SCRC Charismatic Renewal

Teen Conference Video Past Convention Themes

Spirit Calendar Articles

What is a Charismatic Prayer Meeting? Find by Pastoral Region

Central Coast Long Beach Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, West San Fernando San Gabriel San Pedro Santa Barbara Ventura

Tapes & CDs DVDs

About Us About the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Mission Statement Contact Us

Newsletters - SCRC Spirit

Pondering and Reflecting on the Word - by Jim Murphy
We have a beautiful model for the spiritual life in Mary, our Blessed Mother. In Luke 1:26-56 you can read about some defining events in her life: She is told by an angel, “Hail, favore one! The Lord is with you.” and God reveals to her the incredible news that she will bear a son and name him Jesus. Then the angel tells her that Elizabeth, her kinswoman, is already with child. Mary goes in haste to visit Elizabeth and is greeted with “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” and then there is that beautiful canticle that begins, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord...” (Luke 1:46-55). One of the things that Mary did when the angel spoke to her is that she pondered the greeting that she received. Later when Jesus was twelve, she treasured these things in her heart. One of the qualities of Mary is that she didn’t just think about it, she took it into her heart. In Old Testament language, the heart was far more than just a place of emotion. It was a place where decisions were made, a place of the will and the intellect. The core of the human being is the heart. Mary took the Word into her heart and it influenced her decisions, her thoughts, her actions--everything after that. - Download entire article, click here.

The Necessity of the Holy Spirit - by Jim Beckman
In an effort to make sure we’re all on the same page, I want to begin by briefly talking about what the term Postmodern actually means. It refers to an “era” of time. The “Postmodern Era”, began in the early 20th Century. It was preceded by the “Modern Era” (17th Century to the early 20th Century), which was preceded by the “Pre-Modern Era” (16th Century and before). Universities devote entire semesters to studying just one of these eras. We don’t have time here to delve into all the intricacies, however, it is important to look at the marketing characteristics of this time we call “postmodern.” At the end of the modern era, key thinkers like Nietzche began to question the Enlightenment, which paved the way into postmodern thinking. We were experiencing the crash of science and reason during this time--man was coming to the end of himself. The era of Postmodernism ushered in a new philosophical mindset: NOTHING was at the center of the universe: one of the marking qualities of this time we live in, and when nothing is at the center of the universe then anything goes, because nothing matters. This philosophical mindset sets the stage for moral relativism and secular humanism. - Download entire article, click here.

Discernment and the Cross, by Fr. Fio Mascarenhas, SJ
For a Christian, everything in life revolves around the person of Jesus Christ, everything draws meaning from his life, death, and resurrection, everything is patterned on his example, focused on his Lordship, intended for his and his Father’s glory. Jesus’ claim, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (Jn.14:6) is the very foundation of all discipleship. Hence, discernment must at once be situated within the frame-work of one’s vocation to become like Jesus, to do things his way, to radiate his truth, to live his life.- Download entire article, click here.

A Powerful River, by Fr. Scott McCaig
In his Pentecost homily in 1998 Pope John Paul II said an amazing thing. He taught: “The institutional and charismatic aspects are coessential as it were to the Church’s constitution. They contribute, although differently, to the life, renewal, and sanctification of the people of God.” It would be hard to overestimate how important these words are and how poorly they are understood. There are many people in the Church today who sincerely believe that all that is needed for the renewal of the Church is a return to sound orthodoxy. If the faith was taught correctly and convincingly, it is argued, the renewal of the Church would be all but accomplished. I must respectfully disagree.- Download entire article, click here.

The Challenges of Christian Unity - by Charles Whitehead
The commitment to work for the unity of all Christians is a special calling for many of us in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Our shared experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit has made a bridge between us and many of our Protestant and Pentecostal brothers and sisters. In “Ut Unum Sint” (“That They May Be One,” the 1995 Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II on Commitment to Ecumenism) we are clearly reminded that “at the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church committed herself irrevocably to following the path of the ecumenical journey. (section 3) The Council has clearly expressed the Church’s decision to take up the ecumenical task of working for Christian unity, and exhorted all the Catholic faithful to participate actively in this work. - Download entire article, click here.

Three Stances of Prayer - by Dr. Tom Curran
Is God satisfied with His relationship with you? No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, we can be sure that God wants more. He has given us access to a deeper relationship with Him through the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation. But we need to seek a deeper recognition of the One who is given to us. We need to allow the grace given us to be reactivated. Saint Thomas Acquinas refers to this as a “reviviscence” of the graces given but not yet fully yielded to. Through Confirmation we receive the grace to have a “lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit.” (CCC #1309) This is what God intends for us. - Download entire article, click here.