The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that spiritual progress tends toward an ever more intimate union with the divine. Mysticism refers to the tendency or desire of a soul for union with the divine, or to a philosophical or religious system built upon that desire. In the Catholic Church, a mystic is someone who experiences a deep and intimate union with God through contemplation and prayer. This union is often characterized by a “you”, the duality of a God.
In philosophy, mysticism is either a religious tendency and desire of the human soul towards an intimate union with the Divinity, or a system growing out of such a tendency. In general, Catholic mysticism is the belief that union with the divine may be attained through contemplation, prayer, and self-surrender. Christian mysticism involves methods of thought, prayer, reflection, and self-discipline that can lead to a closer union with God.
Mystics are holy persons who have reached Christian perfection and are gifted contemplatives. They are no longer beginners or proficients but their main concern is to remain united with God. Mysticism is the eternal life begun when God communicates His life and love to the soul, allowing Him to do so freely. A mystical heart is one that moves to quiet and solitude when necessary, but also action and service when it is warranted.
Christian mysticism is the tradition of mystical practices and mystical theology within Christianity which concerns the preparation of the person for, the union with the divine. A mystic is someone who desires union with God and actively tries to foster that union, sometimes miraculously expressed through various means.
📹 Catholic Mystic Unlike ALL Others | Blessed Anna Maria Taigi
Catholic Mystic Blessed Anna Maria Taigi is unlike all other Catholic Mystics? Welcome to the first reflection on Blessed Anna …
Was Jesus a mystic?
Jesus was a teacher of teachers and a mystic of mystics in various ways. His teachings and actions brought the British Empire to its knees, while his mystical poetry and passion for levitations and visions of fire inspired Saint Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Matthew Fox, a progressive theologian and Dominican priest, dedicated an entire book, “The Coming of the Cosmic Christ”, to the mysticism of Jesus. Jesus’ teachings and actions influenced many mystics, including Krisha, Buddha, Gandhi, Saint Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross.
How do I know if I’m a mystic?
An ordinary mystic may experience moments of ego loss and absorption in the divine, such as feeling lifted out of one’s body and lost in beautiful art or nature. This can occur as a parent, creative person, or a creative person, and can lead to mystical moments that extend the boundaries of oneself and increase empathy with others.
If religion is defined as a strong sense of the divine, daily mysticism contributes to this sense by drawing one out of oneself and into nature and beyond. It is important to take these experiences seriously and make something of them, weaving them into one’s thinking, feeling, and relating. These experiences become part of one’s life and identity, leaving the mystic empty and lost in a positive way, yet alert and ready for the next revelation and opportunity.
Religion begins with the sense that life makes sense within a larger one, with a bond between oneself and the world, and that happiness depends on the happiness of the beings around them. The mystic may even realize that their soul participates in the world’s soul.
What makes a saint a mystic?
Ecstasies, or personal experiences with God, have been a part of various religious traditions. In ancient Greek mythology, initiates used intoxicants and intense dancing to achieve an ecstatic state. Today’s charismatic Christians practice “being slain in the spirit”, which involves speaking in tongues or engaging in unusual behaviors. In Roman Catholic traditions, mystics are distinguished from ordinary saints by their ecstasies, which are often regarded as a “trance” or altered state of consciousness.
The Catholic Church conducts investigations into reputed mystic experiences of candidates for sainthood, which have become more critical in modern times. However, not every saint is a former mystic, and not every mystic is likely to become a saint. Mystic phenomena are considered “gifts” of God by the faithful, but science treats them as mere claims of the paranormal. Many mystics have been exposed as perpetrators of pious fraud. This overview will examine the reputed inward effects and outward signs of such alleged phenomena.
What is the biblical meaning of mystic?
Mysticism is a concept that involves contact with the divine or transcendent, often involving union with God. It has played a significant role in the history of Christian religion and has gained influence in modern times. Mysticism has been studied from various perspectives, including psychological, comparativist, philosophical, and theological. Hermeneutical and deconstructionist philosophies in the 20th century have brought attention to the mystical text.
Theoretical questions have been debated, such as whether mysticism constitutes the core or essence of personal religion or whether it is better viewed as one element interacting with others in the formation of concrete religions. Some argue that experience and interpretation cannot be easily sundered, and that mysticism is typically tied to a specific religion and contingent upon its teachings. Philosophers like Walter T. Stace and Robert C.
Zaehner have employed typologies of mysticism, often based on the contrast between introvertive and extrovertive mysticism developed by Rudolf Otto. The cognitive status of mystical knowing and its clash with mystics’ claims about the ineffability of their experiences have also been important topics for modern mysticism students.
What is the difference between a saint and a mystic?
A saint is a religious figure selected by the Vatican for their exemplary life of benevolence and piety. In contrast, a mystic is not formally designated as such, but may be acknowledged by others. Although some mystics are subsequently canonized as saints, it is not a universal phenomenon.
What qualifies someone as a mystic?
An individual who professes to gain insight into mysteries beyond the scope of human knowledge through direct communication with the divine or immediate intuitive insight in a state of spiritual rapture.
What does it mean to be a Catholic mystic?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes the importance of spiritual progress towards a deeper union with Christ, which is called’mystical’ because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments and the Holy Trinity. God calls us all to this intimate union, even if special graces or extraordinary signs are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all.
As liturgical seasons become richer, it becomes easier to recognize God’s work in one another and the world. This can lead to different perspectives, love, and the contagious presence of the Holy Spirit.
One way to deepen this path is to invite saints into one’s life, such as St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Pope St. John Paul II introduced her to the world, and her mystical union with God resulted in the Divine Mercy devotion that has landed somewhat at the heart of the Church. Many pray for divine mercy on us and the whole world, and when we see anger and misery around us, we should see these as pleas to pray so we can more and more be instruments of God’s merciful love in the world.
What is the role of a mystic?
Mysticism is a practice that involves acquiring skills to achieve visions, unitive experiences, and possession states. Some mystical practices aim for personal transformation, such as Confucianism, Roman Catholic meditations on the Passion of Christ, Early English Methodism, and Tibetan Buddhism. Modern psychological research has shown that Buddhist “insight” meditation and Jesuit spirituality promote healthy personality growth. However, some researchers argue that mystical practices can be used as a form of brainwashing that promotes cult behavior.
Breaking a person’s sense of integrity through a blend of attraction and coercion can lead to traumatizing intensity, accomplishing coercion rather than persuasion. Mysticism is an emotionally intense experience, with the personality being unusually plastic and change possible for both good and bad.
In 1966, David Bakan, a founder of humanistic psychology, argued that Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis practice constitutes a modern revival of rational mysticism. He argued that free association is a type of meditation intended to induce moments of inspiration called “insight”. Psychoanalytic insights provide intuitive access to truths that are not manifest but also reveal a unity that underlies the apparent disconnectedness or nonintegration of manifest thought.
Several initiatives have sought to coordinate traditional religious mysticism with contemporary psychotherapy, such as transpersonal psychology, which develops from humanistic psychology in the 1970s. Westerners who engage in Buddhist forms of meditation often attempt to use them as self-therapy, leading meditators to place programs of meditation on a professionally responsible foundation.
As many world religions become massively psychologized, religious counseling and pastoral work become increasingly sophisticated in both psychotherapeutic competence and psychological understanding. If deep psychotherapy is indeed a rational form of mysticism, a new era in mysticism worldwide could be at hand.
Is Jesus a mystic?
The majority of Jesus’s disciples, as well as Paul and the majority of prophets, were mystics, and their insights and experiences have been invaluable in the understanding of Christian faith.
How to become a Catholic mystic?
To connect with your soul, practice mysticism through journaling, spiritual reading, direction, exercises, and prayer. The Catholic Herald is still recovering post-pandemic, but is reaching out to its loyal readership. They are raising £250, 000 to protect the Herald as a leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching, and encourage support for their 135-year mission. Join the Catholic community and readership in their mission.
How do you identify a mystic?
Mystics, as a term used to describe someone who is out of touch with reality, are actually those who have gotten in touch with what is real. They possess powerful receptivity and sympathy, are porous, and can stretch beyond their protective ego. They are often courageous and find ethical opportunities out of this wide stretch.
Other people can be ordinary mystics, experiencing moments of mystical moments that extend their boundaries and increase empathy with others. These moments can occur in various aspects of life, such as art, parenting, creativity, and personal growth. As the mystical moments multiply, individuals become less prone to self-protection and have a greater empathy for the world around them.
If religion is defined as a strong sense of the divine, daily mysticism contributes to this sense by drawing individuals out of themselves and into nature and beyond. This perspective highlights the importance of embracing the mystical moments and the potential for personal growth and connection with the divine.
📹 Mystic Gives Insight on Suicides – Fr. Mark Goring, CC
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I really want to say thank you for sharing this. It’s actually an answered prayer. Iv been working diligently on my spiritual life. Currently going through the lay carmalite classes to be a carmelite. I love all the saint’s so much BUT kept struggling with how to identify with them being a wife and mother in the real world. After your article I immediately looked up any books and ordered two. Then watches some other articles. I’m so ashamed of my behavior as a wife and mother. The love she gave no matter her circumstances were she was devoted to her husband and children. I find myself hurt and upset by my husband and children so often . Shes a saint for me. A real guide on holy marriage and motherhood. I will hold her dear and learn all I can from her to be a truly holy woman within this crazy world. Thank you !!
Hi! I’m 71 and a self-converted catholic. What a wonderful God given family you have! That’s just a whole bunch of miracles. I didn’t know about Saint Anna Maria Taigi. Thank you, I’ll be following and praying. May our Lord continue to bless you and your family. May he and our Mother help Janelle with her fatigue. Amen.
I am excited to know about Blessed Anna Maria Taigi. Few days ago I was praying about living in the Divine Will in a married state. I am already learning about the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta. When I saw this article I felt the Lord wanted me to learn about her life too. 🙏🏻😇Thank you for this article.
Good morning! 🌞🌞🌞 Your beautiful 20 decades of the holy rosary is something that I pray with throughout my day. Yesterday I noticed that something is amiss in the Luminous Mysteries – on my end #5 is the Transfiguration and there is no Institution of the Holy Eucharist 😢. When I pray the rosary I get so caught up in meditation I didn’t notice error until yesterday. Your rosary has become a nurturing part of my daily prayer. I pray my rosary after my morning prayers, after I celebrate Holy Mass (I am retired priest), before lunch and before supper. Blessings to you both and your beautiful family! 💙💙💙
Ken thanks for bringing this Saint to everyone to this time we need Family structure support with the constant attack on the family. You both are so wonderful and love all your guidance. Oh Ken look up your friend, she’d be so touched to know what impact she had on your life and what good your accomplishing !
I was directed to a book about this Blessed Anna Maria Taigi when we were living in New York 40 years ago. I was a relatively new Convert to the Catholic Church, and so ignorant that it would take another 12 years for me to understand that the Holy Eucharist is God, Jesus come down from Heaven. I read the book twice and never forgot it, I wish it had impacted me much more. But at this late season of my life, I am very happy to be re-introduced to her, and I pray that I will follow her more closely.
My mother was one of those who could function on very little sleep. Oh how I wished I’d taken after her in that, but I don’t. I’m more like my dad in that area. That’s OK we are all given the grace we need to accomplish the will of God. I guess I don’t need as many awake hours to do that. Bless you both as you strive to do His will as you raise your beautiful family, and minister to so many more of us out here in the cyber world. Love you❣🙏💕
You guys have the best articles. This was a wonderful pointer that plays into my prayer life in a really helpful way. Keep it up, thank you.❤️ Edited: Wow, just as I was posting this I was thinking how I need to go to bed and how I do wish I could survive on very little sleep (also a mom) like one of “those saints” who did they and low and behold, the next line in the article was about just that. 🙏💕
Wow I was praying asking God to teach me how to be a wife and a mother. I used to work, now I have to be a stay home mom, I’m struggling. I ask Our Lady to pray for me she lead me to your chanel again. You guys help me since I converted 2 years ago, thank you. Keep doing God works, you guys help people more than you think. God bless you
GOD COINCIDENCES. They are amazing, once you have experienced them then, you truly believe in them. Another God coincidence, I haven’t watched any of your articles for a month since we have been camping in BC. The day, I feel so run down, broken down in my heart with the sorrow and heaviness of being the mother of a teen with severe mental illnesses, I heard of her tonight. Thank you and blessings to you. 💕🙏
There are no coincidences, Ken, just God-winks! You are both being drawn to Bl. Taigi for a reason that will unfold in God’s good time. I am similarly drawn to Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich as her visions continue to draw me ever more close to the less known moments in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Enjoy your journey! 🌹🙏🏻
I love her so much! She is really that incredible! Absolutely true she would befriend you in such a sweet way! I wanted to see her on my last days in Rome during breakfast, by evening I walked into a dark church and quick to join some group’s private mass… after Mass the group went to their private tour with the priest, I walked around an empty church and across from my side of the chapel two men chatting in Italian … there lied a most beautiful and peaceful Blessed Anna Marie Taigi ❤ she is really a wonderful saintly Blessed friend on my home altar. Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints ❤
Pure love.. Love has the immense respect for free Will. Ask and it shall be giving you, knock and the door shall be open. Because of love shared in the family, it is no coincidence when you receive tremendous love from above. This tremendous love comes in a state of togetherness. Revolving around the ideology of Jesus Christ.
Thank you so much for teaching us about blessed Anna Maria Tiagi. That is my mother’s name Anna Maria and I’m going to start asking blessed Anna Maria for her assistance to allow the blessed mother Mary to appear to my mom because she left the Catholic Church and rejected the blessed mother Mary when she converted to the Assemblies of God church. This happened I think in the early 90’s when my mom left the Catholic Church because my dad converted first before she did. That was like a death to me back then, so did my five brothers. I’m the only one that stayed Catholic, so I’m a survivor to save their souls so I’m going to ask blessed Anna Maria for her assistance. Thank you Ken! God love you both. My prayers for both of you and your family. 😊🕊🕊🕊🙏🏼❤️✝️
Thank you. I have never married or had children and now retired I often think I am not as significant as other women because although I was a practising Catholic a home bird and very family oriented… the family I was born into and my career took so much mental and physical strength I never got around to marrying. As a single woman I feel society the bible and even myself at times regards this as a wasted life. I would have been a good wife and mother but I was needed… or thought I was where I was at and it just didn’t happen. I don’t regret what I’ve done but feel perhaps I should have done more or different things as God had been generous in giving me many gifts and abilities. Veronica
Thank GOD and you for this excellent article introducing to me and informing me about Blessed Anna Marie Taigi and the special, unique spiritual gift that Almighty Eternal GOD richly blessed her with for the good of many people. I know that I need her for my fiancee’s and my needs; maybe for my still living brothers needs (religious/spiritual/moral and/or corporal/temporal), and to help me get back on track with my Holy Rosary and my Neo – Non-negotiable prayers, and my night Three Hail Mary devotion.
Providence Knows Best, right? The Family, 🌟 Mothers and Father’s have been under attack, especially in these culturally dark times. We need this Saint. My Mother raised seven children by herself, but it sure would have been a lot easier if she had a good husband. She was so amazing that we really didn’t miss having a Father, but it would have been nice to have one, I suppose. My own Husband dumped me with absolutely no warning ten years ago, so I saw first hand how evil can destroy a person. Yes, we need this Saint and many more, like St. Pio 😍 The story has a happy ending though….. we all became Catholic. I should write a book about that. Totally miraculous!! God Bless you & your beautiful family 😍!!
Thank you. Please, help me pray and request her help to ask God to heal my husband diabetes as his right ear lobe wound is infected and will not heal. Oh it is so strange I found this article in the you tube. Blessed Ana Maria please pray with me in asking God for the healing of my husband wound and diabetes 2. 💕🙏
Bl. Ana Maria Taigi was a fellow member of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (“The Trinitarians”) an Order of the Catholic Church founded in 1198 by St. JOHN DE MATHA and ST. FELIX OF VALOIS. The scapular she is wearing is the Trinitarian scapular. Her wax encased incorrupt body (pictured) can be visited in the Basilica of San Crisogono in Rome, Italy run by the Trinitarian fathers. She is indeed a blessed (hopefully a saint soon) for our times.
I believe the name is pronounced tie e gee,but I could be wrong. I’d recommend you watch Following padre Pio,he had similar beautiful gift’s. Also the warning or illumination of conscience by Christine Watkins. Please listen to these holy priest’s Fr’s Ripperger,Mark Goring,Bill Casey,Jim Blount, and Chris Alar. God bless. Praise Jesus and Mary always!!! Ps plus a challenging article to watch Don’t call protestant’s Christian! (St Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius XII each said protestant’s are NOT Christian! Oh yes and love the article’s!! Nearly forgot also please watch the warning or illumination of conscience:lent 2020 or 2021? by marian news read by Sr Anne. (Sr Anne mentions blessed Anna Maria Tiaigi.
Thank you! My sister toke her life 13 years ago. I miss her dearly. I pray for her often. But there is always an empty place still in me. I hope always she gets to be with God. She was a very loving kind and giving person. I ask Jesus to bless all that have done this and any one that have know some that has known a dear one that has cumitted suicided. Jesus have mercy on us all.
I knew someone who shortened their life. This person left a letter saying they were going to the angels, as they were tired of fighting the demons here on Earth and encouraged their children to turn to God and go to church. I believe in the true loving God our Father and I leave all who die in His hands. He knows our hearts and minds, our inner feelings and our deep thoughts…this brings me joy and wonder at His great mercy.
My husband committed suicide three and a half years ago. After that my whole family fell apart. My children and I have not spoken to each other since. Maria Simma’s message about suicide, I believe is very accurate. I believe my husband is safe and in heaven I have prayed and had many masses said for him. I prayed to Saint Teresa and I have received a rose mysteriously. So I know he is safe with Jesus. But I also know I am to blame for the loss of my husband and for my family falling apart. I remember getting angry at my husband and being annoyed at him several times during the years that he was physically and mentally ill. We are supposed to love above all else in this world as Jesus commanded. I would get annoyed and stressed and occasionally dwelled on the situation around me. It was very difficult raising my family and being the sole wage earner in the family and taking care of my husband all at the same time. But hearing what Maria has said about the people that are around the person that has committed suicide being to blame confirms so many things. My husband had written four different suicide notes, and he had said to me thought it was my fault. My children have also said this. So all of this confirms things to me. I pray that God forgives me for my negligence as a wife and mother and for becoming numb and distant to my cross that I was supposed to carry. I pray that when my day comes that the Lord has Mercy on my soul
Father Mark, my son committed suicide back in 2010. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t have a visual in my mind. He suffered tremendously. No doctor could help him I pray almost every daythat he is in heaven. There are 3 main legacies from this. 1 is the guilt and tremendous sorrow my wife and I have about Teds death 2 the impact it had and the delayed plans it had on my other children because of their concerns for us. 3 our joys were remembering him as sweet child. That also bring us a sad joy.
My best friends Mom died of suicide and was mentally ill suffered alot. I loved her very much. I try and pray for her everyday with last decade of the Rosary. I even got a Christmas card from her a year later after her death… showed it in Christmas box when I opened it up the following year and it was unopened 🤷She loved Christmas.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on the souls of my beloved Michelle, my mom, and me. Please have mercy on us all, and in particular have mercy on the souls of those who have committed suicide. I offer you this prayer in your Holy Name and sprinkled with Your Precious Blood. You are my Lord and my Savior, forever and ever, amen and amen.
Our youngest son, at 28, he took his life a week before Christmas 12 years ago. He had called his friend several times..you could see on his phone..but there was one text at the end that he didn’t send.. it said …all the days of my life I wii dwell in the house of the Lord forever…. That’s all I had to cling to and still today.
This brings me to tears… Thank you Fr. For sharing this. For decades I have wondered if my offerings of masses and prayers were wasted or fruitless, since they are for a deceased member of the family who took his own life… Thank you for revealing the truth about our prayers for these poor souls. 💓
Unfortunately suicide runs in my family. Even my twin sister killed herself in her 20s. Before I became a Catholic, I would have recurring nightmares of her. She would appear angry and sad. When I converted, I had a mass said for her and the nightmares abruptly stopped. I hope that’s a sign that she is at peace.
Thank you for this comfort on my dad’s birthday. He took his life but was so sick, then put on the wrong medication. I believe in God’s mercy but have lived an emotional roller coaster in the 30 yrs since, mostly my own guilt. I think the enemy wants to steal my peace and so much of my life has shattered since. God bless you, Father. You are always a light in the darkness.
Father and friends please pray for the repose of the soul of my Brother Marc Michael who was given last rites and passed early this morning he took his own life on Mon.God help his wife and son who were home when this tragedy occurred,I was astonished to hear your message today God bless you Father Mark, In life my Brother was a hero having retired from NYPD as a Lieutenant,in death he was a hero as an organ donor .Lord have Mercy on him and spend your Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen en us Amen.
I went through a difficult time of mental illness in my life and had several failed suicide attempts. Praise to God that he has delivered my life in those situation, and has since released me from the crushing oppressive depression which overcame me. I know that my mind was so disordered in those situations, that I felt I had no other choice at that time. Yet, I always came out of those situations with an acute sense of God’s love and mercy for me.
My cousin took his own life too. To this day, I don’t know what his reasoning behind it was. I was in complete shock. I pray the Lord had mercy on him. I think of him all the time. He was only 36 at the time he passed. May God shine down His perpetual light on my dear cousin and give him eternal rest in heaven.
Thank you Fr. Mark, you have confirmed for me the truth, that my son, Sean who died last August, is either in purgatory (and on his way to heaven) or in heaven. Praise God, thank you, Jesus for your merciful love to these people who have had these horrible circumstances in life, so bad that they think death is better. All the things this blessed woman said here, were exactly what was going on in my son’s life, he was surrounded with negligent medical staff, mental health provider also was being tormented by his landlord and several tenants by constant harassments for 4 months straight, which necessitated a move, and chronic pain from a previous injury to his spine from being hit by a semi back in the 90’s, and newer medical problems that were ignored by his doctor for a year. Everything this mystic just said, he was going through. Praise God for you Fr. Goring for inspiring you to share this with us. My son, had just begun to put his faith in Jesus, when all these things were taking place, but he did not know taking his life was a mortal sin or he would not have done it I don’t think. And I am sure when Jesus showed him the good he could have done he would have been sorry. However, one of my daughters had a dream about him and he had called her and told her to tell mom, “I’m at Grandpa’s” Grandpa passed away in 1987.
God Bless You and Thank You Fr. Mark I Pray for All the Holy Souls🙏🏻🕊️ in Purgatory and the Souls who have no one to Pray for them every day A couple of my Friends committed Suicide. It still Breaks💔 my Heart thinking about them what Great and Wonderful❤️ People they were. Im always thinking about them saying they should be here. I Pray🙏🏻 for them regularly. It is very important when we are out and about to be Friendly and loving towards others, we do not know what is troubling another Person. A Smile or a Friendly Gesture can make a Person’s day or whole Life St. Faustina Pray for us St Joseph Terror of Demons Pray for us. ALL The, Holy Angels and Saints in Heaven Pray🙏🏻 for us and All the Holy Souls in Purgatory Amen Viva Cristo Rey
Divine Mercy and Suicide ♥️ “God’s mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The soul, illuminated by a ray of God’s powerful grace, turns to God in the last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of repentance or of contrition, because souls (at that stage) no longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God’s mercy!…Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the possibility of returning to God.” – St. Faustina (Diary, 1698) Very poignant and encouraging words from St. Faustina. 🙏🏼 Prayers for all those who have passed away and all who have lost family and friends to this tragedy. Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great to Release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen. (Our Lord promised St. Gertrude that 1,000 souls would be released from Purgatory every time this prayer is said devoutly.) ♥️ Jesus, I Trust in You ♥️ St. Faustina, Apostle of Divine Mercy, pray for us.
Gods mercy is something we will never truly understand,his love his mercy is beyond comprehension,our local priest took his own life a few days ago, yes he struggled deeply with mental illness,and he tried his best,and encouraged others to seek help,I don’t want to give his name,but he was a great priest,this illness can be so disabling to those who suffer,there but for the grace of God go us all, thank you so much for that article, never underestimate Gods ways to communicate his love and mercy 🙏
To me, it’s good news that these souls aren’t all lost. It’s a huge consolation to me. Mental illness is real, and it hurts. I know purgatory is a painful state to be in, but it’s better than being totally separated from God. It gives me hope that if I pray and sacrifice enough, I can help someone who suffered from mental illness here on earth and took their life as a result. If I can help them get into heaven, then it’s worth it. All the sacrifices are worth it! So many of these souls are really good people who just succumbed to a terrible illness.
Thank You so very much for this Fr.Mark I have a cousin who committed suicide and I was so worried about him we were raised Catholic and I thought that you were sent to hell for suicide 🙏🙏🙏 I pray the rosary three times a day also the divine mercy chaplet three times a day for the souls in purgatory 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks so much father. Such difficult theme to talk about. I lived in San Francisco and belonged to a dynamic Parish. It was more like an University. So much going on…seminars, RCIA largest group you can’t imagined. One day, a woman from my ministry committed suicide by jumping the Golden Gate Bridge. She was a clothing designer. Her husband abused her. I couldn’t understand how someone who took classes from our Pastor, who had such spiritual depth of the things of God, Could just forget everything and take her life?? So I called the Pastor and asked in agony, Father how is this possible? His response was magnificent, he said, at the precise moment when people commit suicide is when God loves them even more. Such brilliant mind!! Gave me so much peace and food for though for the rest of my life. Thanks again for another great article. Blessings to you.
Please pray for me, I struggle with temptation of suicide often. The thought comes just out of nowhere. I have a beautiful life. I still struggle. Reading others who lost someone to suicide helps me as I don’t want to cause others pain. When these thoughts come I pray for Jesus to cover me in his most precious blood and protect me from the devils temptation to end my life. The last 2 days have been very difficult for me. Please pray for me.
Thanks Fr. Mark, I pray everyday for the souls in purgatory including Amelia of Fatima as mentioned by Sister Lucia. Another very interesting book on Purgatory is “Hungry Souls – Supernatural Visits, Messages and Warnings from Purgatory” by Gerard J M Van Den Aardweg. May the divine assistance remain always with us and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen!
By the way, should you ever be able to visit Austria, then you should also travel to Sonntag, in Vorarlberg, to visit Maria Simma’s grave. We paid our respect to her in the summer of 2017. When we put flowers on her grave we noticed that, despite the fact this incredible woman is no longer among us, many different people from other countries still leave their tokens of gratitude on her grave. I really wish I could show you one of my pictures…. Maria Simma has a special place in our hearts as she helped my mother a long time ago. When my father died in 1975 (he was a very complicated and difficult man…), my mother wrote a letter to Maria Simma to ask her for her help and advice hoping that my father would reach his destiny (heaven). Approx. 3,5 years later we received a handwritten letter from Maria that my father was released from purgatory, which was announced to her by another soul who was allowed to contact her on a regular basis. We still have her letter and we will always be deeply grateful for everything she has done for us and so many other people!!! She only deserves our utmost respect! We will NEVER forget her.🙏💒🇳🇱🌷
A local beautiful vibrant priest aged 73 died recently by suicide. Sadly he had bouts of depression and ‘darkness’ as he described it throughout his life. In the end it seemed to have consumed him. When he was well he was an exceptional inspiring priest who helped so many people taking their burdens on himself. I am sure he is in Heaven, he was loved by so many 💔 ☘
I have a close friend whose adopted son took his own life in the bathroom. My friend admitted that he got so depressed he and his wife even contemplated it. To me, suicide is super selfish because of the horrible guilt survivors feel. I have considered it twice but thank God, didn’t carry it out. My guardian angel stopped me. I was clinically depressed at 15 and that was 1977 when few drugs were available and the stigma was huge. Now we have hotlines and good antidepressants, praise God!
I contemplated suicide in the past due to horrible health…the only thing that kept me from following thru was the very real fear of hell…God resurrected my health to a great degree…now realize it was because HE knew my grandkids would need my help in raising them…praise be Jesus Christ now and forever😇
This is very reassuring. I have a cousin who was mentally ill and committed suicide, many years ago. When he died it hurt in a way that was previously incomprehensible, and not because I was particularly close to him, but because of the fact that he chosen to end his life. I still think about him now and then, and when I do I pray that God be merciful to his soul. I know he was most definitely not in a safe mental state when it happened, and after years of prayer and knowledge seeking I believe God has heard my family’s prayers.
It is good to pray for those who have done this. For me, if this concept is taken too far it could become a temptation and entice some to carry out this terrible act. The Lord healed me of depression by simply showing me it was a sin against The Holy Spirit in that God is our source of hope to always call upon in our times of need. That woke me up and frightened me.. as a positive result, I was never as seriously depressed again as I was at that time. God be praised!
Having thought about these poor souls who end their lives I’ve often felt that because of their situation that has brought them to such a level of pain that might hopefully receive a merciful judgment. The Father knows intimately our struggles and has boundless mercy and compassion for us. I pray daily for all of us who are suffering to be blessed with healing, peace, fulfillment and to know our hardships as gift to be offered in union with the Immortal Sacrifice for the glory of the Holy Trinity and the salvation of souls.
As a child of pre-Vatican II, I remember it was always stated suicide was unredeemable. Now I hear that is no longer the belief and I am so happy for those that I loved that took their lives – I pray for them daily knowing that they too may already be with God (prayers are outside of time so even if you only started praying for someone, they are applied to when the event happened). But I wonder: in those days, that fear alone – that it was guaranteed damnation – how many did this belief prevent a suicide from happening? But now knowing you still have a chance may even encourage the act (remember, people considering suicide are not thinking rationally) – when life just doesn’t seem worth living anymore. Knowing you will be with God is going to seem like a better alternative to this life. Just saying….
My father committed suicide when I was 11. I’m 46 now. I offered a whole month of holy mass and communion for his soul. When I finish I had a dream. My father came and told me. What you did it did not help me but keep praying I will offer God more sacrifice of Jesus for his salvation. I believe he is in purgatory.
The mental health field has replaced the word, “Committed”, with the words, “Died by”. I learned this, after my friend’s son, “died by suicide” his freshman year in college. Sadly, this is all too common. We must pray & renounce the spirits of suicide, death, murder, abortion, etc., “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” Amen✝️🙏🔥❤️
Fr I know a great priest who took is own life this priest was a truly magnificent person he done more good for anyone and everyone and I always think that people who committed suicide went straight to he’ll and I always think of this great man for the good he done.thank you fir this post god bless and protect you
And even mortal sin can be challenged because we do not know culpability, nor psychological depression or the state of a soul. Even the Virgin of Fatima advised souls as being saved after suicide..in “rather not”. God’s infinite mercy and his unimaginable kindness and Love for all his children means he will use any grace for our salvation. Beautiful and Glorious is Our God in all his Splendour!
Thank you very much for this article, Father. I really appreciate it. I don’t believe that I’ve heard of Maria Simma, but I now very much want to learn about her and the wisdom she received. I hardly possess the sanctity of a woman like her, but her words about what happens to souls who have taken their own lives resonate completely with what I myself have also been inclined to believe. I am going to order the book you shared with us right now! God bless you!
For sure for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, Jesus Knows the circumstances surrounding the decision with Understanding beyond ours and even though that was not His Will for them, His Mercy is absolutely beautiful, immense and Unfathomable. Please pray Divine Mercy chaplet for their soul even if they passed away a long time ago. God is outside of time and the prayers most certainly count✝️🙏🌹
Suicide or self murder is never the answer. Our life and everything about us belongs to God and is not ours to take. Even our sufferings can be used by God and we need to offer up everything to him. Our hope is not in Maria the mystic but in God Almighty. We must therefore pray for those in our lives lost to self murder so that our prayers may be redemptive.
Thank you for posting this father. And my family/extended family. They have been three people who have died this way. In each instance. God has shown me. In different ways. They were indeed in purgatory and not condemned. It is such a dreadful experience to have someone post you. And you love so dearly. Choose this route. But God is indeed merciful. And I praise his mercy.vvrr
The most tragic thing about this is the wives, husbands and children that are left behind. I think all of us are potential victims and perpetrators of these deeds. The world in it’s entirety can show more love and empathy towards one another and surely this would bring us a long way from this tragic thing called suicide. God bless you Father for enlightening us on this issue. 🙏
God be praised! Thank you God for Catching them!! Thank you thank you. I was there, I was suicidal for most of my teen and young adult life. No one wants to be that way. I promise. It is not a fade or a romantic notion phase.. It is… Tragic and nothing else. I am not saying all, because some take themselves out after killing people. No I am talking about the souls that Fight a dark battle everyone tells them doesn’t exist. satan LOVES those people… because to the world they’re pain doesn’t matter. I often thought time and time again.. Who’s sin it is really? True they have a part for sure.. But God is so good.. Ones that literally felt no love on earth. Would He not catch them and show them his perfect love? I think so. I was saved by God, thank God. I know my life belongs to him just by that alone. But I know one person in particular, who’s mother and father died when she was young. But she was old enough to remember their love and kindness. Sadly her guardian turned out to be an abusive (in every way shape or form) monster that fed into her that she was worthless and unloved. I don’t know this person in person. I know her from a chat on line… But I think God sent her my way… why? She and I started talking and I assured her she Was loved.. .if not just by us but God loves her… That she is a precious child of God.. Worth so much. I felt increase joy in her over that time… but sadly it wasn’t enough.. Or not enough sunk in, in time.. After a hellish night they found her dead with a note that said.
I tried to kill myself when I was 16. I am now approaching 50. I still can’t wait and I often pray for the day that I am able to enter eternal rest. But, I am patient now, or at least I try to be patient. This too, I pray for. I try my best to embrace my suffering because in reality I am human and I believe that it would be sinful to neglect this opportunity to fully embrace the experience of being human. Last month during Adoration I experienced an onslaught of degrading voices that made me really want to end it all. I could do nothing but break down during this Holy Hour. But, I reached for the missal and opened it up and the first sentence that I read was “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” At that moment I realized that I am a child of God’s and through Him I am able to withstand the onslaughts that life brings to me. Thank you Father Goring for this message of hope. God Bless!!
Dear Lord, I thank you for every person struggling today with depression, mania, psychosis, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and all mental illnesses. And especially those who are having suicidal thoughts. I lift them up in prayer to you, asking that you work through friends, family, or strangers or accidents to avert tragedies of suicide. Dear Lord, please give them peace, joy, and most of all a knowledge or experience of Your immense love for them. Enlighten them as to the value of their life and of Your plan and purpose for them. For those who know You, please draw them back to Yourself, Your enormous and burning heart. Remind them of a Bible verse or give them Your presence. For those who do not know You, I pray that you would instill faith in them and convict of them the Truth of Jesus Christ and his atoning death, of His great sacrifice for them and all mankind. Blessed Mother, please intercede for them to the Lord our God. St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for them. St. Jude, pray for them. St. Thomas the apostle, my saintly friend, pray for them. St. Therese, approachable and friendly saint, pray for them. We ask this through Christ our Lord, amen. I try to remember to pray something like this every day, join me if you like. And lately to also ask God to have mercy on those who did take their lives.
I found his picture he gave me in 1981 in a canister set . I didn’t figure out he died until after speaking with my aunt a few weeks later. If you can forgive someone who commit suicide then surely god can forgive the trouble soul who lost faith and hope that their life was worth something to someone who would remember them
Thank you Father Mark. Over the last few weeks two of our vaccin-injured community have taken their own lives. I have prayed and cannot find forgiveness for the evil that has been done with these drugs. So many of us going into our second year of debilitating illness now and it is getting tougher as our old lives fade from reach and from memory. Pray for us oh Holy Mother of God so that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
My friend jumped off of the local Bridge unto her death. She left behind her 4 year old son and her husband ( who loved her ) It haunts me that she told me she didn’t DESERVE a good life with her husband and son. She felt terribly guilty for having worked as a stripper during college. I say this because men who go to strip clubs should know what they are contributing to. Porn, stripping and prostitution wrecks so many women. TEACH MEN HOW EVIL SEXUAL SIN IS. I pray for the soul of my friend. She didn’t believe she could be forgiven. BUT WE ALL KNOW, OF COARSE JESUS COULD FORGIVE HER. JESUS CAN FORGIVE ANYTHING IF A PERSON REPENTS. 💔 I was shocked when my friend died by suicide. I knew she was depressed. I had no idea HOW BADLY DEPRESSED SHE WAS.
We can see why suicide is such a serious sin. But never give up praying for those poor souls who tragically took their own life. O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. 🙏
Like Judas, some who commit suicide are those who have betrayed a righteous one; that is, the suicidal person did not have the courage to do the hard work of right and cannot bear the regret and remorse that follows from the cowardly act. Faith, Courage, Believing in God’s forgiveness, these MUST be taught!
What about the people who spread Calumny? Will they be held accountable for murder in a sense since they greatly attributed to the person taking their life to escape the bullying? it’s seems so reckless for these people to hurt others in this way. Praying for all involved in these situations…. Also pray to God if anyone out there is experiencing bullying. He will help you and keep praying don’t stop with one or two prayers keep going. Prayers for everyone. 🙏🏼🕊❤️
One must die in a state of mortal sin to go to hell. A mortal sin means 1) The offense is a grave matter 2) You know it’s a grave matter and 3) You freely choose to do it anyway. While there are people who do this with that consent (think suicide bombers, obstinate atheists, etc), many mentally distraught people do not possess the faculties to give full consent. Therefore, not a mortal sin. Still, better to live a long, hard, prayerful life and avoid purgatory altogether, for purgatory is no picnic.
My best friend killed himself 26 years ago. So thank you for this article, Father. I knew he was severely depressed and developed Schizophrenia in his lat 20’s. But I never thought he would kill himself. My hope has always been that God’s justice exceeds Man’s justice and I will see him in Heaven someday. Then after I kick his Ass for killing himself, we’ll enjoy eternity.
The original belief before Pope St. John Paul II was that if a person committed suicide as believed to be a mortal sin that person would be condemned to Hell. Bishops went as far as excommunication for suicides denying them a Christian burial. This is why many Christians dared not to commit suicide because of the gravity of the sin.
Maria Simma has also written her OWN book about her experiences with the poor souls!! ‘Meine Erlebnisse mit armen Seelen’ (Also available in English), which gives us a BETTER picture of her unique encounters. By the way, if someone kills himself after killing his family (wife and children!), he WON’T be saved!
A good many suicides, and a horrendous reality this is, are impulsive. I don’t know the numbers, but a significant amount of suicides take place within moments, literal seconds, of the crossing of some stress threshold. I pray that God judge the suicide victim by his longsuffering, and turn His face from the once fatal impulse.
Free prayer requests service is now available here on youtube comments. Please reply to this comment and mention only the name of what you suffer. No need detailed explanation. I am a Catholic. Catholics, all Christian sects and any religion people are welcome with petitions and prayer requests please
Hope for those who had mental illness and that they weren’t terrorist suicide bombers of course. Unbelievers who commit suicide have hated God all their lives, this could be akin to the suicide bomber in a sense of the soul at least, if not physical actions like blowing up other people at the same time.
When someone kills themselves they are Ill and without hope. I don’t believe the Lord God would punish them but rather heal them and welcome them into His Peace. They used to teach that those who kill themselves “will never see the face of God ” this is wrong and heartless. They will probably in their suffering see Gods face before many of us.
But to tell people such things is not a good idea because it encourages people to make that choice. The Church teaches that it is a Mortal Sin to commit suicide. If a person dies with Serious Sin on his soul, that person goes to Hell. No visionary can change the Church’s teaching. We should never go by ‘visionaries’ who contradict Church teaching.
This is good to hear, given that these cov mandates have driven some pple into a state of despair that led to taking their own life. Mind you, I think that in this situation it’s murder. While nobody directly took the lives of the most vulnerable, they did make conditions difficult for them, that they were unable to cope or adjust.
If this is true Father, then Mr. Hitler more than likely is in purgatory. The people that will get the blame for his bad behaviors are the ones that surrounded him and did not help him to get away from these sick/bad behaviors. Also more than likely he had a bad mental illness in order to behave like this. This makes us think that it is easy to enter to purgatory.
The Catholic Church teaches that no one is obliged to accept or believe in any private revelations, visions and messages….an imprimatur or nihil obstat from the church or a bishop is not a stamp of approval of anything as being from God, or inspired by God, only that the bishop is saying that the publication is free of doctrinal error.
Father, as someone who sometimes struggles with these kinds of thoughts, these sorts of messages are not good. The fear of Hell is one of the things that can dissuade someone from taking their own life. By giving this message, you might be encouraging those who have lost loved ones to suicide, but unknowingly you may encourage others to commit suicide.
Someone that committed suicide sufferers from mental illness. Those that die bc of mental illness it is not a mortal sin. Those that have basically committed suicide bc they were sick or wounded and physically in so much pain, again, not a mortal sin. Those who basically got themselves killed protecting others in a selfless act, jumping on a grenade, not a suicide.
America has a lot to explain about suicide, as most countries are influenced by there ideology and social structure, it’s a shame so many lives lost that may have contributed to humanity,they may have benefited us all, drugs, alcohol and addiction play a massive role in suicide, also highly spiritual beings trying to adapt in a plastic fantasy illusion of a system .
People I knew who committed suicide were suffering greatly, not so much physically as psychologically and financially. They seem deserving of compassion both from us and from God. P.S. Medical aid-in-dying — currently available in Canada and 10 U.S. States — is not suicide. It is simply assistance to a person who is already dying due to illness. It fosters a person’s good death, a death with dignity.
Psalm 14 King James Version 14 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. 5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous. 6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge. 7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Excuse me but the Catholic church used to teach, that suicide is an unforgivable sin and those souls are lost. Now you recite some “psychic” and tell us, the souls can be saved? Can you enlighten us?? Since that soul supposedly in purgatory can’t save itself is your psychic going to save it?? From the churches teaching a soul of a person who comitted suicide (being not handicapped by mental illness or through developmental illness) goes straight to hell…now is the Novus Ordo priesthood also instructed by the pope who is otherwise busy chiming “climate”, “blessing the LTGBQ” (against the explicit WORDS of our Lord, who I choose to follow) that we now need to make them believe that suicide is okay and you can be saved? Are you serious father? Let’s get one thing perfectly clear no matter what this pope chimes, the first, last and most important word of rule is that from our LORD JESUS CHRIST and NO man is above that! Please repent!
‘We know that to take one’s life is a very serious sin’. No we don’t. This broad brush approach to personal pain is callous. We can’t say, with any level of confidence, that people kill themselves because they want to ‘sin’. We can’t say, with any level of confidence, that it is their intention to offend God or those who love them. For God’s sake, grow up.
Not even a minute into this and I have to stop and write and watch no more. First off referring to someone as a mystic and then proclaiming that they have truth is erroneous, that is loud and clear in scripture. While I see much that many do not, if someone were to call me a mystic or any such forture telling term I would be angered and then point out real life FACTS and then ask how does that make me a mistic or prophet or in any way able to see into Heaven’s truth when Jesus didn’t explain that to us. What people dream of or have NDE’s about Heaven may be achieved on earth so Heaven must be something entirely different. This whole concept of purgatory was very damaging to me in my youth. To show honor or glory to someone who claims to have contact with the dead is WHAT????? Hello, any intelligent life in here? I have been trying to contact you Mark.