The ‘inner season’ matters: Archbishop urges spiritual renewal

By Kaelanne Jordan

mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

“We are living in troubling times,” Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon said, warning that as the country looks on at unfolding global events, “we don’t know what that will do to us ultimately,” and that while there may be hopes for profit, “it could lead us to deep destruction, too.”

The Archbishop was addressing faithful at the closing session of the 25th Caribbean Conference of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), which ran from Friday, January 9 to Sunday 11. The biennial event brought together Catholics from across the region for prayer, worship and teaching rooted in the Charismatic Renewal. The conference theme was “For I will pour out water on the thirsty soil…My blessings on your children” (Isaiah 44:3–4).

Despite the uncertainty, Archbishop Gordon emphasised that global and national instability must not determine the inner spiritual life of believers.

“But here’s what we do know: our life is in the hand of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth… The outer season of our country and the geopolitics do not determine the inner season of our life,” he said.

His address, titled ‘More power, more joy, more holiness: Let the water of the Holy Spirit flow,’ centred on the need for spiritual renewal in difficult times.

Drawing from Isaiah 44:1–8, Archbishop Gordon said the passage reveals a God who speaks tenderly to His people even when they are wounded, exiled or unfaithful.

“The language of our text is the language of love….When Israel was completely in a calamity and shame for their stupidity, their idolatry, God is speaking in language of love and terms of endearment to them…Even when we do stupidity, God’s love is not taken back. His love is everlasting,” Archbishop Gordon underscored.

He explained that the biblical figures Jacob and Israel represent both the struggle of humanity and the faithfulness of God’s covenant.

“Jacob often highlights the human struggles, and Israel often points to the covenantal relationship that God often has with His people.”

Reflecting on Jacob’s night-long struggle with God, the Archbishop challenged faithful to examine the depth of their prayer lives.

“When last have you wrestled with God all night?”…“Where’s the all-night vigil that was a staple part of the life of Charismatic Renewal?”

Using imagery familiar across the Caribbean, he compared spiritual dryness to the parched landscape of the Dry Season.

“There are two dry seasons… the Dry Season that we see in the hills is also the dry season that we experience in our hearts. And I think the second dry season is worse than the first,” he said.

Turning to the Charismatic Renewal, Archbishop Gordon described it as a powerful expression of faith in the Caribbean, led largely by the laity rather than Church hierarchy.

He said the Renewal grows when believers open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, becoming attractive witnesses who draw others to faith.

“When people are faithful, God makes them attractive.… the first phase of evengelisation is attraction.”

Recalling the early days of the movement, Archbishop Gordon pointed to its defining experiences. “What did they experience in those early days? More power, more joy and more holiness. What happened through CCR was that disciples were being born and there was an invitation through Charismatic Renewal to bring people to the Life in the Spirit Seminar,” the Archbishop said.

He then encouraged prayer groups to reclaim foundational practices such as Life in the Spirit Seminars, the exercise of spiritual gifts and intentional discipleship formation.

Looking to the future, Archbishop Gordon warned that new leaders must emerge as older generations step aside.

“We have a generation of young people whose hearts are thirsting for God and what they’re not seeing is witnesses who are attractive to bring them back to their God. You are I are those witnesses but only when we open wide our heart.”

He concluded by calling on the Charismatic Renewal to renew its mission of being a “conduit” of grace for the Holy Spirit to touch lives of the faithful throughout the region.

Other speakers at the conference included Frs Matthew d’Hereaux, Elveau Augustine (Dominica), Peter-May Emmanuel (Jamaica), Isaac Umoru CSSp, and Winston Garcia.