I rested in the spirit

JCats1 · Dec 30, 2014

I just came back from a retreat which took place in Chicago and it was by far one of the most powerful retreats I’ve ever been to. I have to say that it was pretty charismatic and it consisted of people from my ethnicity. While we were there we were praising and worshiping and there was a moment where we were invoking the Holy Spirit. Some of the spiritual leaders there were gifted by the Spirit and get special messages from them. While we were invoking the Holy Spirit, one of them came to me, blew air on me while praying for me, and then I immediately fell backwards. There was someone who caught me and she laid me on the floor and I “rested in the spirit”. I really felt the love of God and I felt the Holy Spirit. In fact, I couldn’t get up because there was a “force” there and I didn’t get up until the very end. So I think that resting in the spirit is indeed something real because I heard some Catholics were unsure about it. What are your opinions on this?

JimR-OCDS · Dec 30, 2014

Praise God!

You have experienced what few have, the touch of divine love.

Jim

Sunbreak · Dec 30, 2014

Well, I tend to think it has more to do with the suggestibility of the person. I went to a retreat with a well known healing priest once and a few people were falling down here and there. When it was my turn, he kind of pushed me and when I didn’t fall over, he pushed me again. (I still didn’t fall over so I guess he gave up.) So much for mystical experience.

JimR-OCDS · Dec 30, 2014

Sunbreak said:
Well, I tend to think it has more to do with the suggestibility of the person. I went to a retreat with a well known healing priest once and a few people were falling down here and there. When it was my turn, he kind of pushed me and when I didn’t fall over, he pushed me again. (I still didn’t fall over so I guess he gave up.) So much for mystical experience.

If God speaks to a person, who are you to say He didn’t ?

Jim

Sirach2 · Dec 30, 2014

Sunbreak said:
Well, I tend to think it has more to do with the suggestibility of the person. I went to a retreat with a well known healing priest once and a few people were falling down here and there. When it was my turn, he kind of pushed me and when I didn’t fall over, he pushed me again. (I still didn’t fall over so I guess he gave up.) So much for mystical experience.

This happened to me also. The priest really pushed on my forehead and expected me to fall back. It may have started as an authentic gift, but often pride gets in the way of the minister who does not expect any opposition, and that resting in the spirit will always occur. Not so.

However, it really does speak to me that the OP experienced a touch of love from God. That can NEVER be a figment of one’s imagination, and it cannot even be imagined what it is like, for nothing bodily can simulate it. It is bestowed deeply within one’s spirit, and the body shares in it to a marked degree.

AbideWithMe · Dec 30, 2014

Sirach2 said:
However, it really does speak to me that the OP experienced a touch of love from God. That can NEVER be a figment of one’s imagination, and it cannot even be imagined what it is like, for nothing bodily can simulate it. It is bestowed deeply within one’s spirit, and the body shares in it to a marked degree.

Wonderfully well said!

Mystical_Seeker · Dec 30, 2014

I still have the program from the charismatic Catholic Conference I went to about 20 years ago, where my wife and I both experienced this. It was my first time to anything charismatic, and I was definitely not trying to “fake it” by acting like the others.

The person doing the healing and falling over things, got to me and said some really weird stuff – that she could not even explain to me during break. Anyway at one point while she was talking and praying my knees got weak and she leaned over and whispered; “it’s OK to let go” and I just fell backward, and was completely aware but happy and peaceful and not a care in the world for a couple minutes, then I suddenly felt like getting up.

Anne1964 · Dec 30, 2014

I did not think it was real until it happened to me.

I went to a charismatic conference and I did not like it at all. I saw other people resting in the spirit and I also thought it was mostly suggestibility. Nothing happened to me at the conference.

A month later I was at Mass and the priest was sprinkling Holy water on everyone and when the water landed on me I instantly fell backward. I grabbed the pew in front of me to keep from falling. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I felt so peaceful and relaxed and happy. It was completely unexpected.

truetofaith · Dec 30, 2014

Anne1964 said:
I did not think it was real until it happened to me.

I went to a charismatic conference and I did not like it at all. I saw other people resting in the spirit and I also thought it was mostly suggestibility. Nothing happened to me at the conference.

A month later I was at Mass and the priest was sprinkling Holy water on everyone and when the water landed on me I instantly fell backward. I grabbed the pew in front of me to keep from falling. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I felt so peaceful and relaxed and happy. It was completely unexpected.

I was “slain in the Spirit” as it is called & never expected it to happen. It didn’t happen every time I was prayed over.

janiruchan · Dec 31, 2014

Very beautiful of you…the saints say that the first step in the divine relationship is the courtship period…where God infuses so many consolations to the soul…like what you experienced…I had several spiritual consolation experiences after my conversion experience…These are really beautiful moments when God is really obviously making Himself known to a soul…

The first one I had was when the Holy Spirit shook me in my very first one hour Ignatian meditation. IT was a very powerful 3 day Ignatian retreat…these consolation experiences lasted for almost 2 years…I felt like a princess before God.

Anyhow after that, marriage came in…and gosh…the dark night of the soul. It is real.

Elena321 · Dec 31, 2014

When you mentioned you felt love,can you elaborate any further?

I have difficulties/confusion around distigushing what is truly from God and what is a form of sensation or deception.
Probably because I have been present in new age type meditation classes,evangelical type healing services,and also in Catholic Church parish.
In the first two,I definitely experienced “sensations” or feelings but there was no sense of Holiness in those places.
What makes me a bit wary/confused about the Catholic Charismatic thing is that it seems too similar/familiar to the things done in those Evangelical healing nights.

My experience in those evangelical healing nights was also of the person trying to “push you back” but I wasn’t going to let that happen lol.
I put it down to people falling down due to peer pressure/influenced to,however at one “event” I did feel some sort of “heavy force” being emanated off the “pastor?” And I did let myself fall down and thought I felt some kind off peace.
This “pressure” was claimed to be the Holy Spirt but honestly,I don’t think it was.
I never saw anything significant healed at these events,it was always something stupid light someone’s leg being an inch longer then the other,but no genuine miracles/headings that could be confirmed.

To me it seems the Catholic Charismatic is the same,or at least has been heavily negatively influenced by evangelical/Pentecostal type practices.
Do you see any fruit from it?
People say one “evidence” of fruit is that it’s caused people to be more interested/fervent in their Christianity etc but to me anywhere there’s good sensations/feelings people are gonna become more interested…
Do any genuine healing miracles happen?

Mystical_Seeker · Dec 31, 2014

janiruchan said:
Very beautiful of you…the saints say that the first step in the divine relationship is the courtship period…where God infuses so many consolations to the soul…like what you experienced…I had several spiritual consolation experiences after my conversion experience…These are really beautiful moments when God is really obviously making Himself known to a soul…

Another beautiful example of this is from St. John of the Cross, the Stanzas of the Soul. The book Dark Night of the Soul was written about the Stanzas. At the end, the ultimate destination for the soul who has found its lover, is profound relaxing – symbolized by a broken neck. The Stanzas are “recited” by the soul, looking back over the Dark Night experience, and recalling it given its new perspective:

Reference ewtn.com/library/SOURCES/DARK-JC.TXT

STANZAS OF THE SOUL

Code:

	1. One dark night,
	fired with love's urgent longings
	  -- ah, the sheer grace! -- 
	I went out unseen,
	my house being now all stilled.
	
	2. In darkness, and secure,
  	by the secret ladder, disguised,
	 -- ah, the sheer grace! -- 
	in darkness and concealment,
	my house being now all stilled.

	3. On that glad night,
  	in secret, for no one saw me,
	nor did I look at anything,
	with no other light or guide
	than the one that burned in my heart.

	4. This guided me
     	more surely than the light of noon
	to where he was awaiting me
	 -- him I knew so well -- 
	there in a place where no one appeared.

	5. O guiding night!
  	O night more lovely than the dawn!
	O night that has united
	the Lover with his beloved,
	transforming the beloved in her Lover.

	6. Upon my flowering breast
  	which I kept wholly for him alone,
	there he lay sleeping,
	and I caressing him
	there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.

	7. When the breeze blew from the turret,
  	as I parted his hair,
  	it wounded my neck
	with its gentle hand,
	suspending all my senses.

	8. I abandoned and forgot myself,
  	laying my face on my Beloved;
	all things ceased; I went out from myself,
	leaving my cares
	forgotten among the lilies.

P.(3). Beginning of the explanation of the stanzas that deal with the way a
soul must conduct itself along the road leading to union with God through
love, by Padre Fray John of the Cross.

P.(4). Before embarking on an explanation of these stanzas, we should
remember that the soul recites them when it has already reached the state
of perfection – that is, union with God through love – and has now passed
through severe trials and conflicts by means of the spiritual exercise that
leads one along the constricted way to eternal life, of which our Savior
speaks in the Gospel [Mt. 7:14].

Exiled_Child · Dec 31, 2014

JCats1 said:
I just came back from a retreat which took place in Chicago and it was by far one of the most powerful retreats I’ve ever been to. I have to say that it was pretty charismatic and it consisted of people from my ethnicity. While we were there we were praising and worshiping and there was a moment where we were invoking the Holy Spirit. Some of the spiritual leaders there were gifted by the Spirit and get special messages from them. While we were invoking the Holy Spirit, one of them came to me, blew air on me while praying for me, and then I immediately fell backwards. There was someone who caught me and she laid me on the floor and I “rested in the spirit”. I really felt the love of God and I felt the Holy Spirit. In fact, I couldn’t get up because there was a “force” there and I didn’t get up until the very end. So I think that resting in the spirit is indeed something real because I heard some Catholics were unsure about it. What are your opinions on this?

My opinion is, that’s very, very beautiful!

I’m glad I happened across this thread.

janiruchan · Dec 31, 2014

Mystical_Seeker said:
Another beautiful example of this is from St. John of the Cross, the Stanzas of the Soul. The book Dark Night of the Soul was written about the Stanzas. At the end, the ultimate destination for the soul who has found its lover, is profound relaxing – symbolized by a broken neck. The Stanzas are “recited” by the soul, looking back over the Dark Night experience, and recalling it given its new perspective:

Reference ewtn.com/library/SOURCES/DARK-JC.TXT

STANZAS OF THE SOUL

Code:

1. One dark night, fired with love's urgent longings -- ah, the sheer grace! -- I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled. 2. In darkness, and secure, by the secret ladder, disguised, -- ah, the sheer grace! -- in darkness and concealment, my house being now all stilled. 3. On that glad night, in secret, for no one saw me, nor did I look at anything, with no other light or guide than the one that burned in my heart. 4. This guided me more surely than the light of noon to where he was awaiting me -- him I knew so well -- there in a place where no one appeared. 5. O guiding night! O night more lovely than the dawn! O night that has united the Lover with his beloved, transforming the beloved in her Lover. 6. Upon my flowering breast which I kept wholly for him alone, there he lay sleeping, and I caressing him there in a breeze from the fanning cedars. 7. When the breeze blew from the turret, as I parted his hair, it wounded my neck with its gentle hand, suspending all my senses. 8. I abandoned and forgot myself, laying my face on my Beloved; all things ceased; I went out from myself, leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.

P.(3). Beginning of the explanation of the stanzas that deal with the way a
soul must conduct itself along the road leading to union with God through
love, by Padre Fray John of the Cross.

P.(4). Before embarking on an explanation of these stanzas, we should
remember that the soul recites them when it has already reached the state
of perfection – that is, union with God through love – and has now passed
through severe trials and conflicts by means of the spiritual exercise that
leads one along the constricted way to eternal life, of which our Savior
speaks in the Gospel [Mt. 7:14].

Read it…and how real it is…I mean, I swear I’m kind of rebelling right now. Please pray for me.

Tigg · Dec 31, 2014

JCats1 said:
I just came back from a retreat which took place in Chicago and it was by far one of the most powerful retreats I’ve ever been to. I have to say that it was pretty charismatic and it consisted of people from my ethnicity. While we were there we were praising and worshiping and there was a moment where we were invoking the Holy Spirit. Some of the spiritual leaders there were gifted by the Spirit and get special messages from them. While we were invoking the Holy Spirit, one of them came to me, blew air on me while praying for me, and then I immediately fell backwards. There was someone who caught me and she laid me on the floor and I “rested in the spirit”. I really** felt the love of God and I felt** the Holy Spirit. In fact, I couldn’t get up because there was a “force” there and I didn’t get up until the very end. So I think that resting in the spirit is indeed something real because I heard some Catholics were unsure about it. What are your opinions on this?

I have been exposed to Charismatic events before and I try not to place too much emphasis on emotion which is very unreliable. What do we want from our faith? An experience of God or a fleeting “high” steeped in sentimentalism or the benefit of a concrete conviction of the mind and heart many times only discernible in the darkness of faith?

I’d say wait and see what the fruit of such an experience will be. Are you sensing an increased love of God and a greater yearning for Mass and the sacraments? Are you receiving actual grace to practice virtue more faithfully? Are you being drawn into prayer more frequently especially in Eucharistic Adoration? If not, I know I would personally doubt the authenticity of such an experience.

JimR-OCDS · Dec 31, 2014

For myself, St John of the Cross’ Spiritual Canticle, expresses the journey of the soul who has experienced divine love.

Bride

Where have you hidden,
Beloved, and left me moaning?
You fled like the stag
after wounding me;
I went out calling you, but you were gone.
Shepherds, you who go
up through the sheepfolds to the hill,
if by chance you see
him I love most,
tell him I am sick, I suffer, and I die.
Seeking my Love
I will head for the mountains and for watersides,
I will not gather flowers,
nor fear wild beasts;
I will go beyond strong men and frontiers.

more…

The soul touched by God’s love, now hungers for more and seeks him for who he is. Nothing will satisfy the soul other than God himself. No preacher, books or discursive prayers can satisfy the soul wounded by divine love.

Being slain in the Spirit is the touch of divine love which will touch the soul in a profound way, and that soul will forever seek the beloved, Jesus Christ, until divine union, or the spiritual marriage as St. John terms it, is consummated.

Jim

Mystical_Seeker · Dec 31, 2014

janiruchan said:
Read it…and how real it is…I mean, I swear I’m kind of rebelling right now. Please pray for me.

Rebelling?

I pray that this “rebellion” and whatever it involves, will ultimately guide you to places where your faith-vision becomes ever clearer.

MS

Sirach2 · Dec 31, 2014

Tigg said:
I have been exposed to Charismatic events before and I try not to place too much emphasis on emotion which is very unreliable. What do we want from our faith? An experience of God or a fleeting “high” steeped in sentimentalism or the benefit of a concrete conviction of the mind and heart many times only discernible in the darkness of faith?.

I don’t believe the OP was experiencing “emotion” at all. Apparently your discernment is off. How unfortunate to be told this was just a fleeting and unreliable emotion.

Did someone appoint you judge of his soul? Being steeped many (36) years in Carmelite teachings, spirituality, and spiritual direction, I can say with confidence due to the way he described his experience, that it was not as you described. Did you n notice that he was on retreat? It was not the customary charismatic prayer meeting, IOW.

Mystical_Seeker · Dec 31, 2014

JimR-OCDS said:
For myself, St John of the Cross’ Spiritual Canticle, expresses the journey of the soul who has experienced divine love.

Thank you for posting it. I will read the whole thing at the link you gave. I love St. John of the Cross, but I haven’t read much about him except bits of the Dark Night and what you and others tell me.

JimR-OCDS · Dec 31, 2014

Mystical_Seeker said:
Thank you for posting it. I will read the whole thing at the link you gave. I love St. John of the Cross, but I haven’t read much about him except bits of the Dark Night and what you and others tell me.

The “Spiritual Canticle” and the “Living Flame of Love,” are my two favorites by St John of the Cross.

Both of these touched me deeply.

Jim

I rested in the spirit

JCats1

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JimR-OCDS

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Sunbreak

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Sirach2

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AbideWithMe

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