Stigmata

[FootStool]

Have you secretly desired or asked Jesus for a share in His most precious wounds, visible or invisible?

 

[Monica4316]

I think there was a time when I desired it in a way, but left it up to Him cause I don’t feel that I’m worthy of something like this.

 

[TOP]

No offense, but I would think that folks would keep this to themselves. Let not your right hand know what your left is doing type of thing. Tim

 

[Monica4316]

if I had the stigmata, I wouldn’t tell anyone except a spiritual director.

I wouldn’t ask God for stigmata though, cause that might be motivated by pride… I think all the people who’ve had it, didn’t really want it and didn’t tell anyone about it. Like St Padre Pio… he even prayed that his stigmata would be invisible.

 

[Fergal]

Mt4:7 Non tentábis Dóminum Deum tuum

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

 

[Monica4316]

Mt4:7 Non tentábis Dóminum Deum tuum

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

 

[Fergal]

Oh why don’t us Catholics know our Bible

This was the response of Christ to satan when satan tempted Christ to cast Himself off the cliff for it was written that hosts of angels would come to His assistance so that He would not strike his foot against a stone.

See the logic now?

 

[Monica4316]

Oh why don’t us Catholics know our Bible

I used to be Protestant

This was the response of Christ to satan when satan tempted Christ to cast Himself off the cliff for it was written that hosts of angels would come to His assistance so that He would not strike his foot against a stone.

See the logic now?

I know what passage you’re talking about… I just don’t understand how it goes together with what we’re discussing here… ?

I mean, stigmata is not something “bad”, IF it’s in God’s will. I don’t think we should ask for it, btw. I wouldn’t ask for it. I think it’s more humble not to ask. But if someone does, I don’t think it’s the same as ‘tempting God’…

 

[lizaanne]

GASP!!!

Never.

I would never be worthy of such a thing - to ask it would be such an act of courage I can’t even imagine doing so.

~Liza

 

[puzzleannie]

I wouldn;t dream of it since there is no chance I will ever approach the state of holiness while on earth of those saints who were so blessed. If I did ask, I certainly would not talk about it with anyone else. However as I age (rapidly) I reflect that life brings its own stigmata, we all have permanent scars and open wounds that do not heal. The question is how do we regard these events and conditions? Do we cooperate fully with God’s will for us and unite our sufferings with Christ, as intimately as Francis and Pio did?

 

[Monica4316]

that is a good point, we all have the opportunity to share in Christ’s suffering we can offer any of our suffering to Him.

I don’t feel that I could ever be worthy of stigmata either. That’s a very special grace given to saintly souls.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

I heard that both St. Francis of Assisi and St. Padre Pio received it because they prayed at the foot of the Cross asking for it. Can anyone confirm whether or not this is true?

 

[Dtmccameron]

No offense, but I would think that folks would keep this to themselves. Let not your right hand know what your left is doing type of thing. Tim

That’d make it kinda hard to do stuff wouldn’t it? Drive, type, swing a baseball bat…

Anyhow, there seems to be a lot of defeatism going about where, “Oh, I could never be as holy as…” or. “I could never deserve…”

It’s not about deserving it! It’s a gift! And, if you should be as holy as any of the Saints, and think it, I think you might have a pride thing to work with!

And another thing! How the heck are we supposed to become holy if we keep saying to ourselves we’ll never be that way? Who needs the devil to discourage us, we’re doing fine ourselves!

That being said, I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with asking the Lord for any of His gifts. How can we hope to aspire to holiness, or to resist temptation, or anything, if we do not beg for the Lord’s help?

 

[TOP]

That’d make it kinda hard to do stuff wouldn’t it? Drive, type, swing a baseball bat…

Anyhow, there seems to be a lot of defeatism going about where, “Oh, I could never be as holy as…” or. “I could never deserve…”

It’s not about deserving it! It’s a gift! And, if you should be as holy as any of the Saints, and think it, I think you might have a pride thing to work with!

And another thing! How the heck are we supposed to become holy if we keep saying to ourselves we’ll never be that way? Who needs the devil to discourage us, we’re doing fine ourselves!

That being said, I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with asking the Lord for any of His gifts. How can we hope to aspire to holiness, or to resist temptation, or anything, if we do not beg for the Lord’s help?

I think you missed the point because it’s on the top of your head!

 

[TOP]

That’d make it kinda hard to do stuff wouldn’t it? Drive, type, swing a baseball bat…

Anyhow, there seems to be a lot of defeatism going about where, “Oh, I could never be as holy as…” or. “I could never deserve…”

It’s not about deserving it! It’s a gift! And, if you should be as holy as any of the Saints, and think it, I think you might have a pride thing to work with!

And another thing! How the heck are we supposed to become holy if we keep saying to ourselves we’ll never be that way? Who needs the devil to discourage us, we’re doing fine ourselves!

That being said, I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with asking the Lord for any of His gifts. How can we hope to aspire to holiness, or to resist temptation, or anything, if we do not beg for the Lord’s help?

You got all that from just two sentences?

 

[LilyM]

Desiring to be holy is one thing, but there are many different roads to holiness and we shouldn’t try to force ourselves down a certain path just because others have gone there.

St Therese experienced a lot of anguish for a time because she couldn’t go out and be a missionary or be holy in a big and heroic way (and I’d count the stigmata as being an example of this kind of holiness).

She, like most of us, soon realised that she was called to a quieter and less heroic way of sanctity, the little way. None the less effective, of course.

 

[Epistemes]

St. Gemma, a stigmatic, was canonized a saint because of her virtue, not because of the mysterious grace she received. The only thing which the stigmata changed about Gemma was the number of times she had to change clothes and bathe (as a result of all the blood) - otherwise, she remained completely virtuous and unassuming until her death.

 

[Monica4316]

I heard that both St. Francis of Assisi and St. Padre Pio received it because they prayed at the foot of the Cross asking for it. Can anyone confirm whether or not this is true?

I don’t know! hmm…good question! Maybe they asked to just share in Christ’s suffering in some way, and this is what they received? I don’t think it’s wrong to want to share in His suffering

Desiring to be holy is one thing, but there are many different roads to holiness and we shouldn’t try to force ourselves down a certain path just because others have gone there.

St Therese experienced a lot of anguish for a time because she couldn’t go out and be a missionary or be holy in a big and heroic way (and I’d count the stigmata as being an example of this kind of holiness).

She, like most of us, soon realised that she was called to a quieter and less heroic way of sanctity, the little way. None the less effective, of course.

that’s a good point… that’s how St Therese became a great Saint, simply by obeying God’s will for her… I think one Saint said, that she’d rather go without certain graces if they’re not what God wants.

I think obedience, out of love, is what makes Saints… not whether we have the stigmata, etc.

St. Gemma, a stigmatic, was canonized a saint because of her virtue, not because of the mysterious grace she received. The only thing which the stigmata changed about Gemma was the number of times she had to change clothes and bathe (as a result of all the blood) - otherwise, she remained completely virtuous and unassuming until her death.

true

 

[Fergal]

Only very recently have I been given to understand the power of those words “Thy will be done!”

The pinnacle of all prayer is that God’s will be done. That is why the Our Father is so important and should be prayed many times during the day.

"Thy will be done contains every prayer, “Thy will be done” contains every petition as God already knows what we need before we even ask for it. Through the words “Thy will be done” we receive all things that are in line with the will of God.

If we were to pray nothing else other than this prayer and pray it with all of our heart and mind, we would have prayed every prayer that ever existed and would have covered all needs and intentions that have ever filled our time.

So when we ask for specifics we may be asking for something that is not in line with God’s will and therefore to a certain extent we would be tempting God. This is only a personal sharing but it is what I feel. We can of course ask for specifics but we should always follow it by the above words.

My continuous prayer is that God’s will for me be my will for myself.

if we live this way we will fully come to realise the words of St Paul when he says "In everything give thanks".

 

[lizaanne]

I’m reading the story of Therese Neumann. She is a recent Saint, who suffered the wounds of Christ during WWII. She was always cheerful and happy, all the while being in great pain. Her home was bombed, the Nazis were horrible to her and her village, and she always maintained her love and connection to Christ.

I’m enjoying the book, though it is a bit disjointed in its presentation.

~Liza