Josephite, I think Padraig must be gone to work or sleep. I hope you don't mind if I share a workplace experience just like you mention. I can remember the last four jobs I had before retiring. In each situation, my faith came into play for different reasons. I think I posted somewhere on this site about my first Pilgrimage 30 years ago now, and before going I asked people if they would like me to take a request regardless of their beliefs. There were at least 4 miracles to my memory from that. The biggest was my self proclaimed atheist boss made a pilgrimage to Fatima and brought me back a Statue which I still treasure and a few little knick nacks for my children as it was the only way she could think of in thanksgiving for the miracle she received. And she acknowledged it was Our Lady. I never hid my faith but never preached about it. People would sometimes ask for prayer privately though. The next job, one of the wonderful things that happened. One of the nurses I worked with had a son who was a thatcher. He fell off the roof of a house while working and was left in a coma. Everyone at work was round her like bees for some weeks. So when everything got quiet and people left her lone, I said to her. I know of a saint who is famous for getting people out of comas'. Do you want me to give you a holy card. It was a Padre Pio card. It had the prayers written on it. This lady was a spiritualist and third generation at that. A lot of people here might say you should not have done that. But this woman said the prayers and in only a couple of week her son regained consciousness. He was brought home from hospital and she was delighted. There were many serious injuries, he should not have survived; but he did and was able to come home from hospital. The next job I was in there was a woman who used to blaspheme. I thought this is not right I must do something about it. lots of people used to use bad language there. Anyway, I went to confession and told the Priest I had heard Jesus blasphemed. I wanted to apologise to God and asked He give me a means to defend His Honour. I won't tell you the whole story; but in a nutshell all hell broke lose on me at work. To the point of a manager taking me aside and saying he had never seen anyone treated so bad and not get the sack. For it must be something they are doing wrong. I lived a hell on earth for a period of about six months. But got a chance to make a formal complaint against the person who blasphemed and stated the reason in writing. I did not get the sack. We were all good friends after it was all over would you believe; but I would straight away not hear another blaspheme in front of me again. My final job before retiring bad language used to be used. So I got hold of Life Boats collection box and said right, from now on if anyone want to cuss it will cost you. The bigger the cuss the bigger the cost. It was all done in good fun. One colleague enjoyed it so much sometimes he would pop £1 in the box and tell me he was just thinking of cussing. Now as far as religion is concerned. There are four things I brought my opinion into when the topic arose. First Homosexuals. I pointed out to my colleagues that it was illegal and women used to get a divorce on those grounds as late as the seventies. The second was abortion. I pointed out in the office that we are lied to about unborn blobs; because they are selling parts from as early as 12 weeks that I know of if not before. These are formed babies with feelings, and some very cruel things are done to them while they are still alive. The third thing was spiritualism. I pointed out to a colleague that bad spirits can follow you home from these places and infest your home. The Fourth thing I shared in the office was when some people used to say 'I would rather go down to hell where all the fun is, rather than sitting in a boring cloud in Heaven. I used to say where do you think the child molesters, and murderers go. The then war in Iraq is a type of hell on earth. Would you like to be living here in the uk having outings and holidays and family gatherings, or would you choose Iraq with the war all around you. Because that is what you are choosing when you prefer hell over Heaven. Yes, Heaven is more about people being together and happy with their loved ones and hell is about war for all eternity. That did always do the trick. Hope that helps. God bless.
I said what I said ... And still think she was honest and brave to let us all know, it was not sarcasim, or just maybe we all would still be taking Charlie's word it was. I know no one personally on here, just know them for what they write. . .. and yes, I believe hell is just as real as heaven... working years in hospice and given a few glimpses of the unseen with the dying, I can honestly say that as fact! Still couldn't throw a stone. ... what matters is I know Jesus and He knows me .. as He does each of us. He is The way, the Truth and the Life. Non will go to the father except through Him. Seems this is a Truth we should be defending today in the world full of so many non believers ..
Firsly you have more guts than me. But I have at times rebuked co workers for their foul language. And sometimes it does stop. Also some peolpe single me out, to ask for advice privately over different situations in their life, this is a privledge as I know they would not want others to know let alone ask others for advice. I remember once a lot of co-workers at a long dinning table; I was in conversation at one end and at the other end of the table another conversation was taking place and a very loud and uncouth 'friend' took Our Lords name invain, I immediately said in my mind 'Blessed by the name of Jesus'. This person then stopped talking, stood, and looked straight at me and said out loud, I'm sorry for saying that! It was so strange for then she resumed her conversation, and at our end of the table we resumed ours. No one said or asked anything more of her strange outburst nor about why she looked a me. It was as if she heard my internal prayer and apologised to God and all present. I do think God calls some people to be vigilant in constantly admonishing others and to also publicly denounce the sins of others in front of many so all may repent; but I personally think humilaition has a number of downfalls and is not that good of a carrot and not for me. We had a Jehovah's Witnesses at work who would often pester people about the state of their life. I don't know if he actually converted anyone but he was very brave and forthright and I did get into a couple of conversation with him. I used to pray for him often, may God reward him for his persistence about the evils of this world. It takes the Holy Spirit to fill me with the rightwords otherwise I am simply a gong bashing, I normally wait for the Holy Spirit to inspire me, so I don't spoil Gods work but many good people here on the forum have a different vocation and I pray that God always leads them. Thank you for sharing with me. God Bless Carolyn
IXOYE4me, I put a like on your first reply; but just to let you know, thank you for your kind words. It is much appreciated. I am used to Charlie, there is no malice in him, he just tells it like it is, and I have a lot of respect for him. Now Irish people can have a good ding dong (hot debate) and then be the best of friends. Padraig is the salt of the earth, and like Charlie will make sure God is honoured, obeyed and respected on his forum. He is a good guy. There is a huge spiritual battle ongoing for some years really, so we have to be ready to forgive each other to keep the satan under control. And give the Honour, Glory and Praise to Our Lord Jesus Christ; because He has taught us to love one another and bear with each others faults for His names sake. Peace.
Most of my company are non believers but at least I know it and they know me and I know them. There is no pretence. The problem that has now escalated to another level is that someone give a testimony thinking their position justified. Moreover they even went so far as to rubbish the Church's teaching thinking that the Church would eventually catch up with their thinking which is much more suited to the world today. I've heard this before a thousand times. Now the problem was exacerbated by the fact that she was confirmed in her position by so called pseudo catholics who have formed their own little Magisterium. This needed to be called out and it was. No apologies. Just a simple restatement of perennial teaching.
It must be done with prudence and led by the Holy Spirit . Often there are times when we must be quiet and simply pray. But to my mind the fault of this present age is , not that it is done too often, but that it is never or very occasionally done at all. If the quote your priest was giving you was accurate he was giving you a get out of jail free card to permanent moral cowardice. Which of course simply wrong, unscriptural and a hallmark or our corrupt age. Read up on stories of Padre Pio in the confessional and you will see the correct approach. http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/Confess.htm
By the way, speaking for myself, I am inclined to reserve my heavy artillery rounds at fellow Catholics, especially priests. Others get hit with sniper fire from a .22
Lots of folk today (including some folks here on the forum) are completely morally insane or demon possessed; often both. You have to be careful around such folks how you fight them. You don't engage a Rottweiller with a matchstick, he will bite you. Its a simple matter of horses for courses. The most dangerous ones are the ones who know how to put themselves across as Mr and Mrs Nice. But when its comes to the point they will go for your throat too. Suddenly no more nice. Look carefully and prayfully at folks sometimes when you are talking to them and you will see a demon peering right out back out you. I mean this quite literally. I have seen it quite often. The demon knows who it has to deal with even if the person it owns does not. This is particulary horrific in the case of priests and not at all uncommon.They get to welcome the heavy duty devils. Not uncommon at all.
Julia, first off I hope you do know that giving her the advice to sterilize herself was a mistake. We all make mistakes, I'm not going to beat you up about it, but simply state Truth. The good Lord knows I have plenty of my own faults to fix and He doesn't need me yelling at you to fix your mistakes, but to simply point it out for you out of Charity. But I hope everyone reads what she wrote there. That is the vastly more important issue. Pointing out the splinter in our brother's and sister's eyes does no good, and in fact can do even greater harm, if we do not do it with Charity. As my lovely wife often reminds me, words and presentation matter. I have a lifetime of history of "speaking bluntly" and having people stomp off pissed at me and while I may have been right in my "blunt speaking", it does not matter if it pissed them off and they shut their ears. In other words, did anyone haranguing Julia or Sparrow, lead them closer to God? It's not enough to be "right". We have to act right while being right . . .
Thank you for your reply. Yes. One poster linked a very good article which will serve to inform anyone who is not aware of Church Teaching. All should be ok now. Maybe. It will be interesting to get to know who the stirrers are, and I am not meaning you. Your post is to be expected if you have not read the whole thread. And that is ok.
Perhaps in future Julia dear you might refrain from giving advice on the faith if you are as ignorant as your contributions would suggest. You have been called out my dear deal with it.
I did read the whole thread but I've recently put about 5 posters on ignore so I don't see their comments anymore. I highly recommend it
You can pile up "dears" to the sky; I'm still not feeling the love, Malachi. Better to pray, get out of the way, and let the Holy Spirit work.
I believe that we are in the mother of all spiritual wars. What successful army fires on their own leaders and comrades? It's a recipe for disaster.
Bingo! The evil one succeeds when he has us questioning, doubting, and fighting one another, instead of doing what is truly useful and that is fighting him
I would very much like to know how to do that, put irritating consistent type posts out of my path. Poor Sparrow ran terrified. It has broken my heart. I hope she is ok. Just a little sparrow learning to fly. But I felt she was hung drawn and quartered. As if everyone else here started out perfect. I have felt inconsolable and to get INSTRUCTED in no uncertain terms, fine whatever floats yer boat. I can handle that sort of stuff. But worry about vulnerable souls who read without signing in. What if they are in a bad low place and can't find the way to make things right with God yet. I shudder to think the damage uncharitable remarks can do.
"[D]o not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." - Gandalf (J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring")
