By Michail Rassool 
Munich

Foto: (c) Klemens Hrovath 

Father James Manjackal M.S.F.S. is conducting a retreat in Munich from  October 1 to 4. Franziskus v. Ritter-Groenesteyn gives his report of the fourth day.

Munich (www.kath.net) The Indian priest Father James Manjackal M.S.F.S. is giving a retreat from October 1st to 4th in Munich. Franziskus v. Ritter-Groenesteyn is attending and will be writing a daily summary of each day of the retreat for KATH.NET.Father James and his message for the KATH.NET readers

October 5, 2007.
The Fourth Day – Father James and his Message for the KATH.NET Readers

Today I’m on the go early in the morning. In front of the altar there is a large picture of the Mercy Jesus, in front of it there is a heart made of flowers, containing the Name ‘Jesus’ in red flowers. Beside it the petition box is filled with petitions. Richie is getting the microphone set.
Then he starts talking. He comes from Würzburg, uses every day of holidays he has, to support Father James. There must be a reason for such a commitment. His mother had multiple sclerosis. She was healed at a retreat with Father James, she received the Holy Spirit.
But that wasn’t enough. Richie was enjoying life to the full in the United States at the time. His mother asked him to come for a retreat. “I didn’t feel like it.” Gaby, his mother, tells him about her healing, Richie remains adamant. “I’m enjoying my life in the USA, once I’m your age, then…”

The German voice of  Fr. James

His mother doesn’t give up, freezes his bank accounts. Richie was completely stuck. Pater James remembers, “He was a very angry-looking young man with long hair, he was sitting in the first row in front of me at that time.” Now Richie radiates a deep inner peace, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, lovingly he hugs his wife. Today he is the German voice of  Father James everywhere. Father James is still in the sacristy. I’ll try to get him alone. The open door looks inviting. On the large table are the remnants of a hurried breakfast. He is speaking to a priest. I come back later. Father James has his hands laid on the priest, is praying for him. Again, I leave.
Now the priest is praying for Father James, here the spiritual bond between priests becomes perceptible. One last try. I’m lucky. Friendly, he comes toward me. “Father James, I would like to ask you for a message for our readers.” He gladly complies, calls upon the Holy Spirit, blesses all the readers, praying that the readers’ ears may be open for the message directed to them. Then he tells me:

A Message for the KATH.NET Readers 

“On my travels around the globe I see so much loss of faith in Jesus and the Church. There is much darkness, especially in Europe. Much bondage in the families, many abortions, divorces, immorality, drugs. Its not only the personal loss of spiritual life of each single person. When I pray, I shed tears over Europe.
Will Europe lose its identity? Europe has a magnificent Christian past, it once brought forth great virtues. In other countries people spoke about Europe with great respect. But now… The people in the Third World are ashamed of the moral decline of Europe. It makes me sad to hear that.
Dear readers, you must become aware of your European culture again – nobody can deny that,  it is Christianity. Come back to your roots! Make Europe shine again! Learn to live the faith, testify for your God! Have the courage to preach Jesus! Pray that the Holy Spirit may be granted to Europe, Germany, Austria. Amen. May the Holy Spirit bless you and come upon each one of you. I pray for you. Alleluja!”

A Dream in 1996

The church is filled to the last seat again. Ulrike is also here again. I get hold of organizer Alexander Hahn and ask him about his motivation. “Twice I received physical healing and last year he freed me from a mortal sin, which I not aware of as such. Now the cancer has shrunk.” Another authentic voice.
In his talk, Father James talks about a dream he had in 1996.
It reminds me very much of the vision St. Paul had before he sailed to Macedonia,  written in the Acts of the Apostles.
“Eighteen  deceased Moslems were suddenly standing in front of me and asking me insistently, why I didn’t preach to them about Jesus and his Redemption. I thought I was crazy. How can I preach to dead people? They said they were in darkness and only I could help them get out of it. I got my Bible and read the Gospel to them. Suddenly the room was filled with fragrance of roses and incense and I saw them shining brightly like angels, rising upwards.

“I had to know if I was crazy”.

At that time I had never been among the Moslems. I had to know if I was crazy. I asked Father Francis, my spiritual guide, a rational Jesuit, to help me. I was sure he would send to the psychiatric hospital. Instead of that, he quoted from the Bible (Jn 5, 25-29 and 1 Cor 15,29) and he confirmed my mission for deceased Moslems.
We have the glorious church, those are the saints in heaven, the suffering church, those are the poor souls and the fighting church here on earth. They are make up one church and help one another. The dead are alive. They are only in another world. No one has the right to say someone is in hell. Jesus alone judges. That is why the Church has never said Judas is in hell. We have no way of knowing that. God’s mercy is great.

30 Masses for the Deceased

The deceased can do nothing more for themselves, but we can do all the more. We can take their sins on ourselves and ask for forgiveness on their behalf. We can even baptize them. The Holy Mass is especially helpful. Do you know why there are supposed to be 30 Masses? Because there are four generations.  I will inflict punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children … down to the fourth generation, says God. Two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, 16 great-great-grandparents, together that makes 30!”
Then he tells the story about his great-great-grandfather, for whom nobody ever prayed, because Fr. James’ mother thought he was in hell anyway. “One night in the year 2000, I was in Austria, my great-great-grandfather appears to me and asks me to fast seven days for him and have a Holy Mass said. I was astonished, but I did what he asked.
My mother was dying. When I was with her she told me about a dream she had, in which my great-great-grandfather complained to her that she never prayed for him. He said her son did that for him and that he is now freed, and that she would experience that, for she would be with him within 24 hours and then the whole room smelled like roses. A few hours later my mother died.”

“If you pray for them, they will come”

Father James warns, however, never to seek a conversation with the deceased, because that is forbidden. “But if you pray for them, they come to you and ask for prayer or fasting or a Holy Mass. We are allowed to do that.”
Then he talks about the beginning of his mission among the Moslems. A Moslem asked him if he wished to see the tomb of Anna and Joachim. There were 56 Moslems praying in front of it. They prayed verses from the Koran, which were about Jesus and Mary. “Why are you doing that?” he asked.
The Moslem answered that there are many prophets in the Koran, but only one who performs miracles and that is Jesus. And his mother Mary is the most chaste virgin on earth.

“I ask you to forgive us.”

“ I was deeply touched, to hear that from the mouth of a Moslem. He continued, telling me that miracles and healing often take place when they pray in this manner. But they hate the Christians because Christians had repeatedly persecuted the Moslems and killed them. I fell on my knees and said, ‘ I am a Christian. I beg your forgiveness for all that the Christians have done to you.’ They were moved to tears.”
Later on Father James saw 33 of them come secretly to his retreat. They asked him to tell them more about Jesus. Father James was scared. “I already saw myself in prison and beheaded”. But they urged him. Finally he preached to 256 Moslems from their Koran, in secret in the desert. Eighty percent of the Koran comes from the Bible. He chose Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12. The redemptive deed of Jesus. They were quick to understand, together they renounced the Koran and received baptism.

“I learned much from my Moslem brothers.”

 “I  have learned a lot from my Moslem brothers. I admire their dedication, their friendliness, their stamina. You Europeans have much less of that. Pray for your Moslem brothers but please do it with love, otherwise it won’t be of any use.”
During the lunch break Father James prays for us for the Holy Spirit. He lays his hands on us. Volunteers are standing behind the people in line, ready to catch them. Father James hands are laid on the heads and one after the other falls over. They are lying on the floor  in the so-called spirit of rest. They seem to be happy. Before me, Volker, the tinsmith in leather clothing falls into the arms of the volunteer. 
Then my legs give way…
Then its my turn. I close my eyes, waiting with my hands folded. Father James asks me to open them, lays his hands on my head, a gentle pressure, a vibration of the hands and then it happens: my legs just give way, I feel like letting myself fall, like a sudden light case of dizziness, I don’t care if anyone sees me that way, it’s just nice to lie there and rest in the Spirit. Later, someone explains to me, “it’s kind of like lying on God’s operating table” An operation without pain, on the contrary, it’s wonderful.

The Holy Mass is in honour of St. Francis and becomes a thanksgiving for the graces received. We get the opportunity to go to the microphone to give our testimony. “Each time you give testimony, you will blessed and you will receive strength for your mission, for your everyday life. You can write me. My address is in my books. Every day 18,ooo persons read the testimonies on my website.”

Effort and Rich Reward

Four powerful days are coming to an end. I admit it was strenuous, the effort was richly rewarded. Helena and Christoph from Austria pack the few books and CD’s left over in boxes, most of the things are sold, the money goes to Father James’ mission.
They will spend their next holiday at another place, at a new retreat, they will unpack the books again. In that way they are helping Europe to become aware of its identity again. Let’s do what we can, too.