Do you feel God's presence in church?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deborah_Kloos
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Deborah_Kloos

Guest
I want to know if anyone else shares the same or a similar experience that I do in church or at certain points of their lives? If there are any priests out there can you explain this experience to me? I go to mass often and often when I am on my knees praying, I feel this warm sensation like someone is embracing me. I also notice that during certain prayers, especially when the priest is consecrating the bread and wine that sometimes the sunlight will shine brighter and illuminate the church. Many times when I am feeling really depressed or lonely, I will also feel this warm embrace sensation like God is reaching down to give me a hug. I would really appreciate your comments and feedback.
 
I am not a priest but I have had the same experiences at times.
I think that is wonderful that you feel/experience this whether it is from God or just in your mind which I think you might be asking.

This is why as I return to the Faith I am seeking the solemn and sacred Tridentine Mass as opposed to the free-for-all that is so distracting at the mainstream Catholic Church I have been attending.

Embrace it. You are blessed to be able to feel God’s love and glory.

HTH
 
I can often feel the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in Church. I’ve felt the “warm embaced” sensation you’ve mentioned. At other times the Real Presence is best described by two words: holy and elevated. I have no other way of describing it very well.

Often times my prayers are more focused and I have fewer distractions when I am in Adoration. Have you ever noticed that the church feels different on Good Friday, when the Eucharist isn’t in the tabernacle?

I believe these sensations are gifts God gives us. It has nothing what-so-ever to do with piety, at least in my case. In fact, sometimes I think God allows me these gifts because I am weak. So I must need them.

I agree that oftentimes it’s easier to focus on the Real Presence at the TLM. All that hand clapping and hoopla that often goes on at the Pauline Mass tends to distract my focus away from God and back onto the singer, or choir, or whom ever else they find to applaud during the Mass on Sunday. Then I’ve lost my focus, because for me the Real Presence begins as a very subtle sensation.
 
I believe God’s presence in Church, which is the key element. Sometimes I feel things, but I have to be careful because feelings come and go and are unreliable. If the feelings go away then what? If you look at a church-hopper, they go to a church, get all those great feelings. But then the scut work and drudgery and the annoying things your fellow churchmen do cause the feelings to diminish or go away. So they go to another church to get the jazzed feeling again. The problem in the modern age is that worship has been turned into therapy. Most therapy frankly is all about the self, whereas worship is about God.

I don’t want to make the feelings seem worthless with what I just said. They perform an important function like giving encouragement, and we should treat it like a grace given. As long as we remember that faith is ultimately an act of the will–giving unswerving loyalty to He who has done great things for us–rain or shine.
 
Deborah, I believe you have an angel who comforts you at times.

At church… the Holy Spirit of God is there to comfort you.

You are so lucky to feel it.

When my dad passed away recently at home. He was 96yrs old and it was his time to go. Everytime the priest would show up to bless my dad the priest would leave the holy spirit in the house because relatives who didn’t get along were hugging eachother and talking with eachother. It was a great feeling for my relatives.

Yes…Deborah… God’s presence is in the church and at your home too. God is everywhere.
 
That is a special grace that some are not open to and some others don’t get, even though they are open. That’s wonderful.

I had a very moving Triduum one year, and I told my pastor about it right after Easter Vigil. He said to be very careful, for the evil one can use attachment to this sort of gift against us. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so surprised at this “negative” response, but he was right. These are experiences to put into a canteen, because the dry times may come, and may come and remain for years. God will not let that happen without giving you the grace to endure the dryness. Be very sure that if you lose that feeling, God will still be there.
 
Not always, and in the cases I don’t feel God’s presence, it’s usually because I find my mind drifting off to other things and when I am unwilling to participate in the readings.
To be honest, for me the moments in which I feel God’s presence are usually during the songs and music when everyone’s participating, it’s like…it’s really hard to explain, but it’s just this overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness.

I especially felt God’s presence when I went to the last WYD in Cologne and also when I watched the Pope on TV riding down the streets of Washington DC and NYC…it was a very powerful experience to see thousands of people, even nonCatholics, non Christians even! coming together, drawn by the spirit of God.

Also, during Easter Vigils at Church, with all the incense and candles, and traditional songs…again, it’s hard to explain, but…yeah I’ve felt His presence.
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
I want to know if anyone else shares the same or a similar experience that I do in church or at certain points of their lives? If there are any priests out there can you explain this experience to me? I go to mass often and often when I am on my knees praying, I feel this warm sensation like someone is embracing me. I also notice that during certain prayers, especially when the priest is consecrating the bread and wine that sometimes the sunlight will shine brighter and illuminate the church. Many times when I am feeling really depressed or lonely, I will also feel this warm embrace sensation like God is reaching down to give me a hug. I would really appreciate your comments and feedback.
Click to expand...
I’ve felt that warm embrace - at the Easter Vigil! :heaven: Years before I converted, sometimes I would be in a Catholic church and see the Mass take place, then go back to my Lutheran church and notice that something was missing - there was indeed a feeling that was there in the Catholic church that wasn’t there in the Lutheran church.
 
Long before Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ”, I had a dream in which I “saw” Our Lord nailed to the cross. I will never forget it. Our associate pastor was the head of the diocesan Catholic Charismatic Renewal office at the time and I will never forget his response to me. He jumped all over me like I sought to have this dream. Yeah, sure, I wanted to have such a dream.

I recall the dream that I had. I did not seek it. One does not wake up from a dream screaming at the top of one’s lungs …NOOOOO!

Y’all, I’d just say keep your mouths shut. DW heard me scream and comforted me after but there ain’t no way I would ever do THAT again (report it to the magisterium). I know what I experienced and it wasn’t no fig newton of my imagination.
 
i physically shiver everytime a priest says the words of Absolution
 
Jennifer_G said:
I’ve felt that warm embrace - at the Easter Vigil! :heaven: Years before I converted, sometimes I would be in a Catholic church and see the Mass take place, then go back to my Lutheran church and notice that something was missing - there was indeed a feeling that was there in the Catholic church that wasn’t there in the Lutheran church.
Click to expand...
How honest of you. The “something” missing was Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Feeling God’s presence in a palpable way is a grace, probably in proportion to a person’s overall holiness. However, don’t be surprised by the desert which will invariably come. Our Lord wishes to be loved for who He is, and not for the spiritual consolations which He may give.
 
I don’t tell some people that I have seen Blessed mother of Jesus several times. Or… had Jesus say a few words of wisdom to me.
Most people just don’t believe me so I have to just keep my mouth shut.
I once bought a book that talked about people who had met Jesus and Blessed Mother. The book was named "I am with YOU ALWAYS. It tells lots of stories of normal peoples’ experiences.

Some people believe and some don’t and that is okay.

I also have photos of spirits and some people can see them and some can’t. I have no idea why some can see and others can’t see the spirits. Recently a friend went to Israel and took a photo and I saw a spirit of a lady in a wedding dress in the photo. Only two people in the group viewing the photos could not see the spirit of the lady.
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
I want to know if anyone else shares the same or a similar experience that I do in church or at certain points of their lives? If there are any priests out there can you explain this experience to me? I go to mass often and often when I am on my knees praying, I feel this warm sensation like someone is embracing me. I also notice that during certain prayers, especially when the priest is consecrating the bread and wine that sometimes the sunlight will shine brighter and illuminate the church. Many times when I am feeling really depressed or lonely, I will also feel this warm embrace sensation like God is reaching down to give me a hug. I would really appreciate your comments and feedback.
Click to expand...
Sometimes people experience the presence of the Holy Spirit as a warm sensation. I had a similar experience during Holy Week after Communion - it was like having hot flashes - and I’m only 31.
 
How wonderful, Deborah! 🙂

During the Mass in English, I have been able to acknowledge the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and the presence of the Holy Spirit particularly when a real good sermon is given.

It was at the Latin Mass where I was finally able to feel the presence of God the Father. With the priest leading us in prayer, all of a sudden it seemed like God the Father was running towards the priest and all of us to give us a hug, like in the Parable of the Prodigal Son where the father sees the repentant sinner a long way off down the road and comes running.

~~ the phoenix
 
Yes, there have been times when I have known in a real way of the Presence of Our Lord at church. Not often but this consolation is a gift for us from time to time. I have had it happen that I have walked into an adoration chapel and felt totally enfolded in the Presence of God. There have been times when tears have come unbidden to my eyes.

These are gifts! We cannot seek them but are grateful for them. We do not hold fast to feelings but Our Lord is kind to us and knows we need these rays of light from time to time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top