Advice re: being conformed by God for His purpose

[ellzeena]

I apologize if this is not appropriately placed but I’ve looked around on the forum and really don’t know where else to put it.

Suppose: a person has had a life transforming horror and has totally given him/her self to God. Suppose: in that person’s entire life, experiences (spiritual and actual) of God in everyday life have been unbelievably obvious, even from early childhood. Suppose: for more than two years, that person has had incredible experiences (even visions) and is absolutely free of mental illness. Suppose: it now appears that God has accepted that person’s “invitation”, i.e., total willingness to be His in every way, and is beginning to “use” (direct, compel, give “information” to in situations that call for it) that person and the person is beginning to be frightened by it? Does everyone approaching “sainthood” (and I don’t mean canonization here) suffer greatly; is it common to have fears when one’s approach to God is met so directly, so openly, and almost daily, BY God? To whom should such a person turn for advice when the parish Priest and/or Pastor is aware that it’s occurring but is apparently intimidated by the person or keeping the person at arm’s length? In another post in Moral Theology (which went right off track into gossip so far as I’m concerned), the following paragraph was seen:
It is hard to imagine these days the kind of reticence to speak of the self and one’s own inner life that St. Thérèse embodied. While grace perfected that reticence in St. Thérèse into a heroic virtue, it built upon nature, and the nature of the time was not to laud oneself or to speak too much about one’s own life.

Suppose: this person does have that kind of reticence, does not want to draw attention to him/her self, does not want praise or adulation, but simply wants to achieve a lifelong conviction to BE the person God intended, to DO what God intended, to do God’s Will in all things (if possible), to be His hands and feet, etc. Where does such a person turn for direction?

 

[ngill09]

A priest, probably.

 

[Sacredheart1208]

Are you referring to yourself?

As for the suffering, we should all embrace it and suffer for Christ. Everyone will suffer in their lives, it depends on what you are going to do with it. Complain or except it for the sake of Christ?. How are we to merit heaven if we have had heaven on earth. Expect suffering, accept it and most of all offer it to God for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for your sins.

I know St. Faustina, Padre Pio, St. Therese and St. Charbel suffered, but they accepted it as gifts and loved suffering.

Contact a priest, or your spiritual director.

 

[ellzeena]

Are you referring to yourself?

As for the suffering, we should all embrace it and suffer for Christ. Everyone will suffer in their lives, it depends on what you are going to do with it. Complain or except it for the sake of Christ?. How are we to merit heaven if we have had heaven on earth. Expect suffering, accept it and most of all offer it to God for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for your sins.

I know St. Faustina, Padre Pio, St. Therese and St. Charbel suffered, but they accepted it as gifts and loved suffering.

Contact a priest, or your spiritual director.

It’s quite difficult to always accept intense suffering. Suppose the person has already consecrated all suffering and all acts that might earn any merit (plenary, partial indulgences, etc.) for the souls of others? Having God literally “take over” is scary when it first begins to happen. Suppose the priest to whom this person has turned has problems of his own and, although loving and supportive, the person suspects he thinks s/he is ill? Suppose this person knows perfectly well, from intense psychotherapy and consulting a famous psychiatrist, that s/he is NOT ill or dysfunctional in ANY way? If the priest cannot be approached, if no priest that person knows can be approached, then to whom does that person turn? Is it possible God, alone, is the ultimate physician and it should all be placed in His hands?

 

[Sacredheart1208]

It’s quite difficult to always accept intense suffering. Suppose the person has already consecrated all suffering and all acts that might earn any merit (plenary, partial indulgences, etc.) for the souls of others? Having God literally “take over” is scary when it first begins to happen. Suppose the priest to whom this person has turned has problems of his own and, although loving and supportive, the person suspects he thinks s/he is ill? Suppose this person knows perfectly well, from intense psychotherapy and consulting a famous psychiatrist, that s/he is NOT ill or dysfunctional in ANY way? If the priest cannot be approached, if no priest that person knows can be approached, then to whom does that person turn? Is it possible God, alone, is the ultimate physician and it should all be placed in His hands?

I would still continue to offer it, St. Faustina never stopped offering her pain for sinners. If I recall she felt that her suffering was for them, and if she suffered for them they might convert. Suffering is good, although hard to understand. We cannot always be happy when we praise God because it is effortless. But when we suffer we are still expected to praise Him, it is like a test. Say you really love someone, you would do anything for him/her no matter what the cost, pain or suffering. You love God no matter what? Accept everything He allows to happen to you and continue to praise Him. He died on the cross for you, what are you doing for Him?

As for the priest, it might be wise to consult sone one else, some priests don’t know or want to handle things like this. I know St, Faustina when telling of what she experienced was shot down. Feel free to pm me.