GodChild Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Now, I'm sure I'm gonna regret putting this post up but I need an opinion. I have mentioned this before in one of my previous posts [i think] - but Jesus, God the Father and Mary speak to me Don't laugh ... like I said I'm being serious. I know these are not voices as a result of some 'mental illness' though I have dismissed them by trying to convince myself that they are. In some respects its easier to think of yourself as sick ... especially when you hear the next part. When these voices speak to me, I honestly believe I am called and being asked to start a new community in the Church. I have tried [ and i have] shrugged this of time and time and time again but the inspiration, and the command won't go away. I have seen a priest [and found the experience very daunting] and I have now been told to go to another spiritual director [someone more 'spiritual' or something - a carmelite monk who is the director of the community in Asia-Pacific or someting] This is the congregation charism I feel compelled to start: Purpose of Congregation: To adore and glorify God the Almighty Father, in union with and in imitation of Christ Crucified on Calvary. Spirit / Charism of the Congregation: Calvary is the spirit of the congregation, this spirit being one of perpetual offering of love, adoration and reparation to God the Eternal Father – in, with and through Christ crucified on Calvary. Patron of Congregation: Our Congregation is under the patronage of Mary, Our Lady and Sorrowful Mother of Calvary, whom we look to as the model of our vocation – to stand with Christ at the Cross, uniting ourselves to Him and in union with Him in offering up to God Our Eternal Father, perpetual love, adoration and reparation for our sins and the sins of the world. We take vows of poverty, obedience, chastity and love. The work of our congregation is reparation for sins – our consecrated religious life is our work of loving reparation - we consecrate ourselves totally to God in reparation for the sin of rejecting God - we take the vow of love [to love God with all our heart and soul every moment of every day – doing every work, every prayer with love] in reparation for peoples hatred to God - we take the vow of obedience in reparation for the sin of disobedience to God - we take the vow of chastity in reparation for the sins of impurity - we take the vow of poverty in reparation for the sin of greed, materialism - we live in enclosure, giving ourselves totally to God in reparation for those who give no time to God - we sing the Divine Office in reparation for prayers said poorly and those who do not pray at all / and blasphemy - we live in silence in reparation for evil words and blasphemy - we partake in daily Mass in reparation for those who abandon the altar - we have perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in reparation for Eucharistic abuses - our every action and work is directed towards loving God in a spirit of loving reparation for sin We will live by the Rule of St Augustine + Congregation Constitutions So what do you think Honest opinions will be greatly appreciated - even if it's that u think I'm crazy Moreso, however, I'm a little concerned as to what I should do I'm just a nobody u know. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscanheart Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 I don't really know what to say about the voices and all that but all of the acts of the community that you have planned are beautiful. If it comes about, I have no doubt it will be a truly beautiful and holy order. And if it doesn't, you've just given food for thought to all of us. Perhaps I will offer up my Mass, Eucharistic adoration, Divine Office, etc. for the reasons you have stated (those who abandon the altar, Eucharistic abuses, those who do not pray/pray poorly, with little effort). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemma Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Sounds like everything our SOLC Foundations have been called to do. Reparation being first and foremost in the foundations' charisms. All of them will have Paulacrucian spirituality intertwined with their spiritualities. As many as possible will have perpetual adoration. The Gilbertine Renewal will chant in monotone out of austerity of sound. Australia needs religious life and new communities. I'm still discerning a charism for down under. If you wish, you may email or PM me. I run the "founders' forum" yahoo group. And no, I don't think you're crazy. I was told to act first, establish the apostolate, then reveal the source. Then they can tell by the fruits that it's from God. Blessings, Gemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philosophette Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 The charism sounds very similar to that of the Passionist nuns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest phatdaddy Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Dear GodChild, I enjoyed reading your post and think your plans are awsome. I pray for success in your endeavers. I don't want to seem harsh but I would strongly suggest that you keep your heavenly communications just between you and your spiritual director. Reveal them publicly only under the obedience of your SD. They could be a distration not so much for you but for those that read your post might focus on the wrong thing. Anyway God bless you. Mr. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totus Tuus Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Ditto Mr. Ray. I know it's probably hard not to know what to do about these voices but you need solid spiritual direction more than Phatmassers' opinions God bless you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemma Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 What about the habit? Was a habit description given? Blessings, Gemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary-Kathryn Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 [quote name='phatdaddy' post='1134330' date='Dec 3 2006, 09:24 PM'] Dear GodChild, I enjoyed reading your post and think your plans are awsome. I pray for success in your endeavers. I don't want to seem harsh but I would strongly suggest that you keep your heavenly communications just between you and your spiritual director. Reveal them publicly only under the obedience of your SD. They could be a distration not so much for you but for those that read your post might focus on the wrong thing. Anyway God bless you. Mr. Ray [/quote] Mr. Ray is very wise Godchild. I will pray for you, please pray for me! God bless you! Mary-Kathryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicemary Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 I would also caution against the voices thing...you would loose alot of credibility if you walk up to a bishop and say I hear voices. I know, I know, many religious orders were founded by people who may have done such a thing. In this day and age, such claims, though purely innocent to you, speak volumes to others. Your thoughts have merit, but mirror the Passionist nuns as others have said. I speak from a purely practical terms, and you may surely disagree...vows of love are a little too sweetness to me. I undersstand what you are trying to say, but again, how that will be interputed today may be very different from your intent. Gemma has some experience along these lines so she may be able to guide you. Ultimately your spiritual director would be the best person to discuss this with, and while we at phatmass can offer our prayers and support, some discretion may be best. my opinion only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemma Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 [quote name='GodChild' post='1134249' date='Dec 3 2006, 07:56 PM'] This is the congregation charism I feel compelled to start: Purpose of Congregation: To adore and glorify God the Almighty Father, in union with and in imitation of Christ Crucified on Calvary. Spirit / Charism of the Congregation: Calvary is the spirit of the congregation, this spirit being one of perpetual offering of love, adoration and reparation to God the Eternal Father – in, with and through Christ crucified on Calvary. Patron of Congregation: Our Congregation is under the patronage of Mary, Our Lady and Sorrowful Mother of Calvary, whom we look to as the model of our vocation – to stand with Christ at the Cross, uniting ourselves to Him and in union with Him in offering up to God Our Eternal Father, perpetual love, adoration and reparation for our sins and the sins of the world. We take vows of poverty, obedience, chastity and love. The work of our congregation is reparation for sins – our consecrated religious life is our work of loving reparation - we consecrate ourselves totally to God in reparation for the sin of rejecting God - we take the vow of love [to love God with all our heart and soul every moment of every day – doing every work, every prayer with love] in reparation for peoples hatred to God - we take the vow of obedience in reparation for the sin of disobedience to God - we take the vow of chastity in reparation for the sins of impurity - we take the vow of poverty in reparation for the sin of greed, materialism - we live in enclosure, giving ourselves totally to God in reparation for those who give no time to God - we sing the Divine Office in reparation for prayers said poorly and those who do not pray at all / and blasphemy - we live in silence in reparation for evil words and blasphemy - we partake in daily Mass in reparation for those who abandon the altar - we have perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in reparation for Eucharistic abuses - our every action and work is directed towards loving God in a spirit of loving reparation for sin We will live by the Rule of St Augustine + Congregation Constitutions I'm just a nobody u know. Thanks [/quote] I'm encouraged by the fact that she has said that she "is a nobody." She also sounded very sane and down-to-earth in a PM she sent me the other day. I've had some psychiatric nursing exposure, and I know how people act when they have hallucinations, etc. Speaking as a Lay Passionist, this charism is very close to that of the Passionist nuns (having very nearly entered their Erlanger, KY, monastery). However, there are a few minute differences that would distinguish GodChild's inspirations as a charism. The Passionist nuns' main objective is to compassionate Christ Crucified and His Sorrowful Mother, and not necessarily reparation first and foremost, although that is a part of it, but not the original line of thought given by Our Lady to St. Paul of the Cross. I've got a work-in-progress called "At Heaven's Request: Religious Communities Founded From Visions." There are really more out there than you'd think. I know of one community which makes only a Vow of Love--the Handmaids of the Most Holy Trinity in South Bend, Indiana (no website, unfortunately). According to them, the other three vows are in the Vow of Love. The Mother of Sorrows is the patroness of not only the Passionists, but also the Nuns of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (who were just recently discussed on this forum). That's why I really need to hear the habit description. Again, as a Lay Passionist bequeathing my Paulacrucian spirituality to our SOLC Foundations, the Mother of Sorrows is the patroness of the whole organization and its works. This world is in sad need of religious orders making reparation to God for all the crimes of humanity. And I mean really making reparation. There can't be enough orders making reparation. I don't know about anyone else, but the way GodChild has described everything, it does sound like a genuine charism. And the fact that she doesn't know squat about founding an order, and she was told to follow the Rule of St. Augustine with constitutions particular to the congregation (if I'm reading this correctly) lends itself to being genuine. Coupling that with her humility, the only thing she needs right now is a good, spiritual SD. Is there anything like the Institute on Religious Life in Australia? Perhaps they could help. What about other new orders down under? I have other Aussies on the Founders' Forum. Please, GodChild, let me send you an invitation. Blessings, Gemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodChild Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 Thanks for your opinions Feeling like a doofus but I'll get over it. As I said, I'd probably regret the post after putting it up but i am grateful for the perspective some have given me. I agree that discretion would be best ... and can see things in a different way now, though I honestly viewed 'discretion' in a different way. I'll explain. I do NOT tell anyone about these things. If anything I keep them inside and they are like a martyrdom I exercise alot of discretion with these things and have only discussed it with a priest [who was my spiritual director] and who has now referred me onto someone else [a little higher up in the food chain i think : ] It's for *this* reason I thought I'd get some opinions. Honestly, I do not feel like I'm being indiscrete by putting up an annoymous post on a Catholic website, in vocations station - where people intentionally share their journeys, get advice etc. But please know that I do NOT blab to people that I hear things etc .... I'm well aware that would be social suicide in response to AliceMary [quote]...vows of love are a little too sweetness to me. [/quote] I understand why someone would think that, but I also did not communicate myself in the best of ways. By a vow of love I mean that the supreme duty and law of the community is to love God with all your heart, mind and soul - as in doing reparation, and unfortunately also for people who are not faithful to their vocation [ahem ... priests, religious, those who stick to external practice only or scandalise their positions] .... actual *love of God* and living your vocation in *love for God* is primal to the community. Hope that clears things up a bit. Again thanks for your advice. If I've made a shananigan out of myself then so be it - please don't judge me too harshly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary-Kathryn Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 [quote name='GodChild' post='1134622' date='Dec 4 2006, 09:07 AM'] Again thanks for your advice. If I've made a shananigan out of myself then so be it - please don't judge me too harshly [/quote] Not judged! I think everyone wants to just you. Let us keep each other close in prayer! Mary-Kathryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodChild Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 You see the guy in the bottom left hand corner of my posts - he started this or He is at least partially responsible. Whether this inspiration is from God or not does'nt matter in the end - what's more important for me is how far I'm prepared to go for Him. Even if I walk straight into a dead end and raise a few eyebrows in the process - at least I'm not afraid of humiliation for His sake [or my misguided understanding of His will for me ] Theres a proverb that for love and foolishness there is no cure and I suffer from both when it comes to HIM : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicemary Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Judge you, never. Want to protect you, always. It is a cold world out there, and people love to rip apart geniune people. Would never, ever dissuade you. The Lord's ways are not any of ours to judge. I can only encourage you, and offer my prayers that you find the path that the Lord is obvioiusly leading you along. Stay strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 You are most certainly not crazy GodChild . You are just being honest and courageous to post your thoughts. It be wonderful if you established your Community one day. God Bless and LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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