Have you ever noticed that throughout salvation history, God transforms depending upon whom He is revealing Himself to and where they are in their faith journey. For example:
- God appeared to Moses as the Burning Bush
- He came to Eli as a Whisper
- Jacob realized that he had been wrestling with God throughout the night – don’t do that you might end up with a broken hip
- He led the Israelites into the promised land as a cloud
- The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, daughter of Joachim and Anna; making her the mother of God
- An angel of God came to Joseph in a dream to direct him to Egypt after Jesus was born
- Jesus, Son of God, walked the earth for 33 years as fully man and fully God
- The Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus as a dove at His baptism by John
- The Holy Spirit appeared as a flame above each of the apostles & Mary at Pentecost
- Today, the Eucharistic Jesus (Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity) comes to us under the appearance of simple bread & wine
- St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Vianney, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Marie Alacoque, John of the Cross, St. Gemma Galgani, Padre Pio, St. Faustina, and so many others have received visits and had conversations with Jesus
God reveals Himself when He wants, how He wants, and to whom He wants. These are beautiful, holy consolations for those blessed to receive Him.
My dear hubby recently wrote Chapter 6 of his conversion; laying his heart and soul vulnerably bare. He described a period in his life when Jesus appeared to him several times many years ago. It was these encounters which kick-started his conversion.
With the exception of his NDE at 17 years old, Jerry took over 40 years to share these encounters; and, even then it was only with three people: me (wifey), his spiritual director, and another priest. Although it took years for him to tell others about these experiences, Jerry was never ashamed of them.
In his early faith journey he had nobody he trusted enough to tell; he also didn’t fully understand what they meant. After his conversion, it was through prayer that he was led to believe there would be an appropriate time to share them. He also understood that when that time came, there would be many who wouldn’t believe him, who would think him deranged, or disregard them altogether because they dealt with faith.
It’s not out of pride that he wrote this post; it was out of sheer joy, gratitude, and hope. Jerry wants others to know that God exists, that He is merciful, and loves unconditionally.
Peter, the apostle, exhorts:
“Always be ready to give a reason for your hope.” 1Peter 3:15
It was out of prayerful obedience that this post was finally written. We knew there would be disbelief, and understood there may be repercussions for sharing these personal encounters. Jerry shares them with childlike joy – as a young boy who has received a wonderful gift from his father and can’t wait to tell his friends about it.
For me, when facilitating bible studies or faith sharing groups, one of my instructions is for everyone to share and not hold back or ‘pass’. What one may fear sharing or think insignificant might not be meant for them but for someone else in the group. The Holy Spirit works in ways we don’t always understand.
Jerry and I are not theologians; we’ve never claimed to be. Our call, individually and as a couple, is that we approach our relationships with the Lord as children: simple trust in God’s providence and with a humility that we constantly strive for. Our pride often gets in the way but we encourage each other to grow in holiness.
Hopefully, we will continue to allow Jesus to do His work in our lives as He sees fit. If either of us has another encounter with Christ in prayer or sleep, we will gratefully consider it a blessed consolation. And if the Holy Spirit prompts us to share these with others, we will do so – not out of pride or as braggarts but with humility and cheerful hearts.
In the divine words of Jesus… “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Luke 18:17
Pray for us as we pray for you!
