Correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember you saying that it was your cerebellum that suffered the focus of your strokes. As you know this usually affects the ability to comprehend the written and spoken word. That being the case your recovery is truly miraculous. Our opinions may differ but you demonstrate fine skills in arriving at your points of view. Yours is a different comprehension to mine but it comes from a sound mind, miraculously sound given your history. I ask St Joseph through the intercession of Saint Andre Bessette to bring you to perfect health of mind and body. The indwelling Jesus is the author of His own tenancy agreement. He lives in us on His terms and when He wants. We just have to ask Him in. Jesus is the Landlord who comes to live with his tenants and who takes care of everything. He serves us all the time and we don't even know He is there. But we believe. We are surrounded and filled with Trinitarian Mystery. Think of the great minds that have considered this mystery. So different in their opinion but the same aim: Truth. Will the Mystery of The Trinity cease to be a mystery when we arrive in heaven or will there always be something of God that is reserved only for God? How far will our comprehension be allowed to reach? He came unto his own but they did not receive him and the darkness could not comprehend the Light. We are promised however that we will know even as we are known. Our Hearts are restless til they rest in You.
I am not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. I find it very amazing how this thread took off on the selfsame day. Its the Indwelling of Christ that Transfigures us.
Yes, I wrote that, thanks. I had a great spiritual director, who took mystical and spiritual theology from Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange while he was at the Angelicum in Rome. He gave me Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's two volume master work, "The Three Ages of the Ineterior Life: Prelude to Eternal Life" several decades ago. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange also taught the course in mystical and spiritual theology to Karol Józef Wojtyła two years before our spiritual director took his class, and was Karol's primary advisor for his doctoral thesis. I finally have time and enough concentration to re read it right now after 25 years. I just started it this week. It was the primary subject of my son's 40 day retreat with our spiritual director when he was 17. He took the religious name "frater (brother) Silvan" after our spiritual director, Fr. Silvan. Fr. Silvan preached the week long annual retreat to the Norbertine Abby in Silverado CA in 1997. Our son found the CDs of all his talks in their archives and was able to listen to all of them several months ago. We miss Fr. Silvan, who passed away several years ago when he was 92. I'm 50 and met him when in was 15, and went to him for spiritual direction from my early 20s till a year before he passed away. Now I see a Benedictine monk who is a local diocesan pastor for spiritual direction - who had Fr. Silvan as a spiritual director when he was a Novice. If anything, "the monk" as we affectionately call him he is even more radical than me, if that's possible ;-)
I was a little familiar with Fr Lagrange's work many years ago. I remember the light bulb moments but only the light not the switch. I wish I had better time management.
I am sorry, Lynn, I am not quite sure if we are considering the same thing here. If I had to mark a date on the calender for the beginning of the indwelling of Christ in our hearts I would set it as the birthday of the Church, that is Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down. Thus fulfilling Christs promise that He would send the Holy Spirit and thus be with us always even until the end of the world. Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen I agree that these has to be the proper disposition, that people need not to be in a state of Mortal Sin, but I am unsure about the desire and knowledge of His Will in fromal terms as I am not quite sure what that entails. I guess it is a matter of defining terms.I know you have a great Devotion to the Divne Will and see things through the prism of this Devotion. But I would be uneasy about complicating things a little too much here.
The Eucharist is so extraordinary. It appears to be the exact opposite of how the world views things. The paradox of being there yet not being there at the same time. Totally spritual, the exact opposite of materialism. I love the stories of non Catholics who have been converted simply by walking into a Catholic Church and feeling the Real Presense of Christ in the Eucharist. For me to walk into a Church is to walk into fire and light and warmth because of this. I contrast this to walking into a Porotestant Church of a Mosque or a Synagogue. I walk into these places and I am walking into an empty building . I walk into a Catholic Church and no matter how empty it may be, I am walking into a HOME. It is so noticeable this being swept up in a loving embrace as soon as we enter, like entering fire and light. I heard a story from Paris back in the 1800's. A student and his friends who were sceptics stole a Consecrated host from a local Church. One of the students kept the host on a mantlepiece and they used to make jokes about it, throwing thigs at it ect. But over a period of time the student in whose appartment the host lay noticed a change upon entering his home. He felt the Real Presense . Even though he mocked and made fun. Eventually he converted, the host was retunred to the Archbishop of Paris who has special ceremonies of reparation made for the sacrilege. Just goes to show.
Thanks Joe. I had a right cerebellar stroke on Jluy 28, 2015, that caused deafness in my left ear, severe balance trouble and nasty vertigo. I was fortunate in that I recovered my hearing in a couple weeks, and the vertigo resolved and my balance recovered about 90 to 95% that fall, and I was able to return to work full time after several weeks. I had two smaller strokes in early March, one again in the right cerebellum and a cerebral stroke at the very top of my head, which caused a return of the vertigo and loss of balance. Then around March 20 I started slurring my speech and had severe balance trouble, and went to the hospital and was diagnosed with another right cerebellar stroke that also affected the pons. On March 22 I had the most serious stroke, and it affected my basal brain stem area and the right cerebellum. I was paralyzed on my left arm and leg and the right side of my face, had seriously slowed, slurred speech, and no balance, and I became deaf in the right ear. I received two stents on March 24, one in the left vertebral artery and one in the basilar artery. If you know anything about the arterial supply to the brain and the use of stents in the brain, you know just how serious the blockages were; I had a 1 in 5 chance of not waking up from the procedure to place the stents. My recovery since then could be said to represent a small series of miracles. I recovered the use of my left arm and leg, the right facial paralysis resolved, I still talk a liitle bit slower and a little bit slurred compared to before the strokes, and I'm finally walking with just a cane and am permitted to drive again. And I'm still deaf in the right ear. But the real miracle is that I've never been happier or more joyful in my adult life as I have since March. I don't know if the strokes destroyed the part of my brain responsible for being crabby and cranky, or my life has been changed so much and this is just a free gift from God. I know it sounds hard to believe, but I told God several years ago that if I could continue supporting my family, I would be willing to carry a cross for Him, in reparation for my sins, but especially if it meant the salvation of souls who would otherwise be lost. The last few years were very difficult, without getting into details, but I've been able to work through it all. Then late last year I told my spiritual director about this, because I was frustrated that I didn't always bear these crosses magnanimously, and the burden was often shared by my wife and children, which just didn't seem "fair." He just looked at me, asked me why I had not told him before (because it would have made events in my life more comprehensible to him) and simply said to expect something very serious, soon. I had excruciating shingles in December and January, then developed pneumonia two weeks before we were scheduled to fly out to California to visit my son in the Norbertines in early February. Missing that trip would have been soul crushing, but the pneumonia resolved and we were able to make the trip, which was an incredible flawless adventure, our first time on the west coast. We had a wonderful visit with our son. The rest of February was uneventful, and I thanked God I had survived "something very serious, soon" that my spiritual director foresaw. Then I had the strokes, and it changed my life forever. But everything I have been permitted to endure for the last year, I've accepted and offered up with ardent prayers for Pope Francis. That is why accusations of "not praying for him," or "attacking" him or "hating" him are such a cross, in some ways harder to bear than the strokes and the long difficult recovery. I doubt many people love the pope enough to pray ardently for him and be willing to suffer for him, really suffer. Plus I've lost 50lbs, at least in part because of fasting and abstaining for him. I can no longer do my profession because I've lost the fine motor skills on my right side necessary for Podiaty, and developed a bit of a tremor with fine movements and effort on my right side too. I thought this would come back, and I'd be able to return to my job and support my family, but this is no longer the case. I think things in the world are worse than we could possibly grasp, and God needs those willing to carry crosses more than I have the need to provide. Fortunately an opportunity was placed before us this week that we never anticipated, and after 17 years of homeschooling, my wife will be able to put her elementary teacher's degree and certificate to work, and she starts as a first grade teacher in a Catholic grade school in a week. Sue always dreamed of teaching first grade if she ever returned to a classroom. It doesn't pay well, but God fulfilled her dream in a way we never imagined. I can no longer be a Podiatrist and provide for my family, but now my wife gets to fulfill her dream. God is good. We need to be very careful in our assumptions about people, and their motives, especially when we disagree so strongly. There might be much more going on behind the scenes than we could possibly imagine.
Oh, I meant to ad, that I've been completely at peace in what I've posted the last several months. Why? I shouldn't be able to think straight or communicate my thoughts given what I've been through the last several months. Major parts of my brain look like Swiss cheese on the scans, and it's by the Grace of God alone that I'm alive and functioning. I don't know how or why I'm able to arrive at these points of view. I shouldn't have a sound mind. I look back at some of this stuff, shrug my shoulders, and say, "Where did THAT come from?!?" I can only conclude that I've had a lot of help the last couple months, then be at Peace. That "help" can only come from two places. I must believe it comes from practicing the presence of the indwelling Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Padraig warned me that he wants no Papal controversy or personal battles on this thread, that there are plenty other threads for that. I understand that this thread is about the Indwelling Jesus and, from your courageous and generous account, your life provides a remarkable example of the architecture in which He prefers to dwell. As a practising osteopath I understand well the structure and function of the body and appreciate the magnitude of your miraculous healing. I wonder which one of us most accurately identifies with Job and which with Job's friends. I know whose side God was on in the end. By learning his lesson in humility Job's example became a lesson to his friends. God was always the teacher. I fully acknowledge you have had to deal with extremely difficult circumstances but Brian, I respect you too much to patronise you. As such I must say I do not think I have mis-read you either in your attitude to the way Pope Francis exercises his office or to the way you have responded to my comments. I would like to say that the only concern for myself was when your stance against me threatened to undermine The Pontificate of Francis - or as others quite rightly called it - Pope Bashing. My reading of this has been confirmed by many on this forum in private some who have left directly because of comments like yours. Sadly I have to admit that my pride came into play. But you already know that. I believe that my pride obstructed the grace of The Indwelling Jesus in my appeals for a better attitude and understanding from you for Pope Francis. Mea culpa indeed. I still find it difficult to reconcile the idea of the presence of the Indwelling Jesus with such unsympathetic interpretation of the words of His Vicar. Unless if course you are still a work in progress with this regard. Then I can see Him at work in you. I once supported at a funeral the mother of an addicted glue sniffer who had thrown himself of the roof of my apartment building. He impaled himself on railings at street level. But he survived for a few days. During this time he made his peace with God and was reconciled with his family. He had to be brought very low before he could benefit from the saving grace of the indwelling Jesus. God never gave up on him. I am pleased that you are so much at peace and that things are working out well for your family. It is commendable that you have prayed so hard for the Pope and fasted for him as well. As you say, not many of his supporters would go to this length. I believe this work of yours must enjoy a prominent place among the many saving graces with which you have been blessed. I am sure there is nothing more pleasing or attractive to the Indwelling Jesus than prayer in unremitting suffering and pain, when nothing seems to be going well. This surely is the Act of the will which you so rightly say constitutes Faith. This is Our Faith and the same Jesus who dwells in you dwells in me. As for life and death - none of us know when we will be called. If I died tonight I would not fear hell. For me that is a huge advance. I have been to confession mass and Communion said my Rosary, Prayed for the Pope, been through the Doors of Mercy, completed my Surrender Novena, fed the poor etc etc yet I still need to sit quetly and say in complete humility "Lord have mercy on me a sinner" if I want to have a chance. I need to fast. Tomorrow morning, Monday, will be a good start. If there is less of me maybe there will be more room for Jesus to dwell in me and if there is less padding I may even be more sensitive to His Presence. Sorry Padraig; you did not want this thread to become personal. You wanted it to stay spiritual and mystical. But the Trinity is Personal - Three Persons in One God and one God in us. Through Him with Him and in Him in the unity of The Holy Spirit, through us with us and in us in the unity of The Love of Christ, the Indwelling Jesus.
Once years ago, we attended a Triduum in honor of St Therese, given by Fr. Jacques Daley, OSB, a Benedictine monk at the local Abby in Latrobe PA. He used to visit our friend and spiritual director Fr. Silvan quite often. They were close friends, and we got to know him well on our many visits with Fr. Silvan. He said St. Therese was his "girlfriend." He had a great devotion to her, and hosted a program about her on EWTN, where he was often a guest on Mother Angelica's program also. During this Triduum, he said that there was one prayer in scripture that God would always answer positively, without fail: 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. - James 1:5-8 In addition to practicing the presence of the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in our souls, and making an act of faith based in the will, part of the intellect, not feelings or emotions, we must humbly pray for wisdom, to simply learn how to PRAY, and what this indwelling means in our daily life. There are books on the practice of the presence of God, not least of which is "The Practice of the Presence of God" by the Carmelite Brother Lawrence of the 17th century, which can aid immensely in developing this part of our daily lives. But if we spend time in silence in the presence of the Blessed Trinity, we can ask God directly for wisdom in how to develop this prayer in our own daily reality, and be assured that He will answer our prayer.
This seems like a hard ask - to ask without doubt. Just as well the Spirit can pray in us and perfect our prayer. Jesus himself instructs us to pray without doubt and promises such faith can move mountains. " Habete fidem Dei." Is translated as "have faith in God" but Dei is Genitive and denotes possession. I have always thought therefore it should translate as "Have the faith of God" or "Pray with My Faith". That prayer contains no doubt. He has given us The Faith that has the potential to move mountains but like our brains we only use a small part of the gift. "Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief" Even as he cried in anguish and agony of mind "If it is possible spare me this cup" his heart and mind were submitted to the Father "Not my will but thine be done" And so His prayer was answered.
I was one of those Protestants who walked into a Catholic Church and felt the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and had several mystical experiences in an Adoration Chapel and it certainly changed my life! Thank you Jesus and Mary!
I knew Fr. Jacque quite well. He was a very holy Priest who loved St. Therese very much as he believed she lived in the Divine Will and wanted to become a Saint like her.
When I am considering the 2nd Glorious Mystery, the Ascension, I think this is what makes it so special. It is like a train leaving a station with a dear friend and another train coming right back on in with the very same person. Jesus leaves ,so that Jesus might stay. Jesus goes that He might live in our hearts. Acts 1:6-11 The Ascension of Jesus 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
OMG I love the Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This book is one of my top 5 favourites. I am also amazed at the suffering you have been through Brian. What a gift from God it is as he only asks for suffering of those He Loves. I pray for you that you get to continue strongly in the Gifts and Graces he gives you. You are very blessed. I have also been praying for a peaceful resolution to the divisive issues in this forum (I am sure I am not the only one), and I think it is happening here in this very thread. Beautiful!
It's a great book. I think my all time favorite is Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean Pierre de Caussade, the short version with the blue cover. That probably did more for my spiritual life than any single book I've read before or since.
I have been meaning to read this book! When I went to Medjugorje last year there was a Holy Monk who kept on referring to Divine Providence in regards to everything. I wanted to become a noviciate in his Order but unfortunately my health has not allowed me to do this. If my health was better, I would have been able to travel with him by foot with his order to the world youth day from Belgium to Poland relying only on the Grace of God. But I still may get my chance, this friday at the basilica we made reparation to the Sacred Heart in front of the Blessed Sacrament. After the prayers, I grabbed a Bible and randomly flipped to Psalm 50. I said the prayer, and during this time I felt my right ear, which is covered in psoriasis, touched gently. I got the impression it was Our Blessed Mother who touched me feeling sorrowful compassion for the suffering I experience in my ear. Since then the Psoriasis seems to be slowly recovering. We will see what happens. To suffer to the grave or to become a noviciate, either way I will be happy.
This is a great topic. It is my experience that the indwelling of God is felt in my soul when I follow Jesus command in the Our Father, be alone in your room (anywhere you blot out distraction but for me it is indeed my own room). Before my conversion experience, when I "prayed" it usually was saying words, but I did not experience God in my soul, now it is no longer praying to a God "out there" and sometimes when I say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" I ask God to forgive me better that I forgive others. It is my belief that true prayer is a very subtle communion with the living God. I suspect that "a born again" experience is valid, even though it may not be in the Catholic tradition; it truly is being re-animated in God when the soul gives full permission to the Holy Spirit with complete surrender and total consecration to the will of God. God Bless
