We teach our priests , all our priests Philosophy. We teach them to think. This woman can think and has a love for truth. Anyone who has a love for Truth will find themselves eventually at the Feet of Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Anyone who loves Truth will find themselves loving Jesus. As the Great Philosopher St Edith Stein did.
One time many, many years ago when I was 29 years old I stood outside the door to the Church in the Cistercian Monastery of Our Lady of Bethlehem in Portglenone. It was so beautiful, the River Bann was in Front of me, below the great steps and so green and blue. I was praying when as I looked beams of light came from the figure and I felt me hand sand feet pierced. I have flet this pain from then till now. Not all the time, but very often. Not to be seen but always there. It tortures me to report this. But Our Lady keeps insisting . So I do and die a thousand deaths in so doing. She wants me to talk of other things too. So I will. She is a hard task master. But I know she has her reasons. At night times , for instance when I pray I feel the pain when I go to Calvary. It helps me pray. When I go there I am not often only meditating on it, but, somehow, really there.
I too am a great admirer of Simone Weil. I always think of " she has loved much so many sins are forgiven her"
Malcolm Muggeridge is another of my favorites. His writings after his conversion were superb. I miss him.
Yes. Well said. "She devours her own beliefs". A disillusioned idealist has only two ways to go--to God or to nihilism. I pray her love of truth leads her into All Truth.
Yes. If you pay attention, although she is quite brilliant, you might notice she contradicts herself Also that she seems to me to be very,very unhappy. ..and lost. But I do love her love for truth. Although I know this may seem like a paradox but she is on the bigger issues contradictory . She is illogical. Not untruthful , but ...well illogical. Lost. Many prayers, I would so love to meet her . A fine mind misused. Some times illogical in that she follows the drift of a particular argument brilliantly but in that she does not carry this across to a argument that appllies to all. She is like the honey bee that calls to just one flower. The Catholic Church calls in its moral code applies to all flowers. That is what Catholic means universal
padraig you are describing such barbarism at the hands of the guards and yet such grace flowing to you from God. I have heard this before---a lady I know who is now very very old and very very Holy suffered at the hands of the Russians in the gulag and yet saw God's grace and mercy manifest. When I first met her it changed my life spiritually on so many levels. Am I right in guessing that these experiences prepared you for the pain in your hands and feet? God seems to call victim souls in this way. That guard who offered you the cigarette is mirrored in my friend's experience with one of the Russian guards. It is mysterious and wonderful and so full of hope. Even in hell Jesus stays with his children.
It is kinda of a very Russian/ Orthodox thing to say, but we have to pay a visit to hell before we reach heaven If that sounds nuts look at the death beds of St Therese of Liseux or St Teresa of the Andes? how can we say we are sorry for our sins unless we understand them? We don't understand them. Let's be honest, we may try to .. but we don't
Yes but I must say I will not sound very Catholic in many peoples books. I am in the final stage of prayer, Spiritual Marriage for I guess 32 years now. All I do is laugh and am full of Joy all the time . O f course I suffer, what else? It seems like nothing to me. I am so happy I feel like I am already in heaven. I bear the stigmata for instance but as a source of the greatest joy. What can I say? My only source of suffering is that I am so so very, very, very happy
But on the other hand I know I have I have taken a very different path from other people. I feel the pains on my hands and feet. I talk to the Holy Souls. I talk constantlty in prayer to o God. I see visions. I dreams dreams The devils approach Last week I saw him actually trow my blessed salt to hte floor. But such joy. Such constant laughter OK Our Lady I did as you told me. Mortified.
Thank you for this Padraig. I appreciate you telling us these things. I feel as though I am a kindergartner in the spiritual school of holiness. I haven't even begun. I wish I had such deeps of love and joy. I had them long ago but not now. I think the Lord allowed me to taste the springs of joy just to let me know they are there but now I don't seem to have the key to the golden door to enter in. I know higher prayer is a gift. probably I am not willing to do the suffering. It is in God's hands. But I surely appreciate you telling us these things. The Blessed Mother has done us a great kindness.
If only we understood them perhaps we would beg for suffering. I often tell the Lord that I am afraid of straining the gnat and swallowing the camel. I keep asking the Blessed Mother to reveal to me the camels. i fear that I won't see what is right under my nose.
Padraig thank you for your witness. G o d indeed is doing great work in You. I am a huge fan of Edith Stein and have many books on her. Her intellectual prowess leaves me far behind though and I fail to grasp her writings. In my spiritual life I am still drawing water from the well, praying the rosary whenever I can and going to daily Mass. My life is very much a life of service to my family. I am happy with that as I believe that's what God wants. As AED says I too am afraid of suffering and God will not test me beyond my strength. I cling to Our Lady.
