Padraig I was reading from the link you gave on the gift of tears and the priest says that facial change means the tears are not from the Holy Spirit interaction with the person. Supernatural vs. Natural Tears This gift of tears differs from normal tears both in what triggers it (it is triggered by an experience of God, not by natural pain or sorrow or joy, for example), as well as in how it occurs physiologically – generally, these tears are abundant and are not accompanied by the usual kind of sobbing or the distortion of the facial muscles. So you can see that your instinct was right. Someone who has a particularly sensitive nature may often be moved to natural tears by beautiful spiritual realities. This can be a very good thing, but it may not be, strictly speaking, the same as the gift of tears. Likewise, someone may go through periods or moments when their natural sensitivity is heightened (by stress or exhaustion, for instance), and this could make them more susceptible to shed tears in response to normal emotional stimulation – perception of beauty, sorrow at sin, etc. This type of crying can be emotionally renewing and of great benefit for the person (crying releases many hormones and toxins that are known to reduce stress levels), even though it may not, strictly speaking, be the gift of tears. I wonder is this true, or his belief. It is a kinda hard to imagine a person shedding copious tears with no facial expression. God Bless
This is a very good and interesting question , Light and one that shines light on many other spiritual matters ......
My own base of understanding on this has been the Sorrowful Virgin . How did Our Blessed Lady stand at the foot of the Cross? Not how would I react if I saw my only Son die in such a terrible fashion but how did she? ....and on mediitaitng on the Sorrows of the of Our Lady not to ask the the question of how I may have felt .....but how did she? You see the difference? To walk with her.... but to realise you are not her....to walk alongside her .. granting her the respect that you can never ever know her pain... Its hard to put into words...but it encountering the Sacred
Dear Andy - I have not been visiting the forum as much, so I am behind on threads. I just came across this thread this morning, so I am a little late to the game. Nonetheless, please be assured of my prayers as well. God operates outside of time, so my prayers today can help last week, right? I hope so! Andy3 - I have "known" you for a long time on this Forum and I have seen your good works. You are a good man and a true soldier of Christ. I am praying for you, brother! Remember, God writes straight with crooked lines. Keep fighting. Keep praying. God bless you.
Don D--thank you for this post. And thank you for this prayer. I mean to copy it down and say it every day. Like everyone here I have good days and bad days spiritually and physically. And I always say a Morning Offering the minute I open my eyes in the morning but there are days when I literally feel like I am getting up and then reaching down to lift up and shoulder a very heavy cross. Not every day but there are those times.... What I do know is that stepping outside the immediate trouble, pain, anguish--whatever--there is the immense privilege of carrying that cross for Jesus. And I always ask Him to remember that I do want to carry it for Him despite any negative complaining I might do in the throes of it. All these sufferings, in whatever form they arrive, are great gifts if we embrace them for the sake of Christ. If we give them to the Blessed Mother to use as she wishes. I'm not saying I always do this with a generous heart. Sometimes like the younger son in the parable who didn't want to go work in the vineyard, I very grudgingly get up and "go to the vineyard" and deeply apologize later for my resistant heart. the darkest time I ever had to endure (and in some sense every day it is still there) was the untimely death of my oldest son. When the news arrived I went to the picture of Divine Mercy and asked the Blessed Mother to stand with me at the foot of this cross or I would never get through it. It was the rawest purest prayer I ever prayed--from the deepest instinct of my heart without even thinking. Help was immediate! I'm not saying I didn't (and do) suffer or that it wasn't an excruciating time because it was but I felt her help. I felt her compassion and I felt her assurance that she was there every step of the way, offering for me to her Son the suffering I was enduring. The greatest consolation of that time--and all the days since-- was the assurance (in some cases miraculous) that my son was safe in the Immaculate Heart. That had been the deepest most grinding fear, that his soul was not ready when death occurred. God is good. God is good all the time. We are all in His Hands. "That you may know that I am Yahweh and no one who ever trusted in Me was disappointed." (Isaiah 49)
Padraig It is futile to me to assess the magnitude of pain suffered by Our Lady; there is a difference in the intensity of pain suffered by our Lady that is beyond comprehrension and doing the Stations of the Cross for example. In some cases, the persons doing the Stations of the Cross may also feel sorrow from time to time. But in both cases, surely their faces reflected the emotion of sorrow. I guess all of this is a mystery. Anyway this song is one that helps me better understand the cost of our salvation. "I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross" God Bless
Thank you all again for your prayers. Still in this struggle but it is better each day. My trust, faith and prayer life needs to greatly improve but I am getting to where I need to be and the strength and trust is returning and can only be from one place! I am surrendering all to Him again and letting Him be my strength when I can't muster it on my own. In all reality can we ever do anything on our own? I say no. We think we can but this is foolish. All must come with and from Jesus. He is the only source to helping in what troubles us. The moment we let go of "me" and focus on "we" is when it finally turns around. The evil one had me for a time there (4 months or so) but thankfully that time is finally coming to an end. I only hope, trust and pray that his reign in me is over now. Thank you so much. You are wonderful friends and family in Christ!
So glad to hear your update. Will include you in my Rosary today. Can't make it Mass. We are in a snow apocalypse here in New England. God bless!!!
About the gift of tears: I've wondered if anyone has the reverse of this? I mean the gift of 'laughter' by which I don't mean the thigh-slapping kind, or the sort which jeers at others. Some time ago, when I was living in our last house, I used to visit the Blessed Sacrament almost daily as the church was never locked in daylight hours. The spiritual benefits were huge. My prayer life deepened and strengthened, and I was even given a cross to carry. When praying alone in the church and focusing on Jesus in the tabernacle I sometimes felt a sense of joy, lightness, and a little gurgle of laughter welled up in me. I didn't feel like laughing in the ordinary sense, there was nothing funny about it. I felt it was a gift from the Lord but had not heard of anyone else talking about it. The laughter was often accompanied by a smile, but not a grin. More the loving smile one gives a loved one, for no reason, just because they are there. I am aware that anyone watching me would have found it weird, but it was just between me and the Lord. I guess it was like a sigh of love.
My beautiful wife, Geralyn, has received this gift. It does not surprise me that the joy of the Holy Spirit might elicit some laughter when the certainty of God's love impacts our mind and heart! Safe in the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit!
This is an awesome thread. The testimonies to personal suffering is so uplifting; all of it is so totally unselfish.. I have no doubt that many many souls are being saved by your interior sufferings. Indeed it is not unlikely I received the grace of reversion to God over 20 years ago, from one or more of your sufferings. How could I ever thank you!. I believe I have still to undergo the 'dark night'... I am not looking forward to it, but only His Will be done in me and in every one I know and don't know. God Bless
