What is Expected?

[fhansen]

I’ve spent years listening to other people and God apparently doesn’t speak to me that way either.

We have to seek God and meet Him as individuals-after all that’s how He made us. But He’s elected to save us-to arrange that meeting- through the community of believers. We need to be attentive so we can hear and recognize His voice-the voice of truth- from wherever it comes.

But it will always be up to us to determine where that voice is coming from. From scripture alone? From this church or that? From other religions or philosophies or no system of belief at all? From myself? In a way, yes, because the self is not man-made but rather is God -made and God’s instilled in it the image of Himself.

We believe that the essence of the Catholic faiths’ teachings are not man-made either and that while the faith is placed in the hands of man to be proclaimed to all men, we believe that God maintains it in the pure form in which He delivered it. Keep seeking, praying, persevering and it will come.

**“I found thee not, O Lord, without, because I erred in seeking thee without that wert within.”
Saint Augustine

“For my part, I should not believe the gospel except moved by
the authority of the Catholic Church.”
St. Augustine
**

 

[Sinner1]

No,

The very fact that you (and me and all of us are alive) is the greatest evidence of the Being and Presence of a god.

Also, we can come to know of a god or god’s, as have every generation of humanity, no-matter how crude and under-educated the culture. Sun-god, Moon-god, Water god, or even the Greeks “Unknown god,” are all begaining steps of understanding that “something” (we Catholics and Chrsitians) believe “someone” is the “creator” of all these things and the force that keeps them in ordinarly existance.

Our KNOWN Universe consist of BILLIONS, yes BILLIONS of stars and even “BILLIONS” of other galaxies, that have existed for Billions of years. This simply cannot be accidential! Not possible.

The Force that created (means to make out of nouthing) also clearly keeps them in place.

Does every sexual act result in a pregnancy? No! Why?

Why does the sun orbit our planet?

Why to the ocean’s contain “themselves.”

Why does a seed grow when it’s planted?

So we began our journey in search of god, by acknowledging that all these things are way to complicated, way too organized, well to uniform to be accidential, and this leads all men to God.

From there, we can began to ask Why this, Why that, and why me? Why here? Why now?

Nouthing, not the slighest think is a coincedience, there is no such thing as “luck,” good or bad, nor or there any accidents. Every little thing is either Ordained by this God, or permitted by this God for our POSSIBLE sactification and HIS GREATER GLORY.

This premise is debatable, but I won’t get into that now.

Use the intelligence God gave you. Note that only, human beings have an intellect and a “free-will” that allows us to figure things out, and decide a course of action “on our own.” (Actually God and His Angels too are so endowed." Why is that? We can do oh so much more than respond on instinct alone!

Don’t be looking for an easier way. God expects us to strugle. Accept it prayerfully, you can’t do it by yourself.

Was your finding this Forum pure accident? Not hardly!

God bless you,

PJM m.c.

But everybody always says that I won’t be able to just figure it out. The Catechism even says that faith doesn’t come to us because it makes sense, but because God gives it to us. What about when God doesn’t give it to us no matter how much we ask?

 

[PJM]

People have told me that I’m not open the voice of God because I don’t have faith. Personally, I find that a bit offensive. I have been seeking God for years. Several times I have offered to give my whole life to him in service. (And I wasn’t just trying to sound holy; I was actually going to do it.) I’ve read the Bible, the Catechism, spiritual books, apologetic books, and writings of the saints. I spent years going to Mass every day. I’ve spent hours upon hours in Adoration. I’ve prayed rosary. I’ve gone on retreats. I’ve spoken to a spiritual director.

But yet God remains silent.

That’s why I just don’t know what he expects from me. If he never reveals himself to me, what does he want me to do? Faith can only come from Jesus, but Jesus doesn’t seem to be giving me faith.

My friend, your doing good. Keep it up!

If I were to ask you to explain to me in a few words what the Bible is about, I suspect you (and a GREAT many others) would tell me something like the “bible is about man’s search for God, or man’s search for a personal relationship with God.”

Now these are not wrong, yet there are sorely incomplete. **The bible is REALLY about God searching for a personal relationship **with us! (Bishop Fulton Scheen.)

From Adam’s “where are you” in the garden to God’s selection of Noah, to Abram (Abraham) and Moses, to Mary His Mother, Peter the 1st. Pope, to you and me, we have a clear and consistant history of God searching for us:thumbsup: Awesome

It is clear to me that God is present and working in your life, but perhaps in a way either not known to you, or GOD FORBID, unacceptable to you!

Let God be in charge. In all prayers, pray “Thy Will, not my will be done.” Lord if YOU wish to use me, please make your presence and your desires known to me.

Many, many great Saints have experienced “a dark night of the soul” where God seemingly withdrew completely from them. St. John of the Crosss, St. Theresa of Aviala, Mother Theresa are examples of this.

God is alway’s asking (Yes He Has Found you); how much do you love Me:shrug: Prove it! That is God’s way and His Will.

“Seek and you will find, ask and it will be given unto you.” Humility, patient endurence, OBEDIENCE, and CONTINUED prayer and ADORATION!

Don’r seek “GIFTS” but when they are granted pray with a sincere heart: THANK YOU LORD!

God bless,

PJM m.c.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

I have deeply studied Christ, but I don’t know if I can say I’ve studied him with all my heart, mind, and soul.

That however is one of the requirements that God requires according to his Ten Commandments to Moses, the words of Jesus Christ, and the Catholic Cathechism. If he graces us with rare supernatural signs of his presence when we are doing anything less, maybe it is because he is extraordinarily loving or he wants to call us in a unique way to himself, not because he must or that we should ever expect him to do so.

I haven’t read that, but I did the 5 week consecration to Mary by St. Louis Mary Grignon de Montfort. I’m guessing it’s very similar.

Perhaps it might be important to understand why one does the consecration. St. Louis Mary Grignon de Montfort also said it was better to say one Hail Mary well than a whole Rosary without any devotion, * although even a badly said Hail Mary is powerful, * so perhaps one can acquire devotion by fully understanding what one is saying and learning about who we are praying through. His Holiness Pope John Paul II said that he read and reread this book in seminary and it was a “decisive turning point” in his life. Perhaps it might be so in yours as well.

True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html
**Secret of the Rosary ** montfort.org.uk/Writings/Rosary.html
saintlouisdemontfort.com/consecration.cfm
Reflections on True Devotion to Mary by His Holiness Pope John Paul II http://www.michaeljournal.org/montfort.htm

I don’t know if he exists and I don’t know what faith has an accurate portrayal of him.

I will post some evidence for the existence of Christ and Mary in my next post if you would like me to. ***Please let me know! *** However, have you ever read the Case for Christ amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307 by Lee Strobel, former atheist, legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, and Yale Law graduate? Reading this book (historical evidence) for Christ was a turning point in my faith, helping me to one year later become a lot more serious about my faith-life, even if I immediately became serious about it in the wrong direction.

I was listening and enjoying DMX this morning, “Lord, give me a sign!” youtube.com/watch?v=xfT0BMiuCjs&NR=1 and I couldn’t help but think of many of the questions on this forum. LORD GIVE ME A SIGN! God frequently has given signs to his saints in the Bible and saints such as St. Maria Faustina after they asked, but sometimes they have asked and he hasn’t complied. And of course, they are saints! As you can be too.

Perhaps this link is a helpful explanation for the lives of mystics, how God led them, by his free choice, to this sort of life: ewtn.com/fatima/apparitions/theology.htm

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *