Finding a good confessor / spiritual director

[littleone]

Hi again LO!..OCD - Apologies, LO…what do these initial stand for? and what is

“As gold is tested in fire, so the servants of god are tested in the crucible of suffering” (Old Testament)…altho I don’t think that God tests us because He knows all things. To my mind “stregthen” is a better word…for it is in adversity that we are strengthened and find out just how strong we are, or perhaps are not. Bad times (cross) make us stronger and strengthen the virtues in us as good times just cannot do…unless it is a pure and free, unearned, Gift of God for His Own Reasons.

If you have begun to pray and daily or regularly especially, oh boy oh boy does that upset Ol’ Nick and the creep will try to do all it can to upset you and disuade you - to discourage you and in very many ways. It is a regular creep and if it can identify your weakness and we all have them, then it sticks in the knife and twists and twists and twists. A daily prayer, even a quick aspiration only to Our Lady and St. Michael is great protection, as of course is always The Lord … for Our Lady and St. Micheal will be praying to Him for you. Can you put a special place where you live, doesn’t have to be much or expensie at all, that is a special little holy place in your home? Perhaps a statue or a picture on the wall somewhere? ***I have a painting of the “Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary” care of you back in another thread, thanks Barb. ***

Good?..GOOD?..Oh man oh man, you have struck pure spiritual gold in a Carmelite priest, ***Since i try to relate all things to spirit befor flesh I am not too sure how that would be but I think you know what I mean.
*** Now you have a director, it is a new stage in your journey.I have been wanting and waiting for this time to come and now I am only wanting to let go of more and hear and obey the word of God if possible to the utmost.

Goodness, this must indeed be very hard for you. I don’t as such find things hard but more so trying since it is the flesh against the spirit at all times… Father in agreeing to be your director has paid you quite a compliment for he thinks that you will not be wasting his time or that he is not the one to guide you. QUITE A COMPLIMENT FROM A CARMELITE PRIEST! Could be right Barb but I never thought of it that way I think that it is probably the right time from Our Lord more than any thing else

PS…If I say anything at all that disturbs you even the slightest, then make a note of it and talk about it with Father… We can only try our best.
I make little notes so I know what I want to discuss with my director…or perhaps write a letter to him. ***Just the same as I have been told so thanks.
I am never afraid of any thing you write Barb and when you write I put it always against the bible and see how it stands so I have no fears that youmight give me bad info.

Godbless Barb ***

But never let anything disturb you. Do you know St. Teresa of Avila’s Bookmark (as it is known)
St. Teresa’s Bookmark
Let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing; God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who possesses God lacks nothing:
God alone suffices.

and this:
The Lord doesn’t look so much at the greatness of our works as the love with which they are done.

-from the Interior Castle, by St. Teresa of Avila

I hope I have not overloaded you and made things confusing, I really do!

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Can you put a special place where you live, doesn’t have to be much or expensie at all, that is a special little holy place in your home? Perhaps a statue or a picture on the wall somewhere? ***I have a painting of the “Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary” care of you back in another thread, thanks Barb. ***

… …

Good?..GOOD?..Oh man oh man, you have struck pure spiritual gold in a Carmelite priest, Since i try to relate all things to spirit befor flesh I am not too sure how that would be but I think you know what I mean.

Hi Wayne, it means that God has given you a great gift in Father…

Now you have a director, it is a new stage in your journey.I have been wanting and waiting for this time to come and now I am only wanting to let go of more and hear and obey the word of God if possible to the utmost.

This is wonderful, Wayne, and a great Grace…

Goodness, this must indeed be very hard for you. I don’t as such find things hard but more so trying since it is the flesh against the spirit at all times…

… …

… Father in agreeing to be your director has paid you quite a compliment for he thinks that you will not be wasting his time or that he is not the one to guide you. QUITE A COMPLIMENT FROM A CARMELITE PRIEST! Could be right Barb but I never thought of it that way I think that it is probably the right time from Our Lord more than any thing else

Good thinking!

PS…If I say anything at all that disturbs you even the slightest, then make a note of it and talk about it with Father… We can only try our best.
I make little notes so I know what I want to discuss with my director…or perhaps write a letter to him. Just the same as I have been told so thanks.
I am never afraid of any thing you write Barb and when you write I put it always against the bible and see how it stands so I have no fears that youmight give me bad info.

Sound thinking, Wayne…

I have been somewhat concerned that I may have overloaded you…I suffer Bipolar Disorder and have been dealing with some stress and at these times, it is not unusual for a sufferer of Bipolar’s mind to speed up an aweful lot and on many subjects…the stress now is rapidly decreasing with the resolution of what was causing stress…and hence my mind goes back to walking pace again…

God bless with Peace, Wayne, and also to yours…and ever keep you…sail safe in The Lord and take care trusting Him always …Barb

 

[littleone]

I suffer Bipolar Disorder and have been dealing with some stress and at these times, it is not unusual for a sufferer of Bipolar’s mind to speed up an aweful lot and on many subjects…the stress now is rapidly decreasing with the resolution of what was causing stress…and hence my mind goes back to walking pace again…

Barb i was a mental health counselor for some time and know some about Bi polar and I can only say that I am putting you on my prayer chain right now for a special happening. *My wording may seem strange but Jesus knows what I mean in my prayer. *

May our pressious Lord Jesus Christ see you as the special daughter you are and give you His pressious blood through your mind and soul and bring you to the health He wants you to be.
Amen.

Godless Barb.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

• BarbaraTherese -
  I suffer Bipolar Disorder and have been dealing with some stress and at these times, it is not unusual for a sufferer of Bipolar’s mind to speed up an aweful lot and on many subjects…the stress now is rapidly decreasing with the resolution of what was causing stress…and hence my mind goes back to walking pace again…

Quoting littleone -
Barb i was a mental health counselor for some time and know some about Bi polar and I can only say that I am putting you on my prayer chain right now for a special happening. *My wording may seem strange but Jesus knows what I mean in my prayer. *

Thanks heaps, Wayne!!! Another CAF poster has contacted me too and is praying for me. How indeed can I loose! Two special people praying for me at this time.
My brand of Bipolar in recent years seems to be far less severe than many and most often I am able to nip the episode in the bud early in the piece, providing I recognize my early warning signs. I put these precautions in place and since I have not gone on to the second stage of an episode, I can be fairly confident the episode has been averted; however I see my doctor (psychiatrist) Tuesday and will tell her all about what has transpired and follow her advice and in the main I am keeping in place all precautionary measures to prevent an episode.

May our pressious Lord Jesus Christ see you as the special daughter you are and give you His pressious blood through your mind and soul and bring you to the health He wants you to be.
Amen.

Deo Gratius - Alleluia Amen! Actually, Wayne, your not lengthy at all prayer above is borne out by an excellent paper in the Australian EJournal of Theology - although your prayer goes immediately to the core of the paper:

"A Wilderness Journey – In Search of Mental Health"

http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal/aejt_10/pierce.htm

…many have found it too complex to grasp the underlying concept and theology (others disagree with it), but it is worth mentioning I think here. It is written by a theology student and sufferer of MI if memory serves. Some time since I read or consulted it.

 

[littleone]

Thanks heaps, Wayne!!! Another CAF poster has contacted me too and is praying for me. How indeed can I loose! Two special people praying for me at this time.

Barb this morning I had a strange happening at Mass in the last hymn. It is about the magnificate, ans it starts with these words.
" My soul is filled with joy, as I sing to God my saviour:
He has looked upon His servant,
He has visited His people and Holy is His name"

I only got through the first paragraph when I was overcome with the power of the blood of Jesus coming through and all over me. I could not sing but was able to speak out to Jesus that since I am not able to sing then I will say the words that are on my heart.

The hole mass was offered up for those on my prayer chain every intention as well.
The words on your thread reminded me, even writing the words brought me to tears.
All is well.
**Lord no love is love until you give it away so now I give this love You have given as a gift to me to my sister across the ditch. Lord show her Your love a new, let her feel that love for ever amen.

Lord I pray also that the ditch will be united by our prayers and Your Love for us and that our south pacific will be united for ever in the name of Jesus Christ.

**
Godbless

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Thanks heaps, Wayne!!! Another CAF poster has contacted me too and is praying for me. How indeed can I loose! Two special people praying for me at this time.

Barb this morning I had a strange happening at Mass in the last hymn. It is about the magnificate, ans it starts with these words.
**" My soul is filled with joy, as I sing to God my saviour: **
**He has looked upon His servant, **
He has visited His people and Holy is His name"

I only got through the first paragraph when I was overcome with the power of the blood of Jesus coming through and all over me. I could not sing but was able to speak out to Jesus that since I am not able to sing then I will say the words that are on my heart.

The hole mass was offered up for those on my prayer chain every intention as well.
The words on your thread reminded me, even writing the words brought me to tears.
All is well.
**Lord no love is love until you give it away so now I give this love You have given as a gift to me to my sister across the ditch. Lord show her Your love a new, let her feel that love for ever amen. **

**Lord I pray also that the ditch will be united by our prayers and Your Love for us and that our south pacific will be united for ever in the name of Jesus Christ. **

Godbless

Beautiful prayers, LO!!! and thank you very much for sharing them and your thoughts for me “across the ditch” (I like that very much:thumbsup: ) and all. I am not much of a singer either, although I love to sing…so often to spare those around me at Mass, I either listen to the words, sing them very softly, or sing them only in my head.

I only got through the first paragraph when I was overcome with the power of the blood of Jesus coming through and all over me.

One of those moments, Wayne, when the heart seems to fly up to the head, huh? Although I think we all experience these moments differently. My heart which has been sudddenly moved, full and overcome seems suddenly to fly up to my head like a shot out a gun, and my head feels unusually strange and all tingly. Sometimes it can happen to me in a lesser way on the way back from Holy Communion and I cannot recall at all where I was sitting…most embarrassing and thank goodness it does not happen nowadays much at all. Most, I am sure in my case, write it off to my mental illness and kindly show me where I was sitting…and this causes me to be thankful for my MI. Perhaps, indeed, this is all it is. God is Forever Good, Praise Him and Thank Him. Alleluia Amen!

Blessings and my regards…Barb

 

[littleone]

littleone;4066939:

. I am not much of a singer either,
** The funny thing is Barb that I used to be in a secular band, and had a singing group where I lead sung in our church. I usually find no trouble singing, but it was as though this love took over me and i couldn’t carry on but it was oh! so beautiful. This lasted even while I was replying to your thread.
I don’t understand why this happened my prayer was for those on my prayer chain, but God knows my needs and my heart. **

Godbless.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

BarbaraTherese;4067117:

littleone;4066939:

. I am not much of a singer either,
**The funny thing is Barb that I used to be in a secular band, and had a singing group where I lead sung in our church. I usually find no trouble singing, but it was as though this love took over me and i couldn’t carry on but it was oh! so beautiful. This lasted even while I was replying to your thread. **

**I don’t understand why this happened my prayer was for those on my prayer chain, but God knows my needs and my heart. **

Godbless.

Gosh Wayne…sounds as if you can really sing! (St. Augustine: “who sings, prays twice!”)…I used to be able to until I took up smoking…well in that I belonged to our College choir as a teenager. Nowadays I can hear the note sure enough, but my voice just goes anywhere but there:shrug:

**

**but it was as though this love took over me and i couldn’t carry on but it was oh! so beautiful. This lasted even while I was replying to your thread. **

**
The Lord’s consolations and His gifts and He disperses as He may for His own reasons…and who indeed better knows our needs and our hearts - and even better than ourselves, huh!

Blessings Wayne and with my regards…Barb