My LEAD Testimony

Hello All
This is Manju Stephen, lives in Abu Dhabi.
LEAD for me was a simple choice, gradually I realized with every module, that  for God it was a great plan.  A plan to give me the insight of worthiness to reach out as a servant leader to the world to whom I am accountable for. A plan to instill in me the lost faith, hope and love which was lost sometime in the tougher rides of life. LEAD modules systematically nourished the need of my soul, and left me with a hunger for more.....

LEAD 2

All thanks, praise and love to my Jesus, for choosing me wonderfully; speaking to me personally and through the myriad ways of LEAD Family.
You make a choice.....You become a Leader
http://leadjyfp.wordpress.com/testimonials/

Unheard cries of Souls

 Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

I always had  an anxiety, and probably many of you, on our life after death. In christian beliefs, still the much heard heaven, hell and purgatory was never convincing nor palatable, until I read from a book by Maria Simma, ‘The Souls in Purgatory’. Maria  Simma’s many time confrontation and her conversation with the souls, and the realization of the facts from the souls smoothened much of my bitter pain and concerns of my question on life after death

Perhaps we need to define what is the soul first. The soul is the primary principle of life. In every individual soul is created directly by God and is infused into the embryo at the moment of conception. 

Souls in Purgatory, or the Holy Souls, are the souls of those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven (for which satisfaction is still to be made). They are certain to enter Heaven but must first suffer proportionately in Purgatory. It is the teaching of the Church that these souls are aided by our prayers and good works, and especially by the Sacrifice of the Mass.

Though they cannot help themselves, it is commonly believed that they can assist us, and the Church commends our prayers for their intercession. The length of time souls are detained in Purgatory depends on:

a) the number of their faults;
b) on the malice and deliberation with which these have been committed;
c) on the penance done, or not done, the satisfaction made, or not made for sins during life;
d) much, too, depend on the suffrages offered for them after death by friends and relatives still alive. 

What can be safely said is that the time souls spend in Purgatory, as a rule, is very much longer than people commonly imagine.

Excerpts from the interview with Maria Simma is here with the link for the full interview article.

What do these souls ask of you?

“In most cases, they ask to have Masses celebrated; they ask to have the rosary said and also that one make the Stations of the Cross:".

Maria, do the souls in Purgatory have, nevertheless, joy and hope amidst their suffering?

Yes. No soul would want to come back from Purgatory to the earth. They have knowledge which is infinitely beyond ours. They just could not decide to return to the darkness of the earth. There is nothing on earth which could make them want to live here again, where one is never sure of anything

Maria, can you tell us now If it is God who sends a soul into Purgatory, or If the soul itself decides to go there?

 It is the soul itself which wants to go to Purgatory, in order to be pure before going to Heaven

Maria, can you tell us what the role of Our Lady is with the souls in Purgatory?

She comes often to console them and to tell them they have done many good things. She encourages them.  She visits often on Christmas Day, All Saints Day, Good Friday, the Feast of the Assumption, and the Ascension of Jesus.

Maria, why does one go to Purgatory? What are the sins which most lead to Purgatory?

Sins against charity, against the love of one’s neighbor; hardness of heart, hostility, slandering, calumny – all these things

Once I asked a poor soul if she could go to look for a soul I had been asked to find out about. She replied: “No, it is the Mother of  Mercy who tells us about it.” Also, the souls in Heaven do not come to Purgatory. On the other hand, the angels are there: Saint Michael...and each soul has its guardian angel with it.

Maria, does the devil have permission to attack us at the moment of death?

Yes, but man also has the grace to resist him, to push him away. So, if man does not want anything to do with him, the devil can do nothing. Pray hard! Prepare him for death; one must speak the truth.

Maria, I would like to ask you: at the moment of death, is there a time in which the soul still has the chance to turn towards God, even after a sinful life, before entering into eternity - a time, if you like, between apparent death and real death?

Yes, yes, the Lord gives several minutes to each one, in order to regret his sins and to decide: I accept or I do not accept to go see God.

Maria, do the souls in Purgatory rebel when faced with their suffering?

 No! They want to purify themselves; they understand that it is necessary

Maria, are there any children in Purgatory?

Yes, but Purgatory for them is not very long or painful, since they lack much discernmenthttp://www.scribd.com/doc/4853780/Amazing-Secret-of-the-Souls-in-Purgatory

Have people from other religions-for example, Jews - come to visit you?

Yes, they are happy. Anyone who lives his faith well is happy. But it is through the Catholic faith that we gain the most for Heaven

What happens to people who have committed suicide? Have you ever been visited by these people?

Up to now, I have never encountered the case of a suicide who was lost - this doesn’t mean, ofcourse, that that doesn’t exist -but often, the souls tell me that the most guilty were those around them, when they were negligent or spread calumny.

What advice would you give, then, to all those people afflicted by homosexuality, with this tendency in them?

Pray a lot for the strength to turn away from it. They should above all pray to the Archangel Michael; he is the great fighter par excellence against the Evil One.

 One day, I was on a train and in my compartment there was a man who didn ‘t stop speaking evil of the Church,of priests, even of God. I said to him: “Listen, you don’t have the right to say all that, it’s not good.” He was furious at me. Afterwards, I arrived at my station; I got down from the train, and said to God: “Lord, do not let this soul be lost.”Years later; the soul of this man came to visit me; he told me that he had come very close to Hell, but he was saved simply by this prayer I had said at that moment!

Yes, it’s extraordinary to see that just one thought, one impulse of the heart, a simple prayer for someone can prevent them from falling into Hell. It is pride which leads to Hell. Hell is to stubbornly say “NO” against God. Our prayers can elicite an act of humility in the dying, a single instant of humility, however small, which can help them to avoid Hell

When the devil appears, does holy water always make him leave?

 It disturbs him very much and he flees at once

Really! What do you think of the practices of spiritism, for example, calling up the spirits of the departed, Ouija- boards, etc.?

 It is not good. It is always evil. It is the devil who makes the table move

Don’t Forget About Indulgences!

Mother Church has some wonderful treasures in store for us - let’s take a closer look at some of them!

“Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sins for themselves and also for the souls of Purgatory”

Plenary indulgence can be obtained on the following occasions:

·         adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half-hour;

·         recitation of the entire rosary in church, as a family or in community

·         making the Stations of the Cross;

·         reading Holy Scripture for at least one half-hour;

·         a church visit between noon of November 1 and mid-night of November 2, for the intention of the deceased;

·         visiting a cemetery, for the intention of the deceased;

·         taking part in a First Holy Communion ceremony, or the first Mass of a priest, or the anniversary of 25, 50, or60 years of priesthood;

·         renewing one’s baptismal promises during the Easter Vigil;

·         adoration of the Cross during the Good Friday liturgy;

·         papal benediction, even when received listening to the radio or watching on television.

Yes, Divine Heart of Jesus

Grant me the grace always to live according to your will, as much in the finest, most joyful, most important moments of my life as in the difficult moments. Grant me always to be ready for my last hour; give me the courage to give everything for your love, even my life, if necessary. Jesus, through your most Holy and painful Passion, may your coming at the hour of my death find me awake, like a good servant, with true repentance, a good confession, fortified by the last sacraments. Lord, do not abandon me in my last struggle on this earth, when I will have to battle against Satan, perhaps raging in fury. May your Holy Mother, the Mother of Mercy, and Saint Michael and all the angels, help and protect me against all temptation at the hour I leave this world. May they strengthen and console me in my pain. Grant me, Lord, at that hour, a living faith, a firm trust, an ardent love and a great patience. Help me to commit myself fully, in all clarity of mind, into your hands and to abandon myself like a little child to your holy peace. In your infinite goodness and your great mercy, O Jesus, remember me! Amen.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/4853780/Amazing-Secret-of-the-Souls-in-Purgatory

Carmel

Where all I searched? What all I referred? Still I was not satisfied with the answers which I found on my etymology.

Carmel- who I am, who my grand mom is, our origin. For me with my limited edition stocks I could find the maximum was about a few churches, congregations, colleges and some convents. Rewinding it further gave no results, which made me to search for a spark and thanks Royston, my friend, for being my inspiration.

 I always wanted the minimal self awareness of what my name is, to speak about it, and who knows, to give lecture about it. 

Etymology:

Carmel as a girl's name is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Carmel is "garden, orchard. Biblical place name: Mount Carmel is in Israel near the city of Haifa, and is often referred to as a type of paradise.

In the 12th century, a monastery was founded in there, from which the Carmelite monastic order came about. The monastery was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Carmel became one of the names taken from Marian titles. The name is used mainly by Roman Catholics. 

However, this summarizes Carmel just for the sake of a nomenclature. I need more…

As I referred its presence in the Holy Bible and in the wikipedia, I can't explain how incredible the amount of dignity my soul and self was embedded with.

 

Geography

Mount Carmel stood in the fertile and strategic Jezreel Valley. For God's people, it became a symbol of God's blessing on their land.

The Mt. Map

Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel, which literally means "God's vineyard," is a mountain range running about thirteen miles southeast-northwest in the western Jezreel Valley. This part of Israel receives thirty inches of rain each year and is the most heavily forested area in the country. 

Near Mount Carmel, the major international trade route of ancient days"the Via Maris" passed by. Because of its fertility, the surrounding land was also the breadbasket of Israel. Mount Carmel stood as a high point in this strategic area.

Looking at the fertile Jezreel plain and Mount Carmel's ancient olive trees today, we understand why this place symbolized fertility and blessing to God's people.

It was pictured in the Bible as a beautiful and fruitful area. But the area also symbolized God's judgment on the land.

Biblical Content:

The area is known for its cover of flower blossoms, flowering shrubs, and fragrant herbs.  On the mountain’s slopes there are plentiful pastures (Isaiah 33:9, Jeremiah 50:19, Amos 1:2) Caves on the mountains often provided shelter for monks through the ages, in which Elijah and Elisha took refuge (1 Kings 18:19, 2 Kings 2:25). 

It is not the geography interests it here, but rather the prophetic significance of Carmel.

On Mount Carmel, Prophet Elijah confronted the Baal prophets and challenged the Israelites to stop wavering between faith in God and Baal. When Elijah met with the pagan prophets and people of Israel, they gathered on a desolate Mount Carmel, made barren by years of drought.

At the beginning of their meeting, Elijah challenged the Israelites, saying, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). Elijah knew the Israelites had not completely abandoned God, but they were not giving him their total allegiance.

Elijah's challenge echoed the words Joshua had used years earlier to call the Israelites to complete loyalty. "If the serving of the Lord seems undesirable to you," Joshua had said, "then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (24:15a). In Joshua's day the people had enthusiastically responded, claiming faith in God alone.

But Elijah's challenge was met with silence: God's people were confused. Elijah asked God to demonstrate his power over Baal so that the people would know he alone was God. He prepared an offering, and challenged Baal's followers to see whose God produced fire to burn it.

Victory of prophet Elijah over the Baal prophets. lived in 9th C BC

Victory of prophet Elijah over the Baal prophets. lived in 9th C BC

After hours of frantic efforts, Baal still had not responded to the cries of his followers. So Elijah stepped to the altar, doused the sacrifice with water, and prayed to God. In response, God sent down such consuming fire that the sacrifice, altar, and water were completely burned up.

The people's silence was broken. They chanted "Elijah! Elijah!" meaning, 'Yahweh is God!' The Baal prophets were put to death and Elijah prayed again, asking God for rain. Empowered with the Spirit, he ran to Jezreel—nearly nineteen miles away—even faster than King Ahab's chariots! The drought ended as the one true God sent rain to the land.

Much beyond the Etymology:

Carmel is first used in the Bible in Joshua 12:22, which reads:

 "the king of Jokneam in Carmel." This is only one listing of all the kings which Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated.

Again, Carmel has another mentioning in the Bible:

Song of Solomon 7:1-5. This is the bridegroom, speaking of His fair bride.

"How beautiful are your feet in sandals,

O prince's daughter!

The curves of your hips are like jewels,

The work of the hands of an artist.

Your navel is like a round goblet

Which never lacks mixed wine;

Your belly is like a heap of wheat

Fenced about with lilies.

Your two breasts are like two fawns,

Twins of a gazelle.

Your neck is like a tower of ivory,

Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon

By the gate of Bath-rabbim;

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,

Which faces toward Damascus.

Your head crowns you like Carmel,

And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads;

The king is captivated by your tresses."

AD 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries. They built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whom they conceived of in chivalric terms as the "Lady of the place."

The image and truth here is not gained by looking at the beauty of the bride as a disjointed collage of concrete pictures, but in the meaning of each representation being drawn from. This is our quest with this city, this mountain, called Carmel. Like so many other cases, we will find that Carmel has a specific and highly important prophetic representation.

The Feast: 

The feast day is celebrated on July16 recalls the foundation of the Carmelite religious order in the 12th century.  The founder, Berthold, may have been a pilgrim to the area (perhaps to cave of Elijah), or a crusader.  Tradition says that he came from southern France but when venturing in the Holy Land came to encounter fierce soldiers.  After a vision of Christ, he went to Mt. Carmel and built a small chapel there, soon joined by hermits who all lived there in community in imitation of Elijah. After his death, it seems that St. Brocard became leader of the hermits eventually leading to the establishment of the Order of Carmelites in the 12th century.

In Carmelite tradition, Mt. Carmel had been a place devoted to monastic-style prayer since the time of Elijah. They built a  monastery and it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as she was “Star of the Sea” – a medieval title describing the mother of Christ as the cloud of life that dwells over the sea promising rain and fertility (1 Kings 18:41-45).

St. Simon Stock Receiving the Scapular 

 Continuing the story, with the scapular of Mt. Carmel.  According to Carmelite tradition, this scapular – a small piece of rough wool cloth – was given in a vision by Virgin Mary to the monastic Simon Stock, living in England on July 16, 1251, when he prayed to Mary that his order could be saved from its oppression. 
She appeared with the scapular in hand, and told him:  "Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant."  Promises associated with the scapular are: Mary’s protection of the Carmelite order and all those who wear the scapular (including laymen of its Third Order); special help at one’s hour of death for all who wear the habit (or scapular) in Mary’s name; and the so-called “Sabbatine Privelege” which Pope John XXII declared in 1322 meant early release from Purgatory for those who died in Mary’s care.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“O, most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel,

fruitful vine, splendor of heaven,

blessed mother of the Son of God, immaculate virgin,

assist me in my necessity.

O, star of the sea,

help me and show me herein,

you are my mother.

Mary conceived without sin,

pray for us who turn to you.”

Well none's name generally can start with Mount (by the way don't get confused, Mountbatten is a family name), and hence I assume, the God Parents started naming the generations with Carmel. As the name traveled from BC to AD, from a region to its natives, from nature to a super-natural bliss, Carmel was adopted as the name for girls who are true vineyard of God’s Kingdom on earth. Well I hope I managed to know what I am before my Patron's Feast.

I Confess

My last blog, which is the first blog of the year was a story of loss and miss, and as days go on with the waves of Random Emotions, I have got a new topic to reflect on- Confessing Sins- A strong catholic by birth and growth, me, has something to convince myself.
In a catholic's life, the sacrament of confession/ reconciliation is taught in her/his early 10's, before her First Holy Communion and then she gets a crash course from her parish in that sacrament, its do's and dont's and the modus operandis.

As she grows from that 10's to 20's her knowledge gets widened, and so as sins. Often a person, who keeps away from church gets no other platform to get the revised knowledge about the Sins and Battling it. And such a person always find God as a comfortable person (a planned escape) to confess with than a priest, after all we are all that chosen children, and this made me to explore more on CONFESSION, and a beautiful topic to study in this lent season.

Baptism is a single time act of forgiveness where as confession, a repeated act makes you purer and whiter than snow. As Pope Benedict XVI cites" We need forgiveness over and over again and that forgiveness brings responsibility. Again and again my soul is tarnished by the downward gravitational pull that is present with in me. Therefore we need the humility that constantly asks God for forgiveness, that seeks purification and awakens in us the counterforce, the positive force of the creator, to draw us upwards"- and we are at peace with God again.
Hence frequent confession, refines my soul and body and uplifts it to the hands of God.

Q. Then I wonder, I do any harm and then confess turn me to a pure spirit??

Before confessing our sins we should recognize the seriousness of our wrong doings by conducting a genuine interior act of contrition. At the same time we should have the COURAGE to name our sins properly without concealing anything and to confess them honestly. Well that is hard, and hence it requires a lot of strength, and don't generalize your sins. Generalizing nullify your repentance.

Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. One must do what ever possible inorder  to repair the harm.


Q. I rather prefer waiting for a general absolution, than confronting the priest.


But that is not so easy to get one except some emergency situations, even if once that situation is over, the first priority is to reach to the priest and  confess. Then why not in the first place?

Q. Why to go to a priest, when I am so spiritual?
No man can forgive sins except the authorized representatives, from God, which initiated from St. Peter through the Bishops and the ordained priests. What ever they shall bind be bound in heaven, and what ever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. And when I confess, I confess to You, Lord.

Trust in God "who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion, who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagles" Psalms 103:3-5.