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Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Ed i to r : F r. S . Ch ipo l ina : ed i to r@uponth is rock .g i . Production Editor: A. Sargent angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations.

It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily

reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. You’ll find exclusive Christian gifts in the WebShop.COVER PIC: The Little Angels fancy dress party on 1 November, themed ‘Angels & Saints’Photo: A.Sargent

GIBRALTAR DIOCESAN CRIB COMPETITION 2014

ENTRIES ARE INVITED FROM HOMES, SCHOOLS, CLUBS AND PLACES OF WORK.

JUDGING WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER 2014 WITH SCHOOLS BEING JUDGED ON MONDAY 15 DECEMBER 2014. FORMS CAN BE COLLECTED FROM THE CATHEDRAL BOOKSHOP AND HANDED IN AT ST.

THERESA’S CHURCH, NOT LATER THAN THURSDAY 11 DECEMBER.

(Forms will be available for collection as fromMONDAY 24 NOVEMBER.)

ENTRANCE FEE £5 PER CRIB All monies collected will go to a Church chosen

Charity to be announced. Winners will be contacted and Prizes will be handed out on Thursday 24 December during the

Children’s Christmas Eve Mass.For more information please contact Maria Louisa Aguilera at 58008677

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Dear FriendsWhy was it necessary

for the Word of God to become flesh?

We needed a saviour who could reconcile us with God. Throughout the ages Christians have professed the ancient Nicene Creed: “He became man for our sake and for the sake of our salvation.” The eternal Word became flesh for us so he could offer his life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, through the shedding of his blood on the cross. The Word became flesh to show us the infinite love and tender mercy of God for us sinners. In the feast of Christmas

we celebrate present realities – Jesus Christ our redeemer who reigns in heaven and who also lives and reigns in our hearts through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit. And we commemorate past events – the birth of the newborn Messiah King and his manifestation to Israel and to the gentile nations. We thank and bless God for the way in which he has saved us from the power of sin and the curse of death and destruction, by sending his son to ransom us and give us pardon and abundant life through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit. Today we celebrate the birthday of our King and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God wants to fill our hearts

anew with joy and gratitude for the greatest gift he could possibly give us – his beloved son Jesus. What can we give thanks for in this great feast of the Incarnation? We can praise and thank God our Father for the fact that the Son of God freely and joyfully assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. Jesus came to release the captives from slavery to sin and to open the gates of paradise, once again. This day the Holy Spirit invites us to make haste – as the shepherds of Bethlem did – to adore Jesus our King and Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ is our eternal good shepherd, who guides and cares for us unceasingly, and who gives us abundant everlasting life

and union with the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This day the whole community of heaven joins with all believers of good will on earth in a jubilant song of praise for the good news proclaimed by the angels on Christmas eve: Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11).

The joy of Christmas is not for a day or a season. It is an eternal joy, a joy that no one can take from us because it is the joy of Jesus Christ himself made present in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (see Romans 5:2-5). The Lord gives

us a supernatural joy which no pain nor sorrow can diminish, and which neither life nor death can take away.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Behold, I bring you good news

Fr. Stuart explains...

Why was it necessary for the Word of God to become flesh?

Note on the artwork.This painting has transported the events that took place in the Holy Land to a European landscape, dressing the people in the clothing of his time, the artist’s intention is to make it more real for his viewers.

1656 (oil on canvas), Berchem, Nicolaes Pietersz. (1620-83) © Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, UK / The Bridgeman Art Library

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Forward Planning

OUR LADY OF EUROPE

LOURDES PROCESSION

& PILGRIMAGE 3-10 MAY 2015

50 years of Priestly OrdinationFr José María de Antonio is with Fr Stuart Chipolina, Fr

Charlie Azzopardi and those who gathered together at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe on Saturday 8th November.

A Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated marking the 50th Anniversary of Fr José María’s Priestly Ordination. Fr José Maria is very closely linked with the Shrine and Gibraltar, based in Lourdes, he has been welcoming pilgrims from Gibraltar for many years, he is a custodian of a replica of Our Lady of Europe in Lourdes and was instrumental in the instigation of the Procession of Our Lady of Europe at an International Mass in May each year. He is a much travelled priest, our ambassador for the Shrine in Lourdes and globally, everything he does is done from a deep seated love for Our Lady. He is a Chaplain of our Shrine of Our Lady of Europe and a frequent visitor to Gibraltar where he has made many friends. We take this opportunity to thank him for his priestly service and we pray that Our Lady may continue to guide and bless him for many more years to come.

On the road again, Fr. José María, our Ambassador in

Lourdes, visits the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe on his big anniversary.

Interfaith

CYC EVENTS

CAROLSINGING18th December

Christmas Carol Singing around the estates, dates to be announced, watch

out on facebook, and media for more details

nearer the time.

Mgr Paul Bear attended the launch of the Gibraltar Interfaith Group (GIG) 2015 Calendar,

on the 5th of November. The first copy was presented by GIG chairman Levi Attias to His Excellency Sir James Dutton at the Launch at a Charity Stall outside the ICC in the presence of all participating Religions’ representatives. Pope Francis said at a meeting in Rome last year that “It is important to intensify dialogue among Religions... In this work (peace building), the role of religion is fundamental.” The Government of Gibraltar and the Alwani Trust helped to fund the production of the Calendar, which costs £4.95. It features drawings from 130 local schoolchildren, local religions’ festivals and there is plenty of room to write in family events. It is available from the Catholic Bookshop and many other outlets, like the Anglican Cathedral Charity Shop, Estoril, Ramsons, Orlandos (Rock Hotel) and Carol’s Bookshop (ICC), or TEXT ‘2015’ to 56000766 to arrange to pick up or a free delivery.

Third Order Franciscans

Nativity Scene

8th December The Christmas Nativity Scene will be on view as usual this

year from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Forward Planning

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Loreto Missionaries in Peru

I thought the theme was very appropriate because it is all about believing, and here in Peru we want to thank you for believing in us for such a long time and for continuing to help us.

In 2002 when we started our small school in Jicamarca, a shanty town outside of Lima, we had 120 small children in three classrooms without doors or windows. There was no electricity, sewage facilities or running water. The children suffered from malnutrition, pulmonary problems, parasites and the area was designated a red zone for tuberculosis. There was very little work for their parents and coming from an area where there are many single parents, the children spent hours alone whilst the parent worked for what was generally a very low wage.

Twelve years later we still have serious problems with

health, a continuing lack of the basic facilities and very little work. However things have changed in the school. There are now 1000 children in nursery, primary and secondary school. Not only do we have well equipped classrooms, but a library, computer room, workshops and play areas.

We believe that the children are no different from those in Gibraltar or around the world and that they deserve the best that we can give them. Why should children who are poorer have to sit on broken chairs or work in a dirty classroom? We feel that the poorer and more deprived the children, the brighter, more colourful and more comfortable their surroundings should be. They deserve the best teachers, clean classrooms, good equipment and the opportunities that a good education brings.

The Spirituality of THE FOUNDER OF LORETO‘In the Presence of God’Mary Ward’s Spirituality KINDLE edition £4.84Available online from uponthisrock.gi Proceeds to the IBVM Ireland.

Thank you, GibraltarIwas excited when I heard that the theme

for the December issue was “Angels and Prophecy”. I discovered this when I

sent a message to Upon This Rock asking if I could submit an article, I wanted to thank all our friends in Gibraltar for the help that they continue to give to the school here in Peru.

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And why not, after all it is their world too.

And so for us, a poor education for poor children is not good enough, and we believe that the children can do great things with a little bit of help.

We live surrounded by dust, but in 2011 our seven year old children surprised the whole of Lima by coming first in national exams in language and mathematics.

I had always said that the children could succeed despite the difficulties surrounding them, but before these results, people would smile at these words with barely disguised disbelief in their eyes. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Well it can and it did.

Here in Peru they say that paper talks and these results speak for themselves. We have many visitors interested in education who ask how we can achieve so much in such a poor area.

Continued on page 21

Thank you, Gibraltar Sister Patricia McLaughlin

Lima is the world’s second largest desert city, after Cairo, Egypt.

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Knowledge of yourGuardianANGEL I met with Fr. Peter in the

Garden behind the Calpe Arms on one of the first

cool days. As a priest of the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel in Warsaw, Poland, he spends much of his time preaching and teaching on the Angels and on the Divine Mercy, having been chaplain to contemporaries of Sister Faustina.

Fr. Piotr ordered hot chocolate and when we sat across from one another at a table with four chairs, with our steaming drinks in front of us, I started asking what I thought would be difficult questions.How can we reconcile the concept of angels in our sophisticated technological society?

“Well Angela, as we sit here at this table, there are not two of us, there are four of us, your guardian angel is here and my guardian angel is here!”

I jumped at this new information and looked at the apparently empty chairs to our left and right with renewed respect. Fr. Peter’s words were Truth, he spoke them with authority. I did not doubt him and have not since doubted this knowledge of my guardian angel, and of the knowledge of the support of St. Michael in my own life. It was, it can be said, a life changing moment, a Gift, the Gift of the knowledge of my guardian angel.

It is a gift that as I transcribe the interview with Fr. Peter, I hope I can now bestow on you the reader, for as you sit reading this article, wherever you may be, know that your guardian angel is next to you.

Maybe you were told this as

a child by your grandmother, as I was, but had since shrugged off the knowledge as a childish thing. But these are difficult times, and they may get more difficult before they get better, we need all the help we can get, and knowing and working with our guardian angels is one way we can more surely align our lives to God’s will for us.How do we know about the angels?

“We know very little about the angels,” Fr. Piotr continued, “we only know five or ten percent about them. Only three angels were named in the bible, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. They lead us to God, if angels could envy they would envy two abilities that humans have, first is suffering for God, and the second is the ability to receive Communion.

Angels are the servants of God, a whole devotion exists to St. Michael the Archangel as a protector, a ‘soul guard’. We could only know more about him if we were to interview St. Michael or ask God himself.”Where has this knowledge come from?

“What we do know, we learn from revelation, the teaching of the Saints and personal experience. We know that they are spiritual beings, persons with angelic power. They are organised in military-like hierarchies, like God’s S.A.S. but that stands for a Spiritual Army of Soldiers.

Angels are mentioned in 300 places in the bible from the first book of Genesis all the way through to Revelations. They minister to us all the time, and also adore God, sometimes they

have been described as having two faces, one turned to God and singing his praises, the other turned to us, watching over us and guarding our souls.

Even non-church goers believe in angels, there is belief in angels all around us, people know by instinct of their existence, they know intuitively, they know in their hearts, if you ask them some will say they ‘somehow know’ and others will have had some experience, some enlightenment.

We can read a sto-ry about human in-teraction with angels in the book of Tobias in the Bible.

We can also read about the angels in the writings of the Saints, Saint Faus-tina could see the angels. For exam-ple, she was on a train journey, for she often travelled (she was sent from one convent to an-other, hardly spend-ing much more than a year in the same place as her superi-ors wanted as many

of the sisters to be exposed to her as possible) and she wrote in her diary that she could see an-gels above every church, guard-ing the churches.

But most of us never see our angels, they remain hidden.”What is the angel’s role?

“The angels are sent to us to help us, and we are encouraged to take advantage of their power. In the introductory rites of the Holy Mass we ask the angels to

Fr. Piotr Prusskejiwicz CSMA talks to Angela Sargent

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pray for us. If you had a very powerful

friend sitting next to you, of course you would ask their help with your problems, and so it is with the angels, we ask them to help us with difficulties, and they are very happy that we ask them, for they love to be appreciated in this way.

Even in asking your guardian angel for help, you focus your mind on your problem and how to solve it, so it is a good way of working things out for yourself too.”Are all angels good?

“Sadly no, there are fallen angels, the devil is one such angel. We must discern between paths that will lead us into danger, and those that bring us closer to God. We have to be very careful, if some plan of action or new enterprise is taking you away from the church and from a life of prayer, you can be sure it is not sent from God. There are also a lot of people who will promise to reveal your angel, but they will sell you small statues or cards, and these have no angelic powers, this is what we call ‘Discount Spirituality’,

it has no value. We can only find the Truth in the Church, and through Church teachings, a sure guide is to read the bible and the writings of the Saints.”

In response to the great hunger for knowledge about the Angels, Fr. Peter began to publish a magazine, the only one of its kind in English. Every issue contains teachings from scripture and from the writings of the saints.

For more info, visit the website www.kjb24.pl

Fr. Piotr Prusskejiwicz CSMA talks to Angela Sargent

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‘Horror Scopes’

ASTROLOGYYour Horoscope and the New Age Trap. Part 1:

A glance into the ‘harmless’ pastime of reading your ‘stars’.

“Let your astrologers come forward and save you, those people who study the stars, who map out the zones of the heavens and tell you month to month what is going to happen to you...”

Historical Background. In the earliest times, back to the Old Babylonian period (1800 – 1700 B.C.), omens and predictions derived from astronomical observations, were applied solely to the rulers of the time, or to matters of public welfare. Later in Rome however, astrology, having become more advanced, was so popular at one period that Caesar Augustus (63 B.C. - A.D. 14) forbade its use as too dangerous for the proper conduct of government. Astrology was, in its beginnings, a genuine search for knowledge. It was an attempt to find some meaning for humans, in the configurations of the stars and planets that might enable them to ascertain something about their future. It was as if that future were written, obscurely but gloriously, in the heavenly patterns that nightly present themselves to observers. Astronomy - Astrology. What’s the Difference? The study of the stars grew in two different directions. One became the scientifically documented measuring of motions and

why we should avoid them

CH

RISTIAN

TRUST

MISSIO N

F U N D I N G A V A I L A B L EThe Christian Mission Trust provides local Christians with donations for evangelistic initiatives and outreaches.

The Trust is ecumenical and has provided money to many groups, individuals and churches during the last 12 years. It is run by a Board of Trustees.

We invite applications for funding from anyone who wishes to launch an evangelistic initiative or who needs support for an existing Christian missionary activity.

Please write to: The Chairman, Christian Mission Trust, 4 South Pavilion Road, Gibraltar.

Terry Harley article first published in The Angels, Messengers of a Loving God

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make-up of the stars and planets with instruments and mathematical calculations which became known as astronomy. This study has no connection with the other branch known as Horary astrology (from the Egyptian worship of the pagan god Horus who governs cosmic and terrestrial forces in Egyptian life; thus the term Horoscope). This is the popular pastime that had offered, and still offers, predictions of the future, suggestions for your direction in life and personality group associations with signs of the zodiac, dividing up the heavens into relative star groups. For example, Aquarius, Aries, Gemini, Taurus, etc.. If you just found yourself hoping to see your star sign in that list of signs (I left the rest out for this reason) then you may have a problem, because astrology and signs of the zodiac have an indisputable direct link to the pagan worship of the god Horus and others.

Fact or FictionSuch a notion as our future written in the stars is seductive because it seems to make life simpler. It attributes everything,

from interpersonal relationships to the destiny of nations, to the stars. It appears to address the understandable confusion offered by life and many of its experiences that are beyond our comprehension. It seems to remove the need for personal responsibility, handing it all over to fate, but allowing a glimpse into the future though our horoscope that might provide some advantage. Studying their star signs offers people the belief that they can ‘control’ their own destinies, and it also provides them a ready-made justification for failure or sin. Astrology gives us the impression that through the ‘knowledge’ of the stars, one can manipulate people or events for his own welfare or selfish desires. It specialises in answering almost all the questions people ask concerning the future. In fact, it claims to offer power over life and death, love, sex and relationships, money and finances, personal health and happiness, etc.. Above all, astrology sells false hope. Or is it simply a harmless bit of fun? Suffice to say that astrology has been a pretty hot item in the past, especially in the days of

the hugely modern and the then advanced culture of the Roman Empire (but didn’t they have a great fall?). So, what about us today? Fate or FaithWith a little of the background, what does it mean for us to be accessing this ancient art and how does reading our horoscope affect our lives day by day if we are using it? Let’s ask ourselves a question or two. What are my deeper senses telling me? What or who am I listening to? Let me throw in a line here that may be familiar, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mat-thew 4:4). A genuine question that may fol-low is, does astrology proceed from the mouth of God? If not, then should I be dabbling in it, and if I am, how is it affecting my life and my relationship with God? I think perhaps the follow-ing little true anecdote may il-lustrate just how comfortable we have become with the whole idea of our horoscope and it may shed

some light for us, personally, on the questions offered above. There I was, sitting at a long well-laden food table, sur-rounded by the buzz and bub-bling laughter of a big family evening out in a lovely Indian res-taurant. There must have been at least 15 of us, all engaging, tell-ing jokes, stories and all feeling in a real festive mood. Every-thing was go-ing along wonderfully when a cousin of mine, having to raise her voice to get over the ani-mated conversations sweeping all around us, gets my atten-tion and shouts over to me “So, Terry...what’s YOUR star sign?” Before I could get my lips to con-nect with my brain and actually THINK how I would reply, it was out! Heaven help us! Almost in disbelief I heard myself say in a Continued on page 23

Terry Harley article first published in The Angels, Messengers of a Loving God

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A new group for junior school children caters to a keen demand

Davina Porro and Christine Grech, both alumni of the Women

of Grace Foundational Study Course, have recently started a new weekly group for children aged three to eight yearsMeeting on Thursdays after school, they are filling a gap between School and Church. ‘R.E.’ has been developed into a wide ranging Religious Instruction in our multi-faith school system, now the basics

of all religions are taught from an objective, informative viewpoint.

Many school children cannot put a name to images of the most popular saints or the Holy Father. Athough many parishes do offer a children’s liturgy, not all children are able to attend.

Christine Grech, who has trained as a ‘Classroom Key Worker’ for ages three to eight explained “What we do is less formal, we tell them a bible

story, and then they illustrate it. We have a break for a drink and something small to eat, and after we have some active games, where they can jump around and make as much noise as they want, and we finish off with the William Gomez arrangement of Ave Maria, they have been learning this from the begining and are getting quite good.”

Parents who would like their children to become more familiar with the Catholic Faith, have shown their approval of this initiative, as the number of children attending doubled every session for the first few weeks.

Davina has had it in her heart for many years to do something like this, she explained how the new prayer group satisfies this deep calling.

“I had always wanted to work with children, after I came back from University, where I studied Osteopathy and Naturopathy in the year 2000, I walked to the back door of the children’s home to volunteer, but the person I spoke to who was working in the kitchen that day said they did not need any help.

This year, after both my children were in school and I found myself with more free time, I approached them again, this time going through the proper channels, but they said I would need to have a social workers qualification. So I prayed about what kind of voluntary work I should do, and

it was then that the thought of starting a children’s play group, based on the teachings of the Catholic Faith, came about. I had just started the Women Of Grace course at the time and when I learned about the concept of a Spiritual Mother and how every woman can become one, this confirmed my desire to start the playgroup. Initially my husband was my biggest supporter. I then spoke to Monique who also encouraged me and provided me with useful information.”

In chapter eight of Johnnette Benkovic’s book ‘Women and the Abundant Life’ we read “We must be women who are spiritual mothers, women who are full of grace, women of the abundant life.”

Davina continues to explain “Initially I thought of calling the group ‘Children of Grace’ but it didn’t quite feel right, it was through prayer that the name

PRAY, PLAY A N D H AV E FUN

Early Catholic Formation

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‘Little Angels’ came about. Also to base the structure of the sessions around the liturgical year and to include the popular Bible stories in a simple and fun way. So as to clarify all these ideas and discuss the possibilities I approached Father Charlie and ‘Little Angels’ took off from there. continued on page 20

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Tim Azopardi

I’ll be honest, as is oftentimes the case for many, on this particular

occasion I was not looking forward to the retreat.

I don’t know whether it was

the fact that it was in Whitstable, a town that seemed an eternity away, or perhaps it was simply the devil at work. Nonetheless, with the encouragement of my brothers and sisters, I knew that the Lord would make light work of changing my attitude once I

arrived. It is easy to allow yourself

to be overwhelmed as a young practicing Catholic when at University. Moving away from home, suddenly finding yourself alone and without the safety net of our very tight Emmaus youth group. In fact, although one would like to think they can find solace in a Church, it is difficult to adjust from growing up in a place where your parish is like your extended family, where you know your priest, where there is a certain comfortableness in seeing the same alter servers and Eucharistic ministers week in week out. For these reasons, amongst others, there is great value in being able to drop everything, leave the struggles of living on your own and of trying to keep strong in the faith, to allow yourself to relax with Christ. To give Him praise and

thanks for keeping you strong. These retreats almost act like a recharge, a chance to meet up with friends from back home and feed off their spiritual lives, share experiences and share the power of prayer.

On this occasion we were truly blessed to have Gabriele Sedda opening a window into

UK students write about their weekend retreat.

Come as you are!

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his walk with Christ. Gabriele is a genuinely inspirational and honest man whose mind and heart are totally devoted to God, and it was evident that God used him that weekend not only to touch me, but to touch the hearts of many other attendees.

‘Come as you are’ was a very powerful message through the retreat, however, reflecting on the weekend, it is clear that these UK retreats strengthen us and remind us of who we are, of how much God loves us and why he made us unique. Christ lives in all of us and can be seen in each one of us. So let us not expend effort in hiding him, but rather let His love shine forth, he is by and large our greatest attribute.

Sean Ballester‘Come as you are’, these

words resonated throughout the retreat. A constant call to come to God as we are. “Come as you are”. But I ask myself, how many times do we run in the opposite direction precisely because of who we are? I hear many say, “some day when I am ready, then I will make that extra effort to go to church on Sunday or

attend a retreat”. The reality is we are never ready to encounter God, never fully prepared, never fully clean because the one who purifies us is Christ, the one who prepares us and presents us to the Father is Christ. All we can and must do it repeat the words of Samuel, “speak Lord, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10) and let God do the rest.

I can say I am fortunate enough to have attended all the UK retreats except one where I found myself in the USA.

This vision for hosting UK retreats began a few years back, when we all felt the need to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning in those Gibraltarian students spread throughout the UK. This mission was made a reality through the help of Bishop Ralph and his many brothers and sisters in the UK.

One of the first ever UK retreats saw precisely 12 young men gather together in prayer in a humble place called Crich. Four years on, numbers have grown to over 40 at times with friends of friends from various denominations gathering to meet

God as they are. Future retreats may even see more bridges being built between Gibraltarians and locals, through the continuing guidance of Bishop Ralph who is very much present and active in this mission.

In the same way as many came from all corners to visit Christ the King, history repeats itself in today’s world as many travelled all the way from London, Manchester and even Newcastle to “come and see” God. It is wonderful to see people set time aside to travel from one side of the country to the other to specifically spend time with ‘family’, praising God as one. The retreat itself was undoubtedly full of blessings like every other retreat. This time we were fortunate enough to hear all about God’s love through the eyes of Gabriele Sedda who led the retreat.

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His life experiences and encounters with God were truly remarkable and revealing. Come rain or shine, this man hopes and trusts in the providence of God, because Christ is constant throughout every generation. Christ is the image of the invisible God, for by Him all things are created, giving nothingness formation, for He is before all things and over all things, He reigns, Holy is his name.

I witnessed how everyone took home a personal message inspired by God. All those who took part in the retreat also got the chance to pray the rosary for a specific intention or person, and these were later given out as a gift to those people who they had been prayed for. One thing I learnt from the retreat is we must not be afraid to share

with others the ways in which we believe God is working in our lives. We will be pleasantly surprised to see how others share similar stories and how when we piece things together, the bigger picture makes sense and God’s whisper is heard far beyond our imagination. But let us not forget this one crucial prerequisite…“come as you are”, not as you wish you were, not as you would like to be, simply as yourself for no two of us are the same and God has a beautifully unique and breath-taking plan for you and you alone!

Sean Ballester & Tim Azzopardi Photos Louis Lombard

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God gave us his Son, so every December, we imitate him by giving

iPads, sweaters and fruit baskets.Our rushing from store to store and perusing the hottest retail deals online, spending hundreds if not thousands of pounds in the process, is all our way of imaging God, the One in whose image we were made… or is it?

The answer is yes… and no.On the one hand, yes, God

did give us his Son on that first Christmas long ago. He gave out of love, as he always does. And he gave generously, as he always gives. God is a loving, generous Giver, and our desire to give generously to those we love is indeed one of the ways

we image our Father in heaven.But in Bethlehem, God didn’t

just give us a gift. God gave us himself. God was the gift. He became a gift for us — a tiny baby, lying in a manger.

He expects us to follow suit. That’s what he really wants from us this Christmas. He doesn’t want us to just give gifts. He wants us to become gifts.

In that, Blessed John Paul II wrote in The Theology of the Body, “the human person … fulfills the very meaning of his being and existence” (15:1).

Created in God’s Image“To say that man is created

in the image and likeness of God means that man is created to exist ‘for’ others, to become a gift.”—Blessed John Paul II

in Mulieris Dignitatem (‘On the Dignity and Vocation of Women’) No. 7.

In other words, becoming a gift is what life is all about. That’s what we’re all about. We were made to become gifts. We were made to give ourselves away in love to God and our fellow man. That’s what God did in the Incarnation, what God does in the Holy Eucharist, and what God has always done in eternity, where, as a Holy Trinity, he lives a life of self-gift. So, as his living images, that’s what we’re called to do, too.

“Man becomes an image of God not so much in the moment of solitude,” the pope explained “as in the moment of communion” (9:3).

That all sounds good in theory. But how does it work in reality? How do we become gifts? How, as the Christmas season passes into the New Year, can we heed John Paul’s words and fulfill

“the very meaning” of our “being and existence” (14:2)?

Give your presenceGive it to God first. Go to

Mass. Go to confession. Sit before the Tabernacle or in a quiet corner of the house. Just be with him. Then, give your presence to others. Be with the ones you love. Come home from work early. Take a few extra days off. Show up when you say you will. Use greater discretion about the yeses you give to parties, meetings, activities and projects, and make more room on your calendar for those you love. You don’t have to do or plan anything fancy. You just have to be you and be there. To those who love you, that’s what matters most.

Give your timeDon’t hold on to more than

you need. Quiet is good. Rest is good. Exercise, sewing and even the occasional “Breaking Bad” marathon can all be helpful for

We give because God gave. That’s how Christmas works... right?

BECOME the gift this Christmas

I will be present to those

around me this Christmas

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the soul. But only in the right measure. When a friend nursing a broken heart calls, turn off the TV and answer the phone. When a weary spouse returns late from work, put down the book and talk with him. When the unexpected guest arrives at the door, welcome her in. Let go of your plans for your time, and see all time as kairos—time given to you to do God’s will.

Give your attentionLook people in the eye when

you talk to them. Think more about what they have to say than what you want to say. Put down the smartphone in the meeting. Turn it off in the restaurant. Leave it in the car when you go to Mass, and stay off it when you drive the kids home from school. Pay attention to people more than screens—logging off Facebook for the bulk of the day and turning the television off during dinner. At parties ask more questions of others than you answer about yourself. Essentially, attend to the people in front of you, seeing them for who they are: other Christs.

Give your prayersIt’s easy to confuse prayer

with letters to Santa, turning conversations with God into petitions for our wants and needs. But God isn’t Santa. He already knows what you need and what you want, so you don’t have to spend all your time with him detailing what he already knows. You should, however, spend some of your time detailing others’ needs

and wants. Both in asking us to pray for others and in promising to answer those prayers, God gives us a great gift. He allows us to be his co-workers, helping bring about others’ salvation and sanctification (2 Cor 6:1). Don’t waste that gift. Say Rosaries for sick friends. Have Masses said for siblings who’ve left the Church. Sit before the Blessed Sacrament and intercede for all the needs that flash through your Facebook newsfeed. Wherever you are, pray for others and own the dignity God has given you.

Give your help

Give your help to your parish: when they ask for volunteer catechists, trustees or snow shovelers, step forward if you can. Give your help to a good cause: skip the shopping on Saturday and pray at an abortion clinic instead. Give your help to a friend: offer to watch her kids so she can finish her Christmas shopping. Give

your help to a stranger: buy a sandwich for the homeless guy outside your office. Give your help to someone in need: write a check, make a meal, fix a front porch. And when you give, give with a smile.

Give your praise

Don’t keep silent in the face of a job well done. Praise your son, your daughter, your spouse, your secretary, even your boss. Tell the stranger on the street you like her dress. Tell the guy ringing the Salvation Army bell that you appreciate his generosity. Tell your mother you love her Christmas roast and tell your father you love his Christmas cocktails. If you’re thinking something nice about someone, say it. Don’t leave your friends wondering why you like them or your girlfriend wondering why you love her. While you’re at it, praise God too. Tell him he’s good and glorious, brilliant and beautiful,

kind and generous. Thank him for all he’s given you and all he’s helped you to give. Also, trust that in that thanking, he’ll give you the grace to give even more.

Give your lifeCommit. Commit to the

relationship: ask the girl to marry you. Commit to your spouse: let go of “his” and “hers” and discover the beauty of “ours.” Commit to children: welcome new life into your home. Commit to the priesthood or a religious vocation: give seminary or the novitiate a go. Most of all, commit to God: obey him, get to know him, and greet every obstacle with the words of the Blessed Virgin, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

Give it allLast but not least, give it all–

your presence, time, attention, prayers, help, praise and life—to friend and foe alike. God came to save both Jews and Gentiles.

He’s the God who makes the sun shine on the good and the evil and lets the rain fall on the just and unjust (Mt 5:45). In Continued page 19

BECOME the gift this Christmas

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Emiliy Stimpson editorial selected by Dr. Monique Risso

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S P O N S O R E D B Y

“We can do no great things….only small things with great love”.

I have used a Mother Teresa quote as the title, simply because it captures the

essence of this article. Another quote which will reinforce this one is by a lady called Sherry Anderson from Philadelphia “Volunteers are not paid… not because they are worthless… but because they are priceless”. The world we live in is filled with problems, from wars to famine

to drought, right down to the Ebola crisis today, and if you are wondering what this has to do with volunteers, the answer is just about everything. No matter how big and powerful a Government is, no matter the range of services it provides, it comes down to volunteers and the difference they can make in people’s lives.Volunteerism is a solid means of engaging people in tackling challenges which benefit society at large, and teamwork allows people to obtain results in

TRAFALGARPHARMACY

48-50 Main Street, Gibraltar.t: 200 71710

Volunteers in the Spotlight

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unselfish caring ways. It is, I suppose, people willing to do what’s not expected of them.Volunteering is linked to charity in that they both begin at home. Twenty seven years ago on the Rock, Bishop Devlin gave Fr.Charles Caruana the go ahead to set up a soup-kitchen in the Catholic Community Centre. This was to be a service to cater for local people on lower income brackets. At that time 50 or 60 people would attend daily. This carried on for several years and the facility was run by volunteers responding to a need within the community. Today, both Susan Walters and Conchita Ramirez (with whom I spoke by phone) have lived the difference that volunteers can make in peoples lives.I enjoyed a chat with Susan, which began with a few giggles as I inadvertently called her Julie (as in the film star Julie Walters) but she laughed it off and said she had been called worse!

As we chatted, Susan came across as a gentle, warm lady with real star quality. She has volunteered at Nazareth House for over twenty years.

BackgroundFrom its first home in the Catholic Community Centre, the soup-kitchen was eventually relocated to the renamed Nazareth House. There were also a variety of rehabilitation centres, a school, a convent for a short while, even Nynex (a telephone service part owned by the Government) from 1991 to around 2001 until they moved out. This highlights the shortage of premises in Gibraltar. Susan told me “I was unemployed and it was suggested I go and help out at the soup kitchen for one day a week, it was in the Community Centre then. When we moved to Nazareth House my days increased”. She explained to me a little of how it works. “At 9.30am we serve tea, coffee and biscuits. Those

who want, can have a shower and a change of clothes, and between 11am and midday we serve a meal”. The service is not available at weekends but is open on Christmas Day where a full dinner, with all the trimmings, is served. My reaction to this was that volunteers have families too, so how does this work? Conchita explained that she does it (and has from the beginning, twenty seven years ago), starting at least a week beforehand, preparing and cooking as much as possible in advance. Those who can help on the day do so, but it certainly makes for a long day. There is a family meal in the evening to accommodate her work and this is by the grace of an understanding family. I know the essential services work on Christmas Day, but it is the unselfish spirit of volunteers who are the unsung heroes in our community.I wondered who comes along to partake of this year round service (though closed on Easter Sunday, on the Monday a full meal is prepared and served). Both Susan and Conchita agree that mostly it is wandering Europeans, buskers, and sometimes a few locals who come along. When I asked how the people knew they were there, Conchita explained “it is mainly word of mouth, if asked, the police point people here, the same at the frontier”. Susan was shy about talking about herself but Conchita paid her fulsome praise “She is a shy reliable and trustworthy lady, a very good worker; I would

not know where I’d be without her”. This sentiment covers all who help in any way, the food is financed by private donations, Gibmaroc supply fruit and vegetables, Allied Bakeries the bread, and both have been doing so for the past twenty seven years. Hats off! However, there is still a need for donations of food, men’s casual wear, toiletries and of course there is always a need for volunteers. Christmas is approaching, when we are traditionally in a giving mood, but it should not end there. There is a need all year round, and to honour the spirit of Christmas in our hearts, if you find yourself with a few hours to spare, one to five days a week, think about it, because volunteers reflect compassion, caring and love for one another. “Christmas is forever, not just for a day. For loving, sharing and giving are not to be put away like bells, lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself”.You can contact Conchita Ramirez on 20070720 or 20064599.With people such as Susan and Conchita in it, how can the world not be a better place? As Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said in the title of this piece; “We can do no great things… only small things with great love”.

I take this opportunity to wish you, one and all, a Blessed and peaceful Christmas time.

Small things done with a GREATLOVE

Anne Mesilio talks to Susan Walters about her work at Nazereth House

continued from page17 Bethlehem, he became a gift for us, not because

we deserved that gift, but because we needed him. We needed him. And just the same, the world needs us. It needs the gift God made us to be. To become that gift is to live the fullness of the theology of the body. It’s to live the fullness of the Catholic life. It is, in a sense, to repeat the miracle of the first Christmas, every day in every situation. There is no greater gift we can give—on Christmas Day or any day.

Emily Stimpson is an ‘Our Sunday Visitor’ contributing editor and the author of “These Beautiful Bones: An Everyday Theology of the Body” published by Emmaus Road, available on Amazon.co.uk.

I will be present to those around

me this Christmas

215 main street

tel 20071717

BECOME the gift

this Christmas

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the

CHRISTIAN FAMILY MOVEMENTANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATIONS25th, 40th, 50th & 60thWedding

Anniversary Celebrationsat the Cathedral 23rd Jan 2015

Couples celebrating their 25th, 40th, 50th or 60th wedding an-niversary in 2014 are invited to join in this celebration and re-new their vows. Cut out (or photocopy if you prefer) this form and hand it in to the Catholic Bookshop next to the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned not later than the 16th January, forms will also be available at the Catholic Bookshop.

Mr. & Mrs.: ________________________________________

Forenames: Husband ________________________________

Forenames: Wife _____________________________________

Neé: _______________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

E-mail: ____________________________________________

Tel. Home: _________________________________________

Tel. Work: _________________________________________

Mobile: ____________________________________________

Date of Marriage: ___________________________________

Church: ____________________________________________N.B. If marriage took place outside Gibraltar please produce a copy of the marriage Certificate when handing in this form.This form should be handed in at the Cathedral bookshop or the details or scanned form emailed to: duos@gibtelecom.net as soon as possible and not later than Friday 16th January.

PRAY, PLAY A N D H AV E FUNcontinued from page 13

There were many signs that the new group was ‘meant to be’, for instance after deciding the course of action, Fr. Charlie said ‘Of course we will have to speak to the Bishop.’ Providentially Fr. Ralph was there at St. Theresa’s and walked into the room at that moment!”

The group has been running

for a few months now, family members stay throughout the session and we all work as a team. In addition to their weekly programme, they held an ‘All Saints Day’ fancy dress party for the children on Saturday afternoon, 1 November, at the Catholic Communtiy Centre. (See front cover.)

Little Angels meets every Thursday at 4.00pm in the Catholic Community Centre Bookshop (on the Ground Floor).

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continued from page 7Alchemist Paulo Coelho has a

beautiful saying“When you want something,

all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.”

Two year groups have now finished secondary school and many have won grants to attend universities or are pursuing technical or other careers. In an area where many of the parents can neither read nor write expectations have been raised and people look to the future with hope. It is a future where there is an opportunity to have dignified work with all the benefits that such work brings.

I had constantly said that although the children are poor in recourses they are not poor in intelligence, creativity or dreams and that in the end God had no favourites. This was to be proved again last year when in November 2013 we won the best school in a national competition run by the Department of Education, together with one of

the main television networks and a group of business men.

Much of this success is due to the wonderfully generous people who have been helping us for years. Sometimes we give without seeing the results of our generosity and this is an attempt to share these results with you, thank you and show you that life is better for so many children because you are helping.

If you have a minute over the Christmas holidays please look us up in Youtube or on- line, “Fe y Alegria No.58 Mary Ward”.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas from Sr. Patricia, the staff and pupils of Fe y Alegria No.58

T h a n k y o u ,G i b r a l t a r

As in previous years, an All Hallows Eve Vigil was held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe, on 31st October.

All Hallows Eve V i g i l

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Many people were astounded by the speed and decisiveness

with which the Interfaith event (held at Europa Point in September of this year) was arranged.

Whilst the logistics were indeed arranged hurriedly, the concept was not without much prayer and forethought. Regular readers will remember the words of the Joan Le Morvan prophecy, published in full in Upon This Rock 95 (May 2009) and on display in the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe at Europa Point “I will give your hearts new strength, and I will build my lighthouse of love in Gibraltar” that prophecy was given around 20 years ago!

But this year’s event was arranged in response to two trigger factors, the first was the increasing tensions in the GeoPolitical arena during the summer, their proximity to the Mediterranean, and the vulnerability voiced by some people in Gibraltar. The second trigger was prophetic words given at various times during the preceding months to various people who have the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is a Charismatic gift that is recognised and encouraged by the Charismatic Renewal movement, in an unprecedented meeting with the Renewal earlier this year, Pope Francis encouraged them to share the

Gifts of the Spirit with the whole Church.

Many of the prophetic words relevent to the event at Europa Point, where read out at a meeting of all the prayer groups in Gibraltar in August this year, here we share excerpts from them. The first set of prophecies are from a trusted source, Sean Sullivan.

In May 2014 Sean received a message:

“I saw the four corners of the Earth. There were three dormant angels on three of the corners, East, West and North; South was missing.” The message then describes actions of negative forces “like whips of fire”. Sean then heard the words “The King is Coming” repeated again and again, and when he next switched on his computer a message popped up. It was from the Gibraltar House of Prayer, an ecumenical group of Charismatic people who meet regularly to pray together. The message read “The King is coming” and he took this as validation of his prophecy.

On the 18th of May, someone asked where the missing angel was meant to be, and the word “Mesopotamia” came to mind immediately. In looking up

Mesopotamia on wikipedia, all the names of the modern day countries in the Eastern Mediterranean were listed, those we are seeing on a daily basis, on our tv screens over the summer, being torn apart by violence and fear of violence.

On the 30th of May, Sean related how he found himself standing at the tip of Europa Point, slightly elevated, he could see the straits and all around him. He felt the urge to scream and scream and a huge storm appeared over the straits. He felt pain and anguish, but then heard the old hymn ‘Oh wash me in the water of redeeming love. The water from the fountain of salvation.” Then he saw the water from the storm falling over Gibraltar, and the same message repeated itself… then the words “Redemption comes by healing the pain. Heal the pain and I will wash away the sin.” Sean writes, “There was a lot of emphasis on working together to heal people from their pain.”

On the 10th August, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, a Catholic priest who converted from the Anglican faith, wrote an article in his blog, comparing the dark forces at work in the lands around the Eastern Mediterranean to the

A lighthouse of LOVE Prophecy in practice

Angela Sargent talks about the timeline counting down to the Peace event at Europa Point

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‘Horror Scopes’

wargs in Lord of the Rings–dogs possessed with evil powers–and he asks “Is it possible that the violent spirits unleashed [there] are the same dark forces that infested that land thousands of years ago?” And he goes on to point out that there are Christian sects and also the Chaldean Catholic Church, who are in communion with the Catholic Church, working in this area. These groups may now be being persecuted and we should pray for them.

On the 15th August a message came from the Elisha Movement. They are a group of young people who “separate themselves from everything this world has to offer and pursue a lifestyle of worship, fasting and prayer.” The first words on their blog website are from Romans 12.2, calling us to renew our minds and conform more closely to Gods will for our lives.

The message described in detail the forces that were in play on the 15th August between the U.S. and Syria at the site of Mt. Eom where the last Amalekite king was brought down, which “was no co-incidence”. The message calls for intersession and encourages the Group’s membership to share this call.

On the 27th August, representatives of all the Catholic prayer groups in Gibraltar met to discuss these things, the full texts of all the above prophesies were read out, the mood of the meeting was very sombre. The question was asked, how could we get all the people of the Rock to come together to pray for Peace in our Community and send a message to the whole World, one of Peace and of different religions working together in Harmony. It was decided we should approach the Gibraltar Interfaith Group, (GIG), and after getting the go-ahead from Fr. Paul Bear, we contacted the GIG chairperson.

On the 29th August we met with Levi Attias who immediately said “I can’t believe this, many of us [in the Jewish community] have been thinking we should do something like

this.”The date was discussed

and was chosen as the earliest date available taking into consideration of different faith’s autumnal prayer commitments.

On the 18th September, representatives from Bahai, Brama Kumaris, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths participated in the event.

News of the event has sparked renewed interest Gibraltar’s exceptional and successful model of inter-faith community relations. Many people have suggested it should be done every year.

The date of the call to come together in a spirit of peace was subsequently confirmed when the Holy Father called for a novena of prayer for Peace at that same time in September.

Angela Sargent talks about the timeline counting down to the Peace event at Europa Point

continued from page 11 voice, loud enough for the waiters to hear, “Emm...CATHOLIC!” The family conversations faded abruptly, someone dropped a fork on their plate with an echoing clatter, my sister spluttered on her sparkling wine and my cousin burst out in

a single nervous h i g h - p i t c h e d laugh. Quizzical looks were shot at me from around the table. It appeared that the Holy Spirit had been

waiting for the right moment to make His move by jumping in before I had the chance to mess it all up by making some silly remark while trying to wheedle out from speaking God’s truth. It became quickly obvious by the ensuing remarks that my

“Catholic” reply was not only unexpected but was frowned upon as being “judgemental”. How often has that been thrown at those who speak the truth about our faith? The point of the story is that a practise, which is part of pagan ritual to a false god, an occult conveyance, is divisive to our faith and which is influencing some of our important relationship and life decisions, has been so surreptitiously ingrained into our modern culture and thinking as to turn one good Catholic family member upon another for

being “self-righteous” and “holier than thou”. How did this happen? Is it still just a little simple pastime or is this New Age “plaything” leading us down a hidden and dangerous road? To be continued in the next editionTerry Harley Craig Lodge, Dalmally, Scotland.Article first published in The Angels, Messengers of a Loving God.

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