Goodnews - Can you tell me a little about your family background?
 
Maria Toth - Faith became particularly significant in our home when I was about eight because my Mum got filled with the Spirit at a local Baptist church.  We began weekly family prayer times, a tradition which continues to the present day.  Although I had numerous experiences of God as a child doubt set in during my teenage years. The plan was that I would study at Edinburgh University, but before that I responded to a poster advertising a Christian youth event in Walsingham - my aim was simply to get away from everything!  Whilst there I found myself going to confession for the first time since childhood, resulting in an overwhelming infilling of joy.  Returning home my family noticed a transformation; for my sisters it must have been like having a new sibling!  It dawned on me that I had not consulted God on my future, so I embarked on several days of prayer. Sensing clear instruction from God, plans for the next step changed and I secured a last minute place to study Theology in London.
 
G -  How did you become involved with the Cor et Lumen Christi Community?
 
M.T. - Although I protested at the time I am grateful that my parents coaxed me into going to some youth Masses at the Community when I was sixteen. I was impacted by how the members let their passion for Christ spill out into everyday life, so after my awakening of faith at eighteen I wanted to be part of the action.  It is possible to be a full member but live and work in the world rather than in a Community house, so that is the expression I opted for.  Unlike most prayer groups, there is a covenant structure which means you are required to commit to journeying with the same group of people for a fixed period of time.  The blessing and challenge of that is accepting each another in spite of our failings! Through attending the weekly meetings and serving at the outreaches I have received incredible formation in how to develop a prayer life, grow in use of the charismatic gifts of the Spirit and more. After almost eleven years in Community I see how crucial it is to have people to be accountable to and who share a common vision for radical Christian living. 
 
G - How did you get the job at Premier?
 
M.T. - Whilst on mission with the Community my hunger to see lives impacted by the power of the Spirit was fuelled.  I had no idea, however, that God would lead me into radio presenting to fulfil that desire.  Whilst praying and discerning God’s plan for my life I met the CEO of Premier Christian Radio and a week later he offered me a job!  I started as a producer, moving on to co-present the Breakfast Show, and then progressing to host ‘Woman to Woman’, the daily women’s show.  Premier is a national station bringing teaching, interviews, music, advice and inspiration into homes across the UK.  It is an ecumenical workplace with Anglicans, Pentecostals and Free Church attendees among its employees.  Being a Catholic at the station was radical at first, but over the past six years our number has quadrupled.  It has been wonderful to witness Catholic coverage on-air increase, not forgetting the historic task of being asked to report from Rome on the death of Pope John Paul II - next up will be coverage of the Papal visit to the UK!
 
G - What is the best thing about your job?
 
M.T. - The best part of working in Christian radio has to be the people I meet.  Non-Christians often ask whom the most famous people are that I have interviewed but to be honest they are not necessarily the most memorable.  Over the years I have had the honour of interviewing hundreds of ladies but it is those with stories of triumph over adversity that have humbled me most. One woman I interviewed had been through immeasurable suffering including a forced abortion, physical and sexual abuse - her joy in the midst of pain was inspirational.  The ‘Woman to Woman’ conferences we host around the country are another highlight because nothing beats receiving testimony from a woman who has attended saying that she has been prayed over for the first time and claims freedom from an addiction or healing from a physical affliction.
 
G - Do Premier give you time off to take part in Cor et Lumen Christi missions?
 
M.T. - Premier is like most work places in that you have to take annual leave in order to go on mission abroad.  The first time I served on a prayer ministry team in another country was in Poland for a ‘Charism School’, a course written by the Community’s founder Damian Stayne to train Catholics in using the gifts of the Spirit.  When we arrived in Lublin there was a huge banner across the front of the Cathedral saying something like ‘Jesus Heals Today, Come and See!’ - to our surprise it was advertising the healing outreach element of the School!  God was faithful to His Word with many healings taking place.  Praise God! Since then I have had the privilege of partaking in numerous trips around Europe, East Africa and most recently to Steubenville, America.
 
G - Do you remember the first time God used you in the healing of someone? 
 
M.T. - The first time I saw God heal someone when I was praying was at a Charism School in London.  We were in small groups and encouraged to pray for those who were sick. A lady shared how the bones in her spine were disintegrating and that the doctor had said it would get steadily worse, resulting in the possibility of her being unable to walk.  Four of us with little experience set about petitioning God. Amazingly the woman was freed from pain and instantly received her mobility!  Apparently the lady had not been able to carry her child because of the weak spine and was eagerly looking forward to testifying to her Muslim doctor! 
 
It is often said that we don’t see the same number of miracles in the UK compared with abroad, but through the ministry of our Community we have seen as many great miracles in the UK as anywhere else: cancer vanishing, confirmed by doctors; people freed from wheelchairs; blind eyes opening; deaf ears hearing etc.  In other countries if there are numerically more healings I would suggest the reason for this to be because they have a deeper sense of their dependence on God, and have not lost touch with the belief that the spiritual world really does exert influence in the material world.  However, I believe God is doing a new thing with the miraculous in the UK and we will see the supernatural as a more regular occurrence among believers.  Reading stories of those who have seen God move incredibly through their lives, such as John G. Lake or Kathryn Kuhlman, fuels my faith for the miraculous.  When people aren’t healed of course it is challenging but God is the author of the timing and all we can do is submit to Him, and then repent in case our lack of faith played a role.
 
G - What do you think the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church in the UK at the moment?
 
M.T. - I believe we are in a new season where the call upon Christians is to have expectancy for that which in years gone by might have been considered spiritually impossible in this country.  We are already witnessing significant miracles taking place and I sense that will just increase.  More than ever I think we are going to see miraculous occurences become commonplace in the lives of believers whatever their background.  As this unfolds inevitably the way we evangelise and disciple will be transformed. I am reminded of the verse in Isaiah 43 which says, ‘For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.’ (New Living Translation)  My prayer is that our vision of what God can do through Christians in this nation be enlarged. Send Revival, Lord!