Butterflies And A Handful Of Other Physical Responses

[Mercy me]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1057976' date='Sep 6 2006, 04:50 PM']
sometimes i will cry or get teary eyed after receiving the Eucharist - especially if it's been awhile (read: 3 or 4 weeks) since i've last received. and especially if i went to Confession the day of Mass or the day before Mass.

God is good!
[/quote]


Oh, wow! I have never heard of anyone else getting that reaction. Tears form in my eyes during consecration. It has happened for as long as I can remember, long before I knew what was happening at consecration. And, yes, it is more pronounced after confession! I used to be embarrassed by it. Now I know that it is a gift. God is so good.

[cmaD2006]

Hmm.

Well -- now that its been 12 years or so since I joined the church ... my responses have varied.

I think at first I was so intrigued by participating and being able to receive communion that I looked forward to it every time.

Then there was the day, that during consecration I had my "ah-ha!" moment and inside of me I "knew" that I "knew" that what I saw as "bread and wine" was now Jesus. I'll never forget that reaction. Surprise-wow-astonishment. (I understood the doctrine, it just didn't click, and I had had a very hard time understanding it).

Then there are days like today ... when I've been struggling because of something or another (today I've been plain ol' angry ). I'm at mass ... most of it went through one ear and out the other (note -- I noticed the part of mass that talked about envy and jealousy, or whatever the reading was, is not signs of God; I almost burst out laughing out loud since it almost seemed as God was reading my thoughts). I just was ... I also knew that there were things I was at fault for (not mortally) so when I went up to receive I was more than conscious of my not being worthy of such a gift.

Or, how about the feeling I get when I am at mass and haven't been able to be at confession ... and I know that I've sinned enough not to be able to receive communion. Talk about a horrible feeling; especially being in His presence and being face-to-face with Him, having to admit to being wrong. Luckily it doesn't happen all that often, and I resolve that quickly [a few days at most].

Then there was the day where I spent about 6-8 hrs in the emergency room ... I had been in lots of pain for about 10-12 hrs straight (I think I prayed for lots of souls in purgatory that night ). The emergency room really couldn't do much for what was happening, and sent me back home (I was in the convent at the time). I couldn't go to mass that day, so one of the sisters brought communion to me (since I was so sick). Within 5 minutes, the pain was gone. Talk about being grateful and esctactic!

I've had periods (read: up to a year) of sheer dryness not due to sin where I can be at mass, or listening to music in my car, or praying either at home or before the Blessed Sacrament; and feel nothing at all.

I've also had periods (read: months) where anytime I'm before the Lord I am made aware of my nothingness and unworthiness before Him; where I am made aware of the fact that there is nothing that I can say or do that makes me worthy of Him (other than the fact that He chose to come to me, that He chose to create me, and that He chose to love me first because He wanted to out of Love).

Most of the times, I have this satisfaction and joy right after consecration; and it usually carries over to communion. But not always. It depends on what God chooses to do with me, and my disposition.

-- Carmen

Edited September 7, 2006 by cmariadiaz

[Margaret]

I Get that exact same feeling like butterflies in my stomache during the elivation and after I receive BUT only when I am well prepared before mass. If I am running late usually I am not prepared.
GotaluvJesus

Marge

[VeniteAdoremus]

I have that too!

Our cathedral is to some a bit 'strange' when it comes to handing out the Eucharist - the priests and altar servers get last. So the great Altar Host is just lying there until the priests finish handing out, and I'm in my chair at the back of the row of servers, and I'm just sneaking peeks at Him on the altar, and my ears go all warm...

And that's -before- I receive the Eucharist. Imagine how I feel afterwards. I'm so glad other people have it too and I'm not mad

(There are days when I don't have it, or not as much - sometimes I miss it, and sometimes I just feel 'normal'. Variety is a good thing. And somehow it confirms to me that it's not "me".)

Oh, and Carmen - thank you so much for sharing that. It is texts like these that get me through my dry periods. Really, thank you so much.

[In The Arms of The Lord]

I know this post is old, but I couldn't help responding.

I have not yet received Our Lord in the Eucharist, as I am not yet confirmed into the Catholic Church but I will be April 11th (Holy Saturday night.) For someone like me who so longs and desires for a perfect closeness with the Lord, I can only imagine what I will feel when I receive Him in this way. It will be such a beautiful, amazing, and intimate way to become closer to Jesus! Even when I think about it i'm filled with so much emotion and feeling, no words can describe. Even as I sit here typing, i'm in complete awe as to how I feel just thinking about it. Though at this time I can't get to Mass everyday because of work, when I am able to receive Him in the Eucharist I can only imagine the burning in my heart to want to be there everyday.

Edited February 2, 2009 by In The Arms of The Lord

[VeniteAdoremus]

I'm old

[the lords sheep]

I've been here longer than you (not by much mind but still)

Beautiful thread!

[johnnydigit]

mine are often when i'm serving near the altar. for a variety of reasons i gather, i feel like falling over on my knees.

[quote name='hugheyforlife' post='1057926' date='Sep 6 2006, 11:53 AM']I wonder if it has something to do with the sacrament or if it is my head playing tricks on me.


Anyone?[/quote]

i say it's both. not tricks though, but biological, psychological, as well as spiritual effects.

[quote name='Noel's angel' post='1058022' date='Sep 6 2006, 02:24 PM']Sometimes I get this sensation, my heart feels all warm and I get quite emtotional. Me getting emotional is a strange thing-I only remember crying in front of people twice in my whole life. It's like I'm filled to the brim-I feel complete and joyful. It is so amazing and I can't do it justice with my mere words.[/quote]

lately i get a deep burning there. a delightful pain. the deeper i get into studying the Mass, the deeper and more awe-inspiring does the Mass become. heaven coming down, angels staring at the priest's every move, the paschal lamb, His blood trickling down into the chalice, "behold, your son.. behold your Mother".. the sorrow, the joy, the tears, a pulverizing of the flesh and lifting of the soul.. i would sooner burst into flames and explode for love of God if duties and other distractions didn't beckon. that or the whole mortal body thing..

[b]make the Mass your life.[/b] read the small booklet "The Wonders of the Mass" by Fr Paul O'Sullivan O.P. it's truly fascinating, and only two bucks.

[johnnydigit]

[quote name='In The Arms of The Lord' post='1769622' date='Feb 2 2009, 04:14 AM']I know this post is old, but I couldn't help responding.

I have not yet received Our Lord in the Eucharist, as I am not yet confirmed into the Catholic Church but I will be April 11th (Holy Saturday night.) For someone like me who so longs and desires for a perfect closeness with the Lord, I can only imagine what I will feel when I receive Him in this way. It will be such a beautiful, amazing, and intimate way to become closer to Jesus! Even when I think about it i'm filled with so much emotion and feeling, no words can describe. Even as I sit here typing, i'm in complete awe as to how I feel just thinking about it. Though at this time I can't get to Mass everyday because of work, when I am able to receive Him in the Eucharist I can only imagine the burning in my heart to want to be there everyday. [/quote]

someone like you would float to the top of the church. or when you see heaven open above everyone when the Father begins, "In the name of the Father.." your jaw will drop to the floor. you will be suspended in fear. your vision will become blurry with tears. everything around you will seem far away. you will see God.

[In The Arms of The Lord]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1776699' date='Feb 9 2009, 06:14 AM']someone like you would float to the top of the church. or when you see heaven open above everyone when the Father begins, "In the name of the Father.." your jaw will drop to the floor. you will be suspended in fear. your vision will become blurry with tears. everything around you will seem far away. you will see God.[/quote]


That sounds so beautiful. Sometimes I believe that if I did have wings I could fly. These feelings I have when I think about Our Lord are so overwhelming.

[CatherineM]

I had one of my favorite pastors tell our RCIA group 20 years ago now, that men will sometimes actually have arousal during the Easter Vigil receiving for the first time. He said he made it a point of telling the guys that it could happen to them, because he didn't want them to think that there was something wrong with them, just in case. The Ecstasy of the moment can be overwhelming, and the body reacts in that manner sometimes.

[AccountDeleted]

This is a beautiful thread. It shows me that spiritual ecstasy is not as rare as people might think - it just manifests itself in different ways and different strengths to different people at different times (like when one is well prepared vs just rushing into Mass at the last minute). We tend to think that great saints like St Teresa are the only ones who can experience Our Lord in this way, but from what I am reading here, it is more a matter of just becoming aware of the graces that are already flowing in our lives.

Being aware of God's presence at every moment (which does help us to avoid sin), and knowing that the Blessed Mother and the angels and saints are always present to help us and strengthen us as well - these things only increase our love for Our Lord. So when we come to receive Him in the Eucharist (or even to adore Him during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament), we are naturally made aware of Him on many different levels, and a physical sensation is natural.

I usually cry after receiving Communion but when I don't, I used to wonder if there was something wrong with me (am I too hard hearted right now - am I taking Him for granted - and other questions) but then I realized that the physical sensation is only a side effect of the spiritual experience, and that receiving Communion is about the spiritual strength one obtains from receiving Our Lord. Sometimes the sensation may be as simple as a deep peace or feeling of calm, and other times it might seem as if heaven itself has opened up! That is why daily Communion is so wonderful (and why I miss it so much when I am working and can't receive Him daily) because He gives us Himself to help us in the spiritual battle that is always raging around us.

Whether we "feel" anything or not, the reality is that God is filling us with Himself in the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. This is certainly too much for the human mind to actually comprehend, despite our efforts to do so! So the heart has to make the connection for us, in love and in faith.

I can't imagine NOT being a Catholic and not being allowed to receive Our Lord. InTheArmsoftheLord.. every day you have to wait for Him increases your longing for Him - and what a precious gift to offer to Him! You are blessed in your intense longing for Him - waiting is always hard, but use this time to come closer to Him than ever. He is longing for you as much as you are longing for Him! If only every Catholic had as much longing and anticipation to receive Our Lord - well, how beautiful would that be for Him?!
Edited February 9, 2009 by nunsense