Evagelization, healing at Hope and Purpose event
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Hope and Purpose Ministries will host its annual gathering on Feb. 15, with this year’s theme inspired by 2 Corinthians 3:18, which reads, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Spiritual renewal
The daylong conference of spiritual renewal – titled “Radiate and Illuminate His Glory!” – will be held at Divine Mercy Parish in Kenner. Speakers will include Hope and Purpose Ministries founders Deacon Larry Oney and his wife Andi Oney, Terry Quinn, Mary Bielski, Timmy McCaffery, Kitty Cleveland and Father Austin Barr. Music will be provided by John Finch.
Deacon Oney explained that the theme for this gathering reflects the ministry’s mission, which is based on three major focuses, the first one being evangelization.
“We want to expand the kingdom of God through evangelization – that is, the proclamation of the Gospel and demonstrating the presence of God upon the earth with signs and wonders and miracles,” he said.
The second focus is healing the brokenhearted, which Deacon Oney attributed to John 10:10: “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
“God wants us to live not just a life of riches, but a life
healed and whole, so that we can continue doing his work,” Deacon Oney said.
The third focus of Hope and Purpose Ministries is “giving people a future full of
hope,” based on the Scripture from Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plans I have for you ... plans to give you a future full of hope.”
This year’s event coincides with a jubilee year, and Deacon Oney said the gathering is designed to emphasize the jubilee’s theme of hope and to encourage participants to reflect on the mercy and grace available through God.
He also noted that he wants it to feel like an outflow or a continuation of last summer’s National Eucharistic Congress, which he said is a continued blessing.
“God blesses his people in a beautiful way,” Deacon Oney said. “Our Jewish brothers and sisters show us how in Deuteronomy, God lays out what the jubilee is all about. But for us, it’s a jubilee of hope.
“And with our ministry named Hope and Purpose, we thought it’d be the perfect
time for us to be mindful that what we’re supposed to do
on the earth is to radiate and
illuminate the glory of God.”
Deacon Oney said the gathering is part of the ongoing efforts to support the eucharistic revival initiative within the church. He and his wife were major speakers at the conference in Indianapolis last year.
A revival of hope
“We are blessed to be part of the eucharistic revival,” he said. “We believe that the eucharistic revival is a man- date for us to stir into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit of all that’s been done and all that we’re doing, empowered by the Eucharist, because we get to eat the bread, sanctified, set apart, consecrated, elevated by the priest of the Most High God. And God brings that to us and gives it to us.
“This event is a continuation of that movement. As a Catholic people, we get to radiate and illuminate the glory of God, for we’re in his eucharistic presence every time we go to Communion or when we go to adore the Lord.”
Deacon Oney said events like these are important because communal worship is where special moments with the Lord can happen.
“It’s a powerful thing,” he said. “Communal worship and praise and looking at the face of the Lord.
“It opens us up for the supernatural, for the God that we’re looking at is not just a natural person. The Eucharist that we behold is literally the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, and the ‘Great I Am,’ and we get to see him face to face during one of the eucharistic encounter moments.”
An opportunity to heal
One thing that God has put on his heart, Deacon Oney said, is breakthrough.
“I believe that God is calling out to our nation, calling out to our city, particularly as we head toward the Lenten season, to turn away from everything that keeps us from approaching him or being in his presence or that is inconsistent with a life that’s pleasing to the Lord,” he said. “It’s a new beginning, and that’s why we pray specifically for breakthrough, for things that we might be struggling with. It’s an opportunity to do that, so that’s what we do there.
“We need healing in our nation. We need healing in our cities. We need healing in our families. We need healing in our own selves– physical, emotional, spiritual – and this is an opportunity to do that.”
The event will have several time slots dedicated to prayer for healing and a full accompaniment of music for worship. Deacon Oney encourages attendees to come to the gathering open to any possibilities.
“Just come open, and particularly for those who need healing in their physical being, need emotional healing, just come open and ask God and say, ‘Lord, here I am. I’m your servant. Do with me what you will,’” he said. “Or bring whatever burden you might have.
“We specifically have people who have been trained to pray, to try and pray for healing. That’s very intentional on our part. But if you don’t need that, if you just want an opportunity just to give glory, to manifest his glory, or to radiate and illuminate the glory of God through praise and worship, we will be intentionally doing that.”