Share your personal relationship with Christ

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Blessedwithfive said:
They tell me. Actually lots of people tell me about these incredible personal experiences they have had with Christ. Feelings of the calm or flooding feelings of the Holy Spirit. Some have said they have “heard” him, most say they feel a presence of Him when they pray…things like that.
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Because there is such an emphasis on a ‘personal relationship with Christ’ in some Protestant churchs, I would be skeptical of some of the claims especially if they are coming from lots of people. It seems like there would be too much peer pressure on people to just go ahead and say, “Oh yea, I definitely got that. Are you kidding!?” I mean, look at how you feel about it. Another thing I would consider is what do these people who are making these claims actually mean when they say that they have a ‘personal relationship with Christ’. Even on the forum here, I can see that the interpretation of that statement is all over the place.

I would tend to be in the camp of your priest friend who said, How do you know you don’t have one? You are honest and humble enough to say that you don’t think you have one, that speaks volumes for someone who does as much work in the Church as you do. Only God can prompt that kind of humility. If you’ve never been on a Catholic retreat, go on one. Why not go on the Ignation retreat? Has it been put right in front of you? If a silent retreat doesn’t appeal to you, find one that has more active participation like Cursillo or Christ Renews His Parish.
 
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I tend to agree with the skeptics here.

A personal relationship, isn’t defined as ‘Jesus knocked your door this morning and you went to grab a hotdog together’, rather the Protestant effort at being in communion with their belief.

A lot of people do claim to have interesting experiences and I don’t dismiss them out of the blue 100% of the time. That said, as the above comments mention, there is this idea that when a group are so desperate to justify themselves to each other, they often do have a common ‘Christ’ experience to share. Likely copied from someone else.

You know, like those adverts to make you feel sorry for some fellow in India, who is apparently ‘starving’ but looks well fed and is rather obviously reading from a que board.

Not everything is legitimate. Don’t feel less important just because God hasn’t snuck in through the bedroom window and randomly warmed up your foot.

God loves everything he created. If he didn’t, he surely wouldn’t have made such a great effort.
 
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Jesus told His disciples to come away, to spend some time with Him.
You may very well need some time away from personal responsibilities.
Cursillo means “short course” in Christianity. It was started in Spain when some of the laity became aware of many Catholics did not know their Faith. The first Cursillo was postponed until after WWII.
There is a definite reason that the weekends are segregated by gender, allowing each to more freely express their emotions as they experience God in their life, as they “unwrap the gifts” that have been on the back shelf of the closet. Note that Cursillo is not a charismatic retreat. It is simply a time to let somebody else take care of you for a change, to be Mary at the foot of Our Lord rather than Martha worrying about every little thing.
I did not experience the mountain top emotion high that many experience after making my Cursillo. Go without expectation. Remember that after the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the disciples had to return to the market place. The emotional high of being on a mountain top will not remain any more than being on a Honeymoon remains throughout a marriage.
 
This is a continuation of what I wrote in replying to 1Lord1Faith regarding retreats and the mountain top experience.
I wanted to move more into Contemplative Prayer which St. Teresa of Avila talks about in her Way of Perfection. St. Teresa describes contemplative prayer as a gift. She writes about the importance of prayer, most specifically verbal prayer. Are we simply rattling off the words or praying slowing and reverently? She describes how verbal prayer can lead to contemplative prayer when we pray with our whole mind, heart, and strength.
In this process, we allow God to respond to our prayer. We give Him a chance to pull us into His grace. Contemplative prayer is not something that we do. It has been described as two lovers gazing at one another. It is God’s embrace, for which there are no words.
There are no words for what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ.
 
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Now, a couple of things.
  1. Receive the Eucharist worthily. There you go. Regardless of your feelings, factually you have just had such a close relationship it is amazing.
  2. Don’t rely on feelings. We should recognize that God is God regardless of feeling. Even if believing in God had no comfort, no benefits, it should stand. This can be very hard and many are thankful that we do have such comfort! Sometimes it feels like we need it.
  3. I think this is one of the bigger problems. Mary. However can we get to Jesus without the one through whom He was born? The Holy Spirit and Mary brought the world to the Son; still this is so for us today. Try to pray the Rosary every day like suggested by Our Lady of Fatima. It is like entering into an invisible chapel of prayer. Mental prayer is also important.
 
Communication is key to building a relationship with any other person.

Prayer, scripture, these are ways we communicate with Christ and He with us.
 
Kei said:
Receive the Eucharist worthily. There you go. Regardless of your feelings, factually you have just had such a close relationship it is amazing.

Interesting phrasing because I don’t think we are ever worthy to receive any sacraments. They are free gifts from God that are given to us…but I know what you are stating and I do believe in and celebrate Confession at least yearly.

Don’t rely on feelings. We should recognize that God is God regardless of feeling. Even if believing in God had no comfort, no benefits, it should stand. This can be very hard and many are thankful that we do have such comfort! Sometimes it feels like we need it.

Agree.

I think this is one of the bigger problems. Mary. However can we get to Jesus without the one through whom He was born? The Holy Spirit and Mary brought the world to the Son; still this is so for us today. Try to pray the Rosary every day like suggested by Our Lady of Fatima. It is like entering into an invisible chapel of prayer. Mental prayer is also important.
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Yes, the Mary thing…I know. But I have been told by EVERY priest I have known that Mary devotion is not necessary for salvation. The rosary is a private devotion and not required. Fatima is a private revelation and not required to be believed. I know it makes people crazy but I just don’t have a “relationship” with Mary and i don’t believe it is necessary. I do know the rosary and I have prayed it, and lead others to pray it.
 
I am extremely humbled and grateful to all those who chimed in and gave me ideas/thoughts and prayers on my “personal relationship” problem. To see all the posts this morning and so many people sharing personal stories was very uplifting for me.

I am hopeful that someday I too will be able to share a similar experience.

Thank you.
 
I like your comment on compassion.

I add that the station of the cross where Veronica is depicted is pure compassion and so are the weeping women of Israel.
 
yes, the problem is I am communicating in the only way I know how…prayer…but I do not hear or feel Him communicating back…
 
Yes, theoretically. But, realistically, to have such a great resource as a Catholic and not use it…

I am getting the gist that you want help in feeling like you don’t have a relationship with Jesus. This seems to be the most glaring weakness in the armor, if you will, as to why that is occurring. As such, like a doctor would give you medicine for an illness, this would be my advice.
You can take it or you can leave it. But you seem to be looking for a change in your spiritual life, and so why not make a change? God bless.
 
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I got one the day I was baptized as a baby and became a member of His body–and through Holy Communion, He dwells in me and I in Him in the most personal way. Prayer, obeying His commands, living in peace and unity with the other members of His Body, being charitable to all those created in His image (even not members of His body yet), etc. all proceed from that relationship.
 
I am a student in the Catholic Biblical School at my diocese. It is part of the seminary. I am in year three of a four year program where I will read and study every word of the Bible. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more doubt and confusion it has caused me to have. I don’t even know how that is possible but it is true. 2 Maccabees was brutal…

I also attend lay bible study…we are reading Matthew. and sometimes I go to the bible study by our deacon at the church…not too often though, it is at night and I have to take kids to activities.
 
Keep listening in Scripture and in Adoration and in Prayer. Know that it is a still, small voice.
 
We haven’t had Adoration at my parish in ten years. No one in the area offers it. Not even at the Seminary. I know Christ is present in the tabernacle but there is just something different about Adoration and the Monstrance.
 
The first college I attended was a Benedictine College that required a Theology class for graduation. I never did take that theology class, however I did go to Freshman Orientation. So often we hear, especially from our separated brothers and sisters, that we will find the answer in the Bible. We were told instead when reading Scripture to “look for the questions.” I found that to be such a freeing statement. It is by allowing Scripture to me, that I come to answers I did not I was seeking.
It is not always how much time we spend praying, or reading Scripture, but the quality of the time that matter. Within a period of 15 minutes spent each day, we can read the entire Bible cover to cover over the course of a year. I have done so several times. The daily readings of the Mass allow us to listen (or if unable to attend daily Mass read) the Word of Bible proclaimed over the course of three years.
I currently have Our Daily Bread, although not Catholic, delivered to my apartment. Across the top of each page are readings from the Old and New Testament which allow a person to read the Bible in the course of a year. This method of reading means I can connect the Old Testament readings with New Testament readings for greater understanding. I also just purchased the Dichache Bible and read the commentary before or after I read the Scripture of the day.
Of course, there is always the Liturgy of the Hours which provides a great pattern to the day.

During one Bible study course that I took, the final recommendation was to just think about “crawling into your Father’s lap and listening to Him tell a story.” The Bible is not about seeking information so much as it is about transformation. I think somebody else may have also mentioned the possibility of trying too hard instead of simply allowing the relationship to develop. More Mary, and less Martha.

Being a Mother of Five, you can’t do all the work. I know. I came from a large family and my mother was a master of delegation. You can’t do what you need to do without taking care of yourself. There is a reason for the Sabbath rest. We all need it.
 
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