strange experience today in church today

So I went to 12 o'clock mass today, to me it was an just another ordinary sunday, turns out it was the feast of the Epiphany. I said my prayers to God before mass, and asked as usual to be merciful to me a sinner.Mass began and I listen to the readings and the Gospel, my mind drifted a little I pondered how the three kings followed this star to where Jesus was after meeting with Herod. How they met with Jesus and his mother and bestowed the gifts and went a different way home due to the dream they had. I thought about the star and wondered whether it really was a star or could of possibly been an orb or unexplained light in the sky like we see on Tv or YouTube. Anyway, when it came time for communion, I didn't go up to receive the Eucharist, I haven't in sometime due to the divorce and also haven't been to confession in some time as well.
Here's where something happened to me that Im having a hard time putting a name to. I am kneeling and praying or trying to when the hymn "What child is this" started. I then just listened to the words and thought about Jesus as a child laying in the arms of Mary. The singer was singing it very well and hitting the words with the perfect pitch. I've had at times gotten the chills during a song and it is uplifting, but today the word uplifting falls extremely short. The feeling lasted about three verses of the song "what child is this"and is wasnt momentarily. I can only describe it like this. It started out with an emotional response( getting the chills) to the song but amplify it by 100. I was kneeling with my eyes closed and felt myself going higher and higher while pondering the words of the song, almost like my soul was vibrating. And a thought entered my mind at this point...if this continues im going to die. As soon as I had this thought the experience ended.
The reason why I posted this is I never had anything like this happen to me in my life and am hoping to put a name to it. Maybe someone on here has had something similar happen to them.

 

God is calling...it's time for confession.

 

You only need to watch this hour video to answer you question about the Star of Bethlehem

 

Sounds to me like God gave you a taste of what it is like to unite your soul to him that can come through contemplating His Son's life. The joy was almost too much for you. I have never had this happen. It sounds wonderful.

 

I think God gave you a taste of true communion with Him- it sounds like you were being called physically and spiritually to Him. Maybe it's a call to confession which will them allow you to experience more fuller Communion with Him by partaking in His Body and Blood. In any case, it sounds like you had a beautiful and holy experience.

 

It sounds a little like what St Teresa of Avila describes in the fifth mansion, the prayer of Union.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/tic/tic13.htm

.' The mind entirely concentrates itself on trying to understand what is happening, which is beyond its power; it is so astounded that, if consciousness is not completely lost, at least no movement is possible: the person may be compared to one who falls into a dead faint with dismay. 7'

But this is only a quick guess. It is what I guess you might call a rapture.

 

But context is everything in the spiritual life and it depends how you are praying generally. I am reminded of the angels seen in scripture . We can be at very different places at many differing times. Our God is a God of surprises, which is just one of the things that makes Him so loveable and interesting.

 

I had a feeling like that when I was baptized.

 

Michael, I had a very similar experience a few weeks ago after receiving Communion. I was kneeling and praying after receiving and the words to the song became vivid to me and I felt like I was being transported somewhere, kind of floating, but very aware of all my senses other than sight as my eyes were closed and I literally felt like I could feel the angel's wings around me and felt like I was right at the veil. Very powerful and spiritual experience.

 

FatimaPilgrim,
Aye, and thank you for sharing It is just so hard to put into words and describe.
As I said it started out with an emotional response like getting the chills to the song then it got more intense, and more intense,and more intense( nothing that I have ever experienced). I felt it all the while I was pondering the part of the song

"What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary."

I was just picturing Jesus laying asleep in the lap of his Holy Mother with shephards close by and the three magi visiting him and what I experienced felt like it was getting intense higher faster, and more intense higher faster..etc.( I wasnt lifted off the ground and I didnt "see" anything) Higher is perhaps the wrong word. The feeling that started out with like I said "getting the chills" during the song and progressed from there almost like my soul was vibrating. And as I said, what I thought to myself was, if this continues I am going to die. What I left out was" if this continues I am going to die..& this wouldn't be so bad a way to go" and then it ended immediately.
Idk, I guess I'm a little confused. I cant put a name to it.

Was it a rapture? I dont think so.
Was it bliss? I dont know, but during that 10-20 seconds that it lasted it sure did feel good.
Was it ecstasy? I dont think so either.
Was it by product of communion with God? I dont know, but doubt it. As I said, havent been to confession in a few years so I don't think I was in communion with God. I was in church to pray and honor God, but I am a sinner.
Was it the byproduct of prayer? Maybe, but in all my years of life I never encountered something like this.
Or was it.. this is what it feels to be loved..get your act together and go to confession. Possibly.

 

Luke 2:19

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

View attachment 2521

 

If I may put in my tuppence worth.... what you received is a blessing, meant just for you. But Stan loves to steal our blessings and one of the ways he does it is to get us to share it with others who have not received exactly what we have, and in the various discussions the blessing is robbed from us... until all we are left with is an experience. I don't mean to offend anybody here who has endeavoured to answer your question because after all you did ask, and people would naturally try to help out. If I may make a suggestion... pray into your blessing for a period of perhaps 3 months and the Lord will enlighten you and bring you to a deeper union with him. Then when you do share it, others will be blessed too.

 

Border,
Not sure you are correct on this one...A.M. is really anonymous in this forum, so its not like the person is showing off. But more importantly his/her post was quite humbling. Sometime we have experiences and there is no one left to turn. Even Mother Teresa looked and looked for spiritual direction... to understand the consolations of God. So, if someone asks humbly, not sure if it is a bad thing.

Now lets get deeper...remember consolations do happen. And it might happen again and again. But God giveth and taketh away. What I am trying to say is...enjoy the beauty of the moment. But remember, God doesn't keep giving the gift. That will only happen in heaven. Sooner or later the dark night comes. And this dark night might last for years. But when you least expect it and you start to wonder if your consolation really happened.

WHAM it happens again.

Just enjoy the moment and praise God. Like i said before God is calling, its time to work a little harder on your prayer life. Confession is mandatory...i think God gave you a great gift, so in great humility go to the Sacarament of Confession.

So, just keep pushing.

Prayer life is like sports...the more you work out the stronger you become. It's the dedication to gradual improvement.

Brother al

 

I was not suggesting A.M. was showing off, just looking to make sense of a blessing, which is a natural thing to do. I was replying out of my own experience of losing blessings by speaking of them too soon without adequate prayer first. We are all at different levels in our prayer journeys and one person's blessing when shared can evoke a perhaps similar experience in another, who may not have discerned it adequately at the time, and may give a well meaning reply but may not be accurate. Stan puts his confusion into the mix and the blessing is lost. My apologies again to A.M. or anyone else who may feel offended.

 

No one offended...its actually very interesting. We all have our spiritual journeys. I agree spirituality is very personal. Without a guide (one that is living a holy life) it is very difficult. 1st experiences are very emotional as well as complexing. Sometimes you need a little help. I apologize to you Border... because i sometimes forget every journey is different. The roads we take have the same sign post... but looks like a bowl of spaghetti

Spirituality is a very personal and mystical gift. Border is correct, your journey is yours alone. Its kinda lonely but it is a great adventure.

Brother al

 

No apology needed , yes it is a great adventure and lonely as you know, but a wise man (Padraig I think!) once said to me, the higher up the mountain one climbs, the fewer people one meets!!
God Bless
BC

 

I have had several similar experiences just before and after coming into the Church back in 1993. I agree with the comments that God is calling you to Himself. Unite yourself to Him and thank Him for this Grace while making reparation for all who do not accept the many Graces He continuously pours out for us.

 

Yes, Signal Graces in the beginning.

I was on the way to southern Missouri to go camping with my family and was reading Thomas Merton's book, Contemplative Prayer. I was newly converted, I would learn later, the negative about centering prayer. That evening, settled in my sleeping bag, I was looking up at the stars. There is an open top to the tent so you can. I was thinking of God and for a few moments, I went up and out of my body toward the stars. It felt that way, I describe the feeling, of ecstasy, maybe, since I only experienced it one time.

 

Not sure centering prayer is bad but it is powerful. A holy man once told me the most powerful prayer is just repeating Jesus over and over. This is a type of centering prayer. i'm not sure why some consider bad. I was with a group of fraters...maybe its a form of more advanced prayer. But not sure one prayer is more advanced then others.

Any thoughts?

Brother al

 

Have you heard of the book "The Flame of Love" by Elizabeth Kindelmann? It seems that she may have had an experience similar to the one that you describe.

In her book, she describes feeling close to Jesus at which point her body began to shake all over and then all strength left her. Jesus told her that she had received a special grace called "sacred trembling" as a reward because no one else comes to adore Him. He also reportedly told her that she should not try to understand the experience because her intellect cannot comprehend being lifted from this earth in ecstasy.

When I read your story, it immediately reminded me of this book. The experiences may not be identical, but seem similar.

Did you feel that your experience was a grace? Is it the kind of thing that you hope to experience again?