I do see that here Potato Sacks. I was generalizing world wide when I said that. I do however think that we have to figure out a way forward and to somehow balance out the gloom with joy too or we are all going to end up very sad people. I am finding myself a bit downhearted and depressed etc, I am usually a very happy person.
The Gospel is GOOD NEWS. It is difficult to see that on this forum lately, I know I am not the only one that feels this way. How often is good new announced here or a rejoicing in the Gospels of Christ. People seem to keep levitating towards the doom and gloom. This isn't how Christ wanted it at all.
I guess everything is relative. I guess you perceive talks about future events as gloom? I perceive them as divine interventions from God to make right our world...hallelujah!!! How can this be gloomy? The Holy Spirit bowling people over and enlightening them to God in the same way that turned Saul into Paul...how can this be gloomy? I know the chastisements will be beyond tough...but our loved ones will be woken up...hallelujah!!! My point being...gloom is not the same for everyone. I do think there already is a lot of prayer threads/less "gloomy" threads so it does seem pretty balanced to me. As Carmel does, I don't go to the threads where there is a lot of debate going on, as they are not what I need right now. It might be something you try to do.
mc There will always be areas of talk on the forum that you are not comfortable with. We however would like to talk about this particular subject without being reprimanded for doing so. Thank you.
You are always welcome to go to another thread MC. We were having a nice conversation. Personally, I'm tired of you jumping in and taking over the conversation. I don't have time to banter back and forth with you, I see just as many important viewpoints here besides yours and I charitably ask you to butt out and let those who wish to have this conversation have it.
Carmel ,I think , actually just before he resigned, Pope Benedict asked us to wear crosses, didn't he? Thank you for reminding me. I must think about this. I think for a man wearing a cross is different for a woman..I mean openly. A woman can wear the cross and it be seen as jewelry ..but for a man..well its a bit more in your face. But maybe there is a way of doing it....I must think and pray about it. Yes Bobby I was at the apparition site, I heard it called, 'Bearnageea'....the 'Windy Gap' It is a gorgeous place. I am sure you are right Our Lady appeared there and it is a refuge. I know a lady owns a farm right beside it. Did you know the visionary is still alive and they say the rosary with him every Sunday night?
Padraig, I do not think that it was meant to be worn on the top of the clothes, as a demonstration, but rather as an intimate sign.
Yes Padraig - the Rosary is said at 2pm every Sunday. I went one Sunday a few years ago and met the visionary afterwards and asked him about how it all started - he said he was a young lad in the field tending to the animals and holding the tail of a cow when she appeared - made me laugh. But the Rosary has been said there every week since 1954. And the loyalists erected a flag pole nearby to fly the Union Jack and have even attacked the grotto. I have been stressed at work in the last few weeks so visited the grotto on the way home today as it is close to the route I take to work. Such a beautiful and peaceful place and the stress just lifted ----
Probably not, however I have to wear the brown scapular, and I also like to wear a crucifix. Having more than one thing around your neck tends to get tangled, so I sewed my crucifix on the front of my scapular and also some relic medals on the back. It's heavy now and has a tendancy to flop outside of my clothing so I figured, what the hey. Also at a picnic several years ago I heard a very liberal priest in our area crabbing at a new young priest for wearing his habit in public, saying he was trying to be "holier than thou" (this same priest never wears his collar and uses yeast bread at his Mass). Anyway, I didn't want to be "afraid" to wear my habit and I wanted to help support the wonderful regligous who do wear their habits in a way. Now I think is a very good way to witness...so many fallen away Catholics will recognise the scapular and start to reminice about how they used to love their faith. Don't get me wrong, have had also many people say it 'offends" them too which is hard. But its only a small scapular....they would really be offended if I wore the large one I was clothed in that the nuns made. Anyway, in this world I think people being reminded of God is a great thing. Its no fun that's for sure.
I re-strung my scapular,which is larger than average. It now hangs down to my belly button...lol I balance it out with things on the back like a relic from Garabandal, a miraculous medal and st. Benedict's medal. When I take them off for appointments sometimes people ask about it. Then it becomes a topic of conversation.
I have worn the Miraculous Medal since Father John Hardon, SJ at one of his many retreats I went to told this story: He said, when you become a Jesuit priest the first two years are spent in a hospital or health care facility. While doing his rounds in the hospital he came upon a young boy who was lifeless, "brain dead" from sleding down a hill and running his head into a tree. Father Hardon asked his parents if he could pray for the boy, which they consented. Father Hardon went into the hallway and found a nun and asked if she had a Miraculous Medal, which she found him one. Father found a string to put the medal on and put the medal over the boy's head and said the prayers attached to it. Immediately the boy sat up in bed, looked at his mother and said, "mom i am hungry". The boy was completely healed. Father Hardon then said, the if he had not had this happen early in his priesthood he may well not be here as a priest today. God Bless Servant of God, Father John Hardon, SJ.
I wear a brown scapular, a crucifix and miraculous medal. I have placed 3 green scapulars in various rooms in the house, praying for hubby and son's conversion!
Thank you all of this thread. Somewhere I read something about a Saint (I think) who saw these times and his advice was that the best thing people could do is to stay whereever God put them. Inside me, I always worried about not finding a place of refuge, but now I think if God wants me to find one he will show me where to go and, if not, then that is all right too. Now, I got a brown Scapular and had it blessed, but I do not know what else I have to do to claim its full benefits. I know I have to be enrolled somewhere, but am not sure where I do this. Any help would be much appreciated. I also wear medals. When my brother died, I took off my medal of the Sacred Heart and put it in his coffin. As soon as I did, a voice went off in my head saying "that will come back to you". For some reason, that made his funeral a lot easier. I find myself wondering now and again how that medal will ever find its way back...
My parish priest did the enrollment for me. Procedure for the Blessing and Investiture of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at following link. http://www.freebrownscapular.com/brown_scapular_enrollment.html
