Softening the heart

[RedFox0456]

As I have posted before, I am generally an intellectual person, and unfortunately it has led me to be detached from my emotions quite a bit of the time. Prayer, of course, is said to bring us into conversation with God - to bring us closed to him. As a testimony, yes. Yes it does. The last few times I have felt powerful emotion have all come during prayer. I almost burst into tears while praying a mass on Holy Thursday this year, and the last couple of times I have prayed the rosary I have begun to tear up. Tonight the gates opened and I finally shed tears for the first time in years. The emotions never seem to make logical sense. That is of course, unless you consider that maybe He was speaking back to me at these times and has been acting on my heart. I mean, that or I’m nuts. I’m willing to accept that’s possible - I just don’t think it’s likely. I would be glad to hear of your accounts of prayer moving you. With all of the negative stories and news we are given everyday, I think it would be nice to reflect on something good for a while.

 

[JRKH]

You are blessed.

I don’t have a lot to share…but I know from personal experience that I can be saying a prayer that I have said a thousand times before, and suddenly it will become “Real” to me in a way that it never had before…and this has brought me to tears.
I’ve also teared up at mass when - for some reason - the glory of the Eucharist hits me in some deeper way.
I try to take these and allow them to impress me - but I try not to dwell on them except to recognize that God is moving in my heart and soul and that has to be a good thing.

Peace
James

 

[RedFox0456]

That’s great to hear! I just figure we are called to witness the wonders of the Lord, big or small. I know for most of my life I kept my faith quiet; tucked it into the background. Now I like to share my faith, listen to, and be inspired by others. Not to say I’m a paragon of virtue now - I certainly have many faults, but I’m at least looking at life in a better light than before.

 

[JRKH]

That’s great to hear! I just figure we are called to witness the wonders of the Lord, big or small. I know for most of my life I kept my faith quiet; tucked it into the background. Now I like to share my faith, listen to, and be inspired by others. Not to say I’m a paragon of virtue now - I certainly have many faults, but I’m at least looking at life in a better light than before.

Amen…

I’m no paragon either…but then some of the great saints of the Church came from very sinful pasts…So there is still hope for us.

Peace
James

 

[WaitingForJesus]

I am pretty unemotional too. I am a convert, but prior to beginning to attend mass, I spent 25 years living as a heathen. For many months after starting to attend mass, I was completely unable to say the “Our Father” or “St. Michael” prayers without crying. And I would cry while everyone was going forward for communion. Those things don’t cause tears any more. But when I do cry now, it is invariably because I have a sense that the Lord has touched me in some way…during mass (especially during the homily or after communion), adoration, or prayer of some other sort.

 

[RedFox0456]

The most intense feeling I had was when I had first started practicing my faith after college. It was intense, and while I felt incredible love, kindness, and mercy, it made me realize just how unworthy I was to even feel all of those things. It was a huge wakeup call, needless to say! That took place at the moment the Eucharist was consecrated. It took me 25 years to really listen to Christ with my heart, but boy was it worth it!

 

[RedFox0456]

I am pretty unemotional too. I am a convert, but prior to beginning to attend mass, I spent 25 years living as a heathen. For many months after starting to attend mass, I was completely unable to say the “Our Father” or “St. Michael” prayers without crying. And I would cry while everyone was going forward for communion. Those things don’t cause tears any more. But when I do cry now, it is invariably because I have a sense that the Lord has touched me in some way…during mass (especially during the homily or after communion), adoration, or prayer of some other sort.

Your story seems so similar to mine. I had quite a smile after reading your post.

 

[JRKH]

The most intense feeling I had was when I had first started practicing my faith after college. It was intense, and while I felt incredible love, kindness, and mercy, it made me realize just how unworthy I was to even feel all of those things.

(SNIP)

You have touched beautifully on something that, all to often, we overlook in these matters. That is the intense and overwhelming power of pure Love.
It lifts up while in joy and thanksgiving while at the same time it causes us to bow in shame at our unworthiness.
It fills us with hope and a desire to return that Love even though we know that the love we have to give is but a shadow of the Love we are receiving.
Yet - if we combine our feeble love and efforts with the Love that God pours into us in the form of grace - we have something worthy to share and something that will grow stronger the more we use it and share it with others.

And the more we share this budding Love with others - the more fully we witness to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ who’s command to us is that we Love one another as He has Loved us. (John 13:34-35)

Peace
James

 

[Joy2day]

The most intense feeling I had was when I had first started practicing my faith after college. It was intense, and while I felt incredible love, kindness, and mercy, it made me realize just how unworthy I was to even feel all of those things. It was a huge wakeup call, needless to say! That took place at the moment the Eucharist was consecrated. It took me 25 years to really listen to Christ with my heart, but boy was it worth it!

This is great to hear - all things occur at the consecration (& communion) - it is when God gives Himself to us - & you know He’s thinking of you - even if you are 3rd from the aisle in the 2nd back row; when nobody else knows you’re there.