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James Martin, S.J.August 13, 2018

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In the next few weeks, I’m going to talk a little bit about what happens in prayer. In other words, what happens when you close your eyes?

The Examen is a prayer of noticing where God has been during your day, but what happens in other prayer periods, where you are meditating on the Bible or just being in the presence of God? Well, one of the most common experiences are emotions. All sorts of emotions come up in prayer. If you read a story about Jesus healing someone, you might feel sadness that you’re not healed. If you are meditating on God’s presence in nature, you might feel a sense of comfort. If you’re at Mass and are praying along with the congregation you might feel joy. All of these are ways of God speaking to you. So can you see in that sadness an invitation to be honest with God about your feelings? Can you see in that comfort God comforting you? And can you feel in that joy an invitation to experience new life.

A lot of times people dismiss such prayer experiences as, “Oh I was just being emotional.” Usually that’s not the case. It’s probably communicating God with you. So pay attention.

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Mark Silverbird
5 years 7 months ago

I have a letter dated Feb. 12, 2018, that is evidence and proof of a man/priest who was staying in my home from Oct-2017 to June-2018, turning out to be a pedophile of over 50 plus 11-16 year old boys over a 20 year period. When I tried to bring this letter to the attention of the hierarchy of the Catholic church, everyone ignored it. The further cover up is in all those who refuse to do anything about this letter. I say that "Everyone of these people should be ousted" from the Catholic church, because they are not the solution, they are "ALL" part of the problem/cover-up. This poisonous snake sitting in the seat of Peter is hiring other poisonous snakes to administer that poison to the laity. Yes, imagine that my emotions might run high at times in trying to understand why God gave me this burden. I do understand that the bishops/archbishops/cardinals all the way to the Pope need to step down to allow new purity of souls to take over the Catholic church. I also understand that what I just said sounds ludicrous, so then what choice does the laity have but to say, "Jesus, I trust in You" that You will take care of this deeply rooted evil that is thriving off of Your Catholic church! Jesus gave to me in 1999 what is called "The Warning". If you do not know what it is, find out and "PREPARE"!

Phillip Stone
5 years 7 months ago

Experiencing emotions while going through the motions of prayer is extremely common and very unlikely to be overlooked - the tradition usually sees these as distractions.
Emotion is to truth as smoke is to fire - see the smoke and follow it to the fire - if God is communicating with the pray-er it is per medium of truth.

Mark Silverbird
5 years 7 months ago

When I homeless for 3 years, I was very emotional in my prayer(s), and scared too, because you can only imagine what that feels like unless you have been homeless too. I gave up everything to search God out. That was when I was 26 years old. Now I am 62, and emotions still run high in my prayer, because I want to give Jesus my love in prayer, that is passion emotional to me. This article of Fr. Martin whom I do not respect at all is a ridiculous summation of his holiness. As far as what I know of Fr. Martin, "He has turned himself into the likeness of god, pure idol worship of himself". Repent Fr. Martin, as Saul repented. Saul thought that he was doing God's Will, but praise God, he repented!

Tim Donovan
5 years 7 months ago

I was once told by a kind staff member in a hospital that we tend to experience God in terms of the relationship that each one of us has/had with our father. I was fortunate that my late Dad was very well-educated, hard working and while often quiet and essentially demonstrative was a "character" with a good sense of humor. He was a loving Father and husband, and cared deeply about not only his extended family but friends, neighbors, and people he didn't even know. I still miss my Dad after 24 years, but he lives on in my niece, who was born one month to the day at the same Catholic hospital before my Dad passed away peacefully while in a coma. Like my Dad, my niece is a hard-working accountant. She's also a loving daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter and friend. Without exaggerating my Dad's_health problems, for the last seven or so years of his life he was frequently hospitalized. However, like Jesus (,again, please forgive the perhaps inappropriate comparison) my Dad despite his suffering took it all in stride, and recommended "offering it up" to God. When I pray each day (in the morning as I prepare for the day, and throughout the day) I ask Jesus to forgive me for once hitting my dear Dad while I was drunk. So, while my prayers at times include sadness at my regretful behavior, I also pray throughout each day for the gift of the Holy Spirit of understanding the needs of my friends who need help with their care. I also receive comfort when I pray my penance after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation from a compassionate priest. Finally, I experience happiness by praying to the Father to help me do what I should go be a generous man, just as my Dad was a caring, generous follower of Jesus.

Mark Silverbird
5 years 7 months ago

Mr. Donovan, if you have read Saint Faustina's Dairy or even half of it, Jesus repeatedly says that He commands her to tell mankind to live in this way: Deeds, Words and lastly Prayer. I equate this by saying, A person without good Deed's, has no good Words or good Prayer. Good Deeds are essential for mankind before all else. It is the same as saying, "Actions speak louder than Words". I truly believe that the world is in very confusing times, and that the evil that exists in Catholic priests needs to be ripped out by its roots. We, the laity cannot and will not accomplish this, and the Pope(s) have had adequate time and opportunities to accomplish this, but the evil has only grown to become so bad that they cannot accomplish rooting out this evil. That being the case of what we the laity are living in today, we must say what is written on the Divine Mercy Image, "Jesus, I trust in You". In this way, this evil will be rooted out. All those not part of the solution is the problem. Saint Faustina was also told, "You will prepare the world for My Second Coming", so everyone, "PREPARE"!

Bruce Snowden
5 years 7 months ago

I've discovered that paying attention to emotional prayer is as predictable as stirring cream into a cup of coffee - it just happens. Looking at emotional prayer, grabbing hold of it, is a racking experience placing you in a position of active involvement, say in the Scourging of Jesus, where the crack of the whip startles you into disbelief headshaking and the anguished question asked over and over, "WHY?"

Gehard Lofink in "Jesus Of Nazareth What He Wanted, Who He Was" says the Scourging left Jesus so weakened through pain and loss of Blood that he was unable to carry His Cross to Calvary, a passerby Simon of Cyrene forced to drag the Cross beam to the common place of executions where the upright part of the Cross was already implanted. The smell of Blood was prevalent, all ordinary to emotional prayer. Jesus crying out in anguished groans as nails hammer into hands and feet. How terrible sin, even so-called Venial Sin, not so "Venial" as emotional prayer cranks out its messages!

Arnoldo Miranda
5 years 7 months ago

Emotion in prayer is not a good indication of whether something is good or bad. You need to use your reason and not let any passion overwhelm you since emotions are a double-edge sword. They cut both ways.

Bruce Snowden
5 years 7 months ago

Yes, Arnoldo, I agree with you, emotions do cut in both ways. They lead you to the periphery of the Homeland (Heaven) or bring you down to the Gates of Hell (fright, flight and confusion!") Fortunately both experiences have beneficial results as one bends the ears of the Soul to listen to the music, or clamor. With God, light and darkness, quiet and noise, are the same, like a Mother dimming or brightening light as her little child might need for comfort.

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