Do you reveal your innermost (spiritual) self

[FootStool]

In your daily life… do you reveal this spiritual self ?

Do you speak openly about the way you love Jesus, Mary, the Saints, the Angels, your faith, what you believe in…bearing witness… sharing your testimony in a one-on-one… face-to-face with family / friends / co-workers / colleagues the way you might be doing here online with strangers?

or do you hide / suppress these feelings / emotions for various reasons?

would you be looked at “holier-than-thou” or “thinks-he-knows-too-much” or “a prophet is never accepted in his own country” or could “humility” be your reason for discreet-ness; or or “you don’t let the left hand know what the right is doing”?

 

[mommyof4]

It depends on the person/situation- I’m more open to sharing with some people than I am with others. I’m probably the most open here on CAF, though.

 

[Dempsey1919]

Most of the time when I try to share my faith, people get a glazed expression and quickly change the subject. Other times, people express interest, but they always end up asking me if I agree with the Church teaching on contraception. When I explain that I do, most people scoff or look at me as if I am stupid. For these reasons, I tend to avoid all conversations about my faith.

 

[FootStool]

Most of the time when I try to share my faith, people get a glazed expression and quickly change the subject. Other times, people express interest, but they always end up asking me if I agree with the Church teaching on contraception. When I explain that I do, most people scoff or look at me as if I am stupid. For these reasons, I tend to avoid all conversations about my faith.

Thanks for replying…
Do you feel comfortable here… at CAF? Do you feel energized? Does it bolster your faith? R U proud to be Catholic?

 

[beckycmarie]

I like St. Francis of Assisi’s advice on this topic:

“Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words.”

 

[FootStool]

It depends on the person/situation- I’m more open to sharing with some people than I am with others. I’m probably the most open here on CAF, though.

Hi Mommyof4:

Thanks for the quick reply! Can you share with me the precise moment of your conversion/ confirmation in the Catholic faith? Are you proud to be Catholic?

 

[FootStool]

I like St. Francis of Assisi’s advice on this topic:

“Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words.”

I like that beckymarie!!!

Now to know the difference of when and what (words), the Holy Spirit will intervene, right?
Does preaching mean… LIVING… the gospel… putting “Faith in Action”

 

[Dempsey1919]

Do you feel comfortable here… at CAF? Do you feel energized? Does it bolster your faith? R U proud to be Catholic?

I am never ashamed of my faith. I feel comfortable talking about my faith to others, but ignorant reactions tend to wind me up. I get annoyed when people scoff at my faith and it causes me to become aggressive. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. This is why I try to hide my faith from certain individuals. I don’t cast pearls before swine. If I know someone will ridicule me for being an active Catholic, I will not tell them I go to Church.

CAF does bolter my faith, but so does talking to my priests and going to Mass. I have an active faith life, and I attend Mass at least twice per week, as well as going to confession once per week. I also attend Catechism discussions every Saturday. I will say that CAF gives me an opportunity to speak with more devout Catholics, and I do learn a lot from here. It also strengthens me to know that there are other people with the same interests, opinions, and views. I also get some great advice from the people on this forum.

 

[FootStool]

I am never ashamed of my faith. I feel comfortable talking about my faith to others, but ignorant reactions tend to wind me up. I get annoyed when people scoff at my faith and it causes me to become aggressive. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. This is why I try to hide my faith from certain individuals. I don’t cast pearls before swine. If I know someone will ridicule me for being an active Catholic, I will not tell them I go to Church.

CAF does bolter my faith, but so does talking to my priests and going to Mass. I have an active faith life, and I attend Mass at least twice per week, as well as going to confession once per week. I also attend Catechism discussions every Saturday. I will say that CAF gives me an opportunity to speak with more devout Catholics, and I do learn a lot from here. It also strengthens me to know that there are other people with the same interests, opinions, and views. I also get some great advice from the people on this forum.

Oh Dempsey1919:
I’m passionate about my faith… pearls before swine… true here too! I get mad and sad because I feel the rejection Jesus/Mary would have felt… back in their day… I want Him and Her in every part of my life… and I mean every part of my life! No matter how insignificant it would seem to others.

Mostly I’m a loner in this regard… so this forum gives me the opportunity to express myself and get to know that there are others out there who feel the same. It helps me unburden/ share my joy of knowing Jesus and Mary and helps me to speak my love of Them.

:blush:God knows!

 

[Dempsey1919]

Mostly I’m a loner in this regard… so this forum gives me the opportunity to express myself and get to know that there are others out there who feel the same. It helps me unburden/ share my joy of knowing Jesus and Mary and helps me to speak my love of Them.

Same here. Afterall, devout Catholics are pretty rare these days. This forum provides is a meeting place for us all to share our faith and grow in holiness. The people on this forum helped me return to the faith and remain in the faith. Not to mention that they have taught me a great deal. In fact, I receive better catechesis on this forum than I ever did growing up in Catholic school.

 

[brigid12]

Most of the time when I try to share my faith, people get a glazed expression and quickly change the subject.

:sad_yes: It is not pc to be a Christian, let alone a devout Catholic! Even my brother, an earnest Episcopalian, is thought to be a religious fanatic if he talks about his faith at all (I get funny and compassionate looks from those who just see my house, since I’ve a few crucifixes, et al, up). 'Course, since he’s a protestant, I imagine he gets less flack about his beliefs, however even he sees a real disconnect. The rest of our family is New Age (but think they pay attention to Jesus, too, just in a more “liberal” way).

If I lost CAF, I might worry about my own sanity.

 

[Fergal]

In your daily life… do you reveal this spiritual self ?

Do you speak openly about the way you love Jesus, Mary, the Saints, the Angels, your faith, what you believe in…bearing witness… sharing your testimony in a one-on-one… face-to-face with family / friends / co-workers / colleagues the way you might be doing here online with strangers?

Yes! I do. I go to Mass each morning and one of my post Communion prayers is that I spend that day not only to ***bringing ***Jesus to those I meet during that day but ***being ***Jesus to those I meet during that day. I suppose I would be worried if I met the Lord each and every day and it had no effect on others.

I don’t go about boasting about anything nor do I make it my business to be an active warrior. I simply give the Lord permission to work with me, through me and in me. People are perceptive. You don’t need words for people to know you love your faith and that you have a relationship with the Lord that moulds your own life. Yes there are those who find my way a challenge but I treat all in the same way and make no apologies to anyone for what and who I am. They can accept me or reject me but I am what I am, I have sold the field and am guarding the pearl!

A funny story here! I am a High School teacher of Math, Chemistry and IT. Two years ago a student who was leaving the school was asked to do a caricature of those who were tutors to them. I was one of them. When I received my caricature which, I have to say, was brilliantly done, I noticed that the student had drawn me with a bible under my arm yet I never gave a Religious Instruction lesson in all of my time in the school. As I said, people are perceptive.

 

[beckycmarie]

Yes! I do. I go to Mass each morning and one of my post Communion prayers is that I spend that day not only to ***bringing ***Jesus to those I meet during that day but ***being ***Jesus to those I meet during that day. I suppose I would be worried if I met the Lord each and every day and it had no effect on others.

I don’t go about boasting about anything nor do I make it my business to be an active warrior. I simply give the Lord permission to work with me, through me and in me. People are perceptive. You don’t need words for people to know you love your faith and that you have a relationship with the Lord that moulds your own life. Yes there are those who find my way a challenge but I treat all in the same way and make no apologies to anyone for what and who I am. They can accept me or reject me but I am what I am, I have sold the field and am guarding the pearl!

A funny story here! I am a High School teacher of Math, Chemistry and IT. Two years ago a student who was leaving the school was asked to do a caricature of those who were tutors to them. I was one of them. When I received my caricature which, I have to say, was brilliantly done, I noticed that the student had drawn me with a bible under my arm yet I never gave a Religious Instruction lesson in all of my time in the school. As I said, people are perceptive.

Thank you for sharing this, Fergal.

Footstool, I couldn’t come up with a better illustration of that quote from St. Francis than this story shared by Fergal.

 

[mommyof4]

Hi Mommyof4:

Thanks for the quick reply! Can you share with me the precise moment of your conversion/ confirmation in the Catholic faith? Are you proud to be Catholic?

Really, there has been no single moment of conversion. I was born/raised Catholic, fell away for several years (Christmas and Easter Catholic, at best); and then had a series of personal crisis brought be closer to my Church, about three years ago. I have become much more active in my faith, and I love to learn about my Church, spirituality, etc. However, there are few others in my life who are as interested in the faith as I am (or should I say obsessed? ), and I love coming here and learning and discussing things about the Catholic Church and spirituality.

 

[acadian]

On a daily basis, there are certain people at work, who I know I can reveal my spiritual self to. We can have good, honest conversations when the opportunity presents itself.

Others, I can’t say so much to. I will sometimes mention that I was at Mass that particular morning or something that his going on at our parish, but mainly in passing.

I don’t want to preach (with words) too much because I don’t want to turn people off. So mostly, I leave my actions to do the talking.

I have a long-time friend who is now a cloistered nun. We keep in touch by email, and with her I can share just about anything. That is very much a gift.

 

[Epistemes]

I like Fergal’s answer immensely.

When we allow our inner self bleed into our external self so that we try to make an identity out of being spiritual and religious, then we paradoxically cease to express our inner self. The moment a person says, “I want to better express my inner self,” or the moment we start picturing ourselves sitting in contemplation like little buddhas, is the moment when our inner self begins to fade.

When we express our inner self, though, by allowing the Lord to work through us in the spirit of true humility and compassion, then our inner self is being expressed without any conscious attempt at forming a particular identity.

This is discussed in Merton’s “The Inner Experience” - which I cannot recommend enough.

 

[barb_finnegan]

I find it hard to ‘verbalize’ my ‘inner self’…that’s the reason why I was dismissed from the Secular Discalced Carmelites.

As some posters have stated, it depends on the situation. I love talking to people about Church history and the lives of the Saints-just last Saturday I had a lively discussion about St. Joan of Arc, one of my favorite Saints, with a lady I encountered at a shrine an hour’s drive from my home. With regards to moral stands, it’s harder; and especially if it’s in ‘mixed’ company.

I’m pretty much a loner now. I’m not working currently, and have had no contact with my family [my choice]. I see the people from the TLM chapel I go to only on Sunday. I’m glad that there are people here at CAF that I can ‘unload’ or ‘vent’ with…at least that’s something…

 

[TOP]

If you were to sit next to me for any reason, I would most likely talk to you about something, including the faith and be open about it. But I rarely go deeply into my innermost spirituality with anyone, including my confessor. It is going to take some time before he has a better understanding of me as I am only able to give him glimpse’s of my soul and how it relates to the confession at hand. I want to sit down with an SD for direction and be completly open, but I have to be careful, I feel. Tim

 

[thevickinator16]

Hey everybody!

I have to say that I was not able to talk about my faith until i earnestly starting practicing my faith. I was a cradle catholic, fell away for a great many years and then returned to the only comfort I ever had, Jesus. This was through my devotion to the Divine Mercy. It impacted me throughout my soul.

I do talk to others about my faith and about the changes within my soul and in my life. I tell them about the peace I feel even when my life is a nightmare. It’s funny to me that my family just thinks I have lost my mind (they are lapsed), yet I see them watching me and what I do. So something is happening there. They cann’t figure out why I am happy so much of the time. (This is truly different than before.)

I took up making Rosaries and do this on the bus and at various places (docs, social secrutiy office, etc), many people ask what they are and why I make them. It gives me a chance to explain my devotion to Mary, ever Virgin! I started volunteering at church and really talking to people there about my faith and hearing about theirs.

The only time I have trouble is when someone attacks the Catholic Church in particular. I am not well versed on all of the things we are taught. Still I try and defend her as best I can. I love CAF and all you wonderful people. I am growing spiritually and matruing more because of all the positive feedback and for all the questions that are asked and answered. Questions that I wanted to ask and didn’t even know it. I can feel comfortable here.

God Bless!

 

[Sister_Helena]

DO you think talking about and witnessing one’s faith is an experience that only happens in the lay-world? There are all sorts of people in all walks of life!