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| Frank Kelly -Has a powerful healing ministry after a severe electrocution |
-Some examples from both living and departed mystics and visionaries
Having studied the lives of literally dozens mystics and visionaries for this website, I discovered a number of similar traits or circumstances that have occurred in many of their lives.
For sure one of the more interesting events running through the lives of many of the alleged mystics and visionaries is that quite a few of them have had severe illnesses or traumatic injuries at some point prior to having received their purported heavenly graces and revelations. With this in mind, let us look over a few examples of such persons both living, and those who have passed from this life.
A conduit to healing after a high voltage electrocution?
On Dec. 5, 1985 a construction foreman from Massachusetts named Frank Kelly climbed into a crawlspace on top of a walk-in refrigerator at a job site inside a Boston hospital. He was reaching for some pipes when his right wrist came into contact with high-voltage electrical wires protruding from a junction box. In an instant he received a large high voltage jolt of electricity that should have killed him. Instead, he survived and was given what he calls "a gift of piety" along with purportedly a special gift of healing, as related in the book "Short Circuit To God-The Electrifying Spiritual Journal of Frank Kelly".
Frank states that it all began right after being electrocuted when he felt drawn into 3-1/2 years of nearly unceasing prayer. He relates how he initially refused to accept God's role for him as a conduit to healing, however eventually he chose to respond to God's call. For a number of years now, it has been reported that God has granted a number of physical and/or spiritual healings through Frank. He states that God often tells him what saints the person needing help should pray to, and he always passes this information along to the person, so that they might seek this particular Saints heavenly help with their problem or affliction. Also on more rare occasions he is purportedly given divine messages to pass along to people, most particularly during healing Masses, like for example at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge MA. Over the years Frank Kelly's healing ministry has been carefully monitored and guided by his spiritual director, Rev. Ronald K. Tacelli, SJ, professor of philosophy at Boston College.
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| A living prophet? Charlie Johnston in July 2015 |
Another example of a traumatic injury in the life of a purported living mystic—in this case one with a alleged prophetic mission--could be Charlie Johnston of Colorado (1956-present). Charlie himself reports that during his childbirth, his mother had the mumps so they injected her with something to hold off delivery for three days. After a few days he was finally born, but when he came forth his head was "...horribly misshapen from the struggle, and the doctor warned I might have lasting brain damage because of it."
Yet, anyone who has met Charlie or read his blog would soon discover that he is in fact very intelligent and lucid, bearing in mind also that for a time he was a newspaper editor, a popular radio talk show host, and a political campaign manager among other things, so brain damage certainly never was, or is, a significant issue when evaluating his purported prophetic mission.
At 9:03AM on Good Friday in the year 2003, Charlie suffered a severe neurological event which still affects him physically to this day. Although suffering from this painful nerve damage, from Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012 he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. Since then he has been prophetically warning of a "Great Storm" for humanity consisting of a global economic, governmental and societal collapse coupled with a global civil war, culminating in a miraculous "Rescue" through the heavenly intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Charlie states will be a miraculous and visible sign that all of humanity will witness, which he says will occur in late 2017. Those interested can read more about Charlie Johnston and his purported prophetic mission here.
A side note about alleged "Anonymous" visionaries
Before exploring this subject more in the lives of a few mystics who have passed from this life I would like to point out one thing in regards to alleged living mystics and visionaries since we are on the subject. A few persons have criticized the fact that I have reported about purported visionaries who are living. Well, this is a "Mystics of the Church" website after all, so I believe that one should be open to discernment of both living and departed persons who are said to be mystics/visionaries/prophets. What I will definitely NOT write about are "Anonymous" private revelations like the two purported visionaries of the "Jesus King of All Nations" devotion, or the anonymous "Locutions to the world" messages, because quite frankly I am not at all favorable in regards to visionaries who are anonymous. For sure, the recent anonymous "Maria Divine Mercy" debacle in Ireland gives one pause and much caution when it comes to such "anonymous" persons. There is something about a person identifying themselves and putting themselves and their reputation out there for all the world to discern that at least initially lends some credibility to any private revelation (like Frank Kelly or Charlie Johnston for example)---at least one can respect such a person for holding themselves publicly accountable for being the instrument of the private revelation, but with anonymous persons such is not the case, and this is why this writer is not at all favorable towards "anonymous" visionaries. And the recent scandalous fraud of "Maria Divine Mercy" aka Mary Carberry poignantly illustrates this fact, I believe.
Throughout the centuries, the prophets of the Old Testament and the authentic mystics of the Church whose mission is to relate a message from heaven have shown that when God has a message for the world, He does not hide His message or His messenger under a bushel basket, but sets It upon a lampstand for all the world to see and discern. However, "anonymous" visionaries use the darkness and cover of anonymity under the guise and false pretense of humility. While certain mystic victim souls can often be called to live a very reserved and discreetly private life during their lifetime, visionaries with a public message are not called to do so, and those that do should be dismissed, at least in this writers opinion.
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| Irving "Francis" Houle (1925-2009) |
When he was a 6 year old child, Irving “Francis” Houle (1925-2009) of Michigan fell off a horse and sustained a serious chest injury. Here are the highlights of the story from a book "A man called Francis" written by his Spiritual director, Father Robert Fox:
"When Irving was six years old, one day a work horse came home about 5 P.M. The horse was tired and thirsty. An older neighbor boy put all four boys, including six year old Francis on that work horse. Grandpa was sitting on the porch and when he noticed it hollered, 'Don't do that'. It was too late. The horse ran to the water hole after working and wanted a drink. Francis fell off onto a railroad tie onto his chest as an older boy jumped from the running horse.
"Our dad came and picked up Irving and handed him over the fence to our older brother. They called the doctor. I remember that Irving was bleeding from the mouth and nose. The skin on his side was rolled, that is, stretched like as by a finger nail had scratched it badly. There was no penetration or tear on the skin. He was unconscious. We thought he was dead.
"They took him in a car to the hospital 17 miles away. It was about 7:00 P.M. or 8:00 P.M. when they arrived at the hospital. The doctor took X-rays and said, 'I don't know if this boy will survive. He has three broken ribs. His lung is punctured by one of these broken ribs. He is hemorrhaging badly. In this condition I do not want to operate tonight. We will see what tomorrow brings. I will do nothing this night. I will leave the ribs as is.'
"Our parents called our aunt who was the nun, Sr. Speciosa, to ask if she would pray for Irving. All the nuns got up and prayed. The next morning the doctor was amazed that the ribs were no longer puncturing the lungs and the hemorrhaging had stopped and all was beginning to mend within 12 hours. With a new X-ray they could not see any place where the lungs had been punctured or any of the ribs broken."
Concerning this, Irving himself told Fr. Robert Fox that about 4AM the next morning he revived and called his mother to ask who was that "beautiful man" who stood over his crib with his hand upraised. His sudden recovery and the story of the boy was soon related to the bishop who could only conclude, "It must have been Jesus."
On Good Friday, April 8, 1993, Irving reportedly received the stigmata. He was 67 years old. In addition, it was said that Irving mystically experienced the passion of Jesus every single night of the year, including Christmas eve, Easter Sunday etc, and he was also purportedly called to a public healing ministry of laying his stigmatized hands upon people. Those interested can read more about Irving "Francis" Houle--the family man who received the stigmata
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| Therese Neumann, mystic and stigmatic |
On March 10,1918 a fire broke out in the barn of Martin Neumann, the uncle of Therese Neumann. As part of a bucket brigade, Therese was lifting pails of water to someone higher up in the stable, and to do this better, she stood on a stool. After sustained exertion, her clothes water-soaked, she slipped and fell to the floor. With very severe pains in her spine, and unable to walk alone, she was helped by a woman to reach her home nearby. The fall had caused partial paralysis of the spine, accompanied by very severe pain in her legs. Physicians were called in to evaluate her condition, but they were unable to bring any relief to her serious condition.
Not long afterwards, she suffered another fall--this time down the basement steps in her home, causing her to become completely bedridden, along with becoming partially blind, presumably due to a head injury from the fall, and as time progressed, the blindness increased until she became completely blind. But this is only the beginning or her remarkable story....
Therese Neumann had a great devotion to her namesake, Saint Therese of Lisieux. On the day of the official beatification of Therese of Lisieux (April 29, 1923), after making a 9 day novena to the "Little Flower", Therese Neumann's eyesight was completely restored after 6 long years through the heavenly intercession of Therese of Lisieux. But this was only the first miracle that God would perform in her life through the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux.
The second miraculous intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux in the life of Therese Neumann occurred on May 17, 1925, the day when Therese of Lisieux was canonized and became officially recognized as a saint of the Catholic Church. On this day she was cured of her partial paralysis and was no longer bedridden. The following year Therese Neumann received the stigmata and in subsequent years became a very well known mystic throughout Europe.
Some of the many other mystics that can be included here that had suffered either a traumatic injury or a severe illness prior to receiving mystical gifts and/or private revelations are Blessed Alexandrina da Costa who suffered paralysis after a fall out of a window, St. Gemma Galgani who suffered from spinal meningitis, Venerable Marthe Robin who suffered paralysis and migraines from what was thought to be encephalitis, Rhoda Wise who suffered from and abdominal tumor and a severe bone damage in her leg, and the Servant of God, Luigina Sinapi who suffered from a tumor in her intestines, just to name a few of the many possible examples.
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| Bl. Alexandrina da Costa was paralyzed from the waist down |
So the question remains: Can traumatic injuries or severe illnesses open some sort of portal to mysticism in certain individuals? What exactly can we infer by from these events when looking at them together as a whole? Well, while it is certainly possible that such experiences can seem to predispose certain individuals to receiving mystical gifts and graces, we would have to also recognize the fact that mystical gifts such as private revelations are bestowed upon a person by the express will of God, and not through any will or intention of a person. In other words, a person does not choose to be a visionary or mystic, and cannot possibly become one through happenstance or ones own actions. Also, there are countless mystics and visionaries who have notably NOT had any significant illnesses or injuries prior to being called to a mystical or prophetical mission from God. So, in this writers opinion, at this point I would have to simply call it a very interesting addendum to the study of mystics and visionaries.
"O Jesus, this [suffering] is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offences against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." -Blessed Alexandrina da Costa
22 comments:
Plagiocephaly or misshapen head is the most common craniofacial condition amongst children. It is common for a newborn baby to have an unusually shaped head. Babies' head bones are thin and flexible so that the new born can travel down the birth canal successfully. It does not affect the development of the brain and can be easily treated. It can hardly be called a "traumatic illness." I seriously doubt any doctor would say what Charlie Johnston claims his doctor said. The majority of the many children born with misshapen heads do not become Mystics. A severe neurological event is a stroke. It surprises me that someone who has had a stroke probably due to cigarette smoking, now smokes or "vapes" ecigarettes which have been shown to be dangerous for people's health. Charlie Johnston stated In a response that if he can't get ecigarettes during his alleged storm, he'll go back to smoking real cigarettes. How is that respecting the body God gifted him with? How is that similar to other great visionaries/Mystics of the Church who respected their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit? How is that following the Church's teaching on Theology of the body? Makes him appear quite inauthentic. At any rate thousands have strokes worldwide. Most do not become Mystics. Top quality research is available about illness and spirituality or mysticism. I suggest this is used as the basis for future writings and cited to support any argument presented rather than trying to assert something and not having hard, sound evidence to back it up. That is only good theological practice.
Seems to me that both Charlie and Glenn would have no problem with you dismissing Charlie as a mystic, but don't do so because his traumatic illnesses weren't traumatic enough or because he smokes/vapes! I've been following Charlie since Glenn originally posted about him and have found him to be, if anything, quite down to earth and honest. He may eventually be wrong, but time will tell. If he's right, God help us all. If what he says is true, let's just frequently acknowledge God, take the next small, right step, and try to be a sign of hope to others as the storm reaches its height. I don't see anything wrong with that message. Thanks.
Here is what I recently wrote in the comments section of the article I wrote on Charlie Johnston:
I personally have no problem with anyone dismissing Charlie, but I would only hope that one would do so for a valid reason after a sincere and just discernment, and not just a "knee jerk" reaction to his message of an upcoming Storm for humanity, which of course is not a very pleasant contemplation, hence the tendency of a quick dismissal for some in regards to Charlie.
Like many others, since late last year I have been watching Charlie quite closely, and as I have stated previously that time will soon tell whether his prophetic message is authentic, or not. In the meantime while I personally have a couple of "concerns" in regards to Charlie, thus far the sum total does not add up to anything serious. In fact, I believe that Charlie shows quite a few signs of authenticity. For sure his sincerity is readily apparent, and also the fact that he has put himself and his reputation "out there" for all to discern. One has to give him credit for this.
Also, I have personally spoken with one of his priest spiritual directors on a number of occasions and he has confirmed for me that Charlie has been very consistent over the years in his statements and his prophetic message. Also, to be very frank, I have found his 1-1/2 year 3200 mile trek across the country to be impressive, given his age and especially his neurological condition with its accompanying painful nerve damage, along with the fact that he was able to drink untreated and unfiltered water throughout his entire pilgrimage. Another positive sign is that he does not sell anything (books, DVD's etc...) on his website, or during his speaking "visits". In other words, he is definitely a prophet that is NOT for profit. One can see that he puts his heart and soul into his "mission" and I personally greatly respect him for this. Again, time will soon tell whether is prophetic mission is authentic, or not. In the meantime I think that his core message of "Acknowledge God, Take the Next Right Step, and Be a Sign of Hope To Those Around You" is very worthy of consideration and implementation. -Just my .02 cents, for whatever it is worth.
-Glenn Dallaire
Glenn Dellaire you know very well that Charlie Johnston has on his own website, links for people to click on to go to the websites which sell his products. He promotes these own his own site. He also sells books on Amazon. Here is the evidence:
Supply House
Cukierski Family Apostolate
Full of Grace Supply House
Joshua Stone
http://www.fullofgraceusa.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=167_168
http://www.joshuastone.net/next-right-step.html
Posted on May 23, 2015 by charliej373
NRS StickerHuzzah! The stickers and buttons are in – and NRS buttonare available through the Full of Grace Supply House. The buttons, at right, are indicative of the people who started to cooperate to Storm reached its fullness. That would include you, dear readers. The stickers, at left, reflect both the title of this website, Next Right Step, and the fundamental call of Trust-Do-Love.
http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Johnston/e/B004R43B74
Charlie is indeed a prophet for profit. for this reason based on cold hard evidence I believe him to be inauthentic.
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for your comment.
Well, its not for me to defend Charlie, but I am to defend the truth. Reading the comments on his blog at that time one would see that it was HIS READERS that repeatedly requested the pins and bumper stickers, so he eventually asked a friend who owns the "Full of Grace" store to create and offer them (the same store that was also offering the Prayer of Miraculous Trust holy cards). Having read the comments on his website at this time, I know for a fact that it was the readers who repeatedly requested and asked for them.
Also, Charlie did state openly in a comment on his website that he does receive a certain percentage of the sales from these items, but considering that we are talking about a percentage of sales from holy cards, bumper stickers and pins, I think it is obvious that we are not talking about any significant amount of money here. More along the lines of what most people would probably call "pocket money."
Its important I think also to note that he does not take donations on his website, or during his speaking conferences.
And so, since Charlie being a purported workman of the Lord performing his "mission" full time, overall I personally have no problem with him receiving a percentage of sales from things such as bumper stickers, holy cards and pins. I should think that one can apply Jesus' statement to him: "For a workman is worthy of his wages".
Thanks again for your comment.
-Glenn Dallaire
If you are the defender of the truth then why did you state something that you knew to be untrue I.e. Another positive sign is that he does not sell anything (books, DVD's etc...). It doesn't matter if he sells them on his site or not. He is still selling. You know very well that all "companies" or shall we say cults can make a lot of money by selling numerous amounts of low priced things such as buttons etc. None of the disciples sold promotional goods to fund their missions, they did honest jobs like fishing or ten taking (St Paul). Saints approved by the Church have certainly not done this. It is a sin against poverty. Can't imagine Blessed Teresa of Calcutta doing it. If Charlie needs funds for a Church approved mission he needs to do what the rest of the Church does - get donations and deal with them appropriately under the law. A true visionary does not seek nor obtain pocket money. It might be okay for you but it is not for the Church and one of the criteria used by the Church to identify fakes. This from the
SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
NORMS REGARDING THE MANNER OF PROCEEDING
IN THE DISCERNMENT OF PRESUMED
APPARITIONS OR REVELATIONS
B) Negative Criteria:
a) Manifest error concerning the fact.
b) Doctrinal errors attributed to God himself, or to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or to some saint in their manifestations, taking into account however the possibility that the subject might have added, even unconsciously, purely human elements or some error of the natural order to an authentic supernatural revelation (cf. Saint Ignatius, Exercises, no. 336).
c) Evidence of a search for profit or gain strictly connected to the fact.
If Charlie was a true seer he would not have had these goods produced and started selling them no matter how much his followers begged him to do so if that is indeed the reason why.
You defend this man at every turn Glenn Dellaire. If objections with hard evidence to support them come up you twist things so he appears faultless. One wonders why. Have you been brainwashed or is there another unsavoury reason you promote him on this website. The two of you need to be reported to the Church.
One can also apply these of Jesus' statements to Charlie; "
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” — Luke 6:20-21
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.” — Luke 6:24-25
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” — Luke 12:13-15
I appreciate you taking the time to make these considerations and express your thoughts on the matter. My feeling is that traumas are coincidental with spiritual gifts, which is to say, God gives gifts on the basis of what He sees to be good for Man and not to tickle anyone's imagination. Seen in Faith, gifts can give good example and lift the hearts of people to God, and that is why He gives gifts. He gives means to discern genuine gifts and one cannot mistake the genuine since it is His Will that they stand out as such. Gifts are given because our weak faith needs enhancing and to give glory to God. Sometimes they also enhance an individual's spiritual growth. gifts are not given to entertain. Sometimes the gifts given require a great deal of love and patience from the one gifted as they may be painful. But He also gives considerable love which compensates. Hebuilds us up individually for the benefit of the whole Body of Christ, His Church. Those who stand outside looking ought to come in.
Well Anonymous, I think we can both recognize and accept the fact that the store/supply house needs to charge money for the pins, bumper stickers, holy cards etc, because obviously such things are not manufactured without cost. And while I respect your concern in regards to Charlie receiving some percentage of the sales of these items, I guess we will simply just have to agree to disagree on this one.
For I personally have no problem at all with Charlie receiving a percentage of sales from things like pins, bumper stickers and holy cards, because firstly we are obviously not talking about alot of money here, and secondly as I stated earlier because he gives himself to his mission full-time, I believe Jesus' statement can be applied to him: "A workman deserves his wages". And in this case I think it is safe to presume that it amounts to what most would consider pocket money. And I am sorry but I think that most people would have to agree that you are making a mountain out of a mole hill on this one. But, if you choose to dismiss Charlie for this reason then so be it. I completely respect your decision, for we each have to make our own discernment as best we can.
And of course, not everyone can agree on what actions are acceptable and what is not when it comes to purported prophets and visionaries. Then too, opposition to purported prophets is expected. We see in the Old Testament that the people of that time killed nearly every prophet that was sent to them. And then came Jesus, the Son of God, and He received also the same treatment. Should we then expect people of today to treat possible prophets any different? The suspicion and doubt of others is seemingly always their lot. But must we always condemn the prophets that are sent to us? As for myself, I simply try to keep an open mind and heart to such persons, until I have solid evidence for concern otherwise.
-Just my .02 cents, for whatever it is worth.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Thank you Michael Miller for sharing your reflections.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Charlie Johnston again! I thought you'd changed your judgment on this last time, Glenn . . .
Here's a critical take by Kevin O'Brien:
http://thwordinc.blogspot.jp/2015/09/is-sasquatch-antichrist-or-temptation.html
I really like your work, but I still can't approve of Charlie Johnston being in posts here. It detracts from the other saintly witnesses that appear, and in my opinion tends to discredit your other fine efforts. I wish you'd reconsider.
I have read almost all the messages from Maria Divine Mercy. Because of the nature of some of the messages, I can see why she needs to be anonymous. The attack against the secret society may endanger her life. Also, one or two of the messages alluded that Pope Francis is the False Prophet.
Hi Anonymous (directly above),
Thank you for your comments. I just wanted to make sure that you DO REALISE that Maria Divine Mercy (aka Mary Carberry) has been formally condemned by her local Bishop, and that with an overwhelming amount of evidence the website MIDWAY STREET and also the website MARIA DIVINE MERCY--TRUE OR FALSE has shown her (Maria Divine Mercy) to be a complete fraud.
-Not that the substantial evidence in these two websites is even needed, since the official statement by the local Bishop is all that is really needed for faithful Catholics, but then there are always some Catholics who falsely question the authority of the local Bishop to judge on such matters, and so I provide both references.
-Just wanted to make sure that you knew the above info so as to not be misled by a flase visionary.
May God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Thank you so much for posting this information. I knew things in this world were dire and I kept praying to the Lord, where are your prophets to help us in this time? Live prophets. When I read Charlie Johnston it struck such a chord of conviction in me that I thank God. I always asked the Lord, what should I do? What do you want me to do? And Charlie's instruction to Acknowledge God, Take the next Right Step and be a sign of Hope to those around us really helped me grow in faith and gave me peace of heart that God will be with us and help us in each of our missions here on earth. Thanks again for posting this article, it gave me hope.
Several times during my past 64 years of life I seem to have been granted a spiritual favor by the Lord at a point when I was experiencing some sort of severe trial and frustration. These incidents included God's unspeakably wonderful visit to me in a college classroom when a psych professor was telling the class "You need to integrate this material within your thinking", at least some of which textual material was secular humanism contrary to true teaching: I was interiorly upset that I had taken out a loan to pay the college which was now requiring me to accept false teaching: And then, as I sat in my desk feeling really interiorly anguished, GOD! The Lord was visiting me in the most exalted manner, obviously consoling me but drawing me closer and closer into what had to be close to the highest experience of His Being... I only know or remember that there were concepts that could not be registered on my human memory, since "He" is God our Creator, and un-conceived, a "concept" only in terms of our idea of Him, and as His Son Jesus Christ Who was His Own Creature concept of Himself, etc. I understand now why it is written "No one can see God and remain live!") Continued.
Continued: Pt. 2 I had to put my head down on my crossed arms on on the desk as my "copious" tears of joy and happiness just poured out onto the desktop! To say that God was "awesome" is to say nothing at all about what He is! (I had a handkerchief and had to mop up my desktop before I left when class ended.) I was at the back of the room and no one seemed to notice what was happening to me. Sad to say, despite the reality that the Author of love was engulfing me within His Being, I was FEARFUL of losing complete consciousness of my surroundings and motor skills which I needed to keep myself upright in the desk, and I FEARED I would fall onto the floor and hit my head (FAILING to remember the Scripture about angels keeping one from striking one's foot on a stone!), and I was FEARFUL the instructor would think I was on some sort of dope of which I have never partaken in my life! So in this fearfulness, again, notwithstanding the Author of Love was infusing into me, so to speak, I did not totally surrender to the Lord and so retained a bit of awareness of my surroundings and was able to stay in my desk... Continued
So this was NOT a case of being "slain in the Spirit" to which charismatics refer, which has never happened to me even though I have attended a "Life in the Spirit" seminar. I've since felt that the Lord has something else in mind for me.???) Continued in pt 3 This went on in this blissful (to say the least!) state of being until a short time before the class ended when the Lord began to "release me" or depart from my being: It was something beyond accurate description and imagining and beyond the faculty of imagination! And yet this happened when I was involved in a morally reprehensible relationship with a young woman at the time. And yet God was extremely merciful to me and did not reproach me for this as He sought my complete surrender to Him: I think if I HAD surrendered I would have literally died, inasmuch I think I retain some sort of impression that I was beginning to "see" something of God with a spiritual vision, not of my creature nature of being able to see, and frankly I wish that I had chosen to go that way than to be alive now. Continued
So I pray also each day that He will visit me again if only at the last moment of my life and let me known His awesome mercy then as well. But this is iffy and contingent to other conditions. (However, some years before I had a dream/vision in which I found myself in deepest purgatory, which was accurately described by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich - which I learned many years later - as being next door to hell, and from which devils, etc. would exit and enter into one's confines in purgatory and terrify and throw balls of fire at the soul: I saw no balls of fires but as I was becoming terrified in the dream/vision by the approach of the creatures Jesus suddenly appeared to my right in incredible glory and power, and the devils could not get away fast enough and so were vaporized! I pray this is a "prophetic" dream that will fail (not be fulfilled), like St. Paul says, if I improve my character by means of prayer, and continual amendment by means of Biblical studies and obedience to Jesus' teaching commands. At another time only a few years ago I was living in a trailer park and while in this old trailer I was being assailed by anti-Christian neighbors and others who had seismically loud and vibrating sound systems in their cars (which they would park by the street end of my trailer at night especially)and I was quite miserable: continued
But one night when there was no turmoil, as I was about to go to sleep - not being asleep as yet - I heard a woman's lovely voice saying (in a kind of muffled tone)"K****, K**** (my name) please pray for me!" She had to have been in purgatory, and there were other purgatorial phenomena that occurred in that trailer, such as when-ever I turned on an electric appliance I heard wonderful and yet subdued music and chorus singing, something like old WWI-end-era songs of jubilant triumph, except for a subdued undertone in the music and singing, i.e. possibly the sound of souls on the verge of exiting purgation. Eventually I ended up having to move from there or I was going to lose my mind and soul. The phenomena ended when my environment changed for the peaceable better: I also received several five) dream visions over a 50 yer period, each time usually when I was undergoing some ordeal or was engaging in deep prayerfulness, and these included a dream/vision (in 1988) of the 3 Days of Darkness during which I was caught outside when that event was beginning: I jumped into a nearby car, and after nearly dying of heart failure as a result of seeing the most horrible creatures imaginable and some that were not, I was put into a deep sleep: cont.
I later found out (this) was something God would do for those who are not supposed to die during that event: (See Malachi, Chapter 4:1,2,3 for details of the worst of it for the wicked and the best for survivors!) I become unconscious after I first called out twice, "Immaculate Heart of Mary, please pray for me!" and then 2x also "Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me!", and then I went out like a light! i.e. I was "saved" by "calling on the name of the Lord", Jesus! I woke up only after the darkness had ended, got out of the car, and the dream/vision ended there. So I anticipate surviving the event, which will happen in my lifetime (again, I am presently 64 y.o) if it is not further delayed for whatever reason God may have: Other supernaturally-ambienced dream/visions occurred also when I was under emotional duress because of very trying and adversarial circumstances, etc. etc. I am a writer now developing books to which, while I am presently trying to find ways to make them available to others, I do not think people will be receptive till after the 3DD: Perhaps only then will they be receptive to these works when they are meant to provide people with the Scripture-based, life-integrating faith and conscience formation texts of which millions have been deprived prior to the 3DD... However, I am dealing still with severe temptations notwithstanding a daily lengthy prayer practice and this is very discouraging and I really don't know how to contend with it... So, as you may surmise from this comment,(1)God does sometimes treat people to special gifts and experiences when they don't "deserve" them, so to speak, and (2) I am thinking that while the resource of "my" inspiration is of the Holy Spirit, I am fearful of becoming a public person at this time (pre-3DD) by providing these books, etc. to the public owing to my weaknesses as I do not wish to give scandal if I should falter after drawing people to the Lord with these writings, etc. So I have decided to live by the criteria Jesus gave about the king who needed to discern whether his army could counter that of another king and of a man who wanted to build a tower who needed to assess his resources as well: Each had to recognize whether or not they have enough resources - in the way of moral integrity with God in particular - before entering upon such enterprises, else they would be conquered or laughed at for having begun projects they could not finish. cont. (one more to go)
So we each have a need to assess our extents and limits, and if something is a cause or occasion of sin or might well be such at some future point, such means need to be avoided or "cut out of" (dismissed from) our lives, as Jesus taught, that is, to avoid the near occasion of sin in terms of the circumstances it involves. So I hope this comment provides some helpful insights about the subject or issue of the above article. God is merciful but we still need to draw a line on ourselves when we know our moral limits, and yet to somehow avoid burying and hiding our talents though others may have already made choices which have caused such talent to be hidden against our using them, often also leaving us also in conditions in which we find ourselves without the means to avoid those occasions of sin or to respond to them responsibly. (Yes, the choice of others to do some things that are wrong and not to do other things FOR people can deeply impact our lives and which is why the world is in the mess that it now is in addition to it being the post-exilic world of Satan, if only for a while longer.) Please and kindly and mercifully pray for me that my life will turn in a better direction of submission to God; or if I end up down in deepest purgatory that I will not be there long before Jesus arrives hopefully sooner than later to draw me out and into heaven, which is Himself, showing me the same mercy He did when He visited me in that classroom of "highest education", so to speak! (Not to brag: All the glory being due to God!) Thank you for reading this! God's blessing to all!
Although I believe the gifts of the Spirit are from God and therefore genuine and holy it does not ever stipulate in the scripture how this may come about. Christ even God in a human body had to go through something like this when it was time for his ministry. The testing in the wilderness was not just a temptation but also preparation for that ministry His example indicates that a crisis of a physical nature may precede the gifts. I do question the stigmata though. Even if the phenomenon is spiritually generated I do not thing that God inflicts suffering. I think he allows it. It may be a demonic oppression or spiritually self inflicted. The spiritual gift in fact may be sort of a physiological change that we have not learned to measure and can be used for good or for harm. I am not set on this, but I think it's more in character with scripture and in keeping with the uniqueness of Christ's passion. I do not think that it is intentional deception of the mystic. The testing of the Vatican pretty much debunks that idea in the cases where they have been involved. I think the benefit of the doubt should always be granted to the mystic and that it is better to err on the side of being loving and gentle than critical. Fear is the most demonic force there is. Anything leading that direction or coming from that direction should be avoided.
I need to clarify something on that previous post. If a person self inflicts a spiritual injury on themselves it does not mean they are intentionally faking. It has to do with internal focus and openness to the influence of God's spirit and beliefs. The stigmatic's are always focused on the passion of Christ and express the love they have for that by this infliction I think. They cannot consciously control and wish it away. I do not believe that God shuts down such expressions of love in most situations. The stigmata seems to be closely associated with the gift of healing. So affecting the body through the Holy spirit is the expression of that gift. In a stigmatic it just doesn't go out in such a way that it is healing to that person in a physical sense. It may bring a spiritual healing and closeness to Christ that the mystic finds desirable.
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