As you can see I’m back at Goodnews after my three months sabbatical. It was a wonderful time of refreshment and refocus and I want to thank publicly the editorial team, particularly Shaun Growney who did a lot of editorial work, which made it possible for me to take this time off. I learned a lot and will be sharing some of this with you in future isssues of Goodnews.

Before my sabbatical I and some of the members of the editorial team had been to Walsingham for a time of prayer and discernment about Goodnews. We felt the Lord said various things to us. One of them was the importance of the Scriptures to form and help people to grow spiritually. Thus I’m delighted to see that the series “Your Word is a Lamp for my Feet” has had such a resonance with our readers, and many have written in with their experiences with the Word of God. Do continue to send these in. Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare movement, who died in March used to write a monthly Word of Life, which was a meditation on a verse of scripture, which all those in the movement would try and put into practice in their lives. Charles Whitehead, who knew her, writes a short appreciation about her in this issue and we hear the story in her own words of how Focolare was founded and the important role the Word of God played in this.

The other thing that the Lord seems to be emphasising at the moment is the importance of intercession. It was one of the key words that was received by a gathering of leaders of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal last autumn and came up again in the meeting in January this year of the NSCs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, that Charles Whitehead reported on in the last issue. I think it is important to respond to this in Goodnews and it is a subject we need to continue to stress. Marie Beirne, the chairperson of the Irish NSC, has been seized by the priority of intercession too and was invited to speak to Scottish leaders about it in march. This has caused a new inpetus for intercession in Scotland which you can read about on the news pages. In England too, later in the year at Pentecost, we had a very successful ecumenical gathering of intercession and prayer at Millwall Football Stadium in London, to mark the Global Day of Prayer. This was celebrated in 211 countries including Ireland of which there is a report on the Irish pages. We will keep this focus on intercession going in Goodnews in various ways. In this issue John Curry, who is the leader of an intercessory group in Stockport, in his article “Proclaim the Glorious Deeds of the Lord”, tells us about the amazing answers to prayer his small group have received over the past three years and the “Book of Miracles” he has collated. You may remember the late Pope John Paul II underlined the importance of prayer in his document Novo Millennio Ineunte, when he emphasised that all pastoral plans must be backed up by prayer and that our parishes should be schools of prayer! Someone I know to be a man of great prayer and intercession is Myles Dempsey, the visionary behind the New Dawn conference, who in May earlier in the year celebrated his 80th birthday. In this issue we tell something of his story, and show how God can use someone who says “yes” to him.

The Lord calls us all to witness to him through word and deed. Martin McTiernan, one of our Irish Goodnews editors, has been to visit the new friary opened by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on a notorious estate in Limerick. He finds out how by simple relationship and presence the friars are making a difference. Brian Green, in his article shows the power of unconditional love to evangelise. He tells how his enduring friendship with a childhood school friend, who had abandoned his Catholic faith, eventually bore fruit when the man came back to the Lord before he died. Fr Chris Thomas likewise reflects on how the Lord calls us to conversion and change, through people and events and the importance of recognising and responding to these encounters when they come our way.

Michelle Moran, the chairperson of the English NSC and the President of ICCRS, has been recently appointed to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. This is a great honour for the CCR world wide, and particularly for us of the Northern Isles. This new role gives Michelle an added insight into the international situation and the world of the Vatican and in her article, she reflects on what she feels the Lord is saying at the moment. Also of interest is Pope Benedict’s comment on Baptism of the Spirit on page 32.

Fr Peter Hocken, a long time commentator on the Charismatic Renewal, reflects on what he sees as the special contribution of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to God’s call to Christian Unity. We are also starting an occasional theological page. Fr Pat Collins is kicking this off with his reflection on the question of whether Jesus had faith or not. If you want to know his answer read his article! Meanwhile we have all our regular news pages and features with Sue Whitehead in her Other Half column reflecting on how important it is to know how to receive graciously, particularly from God.

Kristna Cooper