Having been a serious student of scripture, God made things simple enough so that a retarded person can accept Christ as savior, and complex enough to keep the most ardent student of scripture busy.
I'm not Roman Catholic, but have sat through a high mass in English and was able to understand what was going on. Essentially, it is centered on the eucharist which is something that every Christian goes through, although in my Church we call it communion. The reminder of what Christ had to do to finish His work on the cross always brings me to tears.
Bible study and prayer are the two most important things a Christian can engage in. Those two things bring us loser to the Lord and also make us desire more of both. It's a rather pleasant addiction and one that will be satisfied through Eternity with Christ.
Understanding what was going on wasn't the issue. I was hearing the Latin and processing it as Latin in my head without translating it to English, which I couldn't do to begin with, since I didn't know Latin or even Spanish that well. He had a reason for giving me that understanding. I just can't figure out what that reason was.
I've come to believe, my friend - that there's a lot more to that old saying that 'God works in mysterious ways' than many will understand. I've also come to believe that the world is a complicated enough place that in order to work his ways, he uses 'we imperfect ones' to sometimes do what are really subtle but important things that - if done directly, precludes a good exercise of Free Will. In short, the experience might not have been for you - although I believe that in part it might have been, but rather 2nd or even 3rd order effects of your experience - and how it's impacted you. Was your sudden ability to understand the Latin in that Mass a miracle? Perhaps. Was that miracle meant for you (in that - you were supposed to directly use this gift?), or perhaps - as a means to help others, perhaps even unknown to you, to believe that miracles can occur, and do exist? While I chuckled at your mention of how He is quick to address issues of pride and hubris (having felt this myself), I also think that his ways are often much more subtle. And thankfully so, if for no other reason than to truly allow us to exercise our Free Will for His greater glory.
BTW - thanks for posting the link to your Substack on your dreamwidth blog - I'd never have found it otherwise. :-)
I'm surprised you didn't see the link at The Other McCain, because when I do these Substack posts I tend to link them there first.
As to whether I was actually blessed with a miracle, and what I was supposed to accomplish with it...maybe you're right. Maybe it wasn't necessarily for my benefit, but something I needed to be testifying to for the benefit of others. I guess we'll see how it works out.
Mea Culpa - I have to confess that I don't check The Other McCain as often as I used to (or should), so I've clearly missed the prior posts referenced there.
Having been a serious student of scripture, God made things simple enough so that a retarded person can accept Christ as savior, and complex enough to keep the most ardent student of scripture busy.
I'm not Roman Catholic, but have sat through a high mass in English and was able to understand what was going on. Essentially, it is centered on the eucharist which is something that every Christian goes through, although in my Church we call it communion. The reminder of what Christ had to do to finish His work on the cross always brings me to tears.
Bible study and prayer are the two most important things a Christian can engage in. Those two things bring us loser to the Lord and also make us desire more of both. It's a rather pleasant addiction and one that will be satisfied through Eternity with Christ.
Understanding what was going on wasn't the issue. I was hearing the Latin and processing it as Latin in my head without translating it to English, which I couldn't do to begin with, since I didn't know Latin or even Spanish that well. He had a reason for giving me that understanding. I just can't figure out what that reason was.
I've come to believe, my friend - that there's a lot more to that old saying that 'God works in mysterious ways' than many will understand. I've also come to believe that the world is a complicated enough place that in order to work his ways, he uses 'we imperfect ones' to sometimes do what are really subtle but important things that - if done directly, precludes a good exercise of Free Will. In short, the experience might not have been for you - although I believe that in part it might have been, but rather 2nd or even 3rd order effects of your experience - and how it's impacted you. Was your sudden ability to understand the Latin in that Mass a miracle? Perhaps. Was that miracle meant for you (in that - you were supposed to directly use this gift?), or perhaps - as a means to help others, perhaps even unknown to you, to believe that miracles can occur, and do exist? While I chuckled at your mention of how He is quick to address issues of pride and hubris (having felt this myself), I also think that his ways are often much more subtle. And thankfully so, if for no other reason than to truly allow us to exercise our Free Will for His greater glory.
BTW - thanks for posting the link to your Substack on your dreamwidth blog - I'd never have found it otherwise. :-)
Until later, droog.
I'm surprised you didn't see the link at The Other McCain, because when I do these Substack posts I tend to link them there first.
As to whether I was actually blessed with a miracle, and what I was supposed to accomplish with it...maybe you're right. Maybe it wasn't necessarily for my benefit, but something I needed to be testifying to for the benefit of others. I guess we'll see how it works out.
Mea Culpa - I have to confess that I don't check The Other McCain as often as I used to (or should), so I've clearly missed the prior posts referenced there.
Or, in the vernacular of today's youth: "My Bad".
;-)