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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
How Does God Speak To Us?	Mindy	Sunday, April 21, 2013
Question: Brother, I have met someone of whom I can't seem to take out of my mind. I have prayed to God to remove the thought of this person if it is God's will. Its just like I am reminded of the individual without purpose, like reliving good memories. I realize that I may not encounter this person again even though I may have developed a form of distant love for this person; I leave any encounter with this person in God's hands. It is interesting how some individuals strike us in a unique way. Maybe the concept of loss is difficult for me as well. How do we learn to listen to God's direction and Will to be done. How do I acurrately intepret the moving and tugging at my heart as without Divine Providence? I tend to be truly sensitive to encounters with people in general at times. I have read in your prior responses that with "movement" God can lead us in the right direction. I have wondered if perhaps this person has prayed to encounter me. This particular person just happened to have touched my heart in some unexplainable way. Then I said, perhaps I must pray for this individual's welfare if this person is on my mind every so often perhaps its for prayer purposes; one can not assume. Thanks.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Mindy: God speaks to us in many ways, primarily through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, the Church and her Saints. He also speaks to us through other people who may advise us, or who may say things that inspire us. He speaking to us in the still small voice of our conscience and of our heart. He speaks to us through nature and through circumstances in our lives. In whatever ways God speaks to us we can be assured that He will never lead us astray, He will never lead us away from His Church (the Catholic Church), He will never lead us away from obedience, loyalty, and fidelity to His Church. Thus, if we feel God is telling us to do something or to think something that contradicts His Revelation (Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture) as officially interpreted by His appointed Magisterium, then such thoughts are not from God. God will never intrude on anyone's free will. This means that if we ask God for something that requires another person's free will decision, God will not force that person to decide something just so your prayer will come true. In this regard, prayers that someone will love us, or that someone will hire us for a job, and such things cannot be guaranteed by God because those individuals must make a free choice to love you or hire you or whatever. God forces no one. Thus, something can be God's will, but God's will is not realized because someone makes a decision that is contrary to His will. For example, it may be God's will that Sally and Johnny get married. But, unless both Sally and Johnny make the decisions required to meet, date, and marry, this will not happen. God does not get His will much of the time because of Free Will. God also does not do things for us that we can do ourselves. God may help us, but we must do our part. Thus, as for this person to whom you are thinking about and have developed what sounds like a long-distance crush, do not expect God to remove these thoughts. It is up to you to overcome those thoughts and get on with your life. To accomplish that you need to stop pining for a person you may never meet again. Live your life in the "here-and- now," not on the "what-could-be" or "what-could-have-been". If you meet this person again, great, deal with it when that happens. If not, so what? Live your life. God's will is found in the here-and-now, in your life that is directly in front of you from day to day. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

How Does God Speak To Us?

Mindy

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Question:

Brother,

I have met someone of whom I can't seem to take out of my mind. I have prayed to God to remove the thought of this person if it is God's will. Its just like I am reminded of the individual without purpose, like reliving good memories. I realize that I may not encounter this person again even though I may have developed a form of distant love for this person; I leave any encounter with this person in God's hands.

It is interesting how some individuals strike us in a unique way. Maybe the concept of loss is difficult for me as well. How do we learn to listen to God's direction and Will to be done. How do I acurrately intepret the moving and tugging at my heart as without Divine Providence?

I tend to be truly sensitive to encounters with people in general at times. I have read in your prior responses that with "movement" God can lead us in the right direction. I have wondered if perhaps this person has prayed to encounter me. This particular person just happened to have touched my heart in some unexplainable way. Then I said, perhaps I must pray for this individual's welfare if this person is on my mind every so often perhaps its for prayer purposes; one can not assume.

Thanks.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Mindy:

God speaks to us in many ways, primarily through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, the Church and her Saints. He also speaks to us through other people who may advise us, or who may say things that inspire us. He speaking to us in the still small voice of our conscience and of our heart. He speaks to us through nature and through circumstances in our lives.

In whatever ways God speaks to us we can be assured that He will never lead us astray, He will never lead us away from His Church (the Catholic Church), He will never lead us away from obedience, loyalty, and fidelity to His Church.

Thus, if we feel God is telling us to do something or to think something that contradicts His Revelation (Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture) as officially interpreted by His appointed Magisterium, then such thoughts are not from God.

God will never intrude on anyone's free will. This means that if we ask God for something that requires another person's free will decision, God will not force that person to decide something just so your prayer will come true. In this regard, prayers that someone will love us, or that someone will hire us for a job, and such things cannot be guaranteed by God because those individuals must make a free choice to love you or hire you or whatever. God forces no one.

Thus, something can be God's will, but God's will is not realized because someone makes a decision that is contrary to His will. For example, it may be God's will that Sally and Johnny get married. But, unless both Sally and Johnny make the decisions required to meet, date, and marry, this will not happen. God does not get His will much of the time because of Free Will.

God also does not do things for us that we can do ourselves. God may help us, but we must do our part. Thus, as for this person to whom you are thinking about and have developed what sounds like a long-distance crush, do not expect God to remove these thoughts. It is up to you to overcome those thoughts and get on with your life. To accomplish that you need to stop pining for a person you may never meet again. Live your life in the "here-and- now," not on the "what-could-be" or "what-could-have-been". If you meet this person again, great, deal with it when that happens. If not, so what? Live your life. God's will is found in the here-and-now, in your life that is directly in front of you from day to day.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum