Local News

LSS presenters Training Seminar 14th July 2007 Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

By Elaine Wijesurya

The Life in the Spirit Presenters Training programme, conducted at the Assumption Church , Petaling Jaya, on Saturday, 14 July 2007, by the Chairman of the Peninsular Malaysia Service Team (PMST), Clement Samuel, was useful and comprehensive to the 70 participants, from the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese.

For example, one participant shared that many questions which arose while conducting of the 9 Week Life in the Spirit Seminar, were answered. May be not completely, but sufficient, for the time being. Questions such as, how to conduct the Praying Over for non-Catholics, or should LSS participants be allowed to continue if they missed the first 2 sessions, were dealt with. Sections of the Training programme which gave an overview of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), from its early beginnings, gave a clearer picture to those who had just come into the Renewal, or to those who were not sure of the history of the CCR.

Making the history of the CCR into a Case Study and a topic for Group Discussion helped greatly to bring the beginnings of the CCR alive, especially the report by Patti Gallagher Mansfield, who was touched, moved and renewed among the first group of Catholics who were ‘baptised in the Holy Spirit', at Chapel Hill, in the U.S., in 1967.

Discussions questions given at the Training programme also underlined the attitudes at the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Attitudes such as, desiring, surrendering, being transformed and radiant by the outpouring Holy Spirit and then teaching and leading others to this experience.

Clement Samuel shared his own testimony of how he was touched in 1974 after attending a 7 week LSS in Taiping He said that, the LSS was introduced in Taiping by Sr Cyril, who had attended an LSS in Ireland . Clement Samuel explained how he went to Our Lady's Grotto during the LSS, where he sat and prayed for the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit'. He went back to the dormitory with tremendous joy. Later he helped out at the Prayer meetings held in the School chapel and eventually served as leader. In 1980 he felt a burning desire to serve the Lord and he attended the Charismatic Bible college in Bombay , India , and began serving the Lord full time from 1981 in Taiping.

By giving a brief background to the LSS in Malaysia, Clement Samuel was able to explain the question ‘uppermost' in the minds of the participants at the Training programme: “Why the 9 Week LSS?” Many prayer groups in Peninsular Malaysia had been conducting the Weekend LSS, using the Ann Arbor LSS Manual. Clement Samuel mentioned how the bishops of Peninsular Malaysia came out with Guidelines for the conducting of the LSS in 1994. After consultations with Prayer Group leaders and priests, His Lordship, Anthony Selvanayagam Bishop of Penang who is the Episcopal Advisor of the CCR, launched the 9 Week LSS Manual on Sunday, May 21st, 2006.

Clement gave three reasons for the introduction of the 9 weeks LSS.

The LSS must be a tool to achieve the goals of the Catholic Charismatic renewal .

The goal of the CCR is to achieve what the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in the lives of Catholics today. The Holy Spirit wants Catholics to be Spirit filled, Spirit controlled, Spirit empowered Christians to continue the mission of Christ in the modern world.

There must be adequate preparation for the baptism of the Holy Spirit . We need to have a Catholic understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is linked to the sacrament of baptism. It is linked to an adult conversion to Christ.

The Parish priest/local prayer group leaders must be the key persons to provide pastoral care for the participants of the LSS to ensure on-going growth and fuller integration into the life of the parish. The LSS is only a beginning. It is linked to Christian initiation. Much more is needed to grow in the life of the Holy Spirit.

Continuing the explanation, Clement Samuel gave a short account of the Goals of the CCR as given in the ICCRS Statutes approved by Rome . They are Conversion, Sanctification, Edification, Evangelisation and Integration. The overall Vision of the CCR, he said, is to initiate people into the life of the Holy Spirit, to help them live the ‘charismatic' dimension in their daily lives. He stressed that LSS is only the beginning. Much more formation is needed before a person truly lives a charismatic lifestyle.

Touching on Pentecost, Clement Samuel gave brief explanations of how it is linked to the ‘Pentecost' feast of the Old Testament and also to ‘the tower of Babel ': The people in the Genesis story wanted "to make a name for themselves. As Clement put it, Pentecost as experienced by the apostles in the book of Acts is a reversal of that idea”. Clement emphasised, that the Pentecost in the New Testament brought glory to God. This was also underlined in the 4 Essential Truths linked to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which Clement Samuel then spoke on. He said that in other religions man reaches out to God, but in Christianity, the Good News is that God reaches out to man. Using diagrams, he explained this and also showed how in an LSS we lead people to renounce themselves as Lord and make Jesus, the Lord of our life. Only then can we expect Him to ‘baptise us in the Holy Spirit'. This understanding of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit will implicate the way we conduct the LSS, This is why it is important for LSS participants to understand the 4 Spiritual Truths before they can be baptised in the Spirit, said Clement.

In the final Session Practical aspects of organising an LSS, proved useful to those who were unsure of what to do before, during and after an LSS. Clement Samuel dealt with each of these aspects and also gave Guidelines for Speakers and for those sharing Testimonies. As Veni from the Church of the Divine Mercy summed up, “The Training programme will help fill in the gaps when conducting future of the 9 Weeks LSS”.

Melaka/Johor Charismatic Rally

23rd— 25th November 2007

Majodi, Plentong

(Speakers include Rev Fr. Rufus Pereira(India), Rev Fr. Augustine(India- Potta)

Contact persons

Melaka - Alexander Jothy (012 9327458)
Muar - Clarence Abraham (012 3608422)
Kluang - Diana Christian (012 7588653)
JB - Nancy Johnson (012 7131053)

Registration forms can be downloaded from the PMST website. (pmst-ccr.org). Go to PMST home page.

Please hand in your registration forms and fees to the above contact persons early, as places are limited and the concept of "FIRST COME FIRST SERVE" basis shall apply. We look forward to have you join us. Thank you .