By Marlene Quaroni - Florida Catholic
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Simone Pascal cries as she sings a hymn during Holy Redeemer revival.
LIBERTY CITY � There is new life in the �well of the Spirit,� revivalist Father Celsus Auguiste told the congregation during the first night of a three-night revival themed �Coming Together as One in the Spirit of the Lord� at Holy Redeemer Parish.
�A Samaritan woman met Jesus, a Jew, at a well,� said Father Auguiste. �She was surprised when he asked for a drink of water because Jews and Samaritans were enemies. After she gave him water, he told the woman, a sinner who had been married several times and was an adulteress, that you do not know who asks you for water. I can give you �living water�; my water is the stream that gives eternal life.�
�God hates sin, but he loves the sinner,� Father Auguiste said.
The priest is well-known as Dominica�s �Catholic evangelical gift to the Caribbean.� He serves as the pastor of Our Lady of La Soie, Dominica, and has evangelized throughout the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The revival, which took place Jan. 31-Feb. 2, is an annual event, part of the celebration of Black History Month. This year it coincides with the 60th anniversary of Holy Redeemer Parish.
�Who are you in the story?� Father Auguiste asked on the second night of the revival based on the crucifixion of Jesus. �I�m here to speak to you about the truth. Do some honest introspection. Your hearts are filled with lies, gossip and malice. We make excuses for sin. We�re not willing to be on the side of truth, so we take the middle road.�
Father Auguiste asked various congregation members to stand and read Bible passages to make his point.
�Because you are neither hot nor cold, you�re lukewarm, I will spit you out,� said a congregation member, rapidly reading a verse from Revelation.
�Slow down, brother, don�t rush. Your pastor, Father (John) Cox is not in charge today. I am,� joked Father Auguiste. �OUCH! You must have loyalty for your Church,� he said. �If you�re Catholic you must take everything. Pope John Paul II said there are too many cafeteria Catholics. Being Catholic is a package.�
�We gloss over sin� when we call abortion terminating a pregnancy; adultery is called indiscretion; alcoholism is called social drinking; pornography is called free press; promiscuity is called safe sex, he said.
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Choir member Patience Nkuba sings with other choir members.
�Yes!� the congregation shouted back.
�No, no, no, no,� he asked again.
�YES!� The congregation shouted louder.
�It wasn�t Adam who asked for mercy, it was God who gave him a second chance by dying on the cross,� Father Auguiste said. �When I look at the cross I must know that God is a lover. The salvation story is our story. This is about God�s plan for you and me.�
�Hello, church, are you sure?� he asked. �Yes!� they replied.
�If you see your friend doing something wrong and you don�t say anything then you�re a coward, a stinker,� he said. �You�re rejecting the truth.�
Are you a member of the crowd, just going along with everyone? In the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, are you Pilate, the crowd, the soldiers?
�In a crowd you lose your identity,� Father Auguiste said. �We�re each individuals. Don�t get lost in the crowd, stand out. God created you with DNA, fingerprints. God didn�t create you to be a non-entity. You won�t be judged as a crowd, but as an individual.�
We must all appear before the judgment of God whether we�re black, white, Oriental, Native American, African American or Africans living in America, he said as the congregation laughed.
�Are you willing to take a risk in time of crises, like Simon, the Cyrenian, who helped Jesus carry his cross?� said Father Auguiste. �This is what a revival is all about, introspection. When you look at the crucifix you must realize that God is a lover, he died for your sins. Is that clear?�
Go on your knees to seek salvation, he said. Repentance prepares people for death. God doesn�t care about your possessions, but about the purity of your heart.
�Have you ever seen a U-Haul truck behind a hearse carrying the deceased person�s possessions?� said Father Auguiste as the congregation laughed. �Can you imagine a U-Haul truck with your 50-inch flat screen television, gold, computers, cell phones, furniture, house? Even your diamond wedding ring will not go with you, your children will take it.�
You must decide if your kingdom is of this world or of God�s, he said. As one soldier said at the foot of the cross, truly Jesus Christ was the savior.
The third night of the revival concluded with a sermon on �Being on Fire in the Spirit� based on readings from Matthew 3:1-12, in which John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize people with fire and the Holy Spirit.
As the revival ended, Father Auguiste said that the event was filled with such spirit that it should have lasted for five nights instead of three.
Upcoming Black History Month events include:
- a National Day of Prayer for the African American and Family, which will take place at 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, at Holy Redeemer; and
- a Black History Month Mass and cultural program, Sunday, Feb. 28, beginning at 9 a.m., also at Holy Redeemer.
- Holy Redeemer is located at 1301 N.W. 71 St., Miami; for information call 305-691-1701 or e-mail [email protected].
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Revivalist Father Celsus Auguiste gestures as he speaks.
