Catholic Testimonies

[melsec]

Hi all,

After reading a thread earlier which talked about the Charisms of the Holy Spirit I thought about not seeing the Spirit but being able to see His effects i.e. like the wind blowing analogy. For me and I believe for most people their is a critical moment in life when we make the decision to follow the Lord or not I am really interested to hear other people's comments on this or their testimonies on how God moved on them.

[melsec]

For me I was blessed to be brought up in a strong Catholic family and attended a school run by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Still around 15 or so I started to attend church irregularly. My Dad had become a Charismatic Catholic and, after some amount of pushing, he had persuaded me to attend a prayer meeting. I was about 18. At this time I experienced what I must call an Epiphany. It struck me that all this stuff that I had been hearing about since I was born was real - yes really real- from that point onwards I have never had doubt of God's existance and His love for His children

[AnimalLover]

Bump - to answer later

[melsec]

Would you be interested in Pining your Catholic list with this.

Blessings

Mel

[ejo]

For sure there does come a point in one's life where that revelation is made...I can vouch for it for I have been there and experienced the same.

[narses]

Ping.

[Arguss]

My conversion didn't happen until I was 50. I won't go into the details, but I can truthfully say it was the high point of my life, and that includes everything. Since then, my life has centered on God.

You didn't say how old you are now, so I wonder how long it's been since your 'revelation', as you call it. I only mention that because after the initial 'epiphany', a certain reality sets in. I'll leave that for you to discover.

'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you."

[melsec]

I am 43 now and the revelation has not worn off - so to speak - even though the initial feelings have. The reality set in a long time ago and I realise that being a Christian is a lot of hard work - and it's getting harder -thank God for His mercies and consolations.

Mel

[Arguss]

Congratulations on the real deal!

[Salvation]

Wonderful story.

[Salvation]

Tell us about your Catholicity.

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[Dominick]

I left the faith when I first went to college. I did avail myself of the Catholic Priest there, not for absolutions but for Confession. After I finished Grad school I was consulting, teaching adult and had married.

I got sick one day, kept smoking and my throat swelled like a bullfrog, with a 104 fever. My throat felt it was on fire. After a hospitalization, I could talk and asked for a real confession. I got the most liberal Priest at the Hospital, but I didn't know it at the time.

He heard my confession for a half hour, patiently. He gave me a sorta Absolution and I asked can "I get Absolution?" He then gave me a proper one. I asked him if he had an Rosaries around I would love to pray one for Thanksgiving. He said use your fingers. Five minutes later he came in with one excitedly, it was a red cheapie that I still have as a prized possession.

A little later a person came is and was asked if I wanted Communion, he was sent by the Priest.

A week later I went to a book store and got to know the owner, who helped me re-Cathechize myself. I got reading material galore, Catholic Answers, videotapes and audio tapes. I read books upon books. I did pretty well getting up to snuff.

A few of us had dinner, and I told them this story and they related to me this was quite the liberal Priest. I was pleased he was so good to me.

I mentioned the date of my Hospital stay. It was 2-3 Feb. 3 Feb is St. Blaise Feast, where your throat is blessed. I never realized it, it being ten years since my last throat blessing.

When God wants your attention, he knows how to grab you by the throat.

[melsec]

Thank-you and Blessings to you both.

Mel

[melsec]

"When God wants your attention, he knows how to grab you by the throat."

Great story Dominick

Like I said in an earlier post it really is a case of God working or moving on us - then hopefully we respond. I do believe God draws all people to himself - so sad many don't recognise Him when he comes and so sad so many refuse Him.

Mel

[redhead]

bumping for later...

[diamond6]

I'm a cradle catholic, fell away in my teenage years. Later, in my early twenties, had a minor trial and began a dialogue with God. I spoke to him as if he were standing at the foot of my bed, thats when it started. Very shortly thereafter, I went to confession and oh it felt so good to wipe the slate clean. There something to confessing your sins out loud to someone and HEARING them say to you that you are absolved in Jesus' name. Then, my father told me about Medjugorie and that sealed it for me and have been going strong since. I experience dry spells, the last one was a couple years, that was difficult. Its hard to pray when you don't have the desire to do so, but I managed by the grace of God.

Everytime I receive the Eucharist, I imagine Jesus hugging me. Its wonderful. I love and treasure my catholic faith.

[Salvation]

**When God wants your attention, he knows how to grab you by the throat.**

Thank you for sharing.

When God wanted my attention he grabbed my husband's throat. We had been on a Marriage Encounter weekend and had also been a M. E. team couple. We thought we were having the best years of our lives and our five children did NOT want their old parents back.

My husband umpired Little League games and that is when the coughing started. First they thought it was inhaled dust from the baseball diamond. Then a virus. Oxygen tank in our home and an appointment with a specialist for a biopsy.

So we drove to Portland and the biopsy failed, but the x-rays showed lung cancer. The phases of grief kicked in with the denial and bargaining for me. The oncologist told us in April that my husband had six months to live. He died the last day the following August.

He underwent two series of chemotherapy and started radiation and then told me he was quitting. I was furious and the two next phases of grief kicked in -- anger and depression.

After my husband's death I survived with the help of a Jewish counselor, pretty good lady, really. But a year after my husband's death a friend from Marriage Encounter whose wife had died in six weeks from lymphoma encouraged me to attend a Beginning Experience weekend.

It was in the same facility in Portland that my husband and I had experience numerous Marriage Encounter weekends -- never do that to anyone. It was a terrible weekend for me because I relived the vivid marriage memories connected with the building and chapel, etc.

I attended my scan B. E. weekend a year later and started the last phase of my journey through grief -- acceptance.

I am now in what Elisabeth Kubler-Ross refers to as "Reaching Out".

God touched me so vividly during the chemotherapy -- I found the courage to tell my husband that it was OK for him to die. Maybe that's why he had the courage to abandon the radiology treatments. He died at home with our family around him saying a Rosary. It was beautiful as we all said good-bye to him -- and even though he was in a coma he reached out to give me and each of our five children a good-bye hug.

The essence of the Holy Spirit lingered in the room for nearly 5 or 6 minutes. It was amazing.

I am now actively involved in the B. E. ministry, a ministry for returning Catholics, just finished an evangeliztion program in our archdiocese of which I was the chair at my parish and this last year I served as chair of the Pastoral Council.

I really have come full circle from being so angry at God for taking my husband to reaching out to all and doing the work that Jesus would have me do.

From my story -- you can deduce why I chose the screename Salvation!

[Salvation]

Oops.

I attended my scan B. E. weekend
second B. E. weekend

[melsec]

Awesome sister!

Mel

[sinkspur]

You are doing the Lord's work in the Beginning Experience, a program that many Catholics approach with lots of emotions, under wraps.

God can handle whatever these often-angry people throw at Him, but you folks need to be lifted up in our prayers to take the brunt of their anger.

You are where you are supposed to be.