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Jun 30, '09, 6:37 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: January 21, 2009
Posts: 1,374
Religion: Catholic (revert)
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
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Originally Posted by redhen
My 2 cents as an agnostic. Sure, many people would be happy to experience the miraculous, locutions, or theophanies, myself included. It would be a life-changing experience. But such things never happen to the faithless it seems.
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Fortunately, in this area you are quite wrong. During my faithless state while I was married I had a locution. I knew what it meant deep down and who it was from, but I ignored it for a while. It eventually played a role in bringing me back to the Church. Now that I'm back, I have different gifts, and have never had a locution again. I don't plan on having one again either. What I've noticed personally is that if you really truly want a sign like this you will not get one. You will however get very subtle signs that may seem ambiguous if you're not paying attention. At the time my locution happened I could care less if God existed and did not want to involve myself in any sort of religion. It seems God had a different plan for me.
God Bless,
Snert
__________________
_____________________________________
...self mortification rocks! 
"...I will seduce her and lead her into the desert and speak to her heart" Hos 2:16
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Jun 30, '09, 6:43 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: September 10, 2006
Posts: 1,525
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
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Sometimes, I really just want to have a vision, a revelation, like you read in the books of saints.
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With great gifts come great trials. Be careful what you wish for!
__________________
...I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament...There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth...J.R.R. Tolkien
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Jun 30, '09, 6:48 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: May 26, 2004
Posts: 1,268
Religion: Catholic convert
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Elzner
You did a much better job than I did.
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Nonsense, you did great! 
Josh and John I will be praying for both of you in your discernment. Nice to meet you both. 
Dave
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Jun 30, '09, 6:50 pm
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New Member
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Join Date: June 29, 2009
Posts: 54
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DBT
Nonsense, you did great!
Josh and John I will be praying for both of you in your discernment. Nice to meet you both.
Dave |
Thanks alot. I know I definitely need the prayer.
Nice meeting you too.
__________________
In Christ,
Josh
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Jun 30, '09, 6:55 pm
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New Member
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Join Date: June 29, 2009
Posts: 54
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
[quote=redhen;5387779]My 2 cents as an agnostic. Sure, many people would be happy to experience the miraculous, locutions, or theophanies, myself included. It would be a life-changing experience. But such things never happen to the faithless it seems.
They always occur to the mystics, those whose already have a deep faith and meditate frequently. [quote]
There is a massive difference between these and deep communion with God that goes beyond any sensible or mental undestanding or process.
Being a Catholic is not about recieving revelations, but about living for the One we love, the One who we know exists, and who is the Source of all, willing to pour out His own love and life into us if we will allow Him.
Are you on this forum to learn to see if God really does exist, and that He is calling to you, or are you here to attack those who do know Him.
I'll be praying for you.
__________________
In Christ,
Josh
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Jun 30, '09, 6:57 pm
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New Member
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Join Date: June 29, 2009
Posts: 54
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by redhen
My 2 cents as an agnostic. Sure, many people would be happy to experience the miraculous, locutions, or theophanies, myself included. It would be a life-changing experience. But such things never happen to the faithless it seems.
They always occur to the mystics, those whose already have a deep faith and meditate frequently.
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There is a massive difference between these and deep communion with God that goes beyond any sensible or mental undestanding or process.
Being a Catholic is not about recieving revelations, but about living for the One we love, the One who we know exists, and who is the Source of all, willing to pour out His own love and life into us if we will allow Him.
Are you on this forum to learn to see if God really does exist, and that He is calling to you, or are you here to attack those who do know Him?
I'll be praying for you.
__________________
In Christ,
Josh
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Jul 1, '09, 7:02 am
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Prayer Warrior
Forum Supporter
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Join Date: November 9, 2004
Posts: 3,630
Religion: Roman Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
My dear friend
I've wondered about that too. Why doesn't God give the works to everyone? Why isn't everyone like Padre Pio? It's no effort for God and He can do it in the blink of an eye now if He wants. There's nothing to stop Him doing anything if He wants. It's not necessary to have these extraordinary things to be a saint though. We can all be just as holy as them if we choose it. Some people have a special mission I suppose and get extraordinary help to carry it out. In the end we can all be the holiest person in heaven, bar a few places, if we want. Even without stigmata. We are often fascinated by the extraordinary but you don't need it to be a great saint. We shall have the greatest supernatural phenonenom in heaven anyway. We just have to get there, and be a little patient. Maybe it's good to think you can be a mystic in heaven if your not here.
God bless
John
__________________
May the Blessed Trinity and Blessed Mother along with all the Hosts of Blessed Spirits and Saints and Sublime Martyrs bless you all and the whole church and world and complete the conversion of Russia quickly and give us world peace +++. We are at the end. Bless you +++ I am John
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Jul 1, '09, 11:49 am
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Regular Member
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Join Date: October 2, 2008
Posts: 2,726
Religion: Amateur Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Seeing God is the easiest thing in all the world to do.
All it takes is complete surrender, which is the hardest thing in all the world to do.
__________________
Amateurs do it out of love.
Who wants to see God? Cry to the Lord with an intensely yearning heart and you will certainly see Him. People shed jugs of tears for money, wife, and children. But if they would weep for God for only one day they would surely see Him.
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Jul 1, '09, 11:51 am
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Regular Member
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Join Date: September 10, 2006
Posts: 1,525
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylites
Seeing God is the easiest thing in all the world to do.
All it takes is complete surrender, which is the hardest thing in all the world to do.
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Even easier than that. Go visit the Blessed Sacrament. There He is, right in the monstrance.
__________________
...I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament...There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth...J.R.R. Tolkien
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Jul 1, '09, 12:16 pm
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Prayer Warrior
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Join Date: November 9, 2004
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Victorious
Even easier than that. Go visit the Blessed Sacrament. There He is, right in the monstrance.
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Amen friend
__________________
May the Blessed Trinity and Blessed Mother along with all the Hosts of Blessed Spirits and Saints and Sublime Martyrs bless you all and the whole church and world and complete the conversion of Russia quickly and give us world peace +++. We are at the end. Bless you +++ I am John
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Jul 1, '09, 2:19 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: February 3, 2005
Posts: 3,574
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
As others have said be careful what you wish for. Having the stigmata is probably no fun. Padre Pio did not want it becuase it made him more visible to others. It upset his sense of humility. He welcomed the pain but not the attention.
Plus imagine the constant pain of having nails stuck through your hands and feet, Would you really endure it courageously ??? or would you be cursing God after a few years, months, days or hours. I doubt I could stand it more than an instant. Give me suffering or pain, but something I can handle.
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Jul 1, '09, 4:27 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: October 2, 2008
Posts: 2,726
Religion: Amateur Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Russell Jr
Amen friend |
As the Desert Fathers said:
Quote:
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"He who has eaten much and is hungry for more has a greater reward coming than he who eats little and is satisfied."
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__________________
Amateurs do it out of love.
Who wants to see God? Cry to the Lord with an intensely yearning heart and you will certainly see Him. People shed jugs of tears for money, wife, and children. But if they would weep for God for only one day they would surely see Him.
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Jul 1, '09, 5:44 pm
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Prayer Warrior
Forum Supporter
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Join Date: November 9, 2004
Posts: 3,630
Religion: Roman Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylites
As the Desert Fathers said:
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My dear friend
Very good. Surrender is very hard too. God never seems to stop wanting to increase your faith and He knows how to increase it, but it's not always a walk in the park this journey. The perfect model of how to embrace Gods will perfectly and never doubt is our Blessed Mother. Boy She must have had a lot of faith to never doubt or question God and do what She did.
God bless you
John
__________________
May the Blessed Trinity and Blessed Mother along with all the Hosts of Blessed Spirits and Saints and Sublime Martyrs bless you all and the whole church and world and complete the conversion of Russia quickly and give us world peace +++. We are at the end. Bless you +++ I am John
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Jul 1, '09, 5:56 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: January 21, 2009
Posts: 1,374
Religion: Catholic (revert)
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Russell Jr
She must have had a lot of faith to never doubt or question God and do what She did.
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That makes me think: does a soul unstained by original sin automatically have perfect faith?
Something to ponder when we doubt and are struggling with our own...
God Bless,
Snert
__________________
_____________________________________
...self mortification rocks!
"...I will seduce her and lead her into the desert and speak to her heart" Hos 2:16
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Jul 1, '09, 6:01 pm
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Regular Member
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Join Date: September 10, 2006
Posts: 1,525
Religion: Catholic
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Re: Why does God select specific people to receive visions, Stigmata, and revelations, but not others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snerticus
That makes me think: does a soul unstained by original sin automatically have perfect faith?
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Naturally. That's why the Blessed Mother was unstained by original sin: it was a grace she needed in order to carry out her mission on earth. She in fact practiced all the virtues perfectly.
Interestingly, Protestants are (in some cases at least) willing to concede that sin obstructs the practice of virtue; they may even be willing to concede that the Blessed Mother had to have great faith. But they are not willing to admit that in order for her to be able to practice the faith she needed, God must have preserved her from the stain of sin.
__________________
...I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament...There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth...J.R.R. Tolkien
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