Group18/4/07

AMAZING GRACE

HOW SWEET THE SOUND

THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME!!!!!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

Today's group was led by Jinsonchetan(S6E) and Nitinchetan(S6C)... They shared about the power of the intercession by Mother Mary and the importance of the rosary. There were many sharings about how prayers were miraculously answered.....especially for the one day programme ARISE! They urged all not to neglect the rosary prayer especially in our families.

The word for the day was from John 2:1-11.

John 2:2-3

Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with His disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to Him,"They have no wine".

I once heard an Achen speaking about the miracle at the wedding of Cana. What he said was this.....It was strange that the first miracle of Jesus was nothing spectacular...like raising someone from the dead or feeding the five thousand...but turning water into wine at a wedding. What would have happened if they had run out of wine? Possibly that family would have been embarassed in society...for a few weeks or even months...after that it would slip from everyone's mind.... Surely it wasn't a great spiritual battle or the momentous matter of winning a soul!!!! Just to save the face of that family, that groom and that bride....His first miracle was done just for that!!!! And that really boosts me up...to think that even small or insignificant details of my life are precious to Him! To know that He cares....

We finished off by praying and of course the usual cheering!!!

Love and prayers

Sumi

S4L

2 Cor 12:9

My grace is sufficient for you because my strength is made perfect in weakness.

The Burden Bearer

The Burden-Bearer…

A long-ago legend has it that, there once lived a man of towering strength, a giant of a man. He was a pagan whose strength perhaps led him to believe that he needed no higher power.

He made his living by carrying travelers across a broad river. One day a beautiful child came to the bank of the river. As the man bent down to allow the child to climb upon his back, the young lad said, "Are you sure you can bear my weight?"

The man laughed. "Why, I've carried full-grown men across the river. You, my little one, will be lighter than a pebble."

"Very well," said the boy. "But I must warn you. I am heavier than I look."

With a grin, the man raised the child upon his massive shoulders and stepped out into the swirling water. But the weight on his back grew strangely heavy. Soon the brawny giant was struggling not to sink.With superhuman effort he crawled up onto the opposite bank of the river and let the child down.

"How can you be so heavy?" the perplexed man asked. "Who are you?"

"I am Jesus of Nazareth," replied the boy. "And I carry the burdens of the world on my shoulders. Let me carry yours too."

And so it was that Christopher, today known as St. Christopher, was converted to Christianity. The story reminds me -- I don't need to struggle across each day on my own. There is One stronger than I. He is the Great Burden-bearer. He even carries St. Christopher, yet on His shoulders there is always room for one more.

"Lord, thank you for inviting me to come to you, especially when life is getting too difficult for me. I find comfort and peace in knowing that you are going to help me get across my river of difficulties if I just rest on Your shoulders. Remind me always of my limitations so that day by day I will remember that without you I can do nothing. Lord Jesus, please lift me up and carry me through this day."

Courtesy:ParableNet(a mailing group of Jesus Youth)

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
Phil 4:13

Why do we call a Catholic Service Mass?...Answer from http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net

The term mass comes from the
latin word missa. Its the same root word -
missia for missile (it means to "send
forth"). The same way a missile is shot forth, we are
sent forth to love and to serve the
Lord.

To read more about the names and terms associated with
the Holy Mass, check out the Catechism #1338-1332.

For more Scriptures regarding the apostles, the first
Bishops, and the early Christians coming together to
celebrate the Holy Mass, check out:

Mt 26:26-30, Mk 14:22-26, Lk 22:14-20, 1 Cor 11:23-34,
Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 5:7-8, Jude 12

And, read this excerpt from early Church Father St.
Justin (he wrote this in 150, over a century after
Jesus had ascended into Heaven):

"On the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one
place...the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of
the prophets are read as long as time permits. When
the reader has finished, the presider in a discourse
urges and invites us to the imitation of these noble
things. Then we all stand up together and offer
prayers. And, as said before, when we have finished
the prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, and
the presider similarly sends up prayers and
thanksgiving to the best of his ability, and the
congregation assents, saying the Amen; the
distribution, and reception of the consecrated
elements by each one, takes place and they are sent to
the absent by the deacons..."

- St. Justin, First Apology, 67

This not only depicts the Mass (as we still celebrate
it 1900 years later), but that the Tradition of the
Mass was celebrated and the Eucharistic true presence
understood and believed by the early Christians (just
like St. Paul and the apostles believed it) over a
century later.

In fact, this letter that depicts the practices of the
early Christians and the Tradition of the Church was
occuring almost 250 years before the final canon (that
is the Bible as we now know it) was formally put
together in its present form.

How's that for history?

Be God's!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
Phil 4:13

Group11/4/07

"YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD...A CITY SET ON TOP OF A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN"

"LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN"

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

The group today was one looked forward to by all here in Kothamangalam because our four dearest full-timers joined us for the prayer meeting after a loooong time! The group was led by Jerinchetan(S6M) and Jeffiechetan(S6L). We started off by singing some great songs and then they shared some interesting things...starting off by explaining about the JY logo... The word for the day was from 2 Corinthians 5.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away; behold all thing are become new.

That verse is a goldmine for a struggling child of God, especially when faced by doubts...."Can I be loving and calm and joyful and patient and kind and good and faithful and gentle and practise self-control? Me? Angry, short-tempered, impatient, intolerant, harsh me?" Doubts faced by every believer. Change of habits and behaviour is impossible right? Or is it? "With man it is impossible but with God all things are possible". We are a new creature, clothed with righteousness...After all, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!!!

Then our Annachechi, Bimeshchetan, Bobinchetan and Miltonchetan shared some of their experiences and toughts with us....unfortunately we had very little time to hear the story of the past one year of their lives. They shared about how they grew closer to Him, especially since He was the only One with whom they could share their problems, being far from home and family and friends. They were able to set apart a lot of time for personal prayer and Word of God. They met different people in different circumstances.....and learnt to analyse themselves and their actions.....

Do keep them and our group in your prayers.

Love and prayers

Sumi

S4L

On Saturday

The following is an excerpt from the book "HE CHOSE THE NAILS" by MAX LUCADO:

On Saturday
by Max Lucado

John didn't know on that Friday what you and I now know. He didn't know that Friday's tragedy would be Sunday's triumph. John would later confess that he "did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead" (John 20:9).

That's why what he did on Saturday is so important.

We don't know anything about this day; we have no passage to read, no knowledge to share. All we know is this: When Sunday came, John was still present. When Mary Magdalene came looking for him, she found him.

Jesus was dead. The Master's body was lifeless. John's friend and future were buried. But John had not left. Why? Was he waiting for the resurrection? No. As far as he knew, the lips were forever silent and the hands forever still. He wasn't expecting a Sunday surprise. Then why was he here?

You'd think he would have left. Who was to say that the men who crucified Christ wouldn't come after him? The crowds were pleased with one crucifixion; the religious leaders might have called for more. Why didn't John get out of town?

Perhaps the answer was pragmatic; or perhaps he didn't have anywhere else to go. Could be he didn't have any money or energy or direction … or all of the above.

Or maybe he lingered because he loved Jesus.

To others, Jesus was a miracle worker. To others, Jesus was a master teacher. To others, Jesus was the hope of Israel. But to John, he was all of these and more. To John, Jesus was a friend.

You don't abandon a friend???not even when that friend is dead. John stayed close to Jesus.

He had a habit of doing this. He was close to Jesus in the upper room. He was close to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was at the foot of the cross at the crucifixion, and he was a quick walk from the tomb at the burial.

Did he understand Jesus? No.

Was he glad Jesus did what he did? No.

But did he leave Jesus? No.

What about you? When you're in John's position, what do you do? When it's Saturday in your life, how do you react? When you are somewhere between yesterday's tragedy and tomorrow's triumph, what do you do? Do you leave God???or do you linger near him?

John chose to linger. And because he lingered on Saturday, he was around on Sunday to see the miracle.