Do You Hear God/ Jesus/ Mary Speaking Words Of Wisdom

[Mark of the Cross]

I'm trying to determine if I'm mad or if the song "Mother Mary comes to me whispering words of wisdom" is common to many Catholic/Christians.

Edited October 14, 2009 by Mark of the Cross

[Vincent Vega]

I've never experienced a "speaking to" in plain, flat out English words. Maybe that's just me.

Edited October 14, 2009 by USAirwaysIHS

[Nihil Obstat]

I've never had anything that I would consider a divine voice, etc. There have been a couple coincidences that I don't really think were coincidences, and I believe God works in my life, but I never have any direct sign of that. It's just an act of faith.

[CatherineM]

3-4% of the population hears voices routinely. Only one percent of population actually has schizophrenia. That either means that 75% of people who hear voices don't care, or they just don't bother them, or it may mean they are hearing something other than the noises of insanity.

[mariahLVzJP2]

Yes, I have heard the Lord speak words of wisdom to me. It was during adoration several years ago, and I will never forget the way I felt when I heard it. I knew it was Jesus because i felt such a sense of peace afterword. God is good!

[mariahLVzJP2]

Hmm, im not sure mine was a voice necessarily, but I heard the words..somehow.

Edited October 15, 2009 by mariahLVzJP2

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='mariahLVzJP2' date='15 October 2009 - 11:42 AM' timestamp='1255567338' post='1985534']
Hmm, im not sure mine was a voice necessarily, but I heard the words..somehow.
[/quote]
That's kind of how I perceive it. Not really a voice, more of a thought, but definitely not my own. I know it's not my own because it's always wise.
Lennon/McCartney at least must have had some experience to have written the song 'Let it be'

[little_miss_late]

[quote name='mariahLVzJP2' date='14 October 2009 - 08:42 PM' timestamp='1255567338' post='1985534']
Hmm, im not sure mine was a voice necessarily, but I heard the words..somehow.
[/quote]

Me too.

[InHisLove726]

Let it be.

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' date='14 October 2009 - 05:52 PM' timestamp='1255560731' post='1985398']
I've never experienced a "speaking to" in plain, flat out English words. Maybe that's just me.
[/quote]

Of course you haven't. Everyone knows that when Jesus and Mary appear in visions, they speak Latin.

Edited October 15, 2009 by Resurrexi

[StColette]

If I remember correctly, the song Let It Be was written after McCartney had a dream about his mother. I believe she died of cancer while he was pretty young.

[Sojourner]

I have only experienced something like that on one occasion. I am not certain it was the voice of God, or just a realization, or what. It was just before I entered RCIA. I was weighing whether or not to become Catholic, and was really hung up on the Eucharist and whether or not it was truly the Body and Blood of Christ. Intellectually, I could buy the arguments that it was, but it really hadn't penetrated my heart. I had been praying that, if it were true, God would make it real to me and erase my doubts.

So one Sunday, I was serving communion at the church I attended before becoming Catholic, and sat down in the front pew to receive from the pastor. We used a loaf of bread, and each person tore off a piece when it came to them. When it came to me, I tore off a piece, and the thought entered my brain, "Every week, we rip and tear at the Body of Christ." As I reflected on that in the weeks after, I think it had significance not only for the act of tearing off the piece of communion bread in that gathering, but also because of the rips and tears in the fabric of the Christian family brought about by denominational divisions, and other divisions in the Church. It was extremely moving, and I had to fight to hold back tears as I sat waiting to eat the bread.

I signed up for RCIA later that week, and the rest is history.

[cmotherofpirl]

You are assuming people know if they have schizophrenia or not. Big assumption, they may just be multiple personalities.

[MIKolbe]

I normally hear laughing. I figure it's Him.

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='16 October 2009 - 06:51 AM' timestamp='1255636284' post='1985983']
You are assuming people know if they have schizophrenia or not. Big assumption, they may just be multiple personalities.
[/quote]
The reference to schizophrenia is a bit of a personal joke. I have a mental illness but definitely not schizophrenia. At Mass we pray "protect us from all anxiety...." Ironically anxiety is my disease. It's how Satan taunts me and what Jesus protects me from. It could be why he talks to me often. Because I need it!

[quote name='StColette' date='16 October 2009 - 06:06 AM' timestamp='1255633585' post='1985947']
If I remember correctly, the song Let It Be was written after McCartney had a dream about his mother. I believe she died of cancer while he was pretty young.
[/quote]
Surely there was more to it than that.People wouldn't write "In times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me.Whispering words of wisdom, let it be." unless they had had such an experience.

[quote name='Terra Firma' date='16 October 2009 - 06:19 AM' timestamp='1255634359' post='1985957']
I signed up for RCIA later that week, and the rest is history.
[/quote]

I would think this was definitely a conversation with God.

Edited October 15, 2009 by Mark of the Cross

[Kitty]

[quote]Surely there was more to it than that.People wouldn't write "In times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me.Whispering words of wisdom, let it be." unless they had had such an experience.[/quote]

I thought he was talking about marijuana. That was my undertstanding of it.

Edited October 16, 2009 by Kitty

[Skinzo]

The Beatles never climbed as high as Christianity as far as I can see. McCartney did indeed say the "Mother Mary" part was inspired by a dream he had of his dead mother who told him to "let it be". I've had some weird experiences and don't necessarily attribute them to God. Best not to pay much attention to such things unless they persist. And then you should "test the spirits" as St. John says to see if they are of God.
As for schizophrenia I side with the great Oscar Levant who said: "Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm schizophrenic and so am I!"
"Does the noise in my head bother you?" from which film?


S.

Edited October 16, 2009 by Skinzo

[scardella]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='15 October 2009 - 02:38 AM' timestamp='1255588738' post='1985766']
Of course you haven't. Everyone knows that when Jesus and Mary appear in visions, they speak Latin.
[/quote]

I've had at least one word of wisdom confirmed by my spiritual director, not from the Bible nor from someone else, and it had no language, sound, etc. to it, but pure meaning: a command direct, loud and clear. It said exactly what it meant and no more. I read into it too much at first; nevertheless, following it was a source of spiritual growth for me. Part of that growth was coming to the understanding that the result is up to HIM, and that I'm to follow the command, no matter the outcome.

[StColette]

[quote name='Mark of the Cross' date='15 October 2009 - 05:21 PM' timestamp='1255641704' post='1986065']
Surely there was more to it than that.People wouldn't write "In times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me.Whispering words of wisdom, let it be." unless they had had such an experience.
[/quote]

Again, according to a Beatles biography, that line came from a dream that he had about his mother, her name was Mary. It's what inspired those lyrics. I'm not gonna argue with the man who wrote the lyrics when he says that's why he wrote them. Apparently the phrase "Let It Be" is something his mom would tell him when he was having fights with his brother or when things were difficult. During the period in which the song was written it was a difficult time for the band and that's when Paul had the dream about his mother in which she told him to "let it be, and things would be okay".

[Aloysius]

I always thought it was written right after they had claimed to be "bigger than Jesus" and all the Christians were burning their records, so they figured they'd appease them and do a shout out to Mary.

I'm sure they weren't big enough dunces not to realize that the lyrics would be interpreted in a Christian context... I think it's likely a mix of the two motivations... one, he had this dream and figured it'd make a really good song; two, he figured if he put the lyrics ambiguously enough, it'd sound like a Christian theme and people might stop burning their records.

hearing and seeing divine things with the senses is the 8th grade of prayer... and there are only 9 grades. most people spend their whole lives in the lower 5 grades of prayer. now, people often receive foretastes of higher grades of prayer, and that is likely what happens in most cases when the external senses are able to perceive things from spiritual causes: that one is receiving a foretaste of the prayer of conforming union. that is quite a blessing, but one must remember that any experience of something divine told directly to your senses must be tested against the teachings of Christ through His Church, because there are other sinister spiritual causes which can speak to one's senses pretending to be God. and there is also the force of the imagination.

a couple general discernment points I'd suggest: if the voice is always confirming your latest opinion about this or that topic of faith or morality, it's likely imagination or more sinister (a divine voice would always challenge you to be better, not make you complacent in the status quo of what you already know or think you know). if the voice is contradicting directly what the Church teaches or what the scriptures say, it is likely sinister. if it does neither of these things, it could be either imaginary or divine... so long as the imaginary is not harmful, it's okay to draw inspiration from it; so if one discerns that it's either imaginary or divine, and one is careful to have a measuring stick against which to test the things it tells you, then it can probably be considered divine either by God directly speaking to you, or through providence God inspiring your imagination to advance things which are true to yourself.