Our Lady’s Gentle Call to Peace

"Have you been caught in the traps of life’s difficulties? You must not look at your own situation or the trap that holds you. Look at the Lord. Let God act and take care of you. Cast your burdens on the Lord who will nourish you. With your mind at peace; await whatever happens. Let the Divine Will be enough for you since it is always very good. As God directed St. Catherine of Siena, ‘Think of me and I will think of you.’"
—Peace of Mind: Spiritual Counsel from St. Francis De Sales, audio cassette. 1

Last year, Francka Povsic, my special friend and co-leader of our prayer group gave me a copy of the above inspirational audio cassette. These words from St. Francis De Sales powerfully describe the Truth that I have learned about God’s infinite love for me. Our Lady gently called me to peace through reported messages of Mary and eventually to the Roman Catholic Church.

Using a Catholic phrase, I grew up as a "cradle Lutheran." My parents raised me in a loving Lutheran home. In quiet humility, my parents have always modeled devotion to family, daily prayers, church involvement and service to others. Up through my teenage years, I was much more spiritual than most of my peers. When I was confirmed in ninth grade, I wanted to become a missionary. I even chose to go to Capital University because it was a Lutheran college. But during college in the 1970s, I found myself pulled away into a secular college lifestyle. Friendships, parties and career became my attachments more so than God did.

Once married, my husband Doug and I became regularly attending members of the Lutheran church; however, I was attached to perfection, work and pleasing my family and everyone else. As our two children grew, we both became very active in our Lutheran parish. As I look back, I realize that church became another place for achievement at the expense of my own spiritual development and personal relationship with Jesus. I was so busy "doing" things for the church that there was no room for prayer and quiet time with God.

Five years ago at the age of 38, the years of attachment to the world had paid their toll. I was suffering from anxiety, depression and early menopause. Although I was not addicted to alcohol, I used alcohol to mask my pain. As a high school guidance counselor, I felt constantly bombarded by the evil effects of the world on our youth: materialism, drugs, teen pregnancy, abortion, suicide and spiritual starvation. Given the overwhelming nature of these problems, I felt helpless to make a difference.

From the depths of my agony, I cried out to Jesus for help. Much to my surprise, Jesus sent me his Blessed Mother. This was particularly surprising because as a Lutheran, I was taught to consider Mary only at Christmas. But when we truly relinquish our worldly attachments and open ourselves to God’s Will, He responds to us in ways far beyond our human expectations. He reached me through His Blessed Mother, and eventually gave me the gift of the Roman Catholic Church.

This all began when a close Catholic friend told me about her pilgrimage to Medjugorje.** It had helped her deal with her marriage to a severe alcoholic. While reading a great book about Marian Apparitions, my spiritual journey moved into high gear. I did not experience miracles in the dramatic sense; I had no visions, apparitions or obvious supernatural experiences. Instead I became profoundly aware of Jesus, Our Lady, the angels and saints who were my heavenly team helping me to search for peace and happiness. Focusing on Our Lady’s simple messages of peace, prayer, conversion, faith, fasting and penance, I now felt my prayers could make a difference to help the world.

As I began to live these message of Mary, the right people and situations be came available to me through Jesus and the intercession of the Blessed Mother. For example, I found a local Catholic book store that was a rich source of information about Mary and the Catholic Church. The owners, who have made many pilgrimages to apparition sites, certainly gave me more information and support than I could have ever dreamed!! They invited me to their prayer group and consequently, I became friends with many incredible people who were in love with Jesus, Our Lady and the Catholic Church. I continued to attend their prayer group, and learned about Theotokos, a Marian center in Toledo, attending many of its sponsored events.

Many converts speak of the Virgin Mary as the last hurdle to Catholicism. The opposite was true for me. Through these messages of Mary, I quickly grew to love the Blessed Mother and thirsted to find out more about her. After attending the Chicago Marian Conference in 1993, I immersed myself in books, tapes and conferences about the Blessed Mother. I began fasting once a week and praying the Rosary. I was drawn to share my love for Our Lady and my calling to live her messages by beginning a Rosary prayer group in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Our group began with eight Lutheran women who clumsily learned to pray the Rosary together. Heaven must have been chuckling over our awkward but sincere attempts! I believe Our Lady sent Francka Povsic into my life to help us. Francka had led a life of deep devotion to the Rosary and Our Lady since she was a little girl in her native land of Slovenia. She provided humble and profound spiritual guidance that touched our hearts and helped us persevere. Now in its fourth year, our prayer group is still ecumenical with Lutheran, Methodists and Catholic women praying together with Our Lady.

At the Chicago Marian Conference in 1993, the speakers emphasized the importance of visiting Jesus in the adoration chapel. Visit Jesus—what were they talking about?! As a Lutheran, I knew that Jesus was always with us but these people talked about Jesus as if he was in the same room!

Once I learned the significance of Eucharistic adoration, I took the brave step of seeking out the adoration chapel at St. Aloysius Church in Bowling Green, Ohio. Through weekly visits with Jesus and simply resting in His presence, Jesus led me through the difficult steps of letting go of my need to control every situation and replaced them with His Divine Will and Guidance. In that quiet chapel, Jesus took me by the hand and led me to a profound healing of the mind and body, and a conversion of my heart. As I look back, I realize that it was in that adoration chapel that Jesus led me to the Catholic Church.

Only another convert can truly understand the terror I felt once I realized that Jesus was calling me into the Catholic Church! Mine was not the typical conversion of a wife following her husband who was already in the Church. Instead, I was embarking on a journey alone. My entire family including my husband, children and parents were strong Lutherans and planned to stay that way. They thought I had lost my senses with my constant talk about the Blessed Mother. When I finally got up the courage to tell them about my decision to become Catholic, I am sure that they felt betrayed and forsaken.

Although this was quite painful for all of us, the more I prayed about my decision, my sense of peace grew stronger that it was the right choice. I was blessed with a sign that confirmed my decision. I was rereading the book about Marian apparitions during the flight home from a visit with my friend who first introduced me to Mary. I read again about several of the author’s requests for roses from Our Lady and St. Therese of Lisieux as confirmation of decisions he was trying to make. I humbly prayed to Jesus and Our Lady that I would greatly appreciate a sign confirming that I should join the Catholic Church. I set my book down to stretch my legs. When I came back, a man behind me who had noticed my book tapped me on the shoulder and asked me about my interest in Marian apparitions. After a brief conversation, he handed me a holy card of St. Therese of Lisieux surrounded by roses! That day, I cried tears of joy and thanksgiving to my Lord who was affirming my decision through a special gift of confirmation.

Why did I decide to join the Catholic Church? I can state the reason in three words: The Holy Eucharist. I had always treasured Holy Communion which is considered the True Presence of Christ in the Lutheran Church; however unlike Catholics, Lutherans do not focus their worship and church life around the Eucharist. I was drawn to the Catholic Mass that culminates in the celebration of the Eucharist. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Transubstantiation, and an emphasis on the contemplation of our Lord’s passion made sense to me. In addition, I realized that I had been missing out on the support of the Church’s Saints throughout the ages. Most of all, I needed to belong to the Church that had introduced me to my heavenly Mother.

I joined the Roman Catholic Church on the Easter Vigil of 1995. My special friend, Francka Povsic served as my sponsor. Not surprisingly, I chose St. Therese of Lisieux as my patron saint. My husband Doug, my children, and family friends supported me by attending the Easter Vigil. Although my family found all of this very difficult to understand, they accepted my choice.

Since my confirmation day, I have never regretted my decision. Beyond my wildest dreams, the Lord has showered me with boundless graces, friendships, knowledge of the Truth, peace, consolation and spiritual growth. I am deeply grateful to the many pastors, priests, religious and lay people who have provided spiritual direction before and since my entry into the Church.Retreat houses including the Abbey of Gethsemane have provided ongoing places of prayer and solitude. Making my Consecration to Our Lord and Our Lady, according to the teaching of St. Louis DeMonfort, drew me into very special friendships with other women in my parish.

This past March 1997, I received the special grace to go on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, yet another example of God’s quiet but concrete miracles in my life. I did not experience supernatural signs or wonders, but rather a pilgrimage of fulfillment. I came home with an incredible sense of gratitude to God for all that He had given me. I now realize that the fruits of Mary’s messages are to be found in everyday life.

I struggle like most Catholics to find time to pray the Rosary and spend time with Jesus; however, I increasingly look to Jesus, Our Lady, the Holy Spirit, the angels and Saints for help and guidance. When I start getting too emotionally attached to this world, I consciously try to let go and give my cares to Jesus. I ask for discernment and seek His will instead.

I continue to attend both the Lutheran and Catholic services. My family and I attend the Lutheran Church together and I attend the Catholic Church alone. Doug has demonstrated incredible love for me in accepting my spiritual journey even though it must be frustrating and painful for him. I agonize about how to unify our family’s spiritual life, and I constantly pray for the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance.

In September 1997, my special friend, Francka passed on into Heaven. After suffering from leukemia for over six years, Francka is now in joyful union with Jesus and Our Lady. Just weeks before she died, Francka gave me a special message: "I know one thing—I trust in the Lord completely. We can adore and honor him in the best way possible. I am not doing too well physically, but it will be O.K., little by little." This statement captured her life of humble obedience to the Lord, and the qualities that drew me into the Catholic Church. This was Francka’s way. Like St. Therese of Lisieux, Francka lovingly did the ordinary things of life in an extraordinary way. It is not surprising that Francka died on September 8, the Feast of the Birth of our Lady.

Particularly when her suffering was severe, Francka would imagine herself at the foot of the cross, gazing into the eyes of Jesus. Francka has been a beautiful model to all of us who had the honor of knowing her.

As I looked out over those assembled in the funeral home to pray the Rosary with Francka’s family, I felt a special spiritual bond with my fellow prayer group members. I sensed that Francka, Jesus and Our Lady were smiling down from heaven on all present including our ecumenicalprayer group, made up of Lutheran, Methodist and Catholic women who have responded to our Lady’s call to pray for peace, conversion and love for each other.

Your pro-forma denial runs counter to the evidence I referenced for any reasonable observer. Your posts that I cited (and others since then) are just snarky. They do not substantively address this thread, they just mock what you no-doubt wrap up as "Romanism." I assume you can understand your own writing? Good. Then I suggest you go back to the referenced posts, and objectively read them. You could not possibly do that and take your own rebuttal - to which I am responding here - seriously.

The entire point to Judith Anne's thread from last weekend (see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1997474/posts ) was that she needed to leave because of all the sniping, hurtful, baiting and generally disrespectful postings on the Religion Forum. They were getting in the way of her spiritual peace. You seemed to concur completely with her sentiments. Yet, while your posts here are not the most egregious examples by any means, you manage to emulate that which Judith Anne decried five times by post 15 of this thread!

"Please try again" yourself.

I find your assumptions quite inaccurate.

I doubt I have the capacity to demonstrate that through intellectual discourse. I believe God has to show that level of . . . insight.

RC edifice perceptions are not the only possible constructions on reality. They are also certainly not the only ‘real’ or ‘accurate’ ones.

I’m keenly aware of my own words, tones, attitudes. Those closest to me have commonly volunteered comments that they’ve never met anyone else with more insight into his own stuff, person, personality, motives, attitudes, expressions etc.

However, I’m sure the usual number hereon will believe their own biases vs the truth about me and a number of other things.

It’s very fascinating . . . face to face a classroom full of diverse students have little trouble tuning in on such.

Here . . . it seems to take some special people or else people who’ve traveled a similar road—at the very least—people with a certain sort of attitude, perspective, openness to others, empathy for others beyond their own biases. Fascinating.

BTW, I don’t ‘mouth’ or ‘idly finger’ mea culpas at all.

Did I say anything like "idly finger" in my post to you? That's right, I did not. So why imply, with the use of quotation marks, that I did?

My repentances and confessions are primarily to God.

That's all well and good. But when you insult people or their beliefs routinely and gratuitously, out of context to the discussion at hand, one supposes you could manage at least a grudging acknowledgment of the fact. You could last weekend, when it was part of a general feel-good chorus, and there was a certain "expediency" to doing so.

Part of the problem here, according to your own statement referenced above, is that you just might be too prideful to recognize blatant insensitivity directed to anyone, and retreat behind a silent "apology" to God. I would suppose that something directed to both God and the person(s) in question would be in order.

In the meantime, I doubt an objective observer would consider my "allegations" about posts 7, 9, 11 and 14 to be all that "off the wall."

Have a nice day.

Assumptions???

In post 7, you accused Catholics of "Maryanity," simultaneously juxtaposing Catholicism with "Christianity" in such a way as to imply that Catholicism is not Christian at all. That is a gratuitous insult twice over.

In post 9, you further accused Catholicism of engaging in "the Alice-in-Wonderland-school-of-Rubberized-theology." That certainly sounds like a constructive engagement of the issues!

In post 11, the point to the article was at least - finally - acknowledged, but only in order to equate Mary's purported actions with the "New Age." More gratuitousness, for which all of us Catholics are to be quite thankful, no doubt!

In post 14, you finally get to your own point, that the "peace plan" of the article is part-and-parcel with the "world ruler's" false peace plan. That may be your opinion, and you are entitled to express it, but it is boorish and snarky without evidence. In any event - and this is my point - the phrasing you employed runs totally counter to what you were commiserating with Judith Anne about a few days ago, some 20+ posts' worth. Don't expect us Catholics to agree that your equation of a Catholic-centered "peace plan" with Satanic, one-world government is anything but a cheap shot based on absolutely nothing.

Finally, in post 15, you manage to personally attack the soundness of mind of another poster, who conveniently enough, happens to be Catholic. Sure, he took a shot at you first, but I thought, based, again, on your endless commiserating with Judith Anne, that you, at least, "were past that."

Explain, please, in detail, how any of these observations of mine are just "assumptions."

Didn’t mean to imply you’d said “idly finger.” Sorry for that.

You may choose to see my fierceness as insulting to beliefs. Folks may choose to see such as insulting to their person.

I’m certainly derisive etc. to beliefs I find to be hostile to Scripture and high priority Biblical standards . . . with certain folks demonstrating a certain sort of attitude and outrageousness in their own communications.

I’m quite careful in my wording to avoid personal assault and not only in behalf of forum rules. I have no personal nor Christian need to assault persons. Persons, I love.

Blasphemy and idolatry and related outrages I hate. I’ve seen the destructiveness in my own life. It’s truly frightful.

I don’t see my word contributions to be gratuitous, per se, at all. I understand that you do.

The next paragraph of yours is wholesale inaccurate. I’m typically the first to confess and repent to God and man in most situations.

The complexities and distances between our two camps are somewhat symbolized by the distances between the most forceful of the two groups of pontificators. They are not easy to articulate well, much less deal with well.

I’ve seen tons of Protty efforts to do back flips trying to bridge the gap toward RC’s.

It has often appeared that a number of the RC’s in obviously insensitive, blind ignorance of such or hostility to such have appeared to be happy to shred even such efforts in the fiercest, harshest, most abusive terms.

Yet the Prottys are the ones who get the pontifical lectures about their behaviors! LOL.

The Prottys are the ones who get the harsh personal abuse. The Prottys are the ones who get outrageous statements made about their heart motives etc. . . . yet another example of generous . . . even . . . gratuitous . . . personal attack and hostility.

A fair number of RC’s get only or virtually only sweetness and light from me publically and privately. I wonder why that is.

Look, we all get the idea that you are opposed to the tenets of Catholicism. Employ your opposition with some level of "responsibility." Try, at least, to avoid silly and gratuitously insulting coinages like "Maryanity," and your oft-used "magicsterical." The word, BTW, is "magisterial." Try to keep your hostilities at least on-point with the topic at hand, rather than employ the childish and tiresome tactic of loosing a shotgun blast of all of your sound-bite sized objections without evidence, nearly every single time you appear on threads of a Catholic nature. None of these tendencies is particularly conducive to "debate," or even to civilized disagreement. One can disagree with someone else's POV without turning the forum into a circus and/or a cesspool.

without turning the forum into a circus and/or a cesspool.

= = =

Ahhhhh . . . that is uniquely and totally my responsibility! LOL.

I thought that was the attitude and perspective! LOL.

It must be very disconcerting to have all the mirrors in the edifice shattered and God to keep handing you more.

Didn’t mean to imply you’d said “idly finger.” Sorry for that.

Thank you. Apology accepted.

Evidence, please. Yes, there are a few Catholics who get testy, but they are generally doing that on Catholic threads that are in the process of being hijacked or turned into a sewer. They are, at least, defending their own on their own soil, so to speak. And, even then, almost always, the instances are of a low percentage of the total posts. Very little of that behavior is found on Protestant-based threads as perpetrated by Catholics. Yes, it exists, but the examples are minimal, especially when contrasted with what goes on routinely on Catholic-interest threads by non-Catholics. It is simply silly to assert otherwise. Any neutral observer of this forum would concur with this assessment.

Ahhhhh . . . that is uniquely and totally my responsibility! LOL

Did I say that? You are being hyperbolic to no good purpose. I merely said what I said to indicate that posts like yours contribute to the problem. You know that. Or is everyone else individually responsible for their comportment besides you? Not that I believe that, of course (it would be hyperbolic on my part!), but, since you demonstrate an all-or-nothing attitude as expressed above, I wonder if, in fact, you believe that.

INDEED.

For some reason, that’s long—virtually life long, actually—been a fascinating, humorous and favorite verse of mine.

And it’s not the only one of it’s kind, by far.

Oh, a minor correction . . . I don’t think the RC’s are GETTING touchy . . .

I think it’s dispensed in the ‘holy’ water . . . or maybe with the rosaries? Maybe there’s a quick injection of it in the confessional? Hard to say . . . but it’s probably been a feature of the edifice for its entire 1600 years.

Thanks for understanding.

LUB

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