This has been an eventful week spiritually, culminating with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
I went ahead with the hour follow-up conversation with Dr. H. regarding our 3-way phone call with R, the man who had the miraculous experience of immediate transcending of his physical pain this past July. He is not on the Christian path but is probably more of the new age vocabulary and shamanic and Eastern meditation techniques. But he believes in God even if using more universal terms.
I gave Dr. H. my take, the commonalities of what R said that coincide with Christ's teachings and with the experiences of the Christian saints and mystics. I also gave my thoughts on where there is divergence. Plus I added that I would never (even if I lived near) go to Randall for acupuncture treatment as he spends half the hour or more indoctrinating (for lack of better word), even trying to help people come to unconditional love in what has worked for him), nor do I want someone reading my mind. This is why I stick with Scripture and related, and with the writings of dead mystics and saints who are long-tried and proven.
Yesterday I had a phone conversation with the man from I think the parish if not one of the other parishes in the area, who has developed and provided a program of spiritual direction but is actually more on the standpoint of dreams in Scriptures, in the life of St. Teresa of Avila (and visions and locutions of which she had more), of discernment in dreams, but of helping people to understand and learn to be open to God intervening in their dreams and ability for them to interpret correctly.
Much Carmelite spirituality is included in the course, and since I'd asked St. Teresa awhile ago (and of course Jesus, my angel, Mary, and various other saints including my late spiritual da) to help me get plugged back into more spiritual reading and progression, I dare say it is coming in part through the willingness of the man to have information emailed me weekly so I can follow along from my hermitage. I admit I have some little aspects that I sift out from the materials, but again, discernment is always necessary.
I commended the man for daring to provide this opportunity to parishioners because it enters into an area in which many do not want to step or explore. In fact, I'd forwarded some of the material to a life-long Catholic friend but also asked if picked up a couple of little concerns I had in two of the aspects, but the friend surprised me by being totally against, fearful, and took a head-in-sand approach including that dreams are only based on what we eat prior to sleep. I had to laugh when on the phone, the man told me two people walked out within the first half hour of the first group meeting.
He is marvelous in outlook; he realizes that we are all in different places and levels. St. Teresa makes that clear in her classic, The Interior Castle. While I'm not going to get through all the various related sites and articles listed in the materials sent, I have read some of the ones that include more about St. Teresa and review of what I've read in the past about discernment and dreams and how God has utilized dreams as means of intervening in our lives and progressing His purposes and will.
It is true that without various persons heeding the dreams in which God has spoken to them, we'd be without Christ and also the many messages from the Holy Trinity, Mary, angels and saints who heeded what God taught and showed them through dreams (and also visions and locutions). God provides for all of us, and those who are not willing or comfortable with other modes of God's helping us, can benefit from what He has taught others who share in their writings or otherwise.
Isn't it marvelous, how God provides for us, and even as we have recent and current examples, such as Lucia of Fatima and the visions and dreams of which she had after the fact of the miracles of Fatima? But it seems to me an even more stupendous fact of the miraculous, loving providence of God, is the ways in which He does not limit His speaking, guiding, and showing. He comes and provides to any of us, in whatever ways we are ready or comfortable.
I promised the man who has developed and is facilitating this course opportunity, along with enlisting three priests and a dream facilitator (who is a Catholic woman from another area who has taken a series of rather costly courses in an institute elsewhere that is not solely Christian but provides the Christian approach, thankfully)--I promised the man I would be praying for the success of the course and the 40 people in the course, and for discernment for all, as well.
As has been my experience, while I avoid gnosticism or new age like the plague, I do not close off to the reality that God protects us. I always ask His protection, and I also know that if I get off the path in some way or go against the inner red-flags, that I will learn from the error and get back to safety. A few years ago or many, I forget when was this inner locution, but the Lord assured me that within Holy Mother Church I will be safe and protected.
Now, this does not mean I just lose all sense of compass, for the devil gets into whatever he can of anyone he can, and priests and bishops are prizes to try to corrupt. That is why such as with this course, I am mindful of any new age aspect of which thus far are few, although I know that since one of the facilitators is from an area of which I have good reason from personal experience to be wary, I don't need to have interaction with that facilitator any more than I'd go to Randall for acupuncture or for his reading my mind or indoctrinating talk. It could be all right; I might be not "enlightened" enough, but that notion in itself is not of God but more of gnosticism or new age. God does not play games with people's emotions or have them thinking they are not "with it."
There is more than enough in Scripture alone, or in the vast writings of dead, tried and true saints' holy spiritual masters' and Church writings on all topics from prayer to Scripture to the way of the spiritual life and progression to union with God. As I told Dr. H. who was brought up Catholic but not practicing and probably drifted away when young adult, for me the Catholic Church opened up the curtains, provided a never-ending treasure chest of truths and goodness for me to explore and from which to greatly benefit in seeking and loving God.
I also emphasized how simple it can be and is, too. Love God above all things and love others as God loves us.
I need to make myself get up, dress, and go for a walk. The pain is rather sickening without the icy pad, but again, I cannot think I am meant to remain in bed on an icy pad other than a short walk or two a day and the infrequency of getting up for restroom break or food from fridge. I'm accepting the nerve pain down the legs and into the feet as was prior to surgery, for years prior.
The awful sensation of my lumbar being "blown out" is no longer there, especially with the brace when I'm up and if I do not over do. The surgeon succeeded in making space for my spinal cord and other nerves, and it could be a year or more to see if nerve pain lessens. Thanks be to God! The icy pad was masking it, but the horrific itching of my iced tissue and incision area was getting to me, maybe worse!
I must laugh. So very human, and just following whatever lead the Lord wills. Oh, yes--I did tell the parish man that his willingness to include me as a type of adjunct or remote attendee of the information and course he has developed for Catholic parishioners, is the only readily-opened door the Lord has provided, at least continued to provide, thus far, regarding parish aspects.
(It is true that I'm unable to get myself to Mass nor to sit during Mass, and I did not mention no one bringing Communion as Angel, the woman who had, has been AWOL and no substitute, either. I'm content with the Lord's Eucharist in the Holy Spirit and through His Living Word. God provides; I must wait for whatever He provides, whenever. I have made the temporal contacts necessary; I must practice not pushing on doors the Lord is not readily opening and learn to trust Him in this way!)
God bless His Real Presence in us! Thank you, all the saints and all the holy souls who have gone on before us, before me, fearlessly following Christ, making errors and correcting errors, and simply keeping on, carrying crosses to the finish line of victory and union in Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment