Healing Ministry: is it a blessing or a curse?

[Lilyflower]

I have been described by close Catholic friends as ‘blotting paper’ able to soak up other peoples feelings and emotions even when they do not vocalise them and try to keep them hidden.

I am very sensitive and latch onto other peoples emotions very easily. I can tell if someone is troubled without them even having to say a word. I can feel it as they walk past me in a shopping mall. Sometimes it is suffocating. I ALWAYS pray for their situation even though I know nothing about them.

I can also discern a Catholic Priest. I have on holiday and at various other times, passed a Priest in the street. I have stopped and asked. I have never got it wrong. I can feel the strength of Sprit and peace radiating from them. I assume this is not uncommon but not many folk admit they are able to discern like this.

Likewise on a training course met a man who claimed to be a Catholic Priest but I knew he was lying. He did not give off that persona. It later transpired he had been faking as a priest. I was asked how I knew. It is not easy to vocalise. One just latch onto the mystical presence or character that ALL Catholic Priests have and radiate. If they are not a priest they do not have that character, that is all I can say.

Often when praying for someone, come over feeling very sad, depressed, heavy, overloaded. suffocating. At that point they say they were healed. It soon leaves me. I have no idea what it is. I would welcome an explanation.

Catholic friends advise me not to pray in that way as they say I am vulnerable as they think I do not have the strength of Spirit to cope with that type of prayer. How do you get that strength of Spirit?

A very dear friend of mine and friend of an exorcist worries herself silly that I may unwittingly take on a demonic spirit that would crush me and strongly advises against that type of prayer. But it is just a natural way for me to pray, entering into and sharing the sufferings of others.

What do you think? Any thoughts anyone?

Blessings and peace.

 

[Tonks40]

It’s hard for us on an internet forum to give you advice on this. Have you talked to a priest about it? You may need some spiritual direction and guidance if you feel called to continue praying this way.

Otherwise, I would heed your friends’ warnings on this before you see a priest.

God Bless.

 

[NeedImprovement]

I would second that motion about speaking with a priest Lilyflower; preferably one who has some strength/experience in the field of mysticism or charisms.

By itself,(in my limited opinion) entering into and sharing the sufferings of others is a noble intention. Seeing as it could involve a charism such as healing, discussing with a priest would not only give you a more objective view of things, it could provide you with some spiritual direction…

We can draw a parallel to your intention from sacred scripture - Isaiah 53:4 :

“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured. While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted.”

So sometimes it can be a blessing which, on the surface, may appear to others as a curse .

It would be beneficial to find yourself a spiritual director; the key would be trying to go with what he suggests. In the event that things don’t work out, one is always free to change one’s spiritual director.

…Praying for you and God Bless you Lilyflower.