By: Cyril John
The Renewal needs to be rid of the infirmities crippling it and be further renewed and rejuvenated in the Spirit to enter into the post-40 era with a new zeal for fulfilling its vocation and mission in the Church.
Eagles are referred to as unclean birds in some Bible verses (Lev 11:13; Mt 24:28; Lk 17: 37). Nevertheless, many other verses highlight them as majestic birds. The golden eagle, which is really dark brown with sprinkles of gold, has a 26-meter wingspread. It nests in the tallest trees of the forest that are inaccessible (Jer 49:16) and rests on the topmost crag of the mountain. The eagle’s keen eyesight enables it to spot its prey while soaring hundreds of feet above the ground. Like a bolt of lightning, it swoops to seize prey, killing it quickly with its poignant and strong talons and beak. On the strength of its wingspread, the eagle carries its prey to the nest so that eaglets may gain experience by tearing at the prey and feeding themselves. A mother eagle carries her eaglet on her back until it masters the art of flying. Moses used this familiar picture from nature to describe God’s care for His people (Deut 32:11). “ …how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Ex.19:4). Solomon marveled at “the way of an eagle in the sky” (Prov 30:19) by which it can stay aloft for hours, rarely moving its wings. Other Bible verses speak of the swiftness of eagles in flight (Deut 28:49; 2 Sam 1:23; Jer 49:22; Hab 1:8).
One does not find in the Scriptures a direct reference of the eagle to the Holy Spirit. However, in Revelation 4:6-8 we read: “Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind; the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” In his treatise, “Adversus Haereses”, commenting on this Bible text, St. Irenaeus concluded that the 4 living creatures referred to the Son of God (Jesus Christ). The lion symbolizing His effectual working, His leadership and royal power; the ox or a calf signifying His sacrificial and sacerdotal order; the face of a man – an evident description of Him as a human being and the flying eagle as the gift of the Holy Spirit hovering with His wings over the Church. St. Irenaeus then deduces, “And therefore, the Gospels are in accord with these things, among which Christ Jesus is seated.”
Many of us may be unaware that the eagle has the longest lifespan among birds of its species. But in its 40s it encounters three difficult situations: First, its long and sharp beak becomes bent and ineffective. Secondly, its long and flexible talons loose their grip and can no longer grab prey which serves as food. Thirdly, the heavy wings, due to the thick feathers, make it difficult for the eagle to fly. So, the eagle is faced with two options requiring a tough decision: either face degeneration and death on account of immobility and starvation or go through a painful process of change for its own betterment which lasts about 150 days. The second option of choosing the process of change and renewal is like imposing a rigorous period of quarantine on itself, while the first option of maintaining status quo leading to slow death appears to be more convenient. For the process of change, the eagle requires to be at its mountain-top nest for about five months. Over there the eagle knocks its beak against the rock until it is knocked off. After that, it has to wait for a new beak to grow. Once this happens, it will pluck out its talons and when new talons grow the eagle starts plucking its old and aged feathers. Then, when the new feathers grow, the eagle begins to enjoy a new lease of life. After five months, it is as if the eagle has had a complete renewal and is fit to live for a long time to come. The belief is that the eagle renews its strength and youthful appearance after shedding its old feathers: “your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 103:5).
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began in February, 1967 and is now 40 years old and has many similarities with the eagle. The CCR has had a majestic past. It has soared high and enjoyed the full patronage of the Church hierarchy. We in the Charismatic Renewal take pride in saying that the CCR is the fastest growing and the most influential renewal movement in the Church. Its strength in terms of numbers is quite impressive: 125 million people in 235 countries have been influenced in a short span of 40 years! Praise God for such a mighty move of the Holy Spirit that spread like wild fire! At 40, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is (like the eagle) being challenged: the Spirit is calling it for a change – a total renewal!
Why the need for change? 40 years is quite a long period. Certain negative aspects that might have crept in must be eliminated to begin a new phase of life. At 40, (like the eagle’s bent beak, loose talons and heavy wings) all that is likely to hamper CCR, for take off to fulfill the mission entrusted to it by the Spirit of God, has to be done away with. Some of us might have lost our enthusiasm, sharpness and vision. In some countries and regions the Renewal might be almost grounded with wings having grown weary owing to negativities, complacency, selfishness and conflicts - needing to renew its strength and youthful appearance to soar again to new heights. Again, like the eagle, we in the Renewal need to retreat to the mountaintop-nest, i.e. be in the presence of the Lord. What could possibly be the beak, talons and wings that need to be knocked off? It could vary from country to country, region to region, community to community and prayer group to prayer group. However, from the viewpoint of the Renewal in general, I have tried to identify three main disabilities in the succeeding paragraphs.
1. The bent beak could be the loss of focus – The Renewal seems to have forgotten the basics: The Life in the Spirit Seminar is supposed to lead the participants to personal renewal enabling them to place their lives under the Lordship of Jesus. Such an experience should transform the nominal Christian into an authentic Christian. Cardinal Joseph L. Suenens said that “everyone of us must ‘meet’ the Lord in a life experience; therein lies the key to the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ of which we speak, and without which prayer groups would lack vital depth”. However, it is a matter of serious concern that over the period of time, people seem to have forgotten the main goals of the Renewal and are seeking temporary relief from physical, emotional and material problems and not sustained growth in spiritual life and holiness. Our response should be: to get back to the basics.
2. The loose talons could be the loss of grip by the Renewal – disintegration of basic units like prayer groups and communities: Follow-up of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and growth into Christian maturity is possible in a community or prayer group. It affords the people the opportunity for informal group worship, for exercise of the various charisms and ministries that are given to build up the Body of Christ and for forming and equipping mature lay leadership in the Church. However, it is a matter of concern that prayer groups and communities are growing weaker with many people preferring to participate in night vigils, one day seminars, recollections, etc. and not forming part of parish prayer groups on a regular basis. Our response should be: pool in our resources to rebuild parish based prayer groups.
3. The heavy wings on account of thick feathers – The Renewal being weighed down with lack of forgiveness, love and unity: Disunity and disagreement, resentment and bitterness, envy and jealousy, etc have crippled the growth of a number of people towards ecclesial maturity and destroyed the fellowship in some groups. Our efforts will cease to bear fruit unless we are willing to forgive and love one another. Our response, therefore, should be: To strive towards rooting out the weeds of hatred, division and disunity.
At 40, the Renewal does need renewal! The Renewal needs to be rid of the infirmities crippling it and be further renewed and rejuvenated in the Spirit to enter into the post-40 era with a new zeal for fulfilling its vocation and mission in the Church. “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Is 40:31).
The author is the Chairman of National Charismatic Renewal Services (NCCRS), India; designated for the coordination of Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India under the Catholic Biships Conference (CBCI).
The Renewal needs to be rid of the infirmities crippling it and be further renewed and rejuvenated in the Spirit to enter into the post-40 era with a new zeal for fulfilling its vocation and mission in the Church.
Eagles are referred to as unclean birds in some Bible verses (Lev 11:13; Mt 24:28; Lk 17: 37). Nevertheless, many other verses highlight them as majestic birds. The golden eagle, which is really dark brown with sprinkles of gold, has a 26-meter wingspread. It nests in the tallest trees of the forest that are inaccessible (Jer 49:16) and rests on the topmost crag of the mountain. The eagle’s keen eyesight enables it to spot its prey while soaring hundreds of feet above the ground. Like a bolt of lightning, it swoops to seize prey, killing it quickly with its poignant and strong talons and beak. On the strength of its wingspread, the eagle carries its prey to the nest so that eaglets may gain experience by tearing at the prey and feeding themselves. A mother eagle carries her eaglet on her back until it masters the art of flying. Moses used this familiar picture from nature to describe God’s care for His people (Deut 32:11). “ …how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Ex.19:4). Solomon marveled at “the way of an eagle in the sky” (Prov 30:19) by which it can stay aloft for hours, rarely moving its wings. Other Bible verses speak of the swiftness of eagles in flight (Deut 28:49; 2 Sam 1:23; Jer 49:22; Hab 1:8).
One does not find in the Scriptures a direct reference of the eagle to the Holy Spirit. However, in Revelation 4:6-8 we read: “Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind; the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” In his treatise, “Adversus Haereses”, commenting on this Bible text, St. Irenaeus concluded that the 4 living creatures referred to the Son of God (Jesus Christ). The lion symbolizing His effectual working, His leadership and royal power; the ox or a calf signifying His sacrificial and sacerdotal order; the face of a man – an evident description of Him as a human being and the flying eagle as the gift of the Holy Spirit hovering with His wings over the Church. St. Irenaeus then deduces, “And therefore, the Gospels are in accord with these things, among which Christ Jesus is seated.”
Many of us may be unaware that the eagle has the longest lifespan among birds of its species. But in its 40s it encounters three difficult situations: First, its long and sharp beak becomes bent and ineffective. Secondly, its long and flexible talons loose their grip and can no longer grab prey which serves as food. Thirdly, the heavy wings, due to the thick feathers, make it difficult for the eagle to fly. So, the eagle is faced with two options requiring a tough decision: either face degeneration and death on account of immobility and starvation or go through a painful process of change for its own betterment which lasts about 150 days. The second option of choosing the process of change and renewal is like imposing a rigorous period of quarantine on itself, while the first option of maintaining status quo leading to slow death appears to be more convenient. For the process of change, the eagle requires to be at its mountain-top nest for about five months. Over there the eagle knocks its beak against the rock until it is knocked off. After that, it has to wait for a new beak to grow. Once this happens, it will pluck out its talons and when new talons grow the eagle starts plucking its old and aged feathers. Then, when the new feathers grow, the eagle begins to enjoy a new lease of life. After five months, it is as if the eagle has had a complete renewal and is fit to live for a long time to come. The belief is that the eagle renews its strength and youthful appearance after shedding its old feathers: “your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 103:5).
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began in February, 1967 and is now 40 years old and has many similarities with the eagle. The CCR has had a majestic past. It has soared high and enjoyed the full patronage of the Church hierarchy. We in the Charismatic Renewal take pride in saying that the CCR is the fastest growing and the most influential renewal movement in the Church. Its strength in terms of numbers is quite impressive: 125 million people in 235 countries have been influenced in a short span of 40 years! Praise God for such a mighty move of the Holy Spirit that spread like wild fire! At 40, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is (like the eagle) being challenged: the Spirit is calling it for a change – a total renewal!
Why the need for change? 40 years is quite a long period. Certain negative aspects that might have crept in must be eliminated to begin a new phase of life. At 40, (like the eagle’s bent beak, loose talons and heavy wings) all that is likely to hamper CCR, for take off to fulfill the mission entrusted to it by the Spirit of God, has to be done away with. Some of us might have lost our enthusiasm, sharpness and vision. In some countries and regions the Renewal might be almost grounded with wings having grown weary owing to negativities, complacency, selfishness and conflicts - needing to renew its strength and youthful appearance to soar again to new heights. Again, like the eagle, we in the Renewal need to retreat to the mountaintop-nest, i.e. be in the presence of the Lord. What could possibly be the beak, talons and wings that need to be knocked off? It could vary from country to country, region to region, community to community and prayer group to prayer group. However, from the viewpoint of the Renewal in general, I have tried to identify three main disabilities in the succeeding paragraphs.
1. The bent beak could be the loss of focus – The Renewal seems to have forgotten the basics: The Life in the Spirit Seminar is supposed to lead the participants to personal renewal enabling them to place their lives under the Lordship of Jesus. Such an experience should transform the nominal Christian into an authentic Christian. Cardinal Joseph L. Suenens said that “everyone of us must ‘meet’ the Lord in a life experience; therein lies the key to the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ of which we speak, and without which prayer groups would lack vital depth”. However, it is a matter of serious concern that over the period of time, people seem to have forgotten the main goals of the Renewal and are seeking temporary relief from physical, emotional and material problems and not sustained growth in spiritual life and holiness. Our response should be: to get back to the basics.
2. The loose talons could be the loss of grip by the Renewal – disintegration of basic units like prayer groups and communities: Follow-up of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and growth into Christian maturity is possible in a community or prayer group. It affords the people the opportunity for informal group worship, for exercise of the various charisms and ministries that are given to build up the Body of Christ and for forming and equipping mature lay leadership in the Church. However, it is a matter of concern that prayer groups and communities are growing weaker with many people preferring to participate in night vigils, one day seminars, recollections, etc. and not forming part of parish prayer groups on a regular basis. Our response should be: pool in our resources to rebuild parish based prayer groups.
3. The heavy wings on account of thick feathers – The Renewal being weighed down with lack of forgiveness, love and unity: Disunity and disagreement, resentment and bitterness, envy and jealousy, etc have crippled the growth of a number of people towards ecclesial maturity and destroyed the fellowship in some groups. Our efforts will cease to bear fruit unless we are willing to forgive and love one another. Our response, therefore, should be: To strive towards rooting out the weeds of hatred, division and disunity.
At 40, the Renewal does need renewal! The Renewal needs to be rid of the infirmities crippling it and be further renewed and rejuvenated in the Spirit to enter into the post-40 era with a new zeal for fulfilling its vocation and mission in the Church. “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Is 40:31).
The author is the Chairman of National Charismatic Renewal Services (NCCRS), India; designated for the coordination of Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India under the Catholic Biships Conference (CBCI).
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