(cont.)
On another occasion, I was praying for Nora, a wonderful prayer warrior who had a serious jaw infection, caused by a tooth problem. She was experiencing intense pain, and her medication was only partially controlling it. The antibiotic was not clearing the infection as expected. Such infections can be fatal, and the specter of jaw surgery loomed. As I prayed for Nora before the Blessed Sacrament, I suddenly felt a wave of almost indescribable comfort wash over me. It was the most spiritually reassuring sensation I have ever experienced - pure peace in my inmost being. A few days after, I spoke with Nora and she told me that, the night on which I prayed, her pain broke and the infection was now being controlled. She recovered completely. My charismatic priest told me later that what I experienced is known as the “word of knowledge”, since I received spiritual “knowledge” that Nora would be fine.
On another occasion, Dawn, the daughter of my son’s godfather was pregnant, but the baby’s blood type was incompatible with hers, and she was suffering from increasing toxemia. Doctors were warning her that, to spare her life, they would have to take the baby early - at about 24 weeks. Once I found out about this, I had the custodian let me into the church and I went into prayer before the Tabernacle. At about 2:45 PM, as I prayed, I again received the same sudden rush of spiritual comfort. I spoke with Dawn’s mother a day or two after and learned that blood taken from Dawn at that same time showed that she was well enough to carry her baby until the additional time needed. Today, their baby, Ava Marie, is a happy and healthy girl. Praise God!
On another occasion, I read a prayer thread posted by another CAF member who was being treated in a hospital for depression. Something in the thread struck me deeply and I went into prayer before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. I asked to bear her depression. As I prayed, I felt a sudden heaviness that seemed to be pressing me to the floor more strongly than mere gravity. The breath rushed out of me and I felt a profound sadness. This remained with me as I completed my holy hour. When I got up, my head just hung and I could look only down at the floor. The sensation remained with me on my drive home, but then faded. Her subsequent post revealed that she had been released from the hospital shortly after.
My current situation might have been brought about by the willingness to spare another a test of their faith, but I will not know with certainty in this life.
Nothing like this had ever happened in my Catholic life until I was ‘baptized’ in the Holy Spirit by a charismatic priest. After this, my faith life opened up and reached a level which I could not conceive of - all through simply releasing the gifts that I was already given at my Baptism. There is no natural explanation for these events, and thus they must be credited to the supernatural. I fully realize that I may sound crazy by relating these incidents, but I simply don’t care! All praise and glory to God. Amen.
