I am not quite sure if experiencing the praeternaural is somethnig to be hoped for or not. THough I seem to recall a few years back in the US State of Texas the Catholic Bishop there permitted the live showing of an expercism becuase he thought it would encourage people to believe in the real exiestence of the devil. Does anyone remember this? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...st-maker-says-Vatican-let-film-real-rite.html Fr Paul of Mol,l the extraordinary Flemish Benedictine priest and miracle worker ,had an interesting sighting of the devil. http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/2009/02/rev-father-paul-of-moll.html He says he saw Jesus walking one time and behind his came a procession of demons dressed in medieval armour. For Fr Paul says that were Jesus (or Our Lady) goes the devi lwalks quickly to try to undo the good they have done. I think this is true. There can be a huge wide range of reasons why the veil between this world and the next somtimes lifts.
This is very much like what Jesus teaches us through Luisa, Conchita, St. Faustina, and many others - that when we unite our acts (prayers, etc) to His in His Divine Will, they become eternal acts.
"I will have crowds of souls who, living in my Volition, will redo all the acts of creatures; and I will have the glory of many suspended acts done only by Me, also from creatures - and these, from all classes: virgins, priests, lay people, according to their office. They will no longer operate humanly, but penetrating into my Will, their acts will multiply for all in a way fully divine; and I will have, on the part of creatures, the divine glory of many Sacraments received and administered in a human way; others, profaned; others, sullied with interest; and of many good works in which I remain more dishonored than honored. I so much long for this time; and you, pray and long for it together with Me..." Jan. 29, 1919
Padraig, I honestly can't remember if there was a basement in that little Church. It was a simple brick building with sliding doors half way down which when closed allowed for a community centre in the bottom half. It would serve as a community hall if they ever get the money to build a proper Church. I will see if I can find a picture of it on line and try to post a link.
Apparently Satnists sometimes have access to Catholic Churches through a Satanist planted in the pArish, perhps a Sacristan, a workman or event he priest himself. They often seem to use the basement of the Church so that they can desecrate it by hold Satanic Rites below. We are very blessed if we cna find a priest who wil lgo right on out and believe in such experiences. But it is true more and more young priestsare more ope to such things. It is puzzling when we look aorund us and see such evil all around us yet people find it hard to beleive in the praeternatural world. But of course if they beleived in the devil they would ahve to beleive in God and if they beleived in God they would have to think about the way they are lving their lives and they do not want to do this. I think the devil does not usually want to show his hand like this becuase when he does he breaks his own strategy which is to pretend he does not exist. I notice in cases of realy horrifc attacks , physical ones on Padre Pio and the Cure of Ars their fellow preists were the greatest doubters. I read a fun ,fun story about St John Vainney . He went on a Diocesan Retreat with many of his fellow priests as a retreat house. Some of them were laughing at him for having an over active imagination and making things up about the devil. But one night they attakced St John and the whole place wasin a uproar. How I would ahve loved ot have seen their faces!! they were not long changing their tunes. I do not see how someone who truly believes in God cannot believe in the devil and if we believe in the devil why cannot we beleive he goes into full out attack mode sometimes. I have to say it has been one of the great blessings of my life to experience these attakcs on numerous occasions. It has been a real eye opener on the reality of evil. I think that is why many of our secualr and spiritual leaders have such a funny idea about radical Islam and people ebing brain washed. They do not reconise a lion as a lion and to treat him that way. They do not ebleive that purest evil and Satan really exists.
On the Divine Indwelling: "In the evening of August 5 (1957), the feast of Our Lady of the Snow, as I knelt in my room, Our Lady spoke to me about the Divine Indwelling. It was her life and she lived it perfectly, always conscious of His presence, never forgetting that all Her greatness came from within, from Him who dwelt there, working, loving, and doing good through her. This is what Our Lady means when She speaks of reformation, renewal. It is this about which She is so concerned, namely, sanctification from within." Sister Mildred Neuzil (Our Lady of America)
"Our Hearts buried in His." Yes all hearts of the living are deep in His, but I can never get my mind around that incomprehensible concept. The depth of Love. Even the hearts of those Judas' who despise Him; still He says "Father forgive them..." God Bless
I remember saying to my Spiritual Director that love does not seem the right way to describe God's love. That His Love was so far beyond any concept we have of what love is. He was not to happy with this idea. For as St John says . 'God is love' . But God's love is beyond our understanding. It leaves us gasping just to glimpse it. I am beginning to realize that the Cross is a doorway through which we can catch a glimpse. But only a brief, brief glimpse.
Bc, no, I do not recall the Gospels of the days this happened. It happened 3 times that is on 3 different Sundays, but not necessarily in a row. But my concentration was wiped out by what had happened. I think the fact that the Priest asked me to recall exactly what he was doing and exactly what I was experiencing at the same time is why I remember so clearly what was happening. I don't remember the Priest asking me exactly which Sundays apart from the last one prior to my talking with him. I must admit wondering if this was the cause or that was the cause at the time; and could not fathom it. The Priest did not say why he thought it might have happened either, and I was not the sort to question him as to why at the time. I might be more questioning now if it was to happen. I did share it seemed to me at the time to be something to do with the Priest himself. I do not mean he was a bad Priest. On the contrary, he was very charismatic, and loved the Holy Spirit. I went to a prayer group he attended once, and he was such a lovely holy man.
I prayed a little about this Julia and think you could have experienced a deliverance of sorts, the fear and terror you describe could be demonic. You may think you couldn't have any demons and you could be right, but there may have been a family tree involvement is this. A friend of mine who has been in serious prayer for much longer than myself (30 + years) recently started to manifest and through being prayed over by discerning people and an exorcist priest discovered some of his ancestors were involved in druid worship many years ago. I couldn't believe he could be manifesting but I was present at some of the sessions with the priest and was shocked at the change in him throughout the prayer. The mocking laugh you heard sometime previously could have been the demonic boasting of being so well hidden but through your ongoing prayers you would have exposed it and once it is exposed it will leave. I could be wrong too of course.
BC. The incident with the loud mocking laughter happened some 10 or more years prior to the physical assaults. It happened in a different Church, on a couple of occasions and the Priest at the time was a different Priest. I don't want to publish too much private information even thought the soul I was praying for is dead more than 20 years now. But that soul had been a lapsed Catholic all their life since their teens. They had lived in sin for much of their life. That is between them and their God. But I spoke with the Priest about things relating to that soul on a few occasions while that soul was still living and he told me; God was intent on saving that soul. That soul was not a relative of mine. That is all I can share about it. I did find out something about that soul after they died which caused me to wonder if that was what the devil was laughing at, with me praying for them and the soul itself doing something which could have damned their soul, in fact I would expect anyone who would do what that soul did should have been damned; but that is not what God intended. That is all I want to share about it. I do believe the Priest who told me God was intent on saving that soul; because he was a very spiritual man, the most extraordinary spiritual person I have ever come across. So I do believe what he told me. He even prophesied something about that soul that would happen after their death and to my astonishment it happened exactly as he said. I don't know if I was possessed in some way because of the incidents with the physical assaults. The Priest on that occasion certainly gave me no indication that he was exorcising me. I was however working with people who had some very dark ideas about life, and I had indeed taken some things that concerned me to him in confession on a few occasions. One example I can share. I worked at night nursing for a number of years while my children were young. One person who I worked with would fall asleep in the staff room, and in her sleep she used to whine like a dog. That used to give me the creeps. I don't want to terrorise the rest of the forum with some of the things I have encounter over the years. But just a peak at one incident that happened on a number of occasions. I don't know, was I possessed because I worked side by side with some pretty dark characters. God only knows. I don't. I am almost certain without a shadow of a doubt that I encountered more than one person die while I was at the night nursing who was on their way to hell. I witnessed more than one very scary death in those days. And if anyone claims there is no hell for the indifferent souls who die, they would be scared shitless if they saw some of the deaths that I saw in those days.
I'm not suggesting you were possessed Julia, most of us need deliverance at some time or another. There is a difference. And a huge amount of it happens at mass.
OK Bc. I appreciate your asking, and sharing your own impressions. I know you have a good holy heart of gold, so no worries there. As it happens we have a new Priest coming to our parish shortly, and I hear he is an exorcist. I may have a chance to talk to him at some point, and if that happens I will try and ask his advice about those things, now you mention them. Because I really don't know about the assaults, the Priest at that time did not explain it to me at all. The first time when the laughing thing happened, the then Priest was certain it was a tactic by the evil one to distract me and convince me I was wasting my time praying for that particular soul. He in no way thought it was any thing else, and I knew the Priest quite well. What you said about the assaults did cause me concern, so I may bring it up when the new Priest arrives; after I have a chance to get to know him a little. I will be wanting to know if a Priest would secretly do a deliverance or whatever and not tell me what was going on. That is worrying if it is possible. When I first heard that some sins are not forgiven in confession, I was in a panic. I went and asked a Priest how do I know if my sins were forgiven or not over the years. And he told me if the Priest withholds absolution he would tell the penitent. So in that instance I was able to know for certain that no Priest had ever told me he was not going to absolve whatever I had confessed. The same now Bc. I will need to hear it straight from the mouth of a Priest exorcist to know for certain what may or may not have happened. I now need to know. And I will share the outcome if you want at some point in the future.
I realise I probably don't have to tell you Julia but suss out the priest a bit before saying anything. I knew a priest who was big into Maria divine mercy, as were a lot of his prayer group. His Bishop elevated him to an exorcist.
