Sarah Young's Jesus Calling devotionals

[Oumashta]

I hope this is the right place to put this

So my friend (who is a protestant) recommended a daily devotional app for me to download on my phone called “Jesus Calling”. I did it out of being kind to her, and I did want to check it out. I thought that it would be very protestant, but it actually sounds something like what St. Faustina or St. Catherine of Siena would write. It’s very mystical and contemplative in nature. Does anyone know if this is ok for Catholics to read? It’s meant to be like a daily meditation and not like reading a locution. Here is a sentence from today’s devotion:

As you sit quietly in My presence, let me fill your heart and mind with thankfulness. This is the most direct way to achieve a thankful stance. If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at My love poured out for you on the cross. Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that love.

(Mods, I’m not promoting another private revelation, so please don’t ban me or delete this post)

I just want to know if it’s ok to read this. Thanks!

 

[Oumashta]

Can someone please answer ? I would really like to know.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I hope this is the right place to put this

So my friend (who is a protestant) recommended a daily devotional app for me to download on my phone called “Jesus Calling”. I did it out of being kind to her, and I did want to check it out. I thought that it would be very protestant, but it actually sounds something like what St. Faustina or St. Catherine of Siena would write. It’s very mystical and contemplative in nature. Does anyone know if this is ok for Catholics to read? It’s meant to be like a daily meditation and not like reading a locution. Here is a sentence from today’s devotion:

As you sit quietly in My presence, let me fill your heart and mind with thankfulness. This is the most direct way to achieve a thankful stance. If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at My love poured out for you on the cross. Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that love.

(Mods, I’m not promoting another private revelation, so please don’t ban me or delete this post)

I just want to know if it’s ok to read this. Thanks!

Why wouldn’t it be OK? Nothing in that devotional statement is against the Faith. There are plenty of so-called private revelations out there written by Catholics that are false and misleading , but people don’t seem to get as upset by them as they do about reading something by a Protestant. You are expected to use your discernment when reading anything–Catholic or Protestant–and if something is against Church teaching question it. If the rest of the devotional is like what you have posted, it should be fine. God can speak to the heart of any believer.

 

[Tabitha]

IMO, no, I wouldn’t read it. I rather read words that I know came from Christ, like those in St. Faustina’s diary or bible then to read words written by a human pretending to be from Christ.

 

[Oumashta]

Why wouldn’t it be OK? Nothing in that devotional statement is against the Faith. There are plenty of so-called private revelations out there written by Catholics that are false and misleading , but people don’t seem to get as upset by them as they do about reading something by a Protestant. You are expected to use your discernment when reading anything–Catholic or Protestant–and if something is against Church teaching question it. If the rest of the devotional is like what you have posted, it should be fine. God can speak to the heart of any believer.

Thank you. I will be on the look-out for anything against church teachings. I don’t think it was meant to be a private revelation, but rather something written to encourage and comfort as if it was spoken by Christ.

And what does IMO mean? I’m not really up to date on the latest Catholic abbreviations.

 

[Cardinalsong]

IMO means ‘in my opinion’.

 

[weirdcatholic]

I know this forum is pretty dated but that work falls under the vein of occultic automatic writing rather than locutions. I would highly suggest reading these two articles:

Did Jesus Really Write this book?
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=16470

The Difference Between Automatic Writing and Christian Locutions
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=14096

 

[MRittenhouse]

I know this forum is pretty dated but that work falls under the vein of occultic automatic writing rather than locutions. I would highly suggest reading these two articles:

Did Jesus Really Write this book?
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=16470

The Difference Between Automatic Writing and Christian Locutions
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=14096

Thank you for posting this.

 

[weirdcatholic]

No problem.

 

[Faith1960]

I hope this is the right place to put this

So my friend (who is a protestant) recommended a daily devotional app for me to download on my phone called “Jesus Calling”. I did it out of being kind to her, and I did want to check it out. I thought that it would be very protestant, but it actually sounds something like what St. Faustina or St. Catherine of Siena would write. It’s very mystical and contemplative in nature. Does anyone know if this is ok for Catholics to read? It’s meant to be like a daily meditation and not like reading a locution. Here is a sentence from today’s devotion:

As you sit quietly in My presence, let me fill your heart and mind with thankfulness. This is the most direct way to achieve a thankful stance. If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at My love poured out for you on the cross. Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that love.

(Mods, I’m not promoting another private revelation, so please don’t ban me or delete this post)

I just want to know if it’s ok to read this. Thanks!

I have that devotional and LOVE it. One of my Bible study leaders also has that book and often reads from it.

 

[weirdcatholic]

I have that devotional and LOVE it. One of my Bible study leaders also has that book and often reads from it.

Faith1960,

The book was written using automatic writing, which is occultic and not good. There are various contradictions to catholic teaching in the book. See my previous post with links about it.

 

[asia53]

I found this review at Women of Grace website:

Although the reviewers I read found nothing wrong with the doctrine in Young’s messages, they expressed concern over the way she infers that while the Bible is inerrant and infallible, it is not sufficient – at least not for her.
“It was not enough for her and, implicitly, she teaches that it cannot be enough for us,” writes Protestant Pastor Tim Challies. “After all, it was not reading Scripture that proved her most important spiritual discipline, but this listening, this receiving of messages from the Lord. It is not Scripture she brings to us, not primarily anyway, but these messages from Jesus.” His ultimate recommendation is that Jesus Calling is, in its own way, a very dangerous book.
“Though the theology is largely sound enough, my great concern is that it teaches that hearing words directly from Jesus and then sharing these words with others is the normal Christian experience. In fact, it elevates this experience over all others. And this is a dangerous precedent to set. I see no reason that I would ever recommend this book.”

 

[Faith1960]

I know this forum is pretty dated but that work falls under the vein of occultic automatic writing rather than locutions. I would highly suggest reading these two articles:

Did Jesus Really Write this book?
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=16470

The Difference Between Automatic Writing and Christian Locutions
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=14096

Thanks for the heads up. I sent the two links you provided, to my spiritual advisor. I’ll see what she says.

 

[Telstar]

Here is a sentence from today’s devotion:

As you sit quietly in My presence, let me fill your heart and mind with thankfulness. This is the most direct way to achieve a thankful stance. If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at My love poured out for you on the cross. Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that love.

I have also seen this spoken about on the TV show, Women of Grace, and it was clearly something they said should be avoided.

Just looking at the segment you posted, it seems to be fairly innocent at first glance. But, it doesn’t strike me as sounding quite right, especially when I get to the last line. I’m sure, as Catholics, we all know that we actually can separate ourselves from the love of God, through sin. So, this seemingly innocent ‘meditation’ is actually teaching serious error. I suggest deleting this app and never using it, again. There must be something out there from St. Faustina, St. Therese or some other Catholic Saint that you could use, if you really want to use some kind of an app. I would not trust using this one for meditation.

 

[Faith1960]

I have also seen this spoken about on the TV show, Women of Grace, and it was clearly something they said should be avoided.

Just looking at the segment you posted, it seems to be fairly innocent at first glance. But, it doesn’t strike me as sounding quite right, especially when I get to the last line. I’m sure, as Catholics, we all know that we actually can separate ourselves from the love of God, through sin. So, this seemingly innocent ‘meditation’ is actually teaching serious error. I suggest deleting this app and never using it, again. There must be something out there from St. Faustina, St. Therese or some other Catholic Saint that you could use, if you really want to use some kind of an app. I would not trust using this one for meditation.

I have quite a few daily devotionals and none hits home like Jesus Calling and God Calling.
And my Catholic ones have the least amount of material that I can relate to on any given day.
Jesus Calling and God Calling both happen to have exactly what I’m going through and need to read when I need to read it.

 

[Telstar]

I have quite a few daily devotionals and none hits home like Jesus Calling and God Calling.
And my Catholic ones have the least amount of material that I can relate to on any given day.
Jesus Calling and God Calling both happen to have exactly what I’m going through and need to read when I need to read it.

Since the writers freely admit that they use occult practices (automatic writing) to receive these “inspirations”, I could never seriously consider using them for any kind of Christian meditation. Inspirations received through the occult, most likely do not come from God. That makes them potentially dangerous to the souls of Christians. They could lead us away from God, instead of drawing us closer to Him.

I might suggest the “He and I” books, by Gabrielle Bossis, instead. At least she was Catholic, and the messages she received through direct locution are clearly more in keeping with the practice of the Catholic Faith, since they often came to her before, or after, receiving the Holy Eucharist. While she was living a very busy and seemingly ‘worldly’ life, on the outside, she was clearly being drawn to remain focused, inwardly, on the love of Jesus, at all times. I’ve often found that just popping open one of the books and reading whichever verse caught my eye, was usually what I needed to hear at the time.

I’m not sure I could put my trust in the source of those other meditations, but that’s your own choice to make. If you believe they are helping you, then who am I to say they aren’t? It might be something you should talk to your Priest about, and see what he says.

 

[Faith1960]

Since the writers freely admit that they use occult practices (automatic writing) to receive these “inspirations”, I could never seriously consider using them for any kind of Christian meditation. Inspirations received through the occult, most likely do not come from God. That makes them potentially dangerous to the souls of Christians. They could lead us away from God, instead of drawing us closer to Him.

I might suggest the “He and I” books, by Gabrielle Bossis, instead. At least she was Catholic, and the messages she received through direct locution are clearly more in keeping with the practice of the Catholic Faith, since they often came to her before, or after, receiving the Holy Eucharist. While she was living a very busy and seemingly ‘worldly’ life, on the outside, she was clearly being drawn to remain focused, inwardly, on the love of Jesus, at all times. I’ve often found that just popping open one of the books and reading whichever verse caught my eye, was usually what I needed to hear at the time.

I’m not sure I could put my trust in the source of those other meditations, but that’s your own choice to make. If you believe they are helping you, then who am I to say they aren’t? It might be something you should talk to your Priest about, and see what he says.

Do you have any links to something that calls this automatic writing Occultic?"

 

[Telstar]

I know this forum is pretty dated but that work falls under the vein of occultic automatic writing rather than locutions. I would highly suggest reading these two articles:

Did Jesus Really Write this book?
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=16470

The Difference Between Automatic Writing and Christian Locutions
womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=14096

Do you have any links to something that calls this automatic writing Occultic?"

The first link in the post above says this:“Essentially, it is a devotional book containing one year’s worth of short reflections on the Christian faith, I am concerned with the way she acquired these devotions which she claims came from Jesus Christ in a way similar to messages He allegedly gave to two anonymous “listeners” who authored the book, God Calling. As this blog explains, these two listeners were engaged in what is known as automatic writing – an occult art – while receiving these messages.”
This is part of an article posted on the “Women of Grace” (Johnnette Benkovic on EWTN) website that speaks about the book that these ‘devotions’ are based on. The second link, from that same website, gives more details about why it should be viewed, by Catholics, with suspicion and skepticism, because it is not a ‘spiritual’ method that has ever been used in the Church. It is nothing like locution, which has been seen in the writings of many Saints (like St. Faustina) and other holy people in the Church, including Gabrielle Bossis, the woman from the “He and I” books.

 

[Faith1960]

The first link in the post above says this:“Essentially, it is a devotional book containing one year’s worth of short reflections on the Christian faith, I am concerned with the way she acquired these devotions which she claims came from Jesus Christ in a way similar to messages He allegedly gave to two anonymous “listeners” who authored the book, God Calling. As this blog explains, these two listeners were engaged in what is known as automatic writing – an occult art – while receiving these messages.”
This is part of an article posted on the “Women of Grace” (Johnnette Benkovic on EWTN) website that speaks about the book that these ‘devotions’ are based on. The second link, from that same website, gives more details about why it should be viewed, by Catholics, with suspicion and skepticism, because it is not a ‘spiritual’ method that has ever been used in the Church. It is nothing like locution, which has been seen in the writings of many Saints (like St. Faustina) and other holy people in the Church, including Gabrielle Bossis, the woman from the “He and I” books.

That’s their opinion, I guess. My friend has God Calling and gave me a copy, and I have Jesus Calling, as well as one or two other books by Sarah Young.
I talked to my friend and emailed my spiritual director; my friend is unconcerned and my s.d. doesn’t know much about it so I’m bringing the book with me when i see her in a couple of weeks.

 

[adawgj]

My entire family has a copy. I don’t read it that often, but it’s good to read in the morning. It’s a good Jesus motivation book.