The Scripture I received before the conference and was confirmed, was from Matthew 13:16. "But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. Truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it." I know I echo your thoughts in saying this prophecy came true for us on the weekend! What we heard and what we saw was astonishing! From Zephaniah 3, "You danced over us."

Marilyn Quirk opened the evening of the conference with the story of her miraculous testimony of dying in her parish adoration chapel and coming to consciousness three days later, without any neurological compromises at all. Her story alone was reason enough for us to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord the entire weekend! The procession with roses representing each Chapter, brought tears to many sisters' eyes as each Chapter was presented to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even the Chapters without a member present, were blessed as each was remembered with a rose to Our Lady.

 "Living Praise," our conference music ministry is aptly named! They are "par excellence" in bringing heaven down to earth with their new CD "Break Through to Revelation Worship." Bishop Sam Jacobs let the fire fall with his talk on the Sacrament of Baptism and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He was like a living flame exhorting us to live out our Baptism, affirming that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is at the heart of the entire Catholic Church. Fr. Kevin Scallon C.M. gave us a beautiful sharing about how God wants to come to us daily in the Eucharist, and included a part of his own testimony; he also gave us a stirring teaching on humility. We celebrated Fr. Kevin's 50th Anniversary as a Vincentian priest on the Feast of St. Patrick.  

Sr. Briege was her effervescent self, sharing with us about her medical healing through surrender. She also exhorted the entire ministry to "pray, and do not be afraid to preach the truth in love, in season and out of season, whether we are popular or unpopular. Jesus has won the victory, do not get discouraged!" If we do that we will keep the flame of the Holy Spirit fanned.    Kathleen Beckman shared on her own experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and how it is foundational to Magnificat's origin, since it is a fruit of the Charismatic Renewal. She also spoke of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit's relevance in our everyday life of holiness and in carrying out our roles of Magnificat women in the world.  

Patti Mansfield reminded us that the Holy Spirit will use us to bring about this "Culture of Pentecost" no matter our age. She gave us a teaching on the Gift of Tongues before leading a powerful prayer meeting in which she prayed for a new release of the Holy Spirit in the ministry. We need to let the Holy Spirit take over in our Chapters, because God wants to pour out God gifts now! He is waiting for the total surrender of our will. Patti also shared that many Saints were present to us, she said "this room is crowded!" Magnificat has a charism of priestly affirmation and it was felt by all the Spiritual Advisors present. They were refreshed and renewed in their priestly ministry and their Magnificat involvement.

The CST unveiled their fresh and exciting "CST Ministries" in a power point presentation on Saturday. Our next e-newsletter will go into much detail on this exciting new expansion for the Magnificat Ministry.

The weekend liturgies were rich with the Feasts of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, and we were blessed to have Archbishop Gregory Aymond as our closing celebrant. Every person attending was transformed by the incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We left as "New Creations," and the effects are still being felt daily as we say,

"Come Holy Spirit!"  

FANNING THE FLAME: Part 1

by Marilyn Quirk

At this past conference, God in His great mercy brought us to the mountain top and gave each of us a glimpse of His Glory. He transformed us and made us New Creations in Christ. How do we keep the flame alive that has been kindled in us? How do we fan the flame even brighter to ignite our families, the women who attend our Magnificat events, church parishes, and beyond? Our main mission is to grow in holiness and to evangelize and help women grow as well. We all know the great power we have as women to influence for good or evil. Can you imagine an army of holy women? They can change the Church and the world by their prayers, their maternal love and the inspiration and witness of their lives.

Jesus said, " I have come to set the earth on fire and how I wish it were already blazing!" Luke 12:49. He also said, "Zeal for your house consumes me." John 2:17. The root word for zeal in Greek is" zeo" which means red hot- as a piece of metal put to fire becomes red and glowing, like water when it gets to the boiling point. This is how we should be for the Lord.

 How can we grow in holiness and stoke the flame of love in our hearts? In other words have "oil in our lamps?" Matthew 25.

Daily personal prayer

Nothing in our day should be more important to us than our time alone with the living God- to love Him and to receive His transforming love. 2 Corinthians 3:18. "Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:1-10. Pope John Paul II said in 2001, "There is no holiness without prayer. In fact, as we see in the lives of the Saints, Christians are worth as much as they pray." God will supply the time and the place and give us the grace to faithfully spend time alone in prayer if we ask His help. He so desires to be with us.

Daily reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures- the Word of God  

This is both nourishing and transforming to our minds and souls, from Romans 12:2. The whole of Psalm 119 has much to teach us about the word of God. "The revelation of your words sheds light, gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119: 130. Jeremiah said, "When I found your words I devoured them, they became joy and happiness of my heart." Jeremiah 15:16. We, like the prophet, must devour the word of God and let it take root in our hearts and minds.

Frequent participation in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation

Eucharist

 We should make every effort to attend daily Mass, if at all possible. Jesus said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will have life because of Me." John 6: 56-57. Every time I read this passage I think of the transforming power of receiving the Eucharist. If you are unable to attend daily Mass because it is not available to you or because of family responsibilities, etc. your desire and longing for the Lord pleases Him and graces will flow to you.

If you are able to pray before the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass, either in an Adoration Chapel or in a Church before the Tabernacle, Pope John Paul II said, "it is of inestimable value for the life of the Church." Fr. Cohen used to say," praying that way is like radiation therapy". Sr. Briege Mc Kenna has known of many healings that have taken place because of prayer before the Eucharist.

"The Magnificat expresses Mary's spirituality, and there is nothing greater than the spirituality for helping us to experience the mystery of the Eucharist. The Eucharist has been given to us so that our life, like that of Mary may become completely a Magnificat." John Paul II (Encyclical on the Eucharist).

Reconciliation

Monthly confession or more often as needed is so healing. I am always amazed at the power of the sacrament to free us and help us weed out those areas that we struggle with. I am certain that the enemy dislikes this sacrament and will do all that he can to dissuade us from going. 

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To the Central Service Team in New Orleans:

Today, 3/26/11, is a very special day for me because it is the anniversary of the day that I got the inspiration from the Holy Spirit to start this chapter here. I never watch TV during the day. However, on this day, March 26, 2008, I sat down and turned the TV on to EWTN and lo and behold, there was Marilyn Quirk and Kathy MacInnis with Fr. Mitch Pacwa talking about the Magnificat.

We lived in Atlanta from 1991 to 1997 and the Magnificat Breakfasts that I attended in Atlanta definitely contributed to my conversion so I have a great love and respect for Olga Myers, the Coordinator of the Atlanta Chapter. Every time I would listen to a speaker at the Breakfasts in Atlanta, a little voice inside me would say, "Some day you are going to be speaking at one of these." And I would just laugh to myself and say, "Yeah right, you can't even speak in front of two people." I felt so uplifted after I attended each Magnificat Breakfast in Atlanta.

So in 1997 we moved to Northern California because my husband got transferred again. I was disappointed that there was not a Magnificat here, but since I was raising my three children I knew I did not have the time to start it. Over the years since then, the Magnificat was always on the back of my mind. However, on March 26, 2008, when I saw the foundresses on TV, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "Now is the time" and I knew I could not refuse the promptings of the Holy Spirit .

So who would have thought that 14 years later, 3,000 miles away that I would be starting a chapter here in the Oakland Diocese and that I am speaking at our Breakfasts as the MC. How weird is that? No one ever dreamed we would have 550 women in attendance for our inaugural Breakfast with Bishop Cordileone as our first speaker.  

I pray that I will continue to be God's humble servant and that God will continue to keep pouring out the graces for us to be all that He wants us to be through the Magnificat.  

Love and Prayers,

Mary Johnstone, Coordinator

Servants of the Immaculata Chapter, Walnut Creek, CA

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Chapter 16 Flame of Divine Love   

The foundation of the edifice of the Church is the Sacraments of Initiation-Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Christ comes to live within us; it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (Cf. Galatians 2:20) The life of Baptism is made strong by Confirmation and the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is nourished by Jesus, the Bread of Life, in the Holy Eucharist.

Through the action of the Holy Spirit, we understand what Baptism does to the soul- that through it we are born into new life in Christ, that Original Sin is forgiven along with all other sins, that we become children of the Father, that we recognize Jesus as our Savior and our brother, and that we are made holy by the presence of love of the Holy Spirit. We literally become temples of the Holy Trinity. What a pity that so many people do not have a clearer understanding of what Baptism does. It does make us children of God; it transforms our soul and marks it with a character, an irreversible uniqueness which lasts into eternity. Once baptized, always baptized.

I often wonder as I baptize their children if parents realize the seriousness of the duty they undertake. Do they realize that the God who gives them children will also hold them responsible for how they have instructed their children and taught them to follow Christ and to walk in the ways of righteousness? God's plan is that every child will become a saint. Parents must help their children to hear God's word and to live out their Baptismal promises to reject Satan and his ways, and to always be open to the Spirit who comes in power at Confirmation. Parental witness is the best teacher of all.

Today parents have to keep guard over their children and not abandon them to be formed by the influences of the secular world. Parents have a moral duty to teach their children, protect their innocence, and instruct them in Christian moral values. In earlier times, young people absorbed such values from the communities in which they grew up. Sadly this is no longer the case.

Why is Baptism so important? It is important because it is the foundation stone of Christian life. It is the most important of all the sacraments, because it gives us a share in the life and mysteries of Jesus Christ. Baptized people no longer belong to themselves, but to God. Like Jesus, they are called to be servants, to profess their faith openly, to be part of the Church's mission, to establish God's Kingdom on earth. At Baptism they begin a life of discipleship, following and obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed by the Church, even to the shedding of their blood.

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 By Joan Lococo

I believe that God is constantly communicating with us and that there is nothing that He cannot utilize to get His message across. As the first chapter of Luke attests, "nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) We need simply to open our spiritual eyes and ears and hearts so that we can perceive and receive what God is trying to tell us.

This truth was dramatically brought home to me during my husband's recent (and final) illness. After a week of critical care in a local hospital we transferred Sal to a hospice facility where he could be cared for comfortably. My seven-year-old grandson brought his Paw Paw a large Mylar balloon with the inflated face of a smiling sun, so bright that it wore "cool" sunglasses. The iridescent sun floated cheerfully at the top of Paw Paw's window for three whole weeks.

As our fourth week began I noticed that the sun balloon was beginning to lose a little of its helium. Gradually, day-by-day, it drooped lower and lower toward the floor, even leaning at a 45� angle into the room. At the same time Sal's health began a slow decline as his body passed through various stages of weakening. No one could pinpoint how much time remained for him, but the golden globe of sun was a visible indication to me of the steady ebb of life we were witnessing.  

At the beginning of our 5th week in hospice my parish Altar Society brought Sal a magnificent balloon bouquet of five Mylar balloons - three large stars in psychedelic purple, lime green and hot pink - and two full flat circles of silver and blue. Of course, they represented the stars and moon of the night sky that rises brilliant and glorious as the sun sinks beyond the horizon. This rainbow of brilliant color completed the panorama of sky that God was using to parallel what was happening in the physical world with what His word tells us is awaiting us in the next world. "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has

prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) What a glorious life is ahead of us when the sun sets on our earthly existence!

Thirty-six hours later my daughter Margaret and I and the hospice chaplain were privileged to be laying our hands on Sal's hands and praying at his bedside when Sal's soul quietly and peacefully left his weak, tired body to begin its journey to God's heavenly kingdom. It was a holy, sacred time. To adapt one of my favorite hymns, "Surely the presence of the Lord was in that place - we could feel His mighty power and His grace. We didn't hear the rush of angels' wings, but we saw glory on each face. Surely the presence of the Lord was very strong in that place."

 Open our eyes, Lord, to see You in Your creation.

Open our ears, Lord, to hear Your words.

Open our spirits, Lord, to receive Your messages by whatever means You choose to send them.

Open our hearts, Lord, to perceive Your presence and return the love You lavish upon us at all times.

 Praise God!  

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GOD'S INSTRUMENT  

by Gigi Pickard

I did not attend a Life in the Spirit Seminar to gain anything, I really wasn't looking for anything, I went as a favor for a friend. I thought I would just sing a few songs and leave. When I cornered my friend, to find out when I was to sing for them, she seemed puzzled. I thought I would arrive, look over the schedule, and make a convenient escape. On Friday, I escaped as soon as possible, even though most stayed for Reconciliation. I did not stay, not that I did not think I needed it, I just wanted to be home.

The first song I was to sing was called Let the Fire Fall by George Misulia. Previously, I had heard a CD of someone singing that song and thought, oh no, not that one! I did not really know that song, but I played it anyway. When I sang it, the music and the words just came to me, it was like it had been written just for me. I ended up staying the entire second day of the LIS Seminar. The last part was the laying on of hands or the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Our speaker said that once when she had been prayed over and filled with the Spirit, she began to laugh. I thought, I would like to laugh too! A general invitation was made to the group to come forward, I was poised to begin singing the first song. I thought, well, I'll see what happens and then maybe... then, without a word, I was walking to the front of the room, I was going first! My feet were moving, but that was not my idea. I just appeared in the front. It was as if I blinked, and the room changed. All at once, I realized I was standing in front of Father. He asked me if I wanted to receive the Holy Spirit? I nodded and said "yes" and I meant it. I felt separated from everyone by the waterfall that surrounded me. My eyes filled up with tears. My face was contorted from weeping uncontrollably. Suddenly, my heels rose out of my sandals, and I was not standing on the balls of my feet. I am going to fall forward, I thought. I allowed myself the floating sensation, then forced my heels down in my shoes. I could hear people praying in different languages, but I couldn't see through my tears. I thought, Lord, I am a tough nut to crack. Then in my desperation I said, "Holy Spirit, I really do want You." All I can remember is falling back after my prayer. I woke up on the floor several feet from where I was standing. I opened my eyes and began to laugh. I laughed as hard as I had wept just minutes before, it felt so good! I knew my prayer was answered that moment. God proved how powerful He is to me. I lay there a few seconds more, then realized there was singing to do. I only knew a couple of the songs played the next hour, but I could sing every song or perhaps the Holy Spirit sang through me. To be used as an instrument of the Holy Spirit is not a gift I would turn down.

In conclusion, Let the Fire Fall is my new favorite song, and music comes to me more easily than ever before. The Scriptures come alive for me and every day reading the Bible, holds more meaning. I have become so thirsty for the Word of God. Psalm 42 refers to the living God, He is alive, and has transported me to the flowing streams of his love. I have seen the water, I have felt His Spirit, I revel in the joy of His salvation. I would like to tell you that I meant for all this to happen to me. I have prayed for God's will. I pray that He will use me as He chooses. I believe He gave me this grace, it was His idea, not mine. I just said "YES!"

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