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Fan_of_Francis
Guest
I know…sorry.I did not mean to quote you and when I attempted to clear it up I just double posted. I just let it be until the response came. Sorry.
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OrangeOwl
Guest
A relative of mine had a dream in which a family friend died, with very specific details regarding his death. He died soon after in the same manner as she saw in her dream.
I don’t really understand what good came out of her having that dream either. She certainly didn’t stop it from occurring.
I think both of these cases are examples of when you just have to trust that God has a plan and a purpose, even if you don’t immediately understand what it is. Perhaps it’s simply to instill more faith and belief in God.
M
maltmom
Guest
Only God and the Priest know why he said what he did. I have no opinion either way.
For years I’ve tried to explain knowing that people in my family have died before I was told. I would walk up to my Mom and tell her that so and so has died. BTW: they hadn’t been sick. The first couple of times my Mom didn’t take it seriously until the phone call came. I can remember once going up to her and telling her that someone had died. She asked who and I told her I didn’t know. Strangely, her response was that I always know. In this case it felt like it was someone who was family, but not really family. A couple of hours later we got the call that my cousin’s live-in boyfriend had died. I’ve never know what to make of it.
I don’t seek out this knowledge. I just know. There has only been one death I didn’t know about ahead of time. A couple of years ago another cousin got up and found her husband dead on the bathroom floor. When I woke up I had this overwhelming feeling that something horrible was going to happen that day. For the next 2 hours the feeling wouldn’t go away…then my cousin called.
For years I’ve tried to explain knowing that people in my family have died before I was told. I would walk up to my Mom and tell her that so and so has died. BTW: they hadn’t been sick. The first couple of times my Mom didn’t take it seriously until the phone call came. I can remember once going up to her and telling her that someone had died. She asked who and I told her I didn’t know. Strangely, her response was that I always know. In this case it felt like it was someone who was family, but not really family. A couple of hours later we got the call that my cousin’s live-in boyfriend had died. I’ve never know what to make of it.
I don’t seek out this knowledge. I just know. There has only been one death I didn’t know about ahead of time. A couple of years ago another cousin got up and found her husband dead on the bathroom floor. When I woke up I had this overwhelming feeling that something horrible was going to happen that day. For the next 2 hours the feeling wouldn’t go away…then my cousin called.
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Sirach2
Guest
Having foreknowledge about somebody’s impending death may be an urging to pray for that person who may be in much need of it during the hour of their death. That is especially the time the devil is prowling to gain that soul. Our Lord asked St. Faustina in many of his revelations to her, that she pray very often for the dying, especially with the chaplet he taught her.
Just a few hours before my husband died, I was suddenly moved to pray this chaplet for him and I did so with deep fervor. I had no idea he was to die that afternoon, but I trust my prayer was God’s way of bringing holy intercession for his passing.
As for the priest in the OP’s post, it is difficult for us to judge since we weren’t there and do not know how God has gifted him. When OP mentioned his gift of healing, it is probably something the others knew about, for these gifts become known in the community and give glory to God.
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There are also occult manifestations intending to deceive the elect of God, yet I believe the Holy Spirit will quicken us interiorly to pay no attention to them. I remember the prophecies of Edgar Cayce and Jeane Dixon whose visions were false, and who influenced the public for many years.
Just a few hours before my husband died, I was suddenly moved to pray this chaplet for him and I did so with deep fervor. I had no idea he was to die that afternoon, but I trust my prayer was God’s way of bringing holy intercession for his passing.
As for the priest in the OP’s post, it is difficult for us to judge since we weren’t there and do not know how God has gifted him. When OP mentioned his gift of healing, it is probably something the others knew about, for these gifts become known in the community and give glory to God.
I could write a thesis here about the authenticity of supernatural visions; anyone else could do so as well, who has read either St. John of the Cross or St. Teresa of Avila who both wrote about them in detail. These gifts of “imaginary” visions do occur as God wills, for the purpose that He sends them. To attribute these to satanic influence or merely psychic hallucinations is unworthy of God or the person who receives them. It is not our place to judge or put the seal of the underworld on everything according to our finite and limited understanding. True visions are not against the teaching of the Church, but we are warned not to seek or to desire them.
There are also occult manifestations intending to deceive the elect of God, yet I believe the Holy Spirit will quicken us interiorly to pay no attention to them. I remember the prophecies of Edgar Cayce and Jeane Dixon whose visions were false, and who influenced the public for many years.
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maltmom
Guest
I agree, now as a Catholic I would pray for the repose of their souls. By the time I “knew” the person had already passed. The calls came later.
I’m so sorry about your husband. God bless you.
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Julia_Mae
Guest
Okey-dokey! You know, I was trying to quote someone the other day, and the software kept putting the wrong quote in. Maybe something is going on.
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centurionguard
Guest
Forgive me for asking and I mean no disrespect but how do you suppose one can easily shrug off a teaching of the Church in regards to (“psychic interpretations”).
The term itself sounds more relativistically secular. Very select few in the Church are given official authority to interpret “supernatural” spiritual prophecy, locutions and even apparitions themselves. Most people who are given such gifts are very spiritually mature, likewise to reiterate those gifted in supernatural interpretation.
Satan is a master at deception and illusion.
Church teachings are very clear on this matter and can’t simply be diminished or watered down to allow dissensions or other personal interpretations.
Those who claim they have psychic visions, prophecies, locutions, etc should always be called into question. As Catholics we must test everything by its fruits. Its a good thing that the Catholic Church is very prudent testing supernatural prophecy, locutions and apparitions etc.
Even holy people who have lived in the past and later declared Saints are put through the crucible of scrutiny by Church standards.
Yours in the Peace of Christ
Chris
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Julia_Mae
Guest
I didn’t say anything about “shrugging off” any teaching. Also, those CCC paras don’t address a person, themselves, being psychic or interpretations.
Of course it’s secular. So is “genius” or “left-handedness.”
In this thread, I think some very good ideas have come to light. Why do we sometimes know someone is going to pass before they do, when we can do nothing about it? A poster references Saint Faustina and suggests that it is so we pray for them at that time. This is exactly what happened to Faustina and why.
So, now we have the possibility of an increase in prayer for the dying, when they don’t even know they are dying. Nice fruits.
Actually, I think we all do this all the time. We pray. We have an issue we don’t know how to resolve. Then, an idea comes into our minds accompanied by a sense of peace. Are we supposed to go find an official interpreter? No, of course not. But this is a supernatural communication as surely as Saint Faustina seeing a deceased sister or someone dreaming the death of their grandmother.
Rarely do any of these things require much interpretation, IMO. Once we accept that cloud of witnesses is the real thing and know how through God’s love we can be helped, we can pay more attention, respond with the prayer, seek Divine guidance more often.
I have to say, I am also not fond of this “Satan” idea always being posted along with the CCC paras. God isn’t a trickster and we aren’t idiots. Saint Paul didn’t run away from Jesus screaming because he might have been being fooled by Satan. This kind of talk can discourage a person from seeking an intimate personal connected with God.
With more discussion instead of less, we can learn what the signs are of something being from not-God. But psychism, as I said before, is something science studies now. Just getting the information in this way isn’t necessarily Divine or diabolic. It’s just the way things work.
No one is doing that. I am in complete agreement that no one should try “conjuring spirits.” Mostly because you can’t and if you think you can, then that would be evil influence.
I agree. But it’s hard to do that if we can’t even discuss it. And it’s hard to understand our own unusual moments if we cannot share our experiences.
C
cmscms
Guest
OK, I don’t think my point is being understood. When you relative had a dream that a family friend was about to die, the event was going to happen in the future. That makes sense to me because God is giving us a chance to pray for the person (as others have mentioned) or go get a priest to give the last rights. God is calling us to action and I believe that is genuine.
However, when the priest said ‘someone in this church survived a car accident’, that is a statement about the past. It is a done deal and there is no longer anything anyone can do so it is pointless. Do people get the difference? Of course we can still pray for the person but by then, the death is commone knowledge and no need for a vision
Do people see the difference?
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Sirach2
Guest
Cmscms,
I suppose your point could be taken that the priest’s disclosure was nonessential, thereby causing disbelief in its authenticity. However, none of us were there, and I would need to know what followed after the priest made that announcement. Did it just fall apart and go away after the person said, “it was me”?
To me, it does not seem like a supernatural imaginary vision, but rather a “word of knowledge.” This gift operates under the gift of Counsel, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual people receive these rather often. It is not extraordinary.
It depends on what the intent of the priest was, as he revealed this openly. Do you know the purpose? I am not naive enough to dismiss the potential for vanity, but neither do I want to discredit God’s work if it was true.
I suppose your point could be taken that the priest’s disclosure was nonessential, thereby causing disbelief in its authenticity. However, none of us were there, and I would need to know what followed after the priest made that announcement. Did it just fall apart and go away after the person said, “it was me”?
To me, it does not seem like a supernatural imaginary vision, but rather a “word of knowledge.” This gift operates under the gift of Counsel, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual people receive these rather often. It is not extraordinary.
It depends on what the intent of the priest was, as he revealed this openly. Do you know the purpose? I am not naive enough to dismiss the potential for vanity, but neither do I want to discredit God’s work if it was true.
J
Julia_Mae
Guest
I agree with Sirach, it depends on what happened next. The priest may have known why they were saved, and the Holy Spirit might have wanted them to know and believe when told…
And sometimes we just need to open ourselves to the Truth and Reality of the Divine Presence, the *actuality *of the Kingdom of God among us. This kind of experience, for the person who is the object like the crash survivor, can be mind-blowing, I suppose is the word. But it makes them understand that there is a Reality beyond reality, it’s more than an increase in faith, it’s a knowing that they never lose.
God works as He Wills.
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