Knowing Before You Know

[Purgatorio]

Over the last few years I’ve noticed something starting in my life. It happens randomly, it isn’t something that I seek or try to initiate, but, unfailingly, it’s always spot on. So what is this you might ask? I’m not sure how to describe it. Let me try to explain this.

Back in 2010-2011 I was in a religious order. One of the brothers in my order was a bit charismatic, one day he asked if he could pray over me. I’m not one of these guys that likes to have ‘just anyone’ pray over me. But I acquiesced and let him do it. While he was praying, I had this video pop up in my head, it was zooming over a rock wall on a mountain and then opened into a large field with a log home on it. I felt extreme peace in this experience. I asked him about it… the Brother just nodded his head and told me that God let me see that for a reason. I still wasn’t so sure about the whole experience. A few months into my Novitiate I left the order and returned home. It wasn’t until about two years ago that what I mentioned as ‘something’ began to happen. Sometimes I had a feeling or just knew something was going to happen… and it did, just as I had felt it would.

A year ago I was on my way to my spiritual director’s house, he is a Hermit Priest, one of the very few Diocesan Priest’s that I know of that received permission from his Bishop to be a Hermit. Anyways… I was leaving work and driving through town, when this thought popped into my head “Stop by the rectory, Father M. has an envelope for Fr. T.”. It felt like someone had just told me this… I zipped across town and stopped by my Church’s rectory, I rang the doorbell, Fr. M. answered and I told him where I was going… he replied “Hang on Mike, I have an envelope to give Fr. T, I need him to say some masses for me.”. I was flabbergasted! Was that my guardian angel?

It seems to be happening more frequently over this past year. I was preparing for bed 8 months ago when I had the thought pop into my head “Pray for Mr. T, she is dying tonight, also pray for Maryann H., she is close to death too”. I immediately got on my knees and prayed for both of them. I got up the following morning, fired up facebook and was shocked to see a post from the daughter of Mrs. T, announcing her Mothers death the previous night! I also learned that Maryann H. nearly died on the way to the hospital but was revived.

Another time… I had a falling out with my best friend of 15 yrs. I was preparing to leave the house to run an errand when I had that same little thought pop into my head “Paul is going to call you today, don’t answer it, the call is going to be bad”. Sure enough, an hour later I am driving down the road, my phone rings and it’s Paul… and it was indeed a bad call, I let it go to voicemail but it was bad…

As a final story I’ll relate, this was pretty odd. I had a dream two weeks ago that I was sitting at my PC desk, working on something and listening to music when I went to floss my teeth, one of my molar’s fell out of my head, no pain, no bleeding (I’m on blood thinners). And as I looked at this tooth, I spun around in my chair to find an older man standing next to my desk, I lifted the tooth up to him and he looked at me and said “It was rotten to the core Michael, it’s better this way”. I then woke up. Here comes the crazy part. On saturday night, I was sitting at my desk, listening to music and I grabbed my dental floss and began to floss my teeth, the exact same tooth that was in my dream fell out of my mouth. No pain, no blood… it just fell out. I was so shocked… I didn’t know what to do.

My question is this… is this from God? Is this a spiritual gift? I’m sure there must be others that have experienced this. I’ve been reading Fr. Gallaghers book on discerning the spirit and from what I can gather, this doesn’t seem to be from the devil.

Thoughts?

 

[Lea101]

I think it’s from God. Why would the devil want you to pray for someone who is about to die?

I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if stranger things start to happen, maybe you can ask a priest. As of now, it seems like a “gift”, although I’m not that knowledgeable on them.

I had someone pray over me like that before, my face and heart got really hot and I burst into tears. I have no idea why. But before he prayed, he asked me to tell him what gift I wanted him to pray for. I told him I wanted strength, because that was the first thing that popped into my mind. Nothing spectacular happened after that though, but suicidal thoughts that used to haunt me slowly vanished. It was kind of amazing

So yeah, I’m pretty sure this is something from God!

 

[Gliggle]

Do you still have a spiritual director? Discuss with him!

If not… pray for a spiritual director again or a meeting with him soon

 

[Lily_Bernans]

We really aren’t supposed to discuss things like this on here. If I were you, I’d talk to a priest. He is your best source for guidance in matters like this. We are not psychologists or priests, and even if we were, we couldn’t give advice like this on a forum.

God bless.

 

[Purgatorio]

We really aren’t supposed to discuss things like this on here. If I were you, I’d talk to a priest. He is your best source for guidance in matters like this. We are not psychologists or priests, and even if we were, we couldn’t give advice like this on a forum.

God bless.

Really? Is this against the rules? I was looking at them and it looked like it was just for private revelations and visions of Jesus, Mary, saints, ect.

Sorry… didn’t realize I was breaking a rule.

 

[Purgatorio]

Do you still have a spiritual director? Discuss with him!

I did, he told me to look for a pattern. Since this happens so randomly, I haven’t been able to pin point when it starts, how it happens, ect.

 

[Purgatorio]

I had someone pray over me like that before, my face and heart got really hot and I burst into tears. I have no idea why. But before he prayed, he asked me to tell him what gift I wanted him to pray for. I told him I wanted strength, because that was the first thing that popped into my mind. Nothing spectacular happened after that though, but suicidal thoughts that used to haunt me slowly vanished. It was kind of amazing

Wow… that is really neat. Thanks for sharing your experience. I think I remember reading in the book ‘Fire Within’ by Fr. Dubay that when the Holy Spirit touches a soul, it feels warmth, vibrations, ect.

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

… I was preparing for bed 8 months ago when I had the thought pop into my head “Pray for Mr. T, she is dying tonight, also pray for Maryann H., she is close to death too”. I immediately got on my knees and prayed for both of them. I got up the following morning, fired up facebook and was shocked to see a post from the daughter of Mrs. T, announcing her Mothers death the previous night! I also learned that Maryann H. nearly died on the way to the hospital but was revived.

…

Shows exactly how it pays to be sharp.

I think it’s commonplace.

Just like everything else in life, discretion and modesty are part of the recipe.

Good job you’re in touch with plenty of good people through whom additional guidance can keep on coming as well.

We are born for such times as this.

 

[Gliggle]

Glad to hear you have some advice from your priest, I have had similar experiences but not so often, or in so short space of time. Very widely spaced over my life. The sort of thing some will never believe, and others are too quick to believe. I think you should be circumspect, and treat your experiences with no extra regard just because they are potentially “supernatural”.

Not to say you should ignore them either. Use your God given conscience and reasoning when regarding whether to take heed of these experiences, and always follow God’s laws, stay close to the sacraments (The Eucharist and Confession), and then, you cannot go wrong whether these experiences come from God or the Devil. No matter from where they come, you know God is allowing you to experience them, whether to test you, or to give you a special charism to bring others closer to him. You are in my prayers! I think if you find yourself feeling an urge to take pride in this stuff, be very very wary.

Think of the example of our mother Mary, when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her, and revealed to her that she would be the mother of Jesus.

“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

 

[Lea101]

Really? Is this against the rules? I was looking at them and it looked like it was just for private revelations and visions of Jesus, Mary, saints, ect.

Sorry… didn’t realize I was breaking a rule.

People are just wary because we aren’t allowed to gjve psychiatric advice (for example, we don’t know if you have a mental illness or not so it’s better to keep quiet?)

Most of us would think that it could be a gift, but ultimately, you might find a better answer if you ask a priest, someone with more knowledge on experiences like this

 

[Purgatorio]

Glad to hear you have some advice from your priest, I have had similar experiences but not so often, or in so short space of time. Very widely spaced over my life. The sort of thing some will never believe, and others are too quick to believe. I think you should be circumspect, and treat your experiences with no extra regard just because they are potentially “supernatural”.

That’s interesting that you have experienced this at random times as well. I’m definitely on guard against any time of pride or anything of that nature coming from it. The last thing I want is for the devil to get in there and twist something that could be from God. We must also be on our guard against idle thoughts… When this happens… I ask myself 'Is this important or is this something idle?".

Some of these things have brought me great sadness. I had a dream about 2 yrs ago… I saw a little cabin in the woods, it was in the middle of a snow storm and in the middle of an argument that I could hear coming from the house… I saw a man come outside, slam the door and then get into a really old car and drive off in a fury. The man was my father… I saw my mother holding one of her kids in her arms crying… it was a very sad moment. I woke up in tears and I went upstairs and told my Mom the dream, she was shocked… it was something she had never shared with me… what I saw was the day my father left. I was 6 months old, I was the baby my Mom was holding in the dream. I never forgot it… it feels like I just dreamt this… but my question would be … why… why did I dream that? What is the importance of it? It was very sad… and brought a terrible sadness to me. My father is dead now… he died 16 yrs ago.

I think we must always be vigilant and on guard against the enemy. I guess my initial question for the thread was in regards to this being from God and if anyone else experiences this.

Thanks for your thoughts on this and the clarification in regards to discerning it.

 

[Purgatorio]

People are just wary because we aren’t allowed to gjve psychiatric advice (for example, we don’t know if you have a mental illness or not so it’s better to keep quiet?)

Most of us would think that it could be a gift, but ultimately, you might find a better answer if you ask a priest, someone with more knowledge on experiences like this

That’s funny. Well… not really… but in regards to the mental illness… good point. I remember when I went in my psychiatric exam before entering the religious order and Seminary in 2010, I was examined by Dr. Fitzgibbons in PA. It was a grueling 3 day event of questions that I never imagined anyone asking… or being required to answer. I remember before going in, the Fathers and Brothers from my order were laughing and telling me things not to say… one of them was before answering any questions, to ask the invisible parrot on my shoulder for the answer… of course… it was just some light hearted fun… =D

 

[roseofshannon]

Yes, I too have had premonitions. Sometimes a picture and sometimes a whisper (not really audible–I’m not schizophrenic thanks be to God) of something that later comes true.

I try not to put too much faith into it or tell people about it too much, but I do wonder why I get them. I also wonder if it’s my guardian angel.

 

[Purgatorio]

Yes, I too have had premonitions. Sometimes a picture and sometimes a whisper (not really audible–I’m not schizophrenic thanks be to God) of something that later comes true.

I try not to put too much faith into it or tell people about it too much, but I do wonder why I get them. I also wonder if it’s my guardian angel.

I do know what you mean… and yes… I don’t tell people them either. Now with all the crazy things that people are diagnosed with… I remember my grandfather used to believe that he spoke to God… I thought it was just something crazy or him thinking that something was talking to him… perhaps it was something like PTSD from his days in WWII… I didn’t believe that any such thing happened to him… Once this started to happen to me… I thought about him and that perhaps… he wasn’t off his rocker… LOL… amazing how ones perspective can change.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

This is a gift God has given you to use. It may be just temporary, but God decides these things,

The key is to remain Christ centered in your life and be open to the flow of things that come into your life and use them to serve Jesus. Never use it to serve your own ego, or it will be removed.

Padre Pio and other saints had the same things, but always kept it in perspective, that it wasn’t of their own doing, but what God was using through them.

Your spiritual director will help you to remain grounded as you go through life.

Jim

 

[Simca]

Things like that have happened to me. Here’s an example: I was on a river rafting trip with a few other people, when I started getting inner “instructions” telling me that I needed to sit down in the bottom of the boat. For some reason I obeyed the instructions and got down in the bottom of the boat. Right after I did that, the raft veered under a large, low-hanging tree branch. If I had been sitting upright, I would have been injured and probably knocked out of the boat into the river. No one else was hurt–it was only my position in the boat that was affected. But everyone thought I was “lucky”.

Another time I was on vacation and standing in my hotel room, when all of a sudden I nearly collapsed on the bed as I announced to my husband, “Oh my word, honey, something horrible has happened at work.” When I got back to work a week later, I was told that one of my co-workers had committed suicide.

I could site many other examples.
I too have wondered where these things come from. My Guardian Angel–I think. Other times I think it might be my mom speaking to me from heaven–especially when I get “instructions” to clean a particular part of my house—it never fails, that someone comes over the very next day and goes to that particular area.