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ACatholiccanonicalmissionaryserviceofevangelizationwiththepoor
consecratedtothebeatingHeartsofJesusandMary
Volume37,#2Fall-Winter,2019-2020
TheHolyHeartbeat
ofJesus
DearFriends, InresponsetotherequestofPopeJohnPaulII,Diocesesaroundtheworldwereaskedtoassemble,onaregularbasis,the“EcclesialMovementsandNewCommunities”thathavebegunintheCatholicChurchinmoderntimes.WewerequitesurprisedwhenCardinalO’Connor,thenArchbishopofNewYork,invitedLAMPMinistriestobeoneofthetenMovementsheinvitedin1999,tobepartoftheArchdiocesanCouncilofMovementsandCommunities.AtthatWirstgathering,CardinalO’ConnoraskedeachgrouptoshareabouttheirMovement.NeverhavingthoughtofLAMPasa“Movement,”LynandIdidn’tknowwhattosay.ButwhenitbecameLyn’sturntospeak,thewordsclearlycametoher:“LAMP’s‘movement’isthebeatingHeartofJesusinHiscompassionforthepoor.” Thosewords,thatreality,hasbecomethecornerstoneofLAMP’sspiritualityandawareness,asLAMPMissionariesseekoutthepoor,themarginalized,theforgotten,toremindthemofGod’sever-presentlove.ThisHolyHeartbeatof
Jesusisanactivepresenceineachofus,seekingtodrawusintoanever-greaterintimaterelationship,andtransformingustogrowinloveforeachotherandallothers.Itdoesn’tstop.Itdoesn’tend.InLAMPitbeginswithintheCommunityofLAMPMissionaries,aswepraytogether,serveoneanother,seektogrowinholinesstogether,playtogether,nurturethepresenceofJesusinourmidst.ItisthatpresenceofJesusthatwilloverWlowtothoseinneedwhomweserveintheshelter,thehospital,thedetentioncenter,onthestreet,andhelpthemtoexperienceGod’shealingandmercifullovethroughtheintercessionofourBlessedMother,maybefortheWirsttime.Wepraythatasyoureadthewitnessescontainedhere,youwillbecomemoreawareofthedynamicHeartbeatofJesus’lovewithinyou.RespectfullyonewithyouinHisservice,
TomScheuring Marybeth&EdGreeneDirector PastoralDirectors
“TherecanbenoquestionthatLAMPMissionariesaretrulyinstrumentsof
God’sgraceandmercy.” -CardinalTimothyDolan
PrayingwithAllHisHeart
On42ndSt.inTimesSquare,LAMPMissionariesSr.AngeMarie,CSJandRebeccaScherrervisitandpraywithamanlivingonthestreet.Bysmiling,listeningandsharinghowpreciousheisinGod’seyes,peaceandmercyarecommunicated,hearttoheart.
Intheareaofbusy42ndStreetinManhattan,RebeccaandImet“Patrick.”Hewassmoking,seatedonthesidewalk,alittlebitdrunk.Wecroucheddowninordertostartaconversationwithhim.Hetoldusthathewasmourningthedeathofhisbelovedwife.Tryingtocomforthim,hesuddenlyaskedus:“Whatismypurposeinlife?Tellme!Whatismypurposeinlife?”Iwasspeechless,thinking:“Whatcouldyousay,Sr.Ange,toamanwhoisclosetohis70’s,onthestreetforseveralyears,wholostthejewelofhislife?”Rebeccaremindedhimthatweareonthisearthonlyforatime,andthatweneedtoturnourhearttothehopeoftheEverlastingLifepromisedbyJesus,lifethathewillshareonedaywithhisbelovedwife.
Lookingatthepeoplewalkingby,weaskedhimifhewouldbewillingtobecomeaprayerpartnerwithus.Wegavehimanumberof“YouarepreciousinGod’seyes”cards,andaskedifhewouldbewillingtoprayforthepeoplehemayknowonthestreetandhandthemacard.Hetookthecardsandsaid:“IloveJesus;IloveHim.”Afteralittlemoresharing,RebeccaandIprayedwith&forhimasitwastimeforustoleave.Attheendofourprayer,heraisedhiseyes,lookedatusandasked:“Wouldyouletmeprayforyouboth?"
Andso,therewewere,thethreeofusseatedonthebusysidewalk,holdinghands,Patrickprayingwithallhisheart,blessingus,thankingtheLordforusbutalsoprayingforhimself.Itwassopowerfulthattearscametomyeyes.Attheendoftheprayerweallrose,withthisstrongsenseofconnection.Anewlightwasshininginhisblueeyesandhewasspeakingmoreclearly,withoutanyindicationofintoxication.WeinvitedhimtocometoChurchforourFellowshipwithotherswhoarehomeless.“IwouldliketocometoChurch,butnotnow…Iamintoxicated.Idon’twanttobedisrespectful.Ineedtopreparemyselfandtowearatleastacleanshirt.”Weassuredhimthata“cleanshirt”wasn’tnecessary,butasweleftwethankedPatrickforthistimewesharedtogether,forthejoyofamemorableencounterinChrist’slove. -Sr.AngeMarie,CSJ
Allmaterials©2019LAMPMinistries,Inc.
AtourCommunityWeek,thewomenLAMPMissionariesinresidenceatLAMP’sAnnunciationHousebroughtthehousedownastheysangasongtheycreatedaboutthecalltoLAMP.(CheckitoutonLAMP’swebsite:lampministries.org.)
SamuelcametoLAMPcaféfortheWirsttimeaswewereservingonarecentSaturday.Afterhereceivedhissandwich,Brooke(anotherLAMPMissionary)andIinvitedhimtosayaprayer.Heacceptedandbegantowalkawayonceweconcluded,butthedeliberatewayhemadethesignofthecrossmademethinkthathemaybeCatholic.SoIcalledouttohimagaintogettoknowhimmore.Iaskedhimifhelivedintheneighborhoodandhesaidthathedidnotbuthegoestoadrugrehabilitationprogramwhichbringshimtothearea.Heopenedupandsharedhisstrugglesaswellasgriefoverrecentlossesoffamilymembers. Aswecontinuedtotalk,Samuelmentionedthatwhenhewasinprison,theguardsusedtotakethemtoMass.HeandhisbuddywouldsinginthechoirandheespeciallylovedtosingharmonyintheOurFather.Hebegantosingitrightthereonthespotandhadabeautifulvoice!IthenaskedifhehadbeentoMasssinceheleftjail.HehadakindofconfusedlookonhisfacesoIcontinued,“Samuel,youdon’thavetobeinjailtogotoMassyouknow!”Welaughedtogetheroverthisbutitreallydawnedonhim.AllofasuddenIsawinhimanawakeningofdesiretocomebacktotheChurch.Hehadreceivedallhissacramentsandhadevenbeenanaltarboy.BrookeandItookhimovertothechurchtovisittheBlessedSacrament.Aswewalkedthroughthechurchhekeptsoftly
exclaiming“Thisisbringingbacksomanymemories,theHolyWaterandwoodenbenches[pews].Wow.”Aswewalkedthrough,Ikeptremindinghim,“Samuel,youbelonghere.ThisisyourhomebecauseyouareachildofGod.” We said a prayer together before heading back out to the truck. I told him about Mass times and since I could see that this desire and realization that he needs to be back in the Church was coming from within him, I felt led to take it a step further and invite him back to confession as well. He responded so beautifully, “Yeah yeah. I need to be back.” I took him over to the rectory right away and the secretary called the priest while Samuel took a seat. “I need to be back. I belong here. It’s so peaceful.” He kept saying in a quiet voice to himself. And he does belong. He has found his home in the Church! -Hailey Marie Megge, LAMP Missionary
“AlthoughIwasalreadyintheseminary,Istillwasprayingforadeepersenseofmyvocation.ThroughservingwithLAMPasavolunteeronSaturdaysforafewseasons,Iwasabletobewiththepeople(atLAMPcafé),tolistentothem,tobe“Father”tothem,tocounselandpraywiththem,andthentotaketheminmyhearttoadorationwhereIheldtheminprayer.Yes,Irealized,thisisfeedingmycalltobeapriest.ThisiswhatGodwantsforme.” -StephenRooney,seminarian fortheRockvilleCenterDiocese
HomeAtLast
LAMPCatholicMinistriesispossibleonlybythegraceofGodandyourprayersandDinancialassistance.Pleasehelpus,bymakingadonationintheenclosedenvelope,orthroughPaypal,ifyouareable.LAMPMinistriesisa501(c)3taxexempt,notforproDitcorporation.Thankyou!
NON-PROFITORG.U.S.POSTAGEPAID
WhitePlains,NYPermitNo.5432
2704SchurzAvenueBronx,[email protected]
AnnouncementsThisFall,LAMPMissionariesRaul&JennieSalgadowerehonoredbytheNYArchdioceseCatholicCharitieswithameritoriousserviceawardfortheirmanyyearsoflovingsharingofJesuswithHisblessedpoor.Thankyou,Lord,fortheprivilegeofservingyouinthisway.
***PerhapsyouwouldenjoyviewingLAMP’swebsite(lampministries.org)orFacebooktogetafullerpictureofwhatweareabout.
***RespondingtoPopeFrancis‘invitationtocelebrate“WorldDayofthePoor,”LAMPMissionariesarebusyplanningChristmascarolingeventswithourbrothersandsisterswhocometotheLAMPcaféforphysicalandspiritualnourishment.WewillsingofGod’sgreatgiftofJesusonthestreetstogether!
AgreatgameofcroquetonabeautifulautumndayduringourRetreat/CommunityDaysaway.
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