I am wondering if others believe God is speaking to them directly at times through scripture, or messages - or maybe I need a dose of humility. My examples:

It seems I find messages in many things that my non-practicing Catholic friends scoff at and write off as me looking to hard for answers. For example, I am fond of Adoration and find this helps to ease emotional pain in my life. On one particular evening, I went to Adoration because I was feeling deep despair. As I stepped out the door of church, I saw the most dazzling double rainbow. I immediately thought it was for me - a sign of hope.

In my excitement, I called my friend about how the beautiful rainbow made me feel better, and she said it was in the sky for everyone. Well, I understand that, but...then I start thinking I need to be more humble - of course it was not just for me!

I found a fresh rose petal at church after evening Adoration on another excruciatingly difficult day. It was lying on the floor in the back of church under the picture of Divine Mercy, my favorite picture. I visit this picture to meditate after Adoration. Here - I am dancing around because I think I have a message of hope, that Our Lady has heard my prayers. But then I am reminded that it is "just" a petal.

And last night I was rather sharp and merciless with my ex-husband on the phone. After I got off, I realized I was not operating with the level of mercy Jesus would appreciate. Today, the readings focused on mercy and reaping what you sow. I think I just got "re-directed" and a bit of holy necessary reprimanding thrown my way.

Please, I am wrestling with this as me needing to be more humble and realistic about things. Not everything is a message.

God Bless.

-- Jennifer (jrabs@jrabs.com), July 02, 2004

Answers

Jennifer,

When I read your post, it immediately reminded me of a line from a Hopkins poem. (The Wreck of the Deutschland -- this is just the first stanza)

"THOU mastering me God! giver of breath and bread; World's strand, sway of the sea; Lord of living and dead; Thou hast bound bones and veins in me, fastened me flesh, And after it almost unmade, what with dread, Thy doing: and dost thou touch me afresh? Over again I feel thy finger and find thee."

You are blessed to have felt His Finger. Many are so busy that they are unaware, others choose to ignore. We all struggle with the need to be humble, but that doesn't mean -- in my humble opinion -- that we should think that God doesn't give us nudges now and then. He loves us past our understanding, it seems only logical that He would give us encouragement.

In Christ, Dwayne

-- Dwayne (dvw@dvw.com), July 02, 2004.

Jennifer,

I think your seeing God in His creation is admirable. The fact that a rainbow is "there for everyone" doesn't mean that God can't use it to speak to you personally. After all, the Bible is there for everyone too, yet a great many people don't hear God speaking through it. If others don't "hear" the same message you "hear" as a result of your personal experiences, it might be that they simply are not as open to His voice as you are - but more likely it is just that such interactions between God and one of His children are very personal matters. He meets each one of us right where we are, and tells us each exactly what we personally need to hear, if we are open to His voice. He doesn't tell me what He tells you, because I am not you and my needs are different. And He may not speak to me the same ways He speaks to you, for the same reason.

It would not be good to demand such signs, or to think that God was distant if you didn't see such signs. But when they do happen, just accept them as personal indications of His love for you as an individual person, and thank Him for the grace that enables you to be receptive to His voice in this way.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 02, 2004.

what is "Adoration"?

-- jas (jas_r_22@hotmail.com), July 02, 2004.

In the general sense, "adoration" is a synonym for "worship". But when Catholics speak of "adoration" we generally are referring to Eucharistic Adoration, which means spending time in prayer in the physical presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, present to us in the form of the most holy Eucharist, which is specially exposed for that purpose at that particular time. Some Catholic churches (not many) offer "perpetual Eucharistic Adoration", which means that the Eucharist is always exposed for adoration, in some specific part of the church.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 02, 2004.