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A Word From Our Associate . . .
Maranatha!
Recently, I listened to a presentation by a Protestant Pastor, named Mike Bickle. He is from Kansas, where he has also started what is called, "The International House of Prayer." This movement is ecumenical, so that Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Evangelicals, etc., are gathering during nights of the week, for intercession for the Christian Church and the world. I think this idea is wonderful. Mike is also a man deeply touched by the Holy Spirit, which was quite evident to me while listening to his presentation. He spoke of the "Divine Romance," which is the three persons of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, totally in love with each other...totally united in love. And we as Christians are invited to participate in that "Divine Romance," so that our hearts become inflamed with divine charity for God and neighbor. When the Christian becomes awakened to an intimate presence of the Holy Spirit, within the soul, he/she experiences what he calls, "Divine Entertainment": the Divine Light and Love within, bringing tremendous delight and awe to the soul. I want to second his message, and thank him for his "yes" to Jesus.
Then Mike went on to say that he believed the "Beauty of Jesus" was being shown to human hearts in a totally new way, and this was a precursor to Christ's Second Coming, which he concludes, would occur during this generation. While I agreed with and enjoyed most of his words, I had to chuckle with part of this one. Another person falls into the trap of predicting the final hour. Jesus says, "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). We must be prepared at every hour, for indeed Jesus will return, "at an unexpected hour" (Luke 12:40). Part of Mike's mistake, I think, is his failure to interpret Christian history. He believes God's "beauty," and the personal experience of the Holy Spirit is being offered to Christians today, in a totally new and unique manner Yes, God is offering just such an experience, but it is the same gift offered to Christians for two thousand years. Listen to St. Augustine in the 5th century:
"O Beauty so ancient, and yet so new, late have I loved thee, late have I known thee. For behold thou were within me, but I was outside."
Or St. Francis in the 13th century:
"O love! How can I be
Afraid of foolishness
If through it I possess
And am possessed by thee?"
Or St. Terese of Jesus in the 16th century, writing in her autobiography:
"I saw an angel close by me, on my left side, in bodily form...I saw in his hand a long spear of god, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love
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