By Benedict Kenshua Chai
KUCHING — From 14–16 February, 50 participants, facilitators, family members and friends from the St Joseph’s English RCIA Class attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) conducted by the Bread of Life Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community.
This seminar was very important for the catechumens and confirmation candidates in preparation for their baptism and confirmation. Apart from that, the LSS was also open to all the participants to reconcile and forge a deeper relationship with Christ, to yield the actions of the Holy Spirit in their life, and to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit working in all the participants.
The seminar topics included God’s Love, Salvation, New Life, Receiving God’s Gift, Inner Healing, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and Growth and Transformation. There were also sharing and pastoring sessions. The Inner Healing session included exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
This was a new experience for all the RCIA candidates. They were also guided on the importance of living in a community. During the Inner Healing and Baptism of the Holy Spirit sessions, all the participants experienced being touched by the Holy Spirit in one way or another. Praying and speaking in tongues, healing, and gift of joy and love were some of the gifts that the participants received.
Towards the end of the seminar, all the participants confessed they had received some of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit which are: Love, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Peace, Self-control, Goodness, Joy, and Faithfulness.
Testimonies from some RCIA participants:
My name is Kenshua, and soon to be, Benedict. At first, my life was not quite happy and full of constant pressure. But, after the LSS session, I feel that I am “reborn” as a new person. I felt peace during the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and this peace is incomparable to other times of temporary peace. There are also many personal miracles that I have witnessed, such as receiving the gift of tongues, and spotting a rainbow next to the ACCPC. I believe that the Lord was truly there and was with me during my LSS session. – Benedict Kenshua Chai
I experienced self-forgiveness during the inner healing on Saturday. I know I have sinned in various ways. On Sunday I found the missing pieces to include in my prayer. During the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I remembered the word “I miss You” and at that very moment I felt truly touched by the anointing and I cried so bad. I felt God’s love and heard “I have forgiven you”. Our hope and salvation is none other than God. I pray to God to strengthen His people in faith. – Stephanie Eddy Ligham
Joining LSS helped me refresh and renew my faith in God, something that I look forward to where I block my time specially to seek God’s presence and to grow deeper in Him, in addition to Sunday Mass that I attend. This LSS was special to me since it was the second time I was able to speak in tongues, 5 months after I received the gift for the first time. But the experience also left me with one question, ‘why can’t I stop crying when I speak in tongues?’ Nevertheless, I feel blessed with this gift and I pray that I may be able to discern what God really wants me to do with my life. – Iviana Anak Jiga
During the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I felt sad because my heart yearned for God to take my late Dad to join Him in heaven. In my cries I was also begging, but a voice in my heart said ‘Yes, he is with me.’ During the inner healing, I was sad for a moment because I was thinking about my late Dad who loved me. After that Sr Isabel talked about a father’s love, which made me feel even sadder. It felt like a coincidence… so at the baptism of the Holy Spirit, my heart was still begging. I was crying. After that, I felt better, and I said, ‘Thank you Jesus.’ – Telly Malinda
