A Vision

[Lief_Erikson]

I know my user name is a little silly, and so is my profile, but it also sparks truth. There’s darkness in me I am fighting, it needs to be quenched, high and large. I also, admit, have alot of anger in me that I know dislpeases my God, so in a sense I am “Dark,” but also a warrior fighting to eradicate this Dark.

I knew the Lord for six years, as a non-denominational Christian, before He began guiding me toward the Catholic Church. At one point in that time, I was speaking to a youth group (I used to be an assistant youth leader), and I gave them a message which I thought would inspire them to seek intimacy with the Holy Spirit more closely, make them realize more what is possible in the personal relationship with Christ. Instead, I came across wrong and they thought I was condemning them to Hell. One of them broke down in tears. Several were hurt.

When I found out how they’d reacted, I was horrified. I apologized the next week, and I prayed for forgiveness and felt the Lord give it to me, but for years after I regretted the incident and was emotionally scarred by it.

Then, when the Lord brought me to His Church, I went to Confession as a part of my RCIA class, and I confessed that offense I’d committed years before. I confessed also other things I’d done wrong.

After I did this, as I was walking away from the Confession, I was overwhelmed with waves of emotion and was reduced to tears. I felt a wall rise between me and all these harmful, damaging experiences, as though they were separated from me and no longer connected to me. The emotional pain that had held me and the other wrongs I had done melted away from my consciousness and have never since had power over me.

It was an incredible experience of the power of God. The reason the Confessional is so powerful is that Christ said to his apostles (and their successors- according to the Book of Acts, they passed their authority on to successors), “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained” (John 20:23). James taught the same, saying, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16).

The Early Christians practiced that, their priests, the people with apostolic authority given by the apostles and their successors, hearing confessions and forgiving sins on Christ’s behalf. People experienced this awestriking release for centuries, finding spiritual battles won simply by relying on the blood of Christ that washed away their wrongdoing through the prayer of forgiveness the priest offered.

The experience I had in Confession has been shared by millions of Catholics worldwide. Jesus can forgive sins without the priest there to offer forgiveness on his behalf, but he instructed us to take this route, and his disciples in the Scripture urged the same for us. It is the most perfect way in which we can receive his forgiveness, as we receive it in this way not only with our spirit feeling it but with our physical ears and bodies, our whole beings. That helps, reinforcing the impact of the message, for then our whole person receives it rather than just part of us. There also is a special authority in the priest, as shepherd of a flock and Christ’s own representative, which Christ uses in this gloriously powerful way, and which we lack when praying for forgiveness privately.

If you became Catholic, the darkness you feel within you would be wiped out in the Confessional. There might still be struggles of recurring temptations, afterward, but the sins themselves would be wholly gone and their power in your life would be obliterated.

When I was a non-Catholic Christian, I struggled against the sin of pornography. I would find my mind or eyes drawn to sexual material, and I fought it hard. I fought it for months and months, but I felt that this darkness was within me, so no matter how I prayed, it didn’t just go away. It took something like a year of spiritual warfare at least to gain freedom from it. The sin was always within me, though.

Continuing in the next post . . .

 

[Lief_Erikson]

The Confessional is an entirely different experience. It could have just erased that sin from within me. While I might have continued to experience temptations afterward, the sins of the past would be gone, and even their temptation can be blunted afterward. I experienced that release from pornographic sin a few weeks ago when confessing this in the Confessional.

I feel as though when I became a Catholic, the experience I’d had of Jesus as a non-Catholic Christian was not in the least diminished. Rather, it was massively enhanced. I felt that I had come to the completeness of everything I had held most dear in Christianity. It is the completion of Christianity, I firmly believe. It is all that Christianity was meant by Christ to be, what He, His disciples and their successors taught that it should be.

I think your own spiritual battle would be radically changed if you took it to the Catholic Confessional. Unfortunately, I don’t think non-Catholics are allowed to partake of it unless they’re planning to become Catholic and are going through the RCIA.

I’ve experienced incredible things in the Catholic sacraments. There is nothing at all in the entire world like the Catholic Eucharist. Nothing so special, so precious. I don’t think you need a vision from Jesus- what you need, I believe, is the Catholic Eucharist. Only Catholics are allowed to partake of it, for the safety of non-Catholics, because it is so holy that it can harm those who have not been to the Catholic Confessional.

I had an experience about our Eucharist from the Lord only a few weeks ago, one night in Washington DC. I don’t know whether it was a dream or a vision, whether I was awake or asleep. At the time I experienced it, I felt absolutely certain I was awake. I’m not sure now. It felt vastly more real than any dream I’ve ever had. I feel sure that spiritually, it was real.

I saw the walls of the room where I was sleeping turn to glass, and through them I saw the Eucharist. Dark blood was flowing from the Eucharist, the blood of Jesus. A light from Heaven was shining down on the Eucharist.

I recommend exploring our faith, on this site or elsewhere. I think it will likely prove the completion of what you now believe and cherish, though it’ll probably startle you with things you aren’t used to. That’s what it was for me. Also, the Confessional is a life-changing experience, and I think it would prove a turning point in the spiritual battle you now fight.

The year or so battle over sexual darkness within me that I fought as a non-Catholic Christian was not necessary, for Christ provided us in the Confessional an easier way. The years of emotional scarring I endured because of having hurt those kids was also unnecessary and healed by God’s love in an instant.

I’m far from alone in this- the experiences of peace and transformation surrounding the Confessional are vast in numbers, impacting incredible numbers of Catholics around the world. I think there have been one or two threads about that created on this forum already. I recommend you look to these answers, and perhaps explore these concepts further (I don’t know how much you might already know, but there is a lot more to say about all of them) as you seek deeper intimacy with your Lord and mine.

God bless you .

 

[macroom2]

Some of the replies have been inappropriate. Verbal abuse can be sinful, but it’s mild compared to some of the sins committed by some Catholics, non-Catholic Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and others. I have always taken the parable of Jesus on the wheat and tares very seriously.

 

[thistle]

Is it wrong to desire a vision? I am holding onto my faith, but want it to shine like it once had. Sometimes I wish God, the Virgin Mary, a Saint or an Angel would appear to comfort me. I guess it’s a selfish desire. I just miss that God high I used to have quite often. And I understand that usually when God appears to you, it’s for a very important reason, and the visioner suffers. But I’d take that over lonliness and despair.

Jesus said in Matt 16:4

“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

 

[The_Catholic]

Jesus said in Matt 16:4

“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

There’s more to it than simply “wanting to see God.” I’m convinced it had to do with a selfish desire among the pharisees.

Dark Warrior sounds like he needs healing, and perhaps wants God to, in a way, basically hug him

The confessional is a wonderful place for a spiritual hug, and reassuring God’s love.

 

[tessi]

Is it wrong to desire a vision? I am holding onto my faith, but want it to shine like it once had. Sometimes I wish God, the Virgin Mary, a Saint or an Angel would appear to comfort me. I guess it’s a selfish desire. I just miss that God high I used to have quite often. And I understand that usually when God appears to you, it’s for a very important reason, and the visioner suffers. But I’d take that over lonliness and despair.

The real thing is to go on with no vision, no voices, no inspirations, just faith. The vision eliminate faith (you don’t require faith to believe what you can see). It sounds nice to be chosen for a vision or revelation but that would happen if you were not expecting it. If you desire it, I could say for sure, you most probably will never have it. (You have to want nothing to have it all like Saint John of the Cross says).
Anyway I understand your despair in the darkness. Be patient and learn to live with it.

 

[mammallama]

I am not in agreement with Thistle.Since bible times there have been periods of visions and apparitions.Once such period began with Lourdes 150 years ago and we are still in those times.Just read any book about miracles by a reputable source.Check out your local catholic book store or EWTN.

Perhaps more to the point is that a person cannot demand a sign.That does not mean that God stopped giving signs.Just that we must believe even though we (probably) will never see one.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

We should avoid seeking supernatural phenominon, whether its visions or locutions. St. John of the cross warns that by having these desires, we open ourselves to deception by the evil one.

Instead, we should humbly accept God’s will in all things. If he gives us a vision, it is His will, not our desiring it.

Although many of us will state that we would like a vision, so we can be closer to God, often, we have an agenda behind it. Its so we’ll be seen as Holy in the eyes of other people.

St. Bernadette, my favorite saint, showed me why she was chosen to see the Blessed Mother. It was because of her great faith, but also her great humility. She never used the apparitions for herself, but rather, always directed people to Our Lady. She even took herself out of the eyes of the public, by becoming a cloistered nun.

Even today, you will not find novena’s to St. Bernadette, but rather, Novenas to Our Lady of Lourdes.

Humility, is one of the things I love most about St. Bernadette.

Jim

 

[Lief_Erikson]

We should avoid seeking supernatural phenominon, whether its visions or locutions. St. John of the cross warns that by having these desires, we open ourselves to deception by the evil one.

Instead, we should humbly accept God’s will in all things. If he gives us a vision, it is His will, not our desiring it.

Although many of us will state that we would like a vision, so we can be closer to God, often, we have an agenda behind it. Its so we’ll be seen as Holy in the eyes of other people.

I think you’re right that we often have that agenda. I know that it lurks in the back of my mind, when I pray to be able to see the spirits. There is a holy side to my desire and an unholy, and I pray for the destruction of the unholy, that I might experience the greatest things God has to offer humanity, without falling prey to danger.

My weakness in this regard is why, I think, the Lord has not given me much in the way of visions over the last few years. He has instead concentrated on opening my eyes to the spiritual world in other ways, ways less flashy but which greatly improve my ability to understand God’s will.

HOWEVER , I do think God can cull out of us the harmful ego that seeks to direct us in dangerous directions, when we pray for those experiences. Praise be to God, He’ll only give them to those who are ready for them. Those that have humility may well receive, such as Moses. Or St. Paul- St. Paul, interestingly enough, was also given the thorn from Satan to keep him humble. True humility, rather than fake humility, is crucial here.

I think it is a good thing to desire these visions and to pray for them, for they are good things from God and he desires everyone to know Him more intimately. We also, praise be to God, can trust Him to train us and ready us for greater experiences of Him. He can and desires to cull out of us unhealthy ambition, so we should pray that He do so! He also can and desires to give us His greatest gifts (as Paul said, “earnestly desire the greater gifts”), so we should pray for those too!

Desiring greater intimacy with God, and desiring ENORMOUSLY great intimacy with God, is not wrong at all! It is very, very good! It is excellent to seek the highest God has to offer humanity.

I pray for the fruits of the Spirit before I pray for the gifts, though. The supernatural gifts could damage me if I don’t have the fruits (the virtues of God), and the fruits are what will really stay eternally, and they are the crucial overflow of our unity with God.

St. Bernadette, my favorite saint, showed me why she was chosen to see the Blessed Mother. It was because of her great faith, but also her great humility. She never used the apparitions for herself, but rather, always directed people to Our Lady. She even took herself out of the eyes of the public, by becoming a cloistered nun.

Even today, you will not find novena’s to St. Bernadette, but rather, Novenas to Our Lady of Lourdes.

Humility, is one of the things I love most about St. Bernadette.

Jim

That’s really, really well said about St. Bernadette . You’re so right. Humility is absolutely essential to the relationship of the saints with God, and it is the reason He feels comfortable with lavishing on them so much of Himself.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Note also that before St. Catherine Laboure saw the Virgin Mary, she had expressed a strong desire to see her.
members.aol.com/bjw1106/marian5.htm

How can that desire be wrong? It’s beautiful to want to see the Heavenly!

It’s also encouraged in the Bible, both by Jesus and by Paul.

 

[DBT]

How can that desire be wrong? It’s beautiful to want to see the Heavenly!

It’s also encouraged in the Bible, both by Jesus and by Paul.

JimROCDS mentioned St. John of the Cross’ thoughts on this a few posts back. Here’s a link to Book 2, Chapter 22 of “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel” which pretty much sums up his teaching on why we should not desire supernatural phenomena like visions and locutions:

en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ascent_of_Mount_Carmel/Book_2/Chapter_XXII

Chapter 21 also addresses this as well:
en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ascent_of_Mount_Carmel/Book_2/Chapter_XXI

While it is true that even the Saints from time to time expressed these desires, letting go those desires is essential to growth in perfection. Both St. John and St. Teresa describe how clinging to visions, once recieved, often cause spiritual progress (i.e. faith) to stagnate. It isn’t hard to see how subtle spiritual pride creeps into this in even the most holy among us.

Dave

 

[DBT]

And another good place to look for guidance in these matters is St. Teresa’s “Interior Castle.”

When we read her 6th dwelling we are imeadiately struck how chock-full the higher paths are with regard to supernatural phenomena: visions, locutions, ecstasy/rapture, flight of spirit/transport and so on.

And what happens when one is brought to the 7th dwelling, the transforming union itself? Well, these phenomena largely cease. Why? Because the soul has learned to detach itself from all such desire by clinging to Him in pure faith and abandonment.

Thus, all imaginative visions/locutions largely end . . . those that enter the soul through the corperal senses (bodily eyes or ears) and our spiritual senses (our “inner” eyes or ears, in a manner of speaking).

Unlike the 6th dwelling place, direct contact with the divine is now entirely spiritual . . . intellectual visions (St. Teresa’s term) or “touches” (St. John’s term). However, with these nothing is seen or heard. It is a “knowing” impressed on the soul as if the finger of God touched one’s forehead and downloaded a lifetime of knowledge in a split second. As a practical example, IMO, this is “how” St. Therese came to know her most profound spiritual truths: “My vocation is love” and the contents of her little way. One moment she was struggling along like all of us . . . the next moment this wonderful insight was just “there.” But again, nothing was seen or heard.

And unlike the imaginative visions that came previously, these “touches” are entirely safe and rightly prized by those that recieve them.

Dave.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Reads.

These passages describe as an offense to Jesus the pursuit of additional revelations to the messages Jesus already revealed. This is because Jesus’ message was already given in completion, so no further revelation is necessary. Insistence upon additional revelation, or a repetition of the same revelation, betrays a lack of faith in the completion of revelation that has already been given.

I want to see the spirits. However, I don’t want that because of not believing what Jesus has revealed, or wanting additional teachings to the whole message God gave in his Incarnate Son. I want it because I do believe what Jesus has revealed, and I want to experience and live it more entirely. Like St. Catherine did when she keenly desired to see the Virgin Mary, before her desire was fulfilled by God’s grace.

Motives for desiring visions can be different for different people. There can be people who desire visions because they don’t believe God’s word, or who want additional moral teachings to God’s word. These reasons for seeking are not pure as they clash with faith, according to St. John of the Cross. On the other hand, people can desire it simply because they want deeper intimacy with God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

Dark Warrior was talking about desiring it because of wanting intimacy with God, not because he wanted “secret revelations,” like St. John of the Cross talks about.

I personally think that what Dark Warrior really, most deeply needs is the Confessional, in which his spiritual battle can be swiftly won. The intimacy he describes desiring also can be so closely found in the Holy Eucharist, and he has never tasted of it. I think that the Eucharist, the Bread of Life from Heaven, is what he needs, and the Confessional.

That doesn’t make his desire for a vision wrong, though.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Note also that before St. Catherine Laboure saw the Virgin Mary, she had expressed a strong desire to see her.
members.aol.com/bjw1106/marian5.htm

How can that desire be wrong? It’s beautiful to want to see the Heavenly!

It’s also encouraged in the Bible, both by Jesus and by Paul.

I don’t know what this particular author meant by St. Catherine expressing a strong desire to see the Virgin Mary. Was it in her earthly life, or in the next life?

Either way, our desire should be to follow the will of God. If His will is for us to have a vision, then so be it. However, to desire it, sets us up for deception by the evil one, who can appear as an angel of heaven.

In all cases, our desire should be to follow the will of God.

BTW, I saw St. Catherine’s incorrupt body at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, in Paris.

Jim

 

[Lief_Erikson]

And another good place to look for guidance in these matters is St. Teresa’s “Interior Castle.”

When we read her 6th dwelling we are imeadiately struck how chock-full the higher paths are with regard to supernatural phenomena: visions, locutions, ecstasy/rapture, flight of spirit/transport and so on.

And what happens when one is brought to the 7th dwelling, the transforming union itself? Well, these phenomena largely cease. Why? Because the soul has learned to detach itself from all such desire by clinging to Him in pure faith and abandonment.

Thus, all imaginative visions/locutions largely end . . . those that enter the soul through the corperal senses (bodily eyes or ears) and our spiritual senses (our “inner” eyes or ears, in a manner of speaking).

Unlike the 6th dwelling place, direct contact with the divine is now entirely spiritual . . . intellectual visions (St. Teresa’s term) or “touches” (St. John’s term). However, with these nothing is seen or heard. It is a “knowing” impressed on the soul as if the finger of God touched one’s forehead and downloaded a lifetime of knowledge in a split second. As a practical example, IMO, this is “how” St. Therese came to know her most profound spiritual truths: “My vocation is love” and the contents of her little way. One moment she was struggling along like all of us . . . the next moment this wonderful insight was just “there.” But again, nothing was seen or heard.

And unlike the imaginative visions that came previously, these “touches” are entirely safe and rightly prized by those that recieve them.

Dave.

I’m not at the 7th dwelling yet . “Your face, Oh Lord, I will seek,” said King David, and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” said Jesus. St. Paul urged us, “eagerly desire the greater gifts.”

One day, maybe I shall get beyond some of those desires. In the meantime, this is one way in which my longing to see God’s face is expressed. One passes through the 6th dwelling on the way to the 7th .

I’ve got to read that “Interior Castle,” which you describe. It sounds like a really wonderful book.

DBT:

While it is true that even the Saints from time to time expressed these desires, letting go those desires is essential to growth in perfection. Both St. John and St. Teresa describe how clinging to visions, once recieved, often cause spiritual progress (i.e. faith) to stagnate. It isn’t hard to see how subtle spiritual pride creeps into this in even the most holy among us.

I wouldn’t say “even the saints.” I expect that the truth of this is “especially the saints.” The saints desired it because they longed for deeper intimacy with God, and, as Jesus said, “He who seeks finds.” If we can move beyond the desire for that form of experiencing God intensely to something even higher, at some point, praise be to God! Praise be to God for the “touches,” the faithful resting completely on God that in some way moves beyond these mystical encounters.

I want more . More than I have now, more than I will have later, more for ever and ever! I want all God’s highest and I want to devote myself to God and hang on His ear calling out into it for years if I must, until he grants me His very highest. And He is faithful! He has given me stunningly beautiful things, in answer to my prayers, or at least stunning to me.

I will strive and seek and receive everything He has to give me in the meantime, from the small gifts to the big ones, from the tiny prayer answers to the great ones, accepting refusal or bounty, always seeking more, seeking for everything I can possess that God has in His hands. His love, His mercy, His kindness, His grace, all His goodness I will seek from His Sacred Heart, both fruits of the Spirit and gifts, both His love and His power.

Our Lord said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

I will continue to pray that this prayer be answered in my life, as it has been so wonderfully up to now, leading me ever further and higher, along with all who follow Christ.

I’m not going to just give up on this form of intimacy [visions] with my dear Lord . If I find higher forms of intimacy that make it superfluous one day, that 7th dwelling, then fine, I’ll stop seeking it. Until then, I’ll keep plunging into whatever there is of God that lies within reach, always seeking to know Him, to rest in Him and to experience Him more completely.

Praise be to God that He desires as much intimacy with us as we will offer Him, as well!

 

[Lief_Erikson]

I don’t know what this particular author meant by St. Catherine expressing a strong desire to see the Virgin Mary. Was it in her earthly life, or in the next life?

Judging from the author’s writing, it was in this life.

Either way, our desire should be to follow the will of God.

Indeed. And to know Him more completely, more deeply, and more intimately than we do now, pursuing in our own lives the words of King David, “Your face, Oh Lord, I will seek.”

If His will is for us to have a vision, then so be it. However, to desire it, sets us up for deception by the evil one, who can appear as an angel of heaven.

“Test everything,” St. Paul wrote. There are ways to test it. I typically pray for the defense of our Lord, if uncertain about some experience, and after I, through prayer, cover myself with His blood and appeal to His guardian angels and Holy Spirit to be my defense, and if I submit the experience to my Lord humbly to accept or reject for me, I don’t believe Satan can deceive me. The power of God is too strong, and I’ve repeatedly seen the enemy’s power routed by these defenses.

In all cases, our desire should be to follow the will of God.

Indeed, and to know Him better. Which, for me, includes desiring visions and everything else my great Lord has to offer saints on Earth .

BTW, I saw St. Catherine’s incorrupt body at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, in Paris.

Jim

Cool! Wow . . . I didn’t know that the bodies of some saints never saw corruption until you just revealed that to me. That’s amazing.

Jeepers.

Praise God . . . that’s incredible.

 

[DBT]

Lief -

I’m not going to just give up on this form of intimacy [visions] with my dear Lord

With all due respect, did you read the links to St. John of the Cross? He is speaking of all supernatural communications that are seen or heard in any way . . . visions, locutions, revelations . . . anything that comes to us through our bodily or spiritual senses. He couldn’t be more clear . . . blunt even on why they should not be desired. What JimRocds said earlier is exactly right.

While I agree with you and what others say about confession, as a Secular Carmelite, I think a great dis-service is being done to advise others that it is OK to desire and/or seek out any supernatural phenomena since the Carmelite Doctors of the Church have spoken so clearly against it.

Perhaps I am misreading what you’re saying about all this. If so, I apologize.

And what if these communications are recieved anyway . . . even despite our lack of desire? By and large the teaching is to turn away from them due to the obvious problems with discernment (God, self or devil). In these matters, we can not be our own guide and we must rely on competent spiritual direction. And it is meritorious in it’s own right to turn away from *even valid visions *because God sees our obedience to Church teaching and will then communicate the essence of what the soul needs to see by other means. In a nutshell, this is the entire teaching of Book 2 of the Ascent of Mt. Carmel.

Lastly, I can not begin to tell you how many souls have been spiritually ship wrecked by desiring and prizing these supernatural communications. And desire/attachment to them is one of the principal reasons why very devout, contemplative souls fail to enter the final dwelling place in St. Teresa’s Interior Castle . . . the transforming union itself. To paraphrase her teaching, it is as if our Lord says “if you are content with these faint echo’s of my true self then I will let you remain with them . . . and you will not enter into *true and lasting intimacy *with me.”

Dave.

 

[DBT]

. . . upon further reflection, Lief, I don’t mean to come across so harsh. The desire and love in your heart is truly warming to see.

Let me leave you with these final words: By all means, seek and desire the experiential knowledge of God through contemplation . . . for this is true and lasting intimacy. Contemplation is the “ordinary way” to divine union with Him so desire for it is a good thing . . . provided we recognize it is entirely His gift to give and we do everything within our means to prepare ourselves for it. Visions and locutions, on the other hand, are another matter entirely . . . and lie in the “extraordinary way.”

And seeking Him for any gift He might give . . . be it “ordinary” (consolations/delights) or “extraordinary” (visions/locutions) is an imperfection to be avoided at all costs. We are to seek Him for His sake alone . . . and not for any gift He might give.

Dave.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Well . . . I’ll think, pray and research further about this, I think. I definitely agree that supernatural experiences should not be sought as some kind of “high,” a kind of alternative form of drugs, sought for how it makes us feel rather than for intimacy with the One we love.

I also agree with St. John of the Cross, who specifically, in your references, condemned seeking supernatural phenomenon for the sake of receiving secret revelations in addition to the teaching of the Church, or a repetition of the Scripture’s words because we don’t believe what God has already plainly revealed.

I also fully accept what you were saying about the importance of moving beyond the 6th dwelling to the 7th. I’ll just ask, though, don’t you normally pass through the 6th dwelling of the Interior Castle, on the way to the 7th?

I agree with you and St. John of the Cross about a lot.

When it comes to seeking the experience just as one more glorious way to be nearer to God, though . . . I have trouble seeing that as wrong. What I’m doing seems to square well with the Scripture:

“Your face, Oh Lord, I will seek,” said King David, and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” said Jesus. St. Paul urged us, “eagerly desire the greater gifts.”

Jesus also said, “seek and you will find,” and He said that if we, though evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?

I’ve prayed for years to be able to see the spirits. When I first came to know the Lord, He answered my prayer by opening my senses so that I could feel when they were about, either angels, demons, or the Holy Spirit (or, more recently, the Blessed Virgin), and what I’ve sensed has led me well repeatedly. I know that these beautiful things were from God.

I continued to pray for sight, believing that God had given me a partial fulfillment of a gift that would later be completed, and I felt that He told me I would receive what I asked for.

Two or three times in my life, I have actually seen visions from my Lord, but those are widely spaced between years and I want so much more. Perhaps there is an impure “spiritual high” desire mixed into that longing. I pray that God will remove such, and ambition with its connected pride as well, from me.

Once, when I prayed that the Lord would give me the ability to see the spirits, the clouds (it had been overcast all morning) instantly broke and dazzling light filled the patio on which I was pacing. It was, to me, a symbolic answer that God would answer my prayer and supported my search for his glory.

The Lord has answered my prayer in several ways by giving me various degrees of sight, layers of it, perception of spiritual forces at work behind modern institutions, laws or political systems, at times, to see whether God or the enemy willed what was happening in various political and historical events. That was one more layer of that sight.

There have been layers of sight, layers and bits and pieces, that the Lord has been answering me with. I believe that the Lord has been training me. I find all the forms of gifts of sight that He has given me most wonderful, and I thank Him for what He has given me.

I trust that God won’t give me any spiritual sight I am not ready to receive, and I thank Him for NOT giving me what I am not ready for. Simultaneously, I pray that He’ll make me ready for what I am not now, so I can experience my God in as many ways and in as much depth as I can possibly be, to know Him better, to love Him more, just to be with Him.

But I know I need to explore more completely some of the ordinary ways we can receive this. I need to do more Eucharistic Adoration, for instance. I’m sketchy in my attendance to that, which irritates me. During Eucharistic Adoration would be a great time to practice Contemplation.

I need to read more from the Catholic saints about Contemplation.

Thank-you for your advice. As you can see from what I wrote above, it’s very hard for me to turn away from the prayer I’ve been making for years. If God wants me to give it up for Him, I will. I’ll ask Him if He wants that of me and seek further knowledge on this. I’ll pray about it.

 

[InLight247]

.By all means, seek and desire the experiential knowledge of God through contemplation . . . for this is true and lasting intimacy. Contemplation is the “ordinary way” to divine union with Him so desire for it is a good thing . . . provided we recognize it is entirely His gift to give and we do everything within our means to prepare ourselves for it.

So true, Dave, so true!!

Visions and locutions, on the other hand, are another matter entirely . . . and lie in the “extraordinary way.”

I have a question in my mind for very long time. I always wanted to ask the question, but I never know how to ask; therefore, I have never asked anyone before.

Put a long question short, I have a good Catholic friend, she told me she had visions, maybe not all the time, but frequently enough. For example, she would tell me during the Easter Mass, she saw the Heavenly Father and Jesus, and she described how the wind blew their clothes… I always listen to her without making comment.

She is also in deliverance ministry, and during some sessions, she would see the devil… Now, she is a very normal person, a professional, a pious person, a contemplative, not a charismatic, and we have been friends for many years. She said she told her visions to couple of her priest friends and they confirmed her visions. What do you say about this? Could the gift of visions last for so many years and never go away? I guess God can give such gift to anyone as He wishes. But what do you say about this? I am confused.

And seeking Him for any gift He might give . . . be it “ordinary” (consolations/delights) or “extraordinary” (visions/locutions) is an imperfection to be avoided at all costs. We are to seek Him for His sake alone . . . and not for any gift He might give.
Dave.

That is so true and so important. We do not seek the gifts but the gift giver Himself.