I mentioned on Face Book that this was an issue with a lot of meat in it. The cover article is written by Ralph Martin. The paragraphs below are quoted from "Days of Fire and Glory" by Julia Duin published by Crossland Press in 2009 -- the quote is from pages 53 and 54:Another of the intellectuals was Ralph Martin, a philosophy major with luminous blue eyes and sideburns who specialized in Nietzsche. He had tossed aside his Catholic upbringing as an undergraduate, and become the University of Notre Dame's resident atheist. The first time he met Stephen Clark (discussed earlier in the book -- another leader of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal), they argued over Christianity. Ralph's atheistic sojourn ended while experiencing a dramatic conversion during a Cursillo weekend, and he was preparing to begin a philosophy doctorate at Princeton.
The two young men spent the summer of 1965 together at a monastery in Elmira, New York, during which time they both concluded God was calling them to leave graduate school for full-time Christian work. They resigned their fellowships at Yale and Princeton, gave away all their possessions, including Steve's huge library, and most of their clothes. By August, everything they owned fit in one large army pack. They had 87 cents between them, but salaried positions at a student parish at Michigan State University awaited them in the Fall. They had also been hired for positions on the National Secretariat of the Cursillo.
Ralph was also one of the leaders of the Charismatic Conference of 1977 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. He is the one who made the prophecy (again quoted from Duin's book p. 176):
As the words of prophecy flowed out over the stadium that warm July evening, 45,000 people dropped to their knees in semi-shock.
"Mourn and weep," the speaker said, "for the body of My Son is broken.
"Mourn and weep," he repeated, "for the body of My Son is broken. Come before Me with broken hearts and contrite spirits, for the body of My Son is broken. Come before Me with sackcloth and ashes. Come before Me with tears and mourning, for the body of My Son is broken.
"I would have made you one new man, but the body of My Son is broken. I would have made you a light on a mountaintop, a city glorious and splendorous that all the world would have seen, but the body of My Son is broken."
All was silent. The voice continued.
"The light is dim. My people are scattered. The body of My Son is broken. I gave all I had, in the body and blood of My Son. It spilled on the earth. The body of My Son is broken.
"Turn from the sins of your fathers and walk in the ways of My Son. Return to the plan of your Father. Return to the purpose of your God. The body of My Son is broken. Mourn and weep, for the body of My Son is broken."
Silence fell for several minutes.
That is an understatement. I was there. This was such a great celebration! Then this word hit. I think there was a huge desire for the Church to come together. The first night plenary speaker was Kevin Ranaghan, another Catholic, a professor at Notre Dame and head of the People of Praise Community, started by saying that we could be there all night discussing our differences, but he was going to discuss those things that we had in common. He did just that. What a great night.
Of course this is not a comment on Ralph Martin's article. But seeing his name brings up some profound memories to me.
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