Lil Red Posted July 13, 2004 Author Share Posted July 13, 2004 i have Dark Night of the Soul but i haven't started reading it yet. well, i have, but i couldn't get into it. i'll try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qfnol31 Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Who's it translated by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted July 13, 2004 Author Share Posted July 13, 2004 Dark Night of the Soul St. John of the Cross New translation and introduction by Mirabai Starr Foreword by Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qfnol31 Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 I have that same one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted July 13, 2004 Author Share Posted July 13, 2004 well, i'll give it another shot. thanks for the reminder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theculturewarrior Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 I used to have the same problem. Fr. Socias's publications really helped. In mass I pretty much ignore everything. My friend has a shirt that says, "Gone to my happy place." That pretty much sums up how I am at mass. Before the consecration, I'm reading the readings in my Daily Roman Missal, and praying prayers before mass. During the consecration, I follow along in the order of the mass, but supposing your priest is one who like to "improvise" eucharistic prayers, you could always read the eucharistic prayer quietly to yourself. And then after communion, there is a lengthy section in both the Handbook of Prayers and the Daily Roman Missal for prayers after mass. At that point I've tuned the world out and it is just me and God. Not everybody has the same prayer style though. Prayer for the Church, for bishops, priests and deacons, is key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fides_et_Ratio Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 I can definitely relate, Lil Red, and I did bring it up with a priest who was celebrating the Mass in a fashion not quite in tune with the Church.. I just chose my words carefully. I think I said something like, "As I keep reading more and more about the faith (I had just reconciled), I think I am growing attracted to the Mass, but I'm having a hard time 'getting much out of it', I'm just confused about certain parts..." and then we dicussed parts of the Mass (including parts he occasionally ad-libbed (he has since stopped)). I am still working on "getting something out of Mass", but I have to remind myself, I'm not there to receive anything (other than the Eucharist), but that I am there to give myself to God, as imperfectly as I am able to do that.. But maybe you could try just dicussing the Mass with your priest? I mean, if you ask him honestly (and without being accusatory, which, I know can be hard) about certain things he does maybe it'll be easier to discuss it with him?? Once I started out a conversation about the Mass, "Father, I just don't understand _______" --he had been ad-libbing during the Eucharistic prayer I told him, I just "got confused" as to when my response came in, and then I felt distracted from the Eucharist, and then I'd get frustrated with myself about the Mass.. and he quit ad-libbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 i really was feeling like this also. THe best thing you can do is pray and pray and pray about it cause i was really feeling like i knew it was Jesus in the Eucharist but i didnt truly believe it but then out of nowhere (or God) i felt this amazing feeling after receiving Him and tears came down my face and i felt soo close to God and it was amazing. My advice Pray about it. It will just happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 [quote name='RemnantRules' date='Jul 13 2004, 01:22 PM'] HHmmmmm this is hard i know, i had a similar problem, not getting into mass. I went to confession and i asked the priest what should i do and he told me for the mass don't speak, and don't open your eyes! So i tried it not having my eyes open and not speaking, i mean i did open my eyes to recieve Jesus but you know what i mean, and let me tell you, that was so awesome. I must warn you though, if you decide to do this don't do it when your tired, lol. But i realized i had my senses doing all the talking and not my spirtual senses. So i hope this helps. God Bless Jason Gregory [/quote] I tried that once...on Ash Wednesday. I closed my eyes so that I could be still and listen, and it's like time stood still, and it was very hauntingly beautiful. I think I may suffer from a little adult ADD and I'm easily distracted...but Ash Wednesday....I just wanted to enter fully into repentance and feel what Jesus felt as he was forsaken by God. He was forsaken more than any man so that we could be saved. No one has entered as deep as Christ has. And so it was a wonderful experience for me to close my eyes and meditate on that. Try to be like still water that has no wind tossing it about. Try to find at least one sentence or something from mass to take home with you, and write it in a journal when you get home. If for some reason you cannot make it to mass EWTN has daily mass readings, and also Sacred Space by the Irish Jesuits. If you are too distracted at mass, you can practice this at home during the week. Take notes and practice with these, write your thoughts in a journal, and then one day you will find that you will be able to concentrate better at mass. EWTN [url="https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.htm"]https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.htm[/url] Sacred Space [url="http://www.jesuit.ie/prayer/"]http://www.jesuit.ie/prayer/[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 [quote name='Lil Red' date='Jul 13 2004, 01:40 PM'] thanks, i'm still going to mass, don't get me wrong, and i know that mass isn't about "touchy-feely" stuff, but at the same time, i should be getting something out of it, right? i study the readings, but it seems like nothing is touching my heart. i don't feel moved by it at all! even when i haven't been "into" the mass before (when I was a teenager), i still felt moved by the Eucharist!! [/quote] Why do you feel you have to feel something? Mother Theresa spent 20-30 years [I can't remember which] in total spiritual dryness and felt nothing. Meanwhile she was founding convents, taking care of the dying and doing te work of Jesus. And she felt nothing. The fact that you go and keep going and even though you feel nothing ,means you are practicing obedience and faithfulness just because you love GOD. THat is a great gift to the Lord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Lil Red, wow.. i have experienced something of that. i get mad frustrated sometimes. it's hard to focus at Mass when there is irreverence, the priest just seems to not know what is going on, you know there are certain abuses going on in the parish. But you do your best to prepare for Mass by reading the Readings, and prepare to recieve Jesus in the Eucharist. wow. Red, He must think "what faith my daughter has! even though she does not see, even though she experiences no consolation, even though there is so much irreverence and it seems that I could not be here--she really believes that I AM here in the hands of a sinful priest! You give Him great joy because you have not seen and yet believe. Try sitting in the center, first pew right in front of the altar. RemnantRules said close your eyes.. thats a great idea, except open your eyes when the Priest holds Jesus and says "behold the Lamb of GOD" Just pray, "Jesus i know that You are here even though i feel nothing. I dont feel you but i love you. I know that You want to give Yourself to me because you love me" Once you try it believe me He will give you these thoughts! Whatever hurts the Beloved hurts the one who loves Him. The abuses hurt you [b]because[/b] you love Him. i would suggest praying about writing a kind letter to your priest and then your Bishop. Ask the Lord when you recieve Him and offer your Holy Communions for your parish. give Him your annoyances too---cuz He can never be outdone in generosity! lets pray for each others parishes. GOD BLESS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted July 13, 2004 Author Share Posted July 13, 2004 thank you, Seven, for some great words of encouragement! i will be trying out your suggestions soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 no problem Lil Red! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsFrozen Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Hi, Lil.. Sorry to hear about your trouble! But maybe you're getting too worked up. Maybe you just need to relax and forget about it. The faults of your priest aren't your faults. Go to Mass with the understanding that you have no choice but to attend this church because of lack of availability in your area, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. You have done what you can, from what it sounds like. There is no reason to let it effect your spiritual life. Just completely surrender this to God. Just let Jesus take care of things. Hope that helps a little.. I will be praying for you. God bless.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiritual_Arsonist Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 You are quite normal. Just participate as best you can and try and connect with the sacrifice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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