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SJacob7
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The question is in the title. How do I really know that the Holy Spirit is within me and guiding me?
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M
Miseremini
Guest
Are you Baptized? Are you in a state of grace? Then you can have moral certitude.
Obviously, that’s not so easy if we don’t have a particularly strong gift of supernatural faith. To increase our faith, we have to dispose ourselves to a consistent increase in the level of sanctifying grace in our souls. The very first steps of doing that involve habitually staying in a state of grace and then avoiding venial sin.
Obviously, that’s not so easy if we don’t have a particularly strong gift of supernatural faith. To increase our faith, we have to dispose ourselves to a consistent increase in the level of sanctifying grace in our souls. The very first steps of doing that involve habitually staying in a state of grace and then avoiding venial sin.
M
Mordocai
Guest
You can know a tree by it’s fruits.
Galatians 5 I believe speaks of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Does your life radiate love, joy peace, patience, kindness etc.?
There is a diff. between regular happiness and Holy Spirit joy. Joy (even in suffering) tends to be a great sign of the Holy Spirit.
Matt
Galatians 5 I believe speaks of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Does your life radiate love, joy peace, patience, kindness etc.?
There is a diff. between regular happiness and Holy Spirit joy. Joy (even in suffering) tends to be a great sign of the Holy Spirit.
Matt
L
littlestsouls2
Guest
All good comes from God.
To desire for God is good.
Therefore the desire to seek God is a gift from God.
I’ll let St. Alphonsus take the stage:
"You desire to know for certain that God loves you? But at the moment He does not will to impart to you this knowledge. He wills that you should just humble yourself, trust in His goodness, and resign yourselves wholly to His good–pleasure. Besides, it is a maxim, received as incontestable by all the masters of the spiritual life, that when a person of timorous conscience is in doubt as to whether he has lost the grace of God, it is certain that he has not lost it. For no one can lose God without being fully aware of the fact. Moreover, according to St. Francis de Sales, the resolution you have, at least, in the depths of your heart, to love God and not to cause Him the slightest displeasure by deliberate purpose, is a manifest sign that you are still in His grace. Abandon yourself, therefore, into the arms of Divine mercy, protest that you desire nothing but God alone and His good–pleasure, and banish every fear. Oh, how agreeable to the Lord are the acts of confidence and resignation we make in the midst of this terrifying darkness.” (‘Holy Abandonment’ by Dom Vital Lehodey, Third Part, Ch 12, Article 1, p. 323–324)
To desire for God is good.
Therefore the desire to seek God is a gift from God.
I’ll let St. Alphonsus take the stage:
"You desire to know for certain that God loves you? But at the moment He does not will to impart to you this knowledge. He wills that you should just humble yourself, trust in His goodness, and resign yourselves wholly to His good–pleasure. Besides, it is a maxim, received as incontestable by all the masters of the spiritual life, that when a person of timorous conscience is in doubt as to whether he has lost the grace of God, it is certain that he has not lost it. For no one can lose God without being fully aware of the fact. Moreover, according to St. Francis de Sales, the resolution you have, at least, in the depths of your heart, to love God and not to cause Him the slightest displeasure by deliberate purpose, is a manifest sign that you are still in His grace. Abandon yourself, therefore, into the arms of Divine mercy, protest that you desire nothing but God alone and His good–pleasure, and banish every fear. Oh, how agreeable to the Lord are the acts of confidence and resignation we make in the midst of this terrifying darkness.” (‘Holy Abandonment’ by Dom Vital Lehodey, Third Part, Ch 12, Article 1, p. 323–324)
H
hazcompat
Guest
THE BLESSED ANGELA OF FOLIGNO
HOW IT MAY BE KNOWN THAT GOD HATH ENTERED INTO THE SOUL
IT must be known that God cometh sometimes unto the soul when it hath neither called, nor prayed unto, nor summoned Him. And He doth instill into the soul a fire and a love and a sweetness not customary, wherein it doth greatly delight and rejoice ; and it doth believe that this hath been wrought by God Himself there present, but this is not certain.
Presently the soul doth perceive that God is inwardly within itself, because albeit it cannot behold Him within it doth nevertheless perceive that His grace is present with it, wherein it doth greatly delight. Yet is not even this certain.
Presently it doth further perceive that God cometh unto it with most sweet words, wherein it delighteth yet more, and with much rejoicing doth it feel God within it ; yet do some doubts still remain, albeit but few. For the soul possesseth as yet no perfect certainty, neither is it assured that God is truly within it, because such converse and such feelings can be produced likewise by other spirits.
Wherefore is it still in doubt. And it seemeth unto me that this cometh either of its own malice and sinfulness, or else truly by the will of God, who desireth not that the soul should feel certain and secure. But when the soul doth feel the presence of God more deeply than is customary, then doth it certify unto itself that He is within it.
It doth feel it, I say, with an understanding so marvelous and so profound, and with such great love and divine fire, that it loseth all love for itself and for the body, and it speaketh and knoweth and understandeth those things of the which it hath never heard from any mortal whatsoever. And it understandeth with great illumination, and with much difficulty doth it hold its peace ; and if it doth hold its peace, it holdeth it out of the abundance of its zeal, that it may not be displeasing unto God its Lover nor cause offence, and likewise by reason of its humility ; for it desireth not to speak of things so exceeding high that it may not draw attention unto itself.
Thus hath it happened divers times unto me, that, out of my burning desire to work the salvation of my neighbour, I did speak things for the which I was reproved, and it was said unto me, " Sister, turn thee again unto the Holy Scriptures, for they say not thus, and therefore do we not understand thee."
But with that feeling whereby it is certified unto the soul that God dwelleth within it, there is given unto it a disposition so perfect that it doth most entirely and verily agree with the soul in all things, and in every way do all the members of the body agree with the soul and do truly form one cause together with it ; neither do they rebel against the will of the soul, but do perfectly desire those things which are of God, but which, nevertheless, they had not heretofore in any way desired. And this disposition is granted unto the soul through grace whereby it doth perceive that the Divine Being hath entered into it, and hath granted it the assurance and the desire of God and of those things which are of God, after the manner of the true love wherewith God hath loved us. Thus doth the soul feel that God is mingled with it and hath made companionship with it.
Peace
HOW IT MAY BE KNOWN THAT GOD HATH ENTERED INTO THE SOUL
IT must be known that God cometh sometimes unto the soul when it hath neither called, nor prayed unto, nor summoned Him. And He doth instill into the soul a fire and a love and a sweetness not customary, wherein it doth greatly delight and rejoice ; and it doth believe that this hath been wrought by God Himself there present, but this is not certain.
Presently the soul doth perceive that God is inwardly within itself, because albeit it cannot behold Him within it doth nevertheless perceive that His grace is present with it, wherein it doth greatly delight. Yet is not even this certain.
Presently it doth further perceive that God cometh unto it with most sweet words, wherein it delighteth yet more, and with much rejoicing doth it feel God within it ; yet do some doubts still remain, albeit but few. For the soul possesseth as yet no perfect certainty, neither is it assured that God is truly within it, because such converse and such feelings can be produced likewise by other spirits.
Wherefore is it still in doubt. And it seemeth unto me that this cometh either of its own malice and sinfulness, or else truly by the will of God, who desireth not that the soul should feel certain and secure. But when the soul doth feel the presence of God more deeply than is customary, then doth it certify unto itself that He is within it.
It doth feel it, I say, with an understanding so marvelous and so profound, and with such great love and divine fire, that it loseth all love for itself and for the body, and it speaketh and knoweth and understandeth those things of the which it hath never heard from any mortal whatsoever. And it understandeth with great illumination, and with much difficulty doth it hold its peace ; and if it doth hold its peace, it holdeth it out of the abundance of its zeal, that it may not be displeasing unto God its Lover nor cause offence, and likewise by reason of its humility ; for it desireth not to speak of things so exceeding high that it may not draw attention unto itself.
Thus hath it happened divers times unto me, that, out of my burning desire to work the salvation of my neighbour, I did speak things for the which I was reproved, and it was said unto me, " Sister, turn thee again unto the Holy Scriptures, for they say not thus, and therefore do we not understand thee."
But with that feeling whereby it is certified unto the soul that God dwelleth within it, there is given unto it a disposition so perfect that it doth most entirely and verily agree with the soul in all things, and in every way do all the members of the body agree with the soul and do truly form one cause together with it ; neither do they rebel against the will of the soul, but do perfectly desire those things which are of God, but which, nevertheless, they had not heretofore in any way desired. And this disposition is granted unto the soul through grace whereby it doth perceive that the Divine Being hath entered into it, and hath granted it the assurance and the desire of God and of those things which are of God, after the manner of the true love wherewith God hath loved us. Thus doth the soul feel that God is mingled with it and hath made companionship with it.
Peace
S
SJacob7
Guest
Thank you all for your wonderful answers. God bless you all.
J
Jafar
Guest
I remember I met rich people , they were calm , confident , happy and with smile I thought they were Christians or some thing then I found that was not holy spirit but the money that brought that fake feelings
Then I met people who were Budist monks , Moslems etc and all had some thing made them feel confident ,happy etc… Like one who is filled with holy spirit
But those were not holy spirit
There are a lot of good people out there and they have the fruits that mentioned in the bible but are they filled with holy spirit?
Then I met people who were Budist monks , Moslems etc and all had some thing made them feel confident ,happy etc… Like one who is filled with holy spirit
But those were not holy spirit
There are a lot of good people out there and they have the fruits that mentioned in the bible but are they filled with holy spirit?
F
fred_conty
Guest
True, “by their fruits you shall know them.” But what are the fruits?I remember I met rich people , they were calm , confident , happy and with smile I thought they were Christians or some thing then I found that was not holy spirit but the money that brought that fake feelings
Then I met people who were Budist monks , Moslems etc and all had some thing made them feel confident ,happy etc… Like one who is filled with holy spirit
But those were not holy spirit
There are a lot of good people out there and they have the fruits that mentioned in the bible but are they filled with holy spirit?
Wearing a (greedy) plastic smile is not one of them. But doing God’s will is.
And what does the church do? Look after orphans, widows, the sick, the homeless, the poor, the ignorant, and has done so not just for a period of time but from the very beginning. They smile with the eyes and not just with the mouth.
And in regard to the rich and the Buddists and Moslems, where are their hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged? Just how concerned are they for the poor?
Take a good look around and observe where the fruits are really comming from. The many mother Teresas that have come forth to meet the hour of need.
I believe it was Neuman who said something like, the one who knows history ceases to be Protest(ant).
F
fisherman_carl
Guest
…“W********hoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
1Jn 4:15-16
1Jn 4:15-16
M
multitude
Guest
Yup, Bl. Cardinal John Henry Newman was the one who said that. I’d also say that doing God’s will would also include who actually has esteem for the rest of the holy family, and those who don’t. For how can you say you really have God for the Father when you don’t have Mary and the saints for Mothers, Brothers and Sisters? For faith without works is dead, but works without faith is vain.True, “by their fruits you shall know them.” But what are the fruits?
Wearing a (greedy) plastic smile is not one of them. But doing God’s will is.
And what does the church do? Look after orphans, widows, the sick, the homeless, the poor, the ignorant, and has done so not just for a period of time but from the very beginning. They smile with the eyes and not just with the mouth.
And in regard to the rich and the Buddists and Moslems, where are their hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged? Just how concerned are they for the poor?
Take a good look around and observe where the fruits are really comming from. The many mother Teresas that have come forth to meet the hour of need.
I believe it was Neuman who said something like, the one who knows history ceases to be Protest(ant).
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