Popular Devotions Charismatic Style

A new form of popular devotion has flourished in our time. We might call it simply: Charismatic prayer. It began as a surprise manifestation of the Holy Spirit at the Catholic University of Duquesne in Pittsburgh, in February of 1967, while a group of faculty members and students were on retreat.

It was like an experience of Pentecost when the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. On that occasion, Peter proclaimed boldly that Jesus was risen by the power of God. He was the Messiah! The Apostles were filled with joy and even enthusiasm. So much so that some people said: "These men have had too much wine!" But Peter said: “These men are not drunk. It's only nine o'clock in the morning. They are filled with the Holy Spirit.” That, my friends, is how the Church was born and came alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Duquesne experience was like a new experience of Pentecost in our time. This experience soon spread. Charismatic Prayer Groups multiplied across the country, then all over the five continents. It was a fire that renewed the Church in our time. The "Charismatic Renewal", as it came to be called, was like an answer from heaven to the prayer of Pope John XXIII as he opened the 2nd Vatican Council: "O Holy Spirit, renew your wonders in our time as for a new Pentecost."

The Charismatic Renewal has renewed the piety of Catholics in our time with new forms of prayer, popular devotions. I would like to tell you about that today.

The Prayer Meeting

The heart of the Charismatic Renewal is the "Prayer Meeting." When you attend a Prayer Meeting for the first time, you find it strange, yet beautiful. You are first impressed with the warm welcome that greets you and the joy that radiates on all faces. Too often, when you arrive at Mass, you just go to a pew and wait in silence for the Mass to start. Not so in the early church, not so at Charismatic Prayer Meetings. Brothers and sisters reach out to welcome you. Now, a few things you see at prayer meetings, which are different forms of prayer.

Charismatics like to sing, and their songs are typically songs of praise. Charismatics are very much God-centered. We like to praise God. A joyous spirituality. Joy is contagious; it has a way of drawing people.

Charismatics pray with their whole body. At times they pray and sing with their arms lifted up to heaven, especially to express joy and praise God. At our Sunday afternoon healing services, I sometimes see little children of 4-5 imitating their elders and raising their arms with us when we sing. Holding hands at the "Our Father", as a sign of brotherhood, has spread to parish Masses.

Spontaneous prayer. Instead of saying prayers we have learned, we just talk to God, praising him in our own words. We thank him, we tell him our love. It's our personal prayer, it comes from our heart. And we pray that way aloud, unconcerned for what those around us are saying. At first, we hesitate, we are self-conscious, but eventually we overcome this self-consciousness and feel free to praise God spontaneously. You are conscious of God alone. You can be yourself with him.

Praying in tongues. That too sounds strange at first. We must understand that praying in tongues is not always speaking in some other real language we do not know. This happens occasionally, but more commonly the gift of tongues sounds like a babble, but it simply expresses our desire to praise God. It is the Spirit who inspires the praise of our heart that we excess that way.

Singing in tongues. As we can pray in tongues, so we can "sing in tongues." Think of the Alleluias we used to sing in the Latin mass before the Gospel. At times we sang as many as 50 and 75 notes just on the last "A". This used to be called "Jubilation", an outpouring of our joy in the Lord. That may help you to understand what we do when we "sing in tongues." In Charismatic conferences, I've heard thousands of people singing together in tongues. They usually begin very softly. Then the singing swells to a crescendo. Finally, it begins to decrease and comes to a whisper, a silence, as if there were a music director leading them. That's what happens when all are "tuned in" to the Holy Spirit, who is the musical director. And when the singing fades out completely, you experience a marvelous silence, not a dead silence, but a silence filled with the presence of God.

Responding to a witness or sharing. Someone will, at times, during the prayer meeting, share good things the Lord has done in his life. It can be a healing or a blessing one has received in response to prayer. After a testimony like that it is likely that someone will break out in song to praise and thank God and all join in. We have a few known songs appropriate to the occasion. Examples: Thank you, thank you, Jesus. Also, Mary's Magnificat: "My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Savior, for He who is mighty hath done great things, and holy is his name."

Prayer for healing. A common practice at prayer meetings.

Moments of silent prayer. We learn to "listen to the Lord," who speaks to our heart. "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." Charismatics learn the value of "quiet time" with the Lord and seek to have it at least 15 minutes every day.

Characteristics of Prayer Meetings

Spontaneity. No rigid rules. Great freedom. We move as the Sprit moves us. As St. Paul writes: "Those are children of God who are led by the Spirit." We learn to be "ourselves", overcome shyness, self-consciousness that paralyzes.

Joy in the Lord. The joy St. Paul. writes about to the Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord, always." Even in the midst of adversities.

We learn to love the Scriptures, to understand them, in the Prayer Group.

Baptism in the Spirit

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus said, "John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:5) To be baptized means to be plunged into, to be immersed into. For the Apostles, this happened at Pentecost. Their lives were profoundly transformed. For us, this happened at Confirmation. But then we did not too well understand all that the Holy Spirit wanted to do in our life. The gifts of the Spirit remained to a good extent dormant. The Baptism in the Spirit is meant to awaken and release those gifts. . People who until then had been "good Catholics" come alive spiritually in a new way. Instead of just doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong, we fall in love with Jesus. And when you are in love, you become alive in a new way. This is how you are transformed when you are baptized in the Spirit. This "life in the Spirit" has renewed the Church in our time.

Devotions Novena Index