The Gift of Tears

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Yes I see a trend here…I hadn’t been to confession in 25 years, to make this short I’ll just say the Holy Spirit smacked me in the head one day at mass. I spent an hour in the confessional on the tuesday of Holy week. The priest even asked me if I could be at daily mass the next day because he wanted to give me communion. well I couldn’t be there on wednesday but was there on Holy Thursday, what an experience that was, felt His true presence, and have since then. Sometimes the tears come without warning after receiving communion. I think I’ve got it under control and then boom totally Gone!!! Yes it can be overwhelming and sometimes embarrassing but what better way to be overwhelmed than that.

My weakness is my strength, for it is in my weakness that I call upon the Lord.
 
I had never heard of this gift before either, but it has happened to me on numerous occasions the last few years. Certain songs and certain readings can do it every time, but I’ve had it happen during prayers of the faithful, often during the “Lord I am not worthy”, even occasionally during a truly touching homily. It also occasionally happens when I’m a reader and I have had to step back a couple times to regain my composure.

For a “man fully growed” I guess this could be embarassing for some, but if anything I’ve found that even other guys will come up after seeing it and put an arm on my shoulder or even thank me for doing what they feel like but don’t allow to themselves.

Thanks for bringing this up. Just another of God’s gifts I didn’t recognize that I can now be thankful for.

Peace,
 
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ncjohn:
I had never heard of this gift before either, but it has happened to me on numerous occasions the last few years. Certain songs and certain readings can do it every time, but I’ve had it happen during prayers of the faithful, often during the “Lord I am not worthy”, even occasionally during a truly touching homily. It also occasionally happens when I’m a reader and I have had to step back a couple times to regain my composure.

For a “man fully growed” I guess this could be embarassing for some, but if anything I’ve found that even other guys will come up after seeing it and put an arm on my shoulder or even thank me for doing what they feel like but don’t allow to themselves.

Thanks for bringing this up. Just another of God’s gifts I didn’t recognize that I can now be thankful for.

Peace,
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So it’s a GIFT, then. That’s good to know. I just thought I was being a big ‘wuss’.:crying:

I’ve always been kind of a ‘tough guy’ and tough guys don’t cry, but I’ve had to hide tears frequently. Like you, ‘Lord, I am not worthy’, certain readings, songs and homilies do it. I have managed to hide it, but I may have been ‘busted’ a few times. For the sake of my ego, my wife pretends not to notice, but will hold my hand a little tighter when she anticipates the moment. She says it’s ‘sweet’.
 
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cargopilot:
So it’s a GIFT, then. That’s good to know. I just thought I was being a big ‘wuss’.:crying:

I’ve always been kind of a ‘tough guy’ and tough guys don’t cry, but I’ve had to hide tears frequently. Like you, ‘Lord, I am not worthy’, certain readings, songs and homilies do it. I have managed to hide it, but I may have been ‘busted’ a few times. For the sake of my ego, my wife pretends not to notice, but will hold my hand a little tighter when she anticipates the moment. She says it’s ‘sweet’.
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Hopefully it’s ok for a guy to be tough and sensitive both. 🙂 I know my wife has seen me and more than likely my kids have on some occasions.

The thing is I’m finding myself becoming “sensitized” in other things now too. Hearing on the news about the guy who was shot while holding his 10 month old baby, or the latest horror stories from Dharfur; reading some of the history of oppression of the Native people (a special calling of mine); or just the joy of holding my 2 month old twin grandsons. It’s like all of creation is calling to me and I find myself weeping like St Francis and St Clare.

Fortunately I still go to work to keep myself grumpy part of the time. 😃

Peace,
 
I recently experienced the gift of tears. I had no idea it was a gift! I thought I was just being a crybaby! My eyes water at every Mass I go to and even Masses I watch on T.V.
 
I have also experienced the Gift of Tears. And what a wonderful gift it is! It is a little embarassing, but that is well worth the bittersweet experience!

I recently was introduced to the “Gift of Tears” by our priest who also has it. He was explaining this gift to the rest of the parish- so they would not become alarmed. I though “so THAT’s what my problem is!”

LOL
 
I never heard of the gift of tears before. It seems that not all tears are gifted:

“The gift of tears… is associated not with human passions, but with the experience of God. Even their physiological aspect manifests this fact. They flow without strain or effort, without violent sobbing or the contortions of the face muscles.”

For more information: TEARS-Gift of the Holy Spirit
 
Oh my gosh! Count me in as another revert that cries during mass. When I first returned to Our Lord 1 1/2 years ago, I couldn’t walk into a church without crying. My brother told me I was in the “Crying stage”. Okay…so that’s what it was, I thought…but it continued and I kept thinking “When am I going to be out of this crying stage?”

I have felt very embarassed about this to the point that I felt other parishioners must think I’m an unstable person…feeling self conscience as if I can’t attend mass without crying.

Thank you for this post.
 
My situation is similar to yours. Since coming back to God and the Church three years ago I think I have cried at every Mass. I thought it would stop after a few months but it never has. I’m intrigued that this phenomenon has its own name.

I stopped trying to hide it a long time ago. 🙂
 
Wow, i have experienced this for a few years now…but in the beginning, i felt i must be frustrated, and imbarrassed…so i stopped going to church…:bigyikes:

Latter i found, it was not because of the mass, once i returned, as the priest was so matter a factly, that it was void of a spiritul feeling. So i searched high an low for something to cling to. I found that the blessing of the tears always happened durring the musical interludes, or while the priest was preparing the last supper (sorry, i do not know the names of the parts of the mass) . When i had recieved the host, and then came back to my seat to pray…that was the floodgate. It really felt like i was in the presence of the Lord, and it humbly felt so overwhelming.

Now they have a name for it…whew! Thank God!

Now i am running out the door, and if need be snaggin a long row of toilet paper…it is horrible sniffing in church!
 
I just finished reading a book about St. Monica, who was also known for her tears. I’m sure someone already mentioned that - I didn’t read all the responses. 😃
 
Thank you for the wonderful testimonies of the love of God in your lives.
 
Wow, I was surprised to learn that we are a weeping people. Sighs, mourning and weeping, I get them when I pray. Sometimes when I pray, I am so moved with feeling for the suffering, or sacrifice, or love of others, even people I have never met.
And during mass, I experience all sorts of emotions and tears, and I often wish the mass would last just a minute longer.
It’s embarrassing being so outwardly sentimental, many times I hide with bowed head covering my face with my hair and folded hands in prayer so that others won’t see the tears.
 
How much are we like this woman?

Luke 7:
35 ** ** But wisdom is vindicated by all her children." 36 ** 10 11 A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 **** Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,**** 38 **** she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.**

We recognize our own sinfulness that the Lord or God would die for us that we might have eternal life and have it abundantly. When we see the Eucharist elevated before us…is it so odd that we would weep? We are continuing to bath him with our tears.
 
I’ve always been one to be emotional over a lot of things… both due to love of God and love of neighbor.

Men traditionally were both strong AND emotionally free… how many Scriptural passages are there about “rending one’s garments.” and weeping. The idea that crying is weak for men is really a Puritanical/Northern European Protestant notion and later a Rationalist one. We Catholics have always been more affectionate and emotional.
 
Pani Rose:
How much are we like this woman?

Luke 7:
35 ** ** But wisdom is vindicated by all her children." 36 ** 10 11 A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 **** Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,**** 38 **** she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.**

We recognize our own sinfulness that the Lord or God would die for us that we might have eternal life and have it abundantly. When we see the Eucharist elevated before us…is it so odd that we would weep? We are continuing to bath him with our tears.
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Just reading this touches me so deeply. I, too, have been a weeper since early adolesence, I thought that I was just overly sentimental or something. I even went through a time in my life where I distanced myself from anything and everything emotional (including God) because I feared this weeping so much, and the tug at the spirit inside that comes a long with it, almost an ache or heartbreak or something. I tried to completely shut down emotionally.

Just about anything can trigger this, but especially things spiritual: prayer, teaching, reading, music, someone’s story of suffering or joy… I can bearly even sing at Mass, it starts it all rolling. I always knew it was the Holy Spirit trying to reach into the deep places, and frankly, I didn’t want those places reached!

I remember reading recently the Biblical story of Martha and Mary and how Martha was the worker and Mary was always at Christ’s feet, just soaking Him in. And Christ said that Mary had chosen the better portion. That’s how I see it now, as though we are somehow sitting at His feet, soaking it all in and then weeping at what we feel coming from Him, which ties in so beautifully with the above story about washing His feet with tears.

Now I understand that this is a precious gift, to be charished and not embarrassed about it. I will try to keep this in mind in the future and thank God for it as such.

Thank you all for sharing!
 
This has happened to me during consecration on a number of occassions (although not recently) and I e-mailed one of my parish priests just to let him know that it happens at times and not to think that I’m upset about something if I’m receiving communion with red eyes!

He never responded directly to my admission; not sure if he had nothing to add or what, but he had noted that at one Mass he “felt the Holy Spirit pointing you out to me.” That kind of freaked me out but then I realized that it was a blessing so I’m so thankful that for whatever reason I had a special visit from the Spirit. I’m still praying about it and trying to figure it out.
 
For those who would like to explore further, Kevin Orlin Johnson, PhD has an excellent discussion on “the gift of tears” in his recently reprinted book, Apparitions: Mystic Phenomena And What They Mean

It’s available at amazon books and is just marvelous.
God bless.
 
It is interesting to me that I should find this thread now. An email list I also belong to has had a little discussion going on about it.

I have the gift of tears. I wasn’t sure as I thought such tears would only have to do with sorrow for sin.

I have gone weepy at Baptisms for years…more recently, I often find myself teary during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Only once have I had tears in conjunction with Confession.

When I talk about our Faith and about the love of God, I have a very difficult time keeping myself composed. Makes one a less than effective teacher at times! I also find there are many religious songs I cannot sing.

A priest I know exhorted we two daily communicants to pray for the gift of Holy Tears.

I guess maybe I already had them!

I’ve really enjoyed reading this list!
 
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