I too have been afraid of being a victim soul and so I’m quite relieved that I’m not the only one. I didn’t know that Fr Ripperger cautions against offering oneself without very careful discernment. A couple of days ago I got an eyelash stuck in my eye which lasted about 15 minutes. It was dreadful. I offered it up for souls but was very glad when the ordeal ended. I’m a terrible wuss where pain is involved. I know someone who had a vision some years ago in which she was told that at some point in the future she would be asked to offer herself as a VS and that it would not be an occasion of sin to refuse, however her offering would be to avoid or shorten a terrible war. She has not been asked as of yet but of course it could have been a deception. Stan is a very convincing liar.
Sometimes yes, sometimes , no. However I would say it would make it increasingly likely. The person who becomes a Victim Soul is someone who treads very,very closely in the Path of , in the footsteps of Jesus as He walked to the Cross. Jesus Himself met Satan, toe to toe on numerous occasions. For instance in the Desert, when He cured the Possessed , with the Betrayal of Judas and at the Garden of Gethsemane. So those who follow that path could expect something similiar. I think this is especially true when they drink the Chalice to the Dregs as they die. It is often the case I think as they enter the Death Agony Satan can often come right out in the open even with ordinary everyday Catholics. It is his last chance and what has he got to loose by hiding?
I notice time and time again it comes as an invitation. Our Lady appears and offers the soul two crowns. One of them is the Crown of Thorns, the other a Crown of roses. The soul can freely choose.
This is not a victim soul story, but about that prayer to reverse things, I heard this story from a Catholic woman: when she was in a Catholic middle school, she used to pray with friends and ther was a sort of friendly competition among them in their prayers. One of the girls decided to take things to the next level and prayed that the Lord allow her to do her purgatory on earth. In the month that followed, she was hit with so many unbelievable difficulties. Her friends figured out why before the girl did and they prayed together to God with her that she be released from that prayer made too impetuously. Everything stopped after that and the person telling the story said it was a real lesson!
But you know , Victim Soul or not life can often not be a bed of roses anyway. We say, 'Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears', for a reason.. Jesus Himself said, 'Take up your Cross and follow me'. We all have a Cross to carry one way or another. At the very least we are all of us, like it or not, going to die as Jesus did and we are, all of us, going to endure the Death Agony. That's not nothing.
So true. But it’s not just the final physical death that we have to endure. I find that the “daily deaths” can also be moments of grace and growth or moments where I succumb to lies of the devil. These deaths are when your wronged, insulted , or pained. I’m going through this experience now with my son-in-law. He emotionally abuses my daughter. He is absent in care of their 3 young children. I see them al suffering. I want to bash him and yet I know I’m called to love him and forgive him. He is in fact my “enemy” and I hear the voice of Christ in my heart…love you enemies, do good to those who don’t treat you well. It is a struggle… it is a death to my will… I’m doing it so poorly. I need the spirit of Christ within me. Please pray for me. And for my daughter. And, especially for my SIL… that he may have a St. Paul moment of conversion.
You are right Padraig. Death is not nothing. My intentions for the 4th Glorious Mystery, The Assumption, always include the grace of a happy death for myself and others. As I contemplate the Dormition of Our Lady, which must have been peaceful, I pray likewise for the peace that surpasseth understanding at death. This is because like many I suppose I fear death considerably. I tend to be claustrophobic, and I see death as a kind of smothering as the Good Lord takes our breath back. We have nothing but the breath in our nostrils and even that is taken back from us at death. Nowadays death is very sanitised, helped by drugs administered. I would imagine in the old days very many deaths were very painful. There is also the well known phenomenon of 'terminal agitation', which can be upsetting for family, medical and caregivers to witness. Therefore, terminal agitation is suppressed using haloperidol and other drugs. According to Cardinal Anders Arborelius, O.C.D., Karl Rahner, Theologian, "tells us that sleep, prayer and death are all realated to one another. We can only go to sleep and pray - and die - when we abandon ourselves and our problems into God's hands. Into Thy hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)" May we all obtain a peaceful death and one in which the last rites and viaticum are administered. While being a victim soul may be for only the very few Saints, there is much written here and elsewhere on the salvific value of our sufferings. Saint Faustina writes in her Diary (303) that the purer our love becomes, the less there will be within us for the flames of suffering to feed upon, and the suffering will cease to be a suffering for us; it will become a delight! By the grace of God, I have received such a disposition of the heart that I am never so happy as when I suffer for Jesus, whom I love with every beat of my heart. Saint Faustina then relates that one of the sisters said to her, "You must have many consolations today, Sister; you look so radiant. Surely, God is giving you no suffering, but only consolations". "You are greatly mistaken, Sister", I answered, "for it is precisely when I suffer much that my joy is greater; and when I suffer less, my joy also is less". ... when we suffer much we have a great chance to show God that we love Him; but when we suffer little we have less occasion to show God our love; and when we do not suffer at all, our love is then neither great nor pure. By the grace of God, we can attain a point where suffering will become a delight to us, for love can work such things in pure souls.
Well each Christian soul is in a place entirely on it's own. You are in your place and I am on mine. Each of us on it's own pilgrimage. I find myself at a time of retirement of rest. At peace. Totally, totally on my own. For very,very long periods really not talking to anyone at all. For days and for weeks. Total silence. I have upped my devotional practrises , prayer , prayer, prayers, reading and studying good Catholic stuff. Constantly, constantly shepherding my thoughts to turn to all things Spiritual, placing all things under Christ. Every moment, my all. I never had time to do this when I was in the night shift in the hospital. I do now so I do it. What a joy. I guess all of us can only do what we can with what we have availalble. We just do what we can. I must admit though I am in total heaven. I feel like Moses going into the Holy of Holies. I give all my time to God and He gives all His time to me. I do have difficulties with the devil, but I daresay the devil has far, far, far more difficulties with me. Sometimes you know I hear flocks of angels passing by, applauding and encouraging me. I do. I hear angels flying past cheering me on.
I know I am sinner. I know this, I really, really do. But as I grow older I know Jesus knows this too. But Despite this He picks me up, throws me over His shoulder and runs away with me. It's all about Grace. It's all about grace. It's all about grace. I now I am a Great Sinner but this assures me that I have a Very Great Saviour
I did offer myself as a victim soul in 1998. Within a year I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had already had some demonic encounters so I was not going to let them stop me or frighten me out of it. I truly believe the Lord is very merciful and knew what a chicken heart I was (still am!) and that it was a brave and scary thing for me to do. He has been very good to me. I do have a lot of pain daily, but also it is manageable and not scary. I don't mind pain as long as I am not afraid. At the time I was very much aware of being here to serve God alone and that my time on earth must be used wisely. I also felt I needed to make reparation for my sinful life before my conversion. I realized that I am not a generous person, and that as I live on a tight budget I would have a hard time giving anything of value to souls, hence by offering pain and suffering, I DO have something valuable to give. I don't feel like it has done much good anyway, but perhaps I will find out otherwise when I die.
Bless you. I guess so long as you are under good Spiritual Direction this is Great. It's such a really, really enormous step to take, I'd pretty well say constant Spiritual Direction is a must. I have to admit it terrifies me. I find just plodding along day by day does me. I mean life itself is very beautiful but often so challenging . I just leave things in Our Lady's Hands. I would never,ever have the courage to be a Victim Soul.
Pray for me then, please! I need help with a great weakness of mine that has been plaguing me, and your prayers may be just what I need. Please ask God to give me a more perfect resignation to His Will and a greater charity toward others. Thank you so much for offering yourself as a victim soul.
I will definitely pray for you! Please also remember me in your prayers! Just remember that you acknowledging your weaknesses, and struggling against them gives so much glory to God. Sometimes God lets this go on a bit so that we stay little and needy for Him. You bringing your little children's souls back to Heaven is the most important work and each moment probably has some suffering, worry, or chore that you could offer up to Him each day. It all adds up to be a tremendous amount offered for souls. I had no family or earthly life really, except to work and earn my keep, and since I was validly married was not able to go into a convent, so being a victim soul made sense for me. It was really nothing heroic, just letting my King take charge to direct my service for Him.
LOL so true Padraig! I never would have done it now! I kind of hope sometimes that our Lord forgot that I did it!
Speaking of spiritual direction. Over the years, I've been on the lookout for a director, but have never approached anyone to see if they'd take me on. Everyone is so busy. Unsure if I really need direction beyond what I already get during confession, Mass, and reading/watching stuff, I gave up looking for one a long time ago, but honestly, I didn't look that hard. If God decides I need one, I've told Him he's going to have to plop someone directly in my path who broaches the subject.
It is not easy to find a spiritual director. For me this is a great sign of the times that we lack shepherds to guide us. I am relying on our Lady to guide me through praying the Rosary and taking refuge each day in her Immaculate Heart.
