B
Bon_Croix
Guest
that’s right. especially when no two can agree on the meaning of his word.
C
casslean
Guest
I’ve specifically asked that this not devolve into a debate about sola scriptura. I don’t accept the doctrine, therefore it is of no help to me in this discussion.
E
exnihilo
Guest
I had something like this happen to me. My family life growing up was awful. As a younger adult my sister had a wedding coming up. A disagreement arose with my dad concerning this. I ended up getting verbally attacked for something. It dredged up lots of awful feelings from when I was a kid.
I mentally asked God for help. I felt instantly reassured and transformed. I’ve never had anything like that happen before or since. I didn’t hear a voice but I felt something inside.
Some people wonder why God would speak to them. Some people wonder why a God doesn’t when they want Him to. All I know is a God does directly speak to and intervene for people, but for most people not always.
F
FloridaAngler
Guest
Actually, we do agree on it. That’s why we have the creeds, confessions, and catechisms, precisely because we have agreed and have declared these things to be our common beliefs.
B
Bon_Croix
Guest
this thread is probably best investigated by talking to older people. Older folks would likely have more experiences to share, especially so b/c they are closer to death.
H
hymin
Guest
You were in the right place. Catholicism sees the sacraments as a bridge. The bible says “And trembling he said: How terrible is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven.” (Gen 28:17)
The first step on the rung of the ladder as St. Robert Bellarmine explains in his catechism is fear of the Lord, the last is wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10, Prov 1:7,9:10, Sir 1:16) These rungs are the sevenfold gift of wisdom spoken by Isaiah. (11:2)
I will not go into his whole concise descriptions of these gifts. But the first is for the soul “when he considers that he is an enemy of almighty God”. The next is piety when the soul desires to do the will of God in all things. Mercy comes at the right time to move the first consideration to piety.
You may have heard an angel to prepare you to carry your Christian cross. Augustine says pastors kill their sheep by not preparing them to properly embrace the cross every day. And you still have to grow. Many people go to hell, and few go to heaven. “How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Mt 7:14) By assiduous acceptance and knowledge of the holy, you will be saved in Mercy of your spiritual misery. The first sin was a disaster. And we have to accept that there are spirits with suggestions that would turn you away from his mercy. The Angelic Doctor explains the words of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and John. For instance, ask humbly, seek rightly (toward his Church), and knock constantly. (cf. Mt 7:7) Come to him in the Blessed Sacrament always with humility as you learn it. Do not follow the crowd! Many go to hell.
The first step on the rung of the ladder as St. Robert Bellarmine explains in his catechism is fear of the Lord, the last is wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10, Prov 1:7,9:10, Sir 1:16) These rungs are the sevenfold gift of wisdom spoken by Isaiah. (11:2)
I will not go into his whole concise descriptions of these gifts. But the first is for the soul “when he considers that he is an enemy of almighty God”. The next is piety when the soul desires to do the will of God in all things. Mercy comes at the right time to move the first consideration to piety.
You may have heard an angel to prepare you to carry your Christian cross. Augustine says pastors kill their sheep by not preparing them to properly embrace the cross every day. And you still have to grow. Many people go to hell, and few go to heaven. “How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Mt 7:14) By assiduous acceptance and knowledge of the holy, you will be saved in Mercy of your spiritual misery. The first sin was a disaster. And we have to accept that there are spirits with suggestions that would turn you away from his mercy. The Angelic Doctor explains the words of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and John. For instance, ask humbly, seek rightly (toward his Church), and knock constantly. (cf. Mt 7:7) Come to him in the Blessed Sacrament always with humility as you learn it. Do not follow the crowd! Many go to hell.
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F
fhansen
Guest
And this is, simply, wrong. Sola Scriptura has caused more confusion regarding the faith than any other Reformed doctrine, simply because it has no Tradition to compliment Scripture and inform us of its meaning. God’s Church, that He established at the beginning, supplies the guidance through her lived experience historically and the Holy Spirit who keeps her from error.
E
exnihilo
Guest
Guys, what about this thread is not about Sola Scripture is confusing? Just stop responding if that is what you are posting about. Otherwise you are going way off topic.
J
Joe_5859
Guest
I think that’s an awesome story of God speaking to you.
I think it can be easy for us to imagine that God only really talks to Saints and Popes and priests and nuns. He wouldn’t actually speak to plain, old, ordinary me.
But He does. He wants to have a living relationship with all of us.
To be sure, we shouldn’t expect such experiences to be commonplace. But, from what you have described, it seems pretty unmistakable to me that God was speaking to your heart.
I think one of the more common ways that God does speak to us is through Scripture. It makes sense since it is the Word of God in written form. For example, when I was pondering a life change and leaving my job to go back to school, I opened the Bible to 3 different spots at random and each verse had these words in common: “Follow me.” And so I did.
That’s why regularly reading Scripture is such an important piece of our spiritual life. We can read, reflect, and mull over the words. And we will find that we are often surprised at how frequently they end up applying to exactly what we are going through at the time.Not that we as Catholics are sola scriptura, of course. God speaks to us often through Scripture, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only way He speaks to us.
C
casslean
Guest
This definitely isn’t common. I can only think of one other time that has stayed with me, the way this experience has. I was sitting in Mass after having just joined RCIA, and looking up at the crucifix after the Prayers of the Faithful and thought, “Is there really anyone there to hear me?” In an instant, a feeling of utter certainty swept over me. I’ve never doubted or asked the question since.
J
JimR-OCDS
Guest
As St Teresa of Avila wrote, God speaks best in the depth of our being.
We don’t hear audible words, but words implanted in our being and the peace that comes from them, is the grace of God speaking within.
Jim
We don’t hear audible words, but words implanted in our being and the peace that comes from them, is the grace of God speaking within.
Jim
B
Bon_Croix
Guest
Was that Abraham’s experience?
J
JimR-OCDS
Guest
We can only know by the traditions of the ancient Hebrew story.
How exact it was is not actually known.
Jim
How exact it was is not actually known.
Jim
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C
casslean
Guest
This is beautiful. In my journal reflection about the event, I wrote that it was as though I had heard the words, not with my ears, but with my soul.
R
RKS89
Guest
It’s wise to distrust ourselves and be prudent in interpreting things of a spiritual nature. Over time, I think you developed a “sense” for what the Lord sounds like, to you. Think of your house- after long enough you become familiar with the sounds in it. You know who’s coming or going on the stairs, you know the sound of the furnace coming on or a water softener running, a certain branch scratching a window. For me, its like that (kind of). At some point we need to be concerned if what we’re receiving is truly from God or if it is a trick designed to frustrate our work at leading a holy life.
It’s good to check whatever you think the Lord might be saying to you against your vocation.
Does it contradict your vocation? For example, maybe you’re a stay at home mom and you think the Lord is leading you to attend a weekly Mass, or attend more frequently. Sounds good, right? Well, if trying to fit an extra mass into an already hectic schedule might cause you undue frustration, make you sacrifice rest or cause your primary duties to suffer, it’s likely not from God. On the other hand, if you’ve got a wide open a slot in your week you could pretty easily fit a mass into, than go for it.
There’s usually a feeling of peace that comes with a direction from the Lord. Maybe He’s asking you to do your part to heal a relationship, to work on a bad habit you know you have, become more involved in your parish etc. On the outside these decisions may cause anxiety or discomfort, but I’ve always found a deep peace when those things are addressed by God. It’s like He pre-loads you with the grace necessary to take the first steps.
Sometimes (more often than not now) I don’t “hear” or feel anything in prayer. It’s helpful to keep a prayer journal to look back on concrete examples of God’s faithfulness in your own life in the times He seems quiet or even distant. There’s a point where consolations wane and you have to come to God out of love for Him, not the good feelings or messages He affords you.
Ignatian Spirituality has been the single best method I know to help “tune in” to God’s voice and will. I’d suggest learning the prayer methods and rules of discernment, and work to incorporate them into your daily life. The Examen is a great jumping-off point.
We’re all different, and the Lord speaks to us in different ways. For me it’s often through spiritual reading or in prayer. I have a friend who pretty frequently receives what you might call “signs” from God. The key is to try to abide in Him throughout your day and to practice at recognizing the grace He offers in each moment (again, I recommend the Examen prayer to begin or deepen this practice). God wants to have a relationship with us, and we aren’t expected to hold a one-sided conversation with Him.
It’s good to check whatever you think the Lord might be saying to you against your vocation.
Does it contradict your vocation? For example, maybe you’re a stay at home mom and you think the Lord is leading you to attend a weekly Mass, or attend more frequently. Sounds good, right? Well, if trying to fit an extra mass into an already hectic schedule might cause you undue frustration, make you sacrifice rest or cause your primary duties to suffer, it’s likely not from God. On the other hand, if you’ve got a wide open a slot in your week you could pretty easily fit a mass into, than go for it.
There’s usually a feeling of peace that comes with a direction from the Lord. Maybe He’s asking you to do your part to heal a relationship, to work on a bad habit you know you have, become more involved in your parish etc. On the outside these decisions may cause anxiety or discomfort, but I’ve always found a deep peace when those things are addressed by God. It’s like He pre-loads you with the grace necessary to take the first steps.
Sometimes (more often than not now) I don’t “hear” or feel anything in prayer. It’s helpful to keep a prayer journal to look back on concrete examples of God’s faithfulness in your own life in the times He seems quiet or even distant. There’s a point where consolations wane and you have to come to God out of love for Him, not the good feelings or messages He affords you.
Ignatian Spirituality has been the single best method I know to help “tune in” to God’s voice and will. I’d suggest learning the prayer methods and rules of discernment, and work to incorporate them into your daily life. The Examen is a great jumping-off point.
We’re all different, and the Lord speaks to us in different ways. For me it’s often through spiritual reading or in prayer. I have a friend who pretty frequently receives what you might call “signs” from God. The key is to try to abide in Him throughout your day and to practice at recognizing the grace He offers in each moment (again, I recommend the Examen prayer to begin or deepen this practice). God wants to have a relationship with us, and we aren’t expected to hold a one-sided conversation with Him.
T
Trishie
Guest
Two biblical scriptures to counter sola scripture, in Jesus own words.
John 16
12“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
and
Matthew 16
17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”…
Think carefully on those two texts.
God bless you
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O
OhioM
Guest
God speaks to me in the most fuzzy, vague ways usually. But I have a story of a time when His voice was clear as a bell. I am a happy Catholic wife and mother, but there was a nice man in my daily life, who seemed irrelevant for years. Three times in a row, I had bland interactions with him and each of those three times, words appeared in my head. Not sounded out loud, but were clearly resounding inside my brain. #1: “Don’t talk to him” #2: “You can’t talk to him” and then, after me being slightly rude to the guy, trying to obey this strange message, that I was realizing was from God #3: “Don’t talk to him. Trust me, it’s better this way.” I did NOT get it, it seemed very random. There were no warning signs or other issues that made me wary. I would forget the messages completely unless I would see this man.
Several months after the last of those instances, there were more random interactions, just due to us being in close proximity frequently. I had chalked up the previous weirdness to my random brain. THEN, a strange timeline of events occurred over the course of a few months…more interaction…then BAM, the two of us found ourselves with intense feelings for each other, in all the wrong ways. It all made sense. (nothing bad happened beyond just the feelings…)
Over a year of awkwardly avoiding each other, many trips to the confessional and the Blessed Sacrament, mutual agreement to not interact for obvious reasons, and we are on the road to being able to greet each other politely and smile through the awkwardness. God is good, and I know He was speaking to me. But was it HIM, or was it the Holy Spirit, or was it a guardian angel? I think it was a Guardian Angel trying to protect me from the intense pain that was coming at me.
Several months after the last of those instances, there were more random interactions, just due to us being in close proximity frequently. I had chalked up the previous weirdness to my random brain. THEN, a strange timeline of events occurred over the course of a few months…more interaction…then BAM, the two of us found ourselves with intense feelings for each other, in all the wrong ways. It all made sense. (nothing bad happened beyond just the feelings…)
Over a year of awkwardly avoiding each other, many trips to the confessional and the Blessed Sacrament, mutual agreement to not interact for obvious reasons, and we are on the road to being able to greet each other politely and smile through the awkwardness. God is good, and I know He was speaking to me. But was it HIM, or was it the Holy Spirit, or was it a guardian angel? I think it was a Guardian Angel trying to protect me from the intense pain that was coming at me.
F
fhansen
Guest
There is no unified “we” in Protestantism that can speak in agreement on anyone else’s “creeds, confessions, and catechisms”-and many could care less about them anyway. The only thing they’re often unified about is their opposition to Catholicism. It’s a joke to speak of unity in fact. Protestants disagree on the Real Presence, on whether or not baptism regenerates, on infant vs adult baptism, on the role of man’s will in justification and salvation, on whether or not salvation can be lost. JWs and other Sola Scriptura offsprings even offer plausible bible-based arguments against the deity of Jesus and the Trinity.
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FloridaAngler
Guest
Actually, neither one of them have anything to do with the Biblical doctrine of sola scripture. But nice try, anyway.
K
Kei
Guest
I have heard it explained, it’s the difference between thinking something and hearing something but without the audible voice. Like from inside your mind vs from outside.
If God talks to any of us sinners unworthy, why not you?
If God talks to any of us sinners unworthy, why not you?