12th Station sign

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BenRosa

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Tonight, as usual during Lent, we had our soup and bread dinner in the social hall then went to the our church for stations of the cross. One of the parish Girl Scout groups was presenting it.

For the 12th station only, (the death of our Lord), everyone kneels for the entire station and a speical song is sung. During this duet, the glass in the windows and doors started to shake noisely, furiously in fact, all around the church. It was like nothing anyone had experienced before in this church.

Several men went outside immediately to investigate. No one was out there (as I asked after the stations were over, what they found). Inside, we were continuing with station 12, but we were all looking around and wondering what was happening. After about 10 to 15 seconds of this, the shaking and noise stopped.

Now I’ve heard sonic booms before, it wasn’t. Tonight it was clear and pleasent outside. Several of us discussed this incident afterwards no one had a good explanation of what had just happened.

For myself, I consider it a sign from our Father.
 
That’s pretty interesting. Barring any logical explaination, I would say that it was meant as a sign from above for one or more individuallys present at the service.
 
Isn’t a sign only a sign if the people present understand the meaning?
 
There were “signs” on Calvery the moment our Lord died…I take them to signify the importance of the moment.

Interestingly, my wife and mother in law took what happend in a negative way…that it was the evil of the world, Satan in particular, trying to upset our service.
 
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gilliam:
Isn’t a sign only a sign if the people present understand the meaning?
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Somehow I doubt that the rending of the Temple curtain at the Holy of Holies in the Temple, the darkening of the sky and the earthquake which followed the death of Christ was “perceived” by the Jewish people at the time who did not follow Jesus for what they were. As Scripture says, let him who has ears to hear, hear.
 
Yes, but they were signs for the Apostles.

No one seems to understand the meaning of the shaking in this situation…
 
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gilliam:
Yes, but they were signs for the Apostles.

No one seems to understand the meaning of the shaking in this situation…
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Since with collegiality in action they all fled except John and were hiding, I don’t know that they knew about the temple curtain until later, and we have no idea if the earthquake made sense to them at the time. Often signs, symbols and “happenings” are not immediately perceived, but only in retrospect…the signs in the sky at Bethlehem made sense to the Magi and obviously later to Herod, but the vast majority of those living at the time had no inkling of what had just occurred in the world.

The wind in the church could have been either a positive or negative sign; one of the best exorcisms ever detailed describes the wind in the church as deafening with the sanctuary lamp swinging wildly yet not a leaf stirring outside. The Holy Spirit is often depicted as “wind” rushing through. The Lord indeed works in very mysterious ways His will to be accomplished.
 
Joe, thanks.

My wife is relieved, but I must admit that I’m a little disapointed. Anyway, we all now know what multi-sonic booms sound like in a church.

May His peace be with you all.
 
There is an old saying, “Don’t look for a sign…be a sign!”
 
I don’t know about ‘old sayings’ but Jesus said: " … Only an evil generation seeks a sign, therefore none shall be given …" – Luke 11:29
 
hey i wouldnt be disappointed - think about it. God controls ALL. this shaking happened EXACTLY as you went to the 12th station. perhaps there was one in the group had experienced doubts, or needed some literal ‘shaking’ and would not admit it. the Father still might have been trying to comunicate something through His creation . . . you never know.
 
LuvTheLight…that is a good point.

Now, suppose I meet this individual next Friday at our last Stations Of The Cross for Lent, and they begin to relate how last week’s “sign” has really affected them positively in their faith. Do I “enlighten” them as to the source of this sign? My gut reaction would be not to…and just go along with it. I’d hate to think of what affect such news would have but… don’t want to be supporting a parish rumor when I know better.
 
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BenRosa:
LuvTheLight…that is a good point.

Now, suppose I meet this individual next Friday at our last Stations Of The Cross for Lent, and they begin to relate how last week’s “sign” has really affected them positively in their faith. Do I “enlighten” them as to the source of this sign? My gut reaction would be not to…and just go along with it. I’d hate to think of what affect such news would have but… don’t want to be supporting a parish rumor when I know better.
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One should assume that at least one of them saw the tv and read the news about the sonic booms, so you could say something like,yes I guess it was the sonic boom all right but it sure came at the right time didn’t it.
 
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gilliam:
Yes, but they were signs for the Apostles.

No one seems to understand the meaning of the shaking in this situation…
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a sign is recognized in that it is a sign when it occurs, it’s meaning is often not understood untill a future event unfolds and both become clearly identified. The event needed the sign for definition and the sign needed the event for definition.
 
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luvthelight:
hey i wouldnt be disappointed - think about it. God controls ALL. this shaking happened EXACTLY as you went to the 12th station. perhaps there was one in the group had experienced doubts, or needed some literal ‘shaking’ and would not admit it. the Father still might have been trying to comunicate something through His creation . . . you never know.
Click to expand...
I agree, and the way to handle such a thing is to put it in the ‘P’ for ponderings file in your heart and let it go. If it is a sign it will be automatically recalled if an event occurs that contain the elements of the sign( in this case the planes and sonic boom added to the 12th station etc.) because those elements are attached to the sense of awe that is stored in the emotional memory. The emotional memory being an involuntary response attached to experiences when life is threatened or it’s opposite when life is made more abundant via the revelation of the mystery of God.
 
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