced by Sehion Ministries, a Catholic Charity registered in England. Registered Charity Number 1153546.

Visit us at : www.kingdomrevelator.comwww.sehionuk.org

Do not worry about

anything, but in

everything by prayer

and supplication

with thanksgiving let

your requests be

made known to God.

“A soul arms itself for all kinds of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and

beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never

attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that

it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer."

(Saint Faustian’s Diary 146)

(Philippians 4:6)

CATHOLIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE PUBLISHED BY: SEHION UK MINISTIRIES

Kingdom Revelator USA

P.O Box 22

TECHNY, IL 60082-0022www.kingdomrevelatorusa.org

SAINTS Next DOOR - Home 1 | Kingdom Revelator USA...Rev. Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil Rev. Fr. Soji...

Documents

Transcript of SAINTS Next DOOR - Home 1 | Kingdom Revelator USA...Rev. Fr. Xavier Khan Vattayil Rev. Fr. Soji...