Posted on 11/30/2016 2:18:01 PM PST by Steelfish
Acclaimed Atheist Poet Becomes Catholic: 'My Tears Just Stopped' By Mark Judge | November 30, 2016
“If you’re there, you have to help me.” Those are the words that poet Sally Read said to an icon of Jesus in 2010. Read, a British poet and atheist, had stopped into a church in Santa Marinella, Italy. She felt burdened. Her young daughter was having health issues. Her husband Fabio was enduring some stress at work. “There was this incredible experience where this presence almost came down, and my tears just stopped, just dried,” Read tells CNSNews.com. “I felt almost physically carried up. It was as if someone walked into the room. I knew this person. I knew that I was a Christian.”
Up to that point Read, now 46, had been an atheist. “I was brought up an atheist,” Read notes in her just-published memoir, “Night’s Bright Darkness: A Modern Conversion Story.” “At ten I could tell you that religion was the opiate of the masses; it was [driven] into me to never kneel before anyone or anything…As a young woman I could quote Christopher Hitchens and enough of the Bible to scoff at.” Read was born in 1971 and raised in Suffolk, England. As a young woman she worked as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital and became a critically acclaimed poet, winning the Eric Gregory Award in 2001.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Praise God!
Some of the most moving testimonies I’ve ever heard came from former atheists.
Her book about her conversion: http://www.ignatius.com/Products/DDD-H/nights-bright-darkness.aspx
This reminds me of my favorite scene from my favorite movie THE SONG OF BERNADETTE. I know you all know the story of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, but if you haven’t seen the movie, please buy or rent and watch over the Holidays. Vincent Price’s character has a spiritual awakening much like this. It brings tears to my eyes everytime I watch it and I watch it at least ONCE a year. :)
FABULOUS!!! Welcome HOME!! WELCOME TO SANITY!! WELCOME TO REDEMPTION!!! May you HELP SAVE YOUR FAMILY!!
OK...ALL FREEPERS....WATCH “THE WAY” this season....UNBELIEVEABLE!!!
The title alone — “Acclaimed Atheist Poet Becomes Catholic: ‘My Tears Just Stopped,’” just takes your breath away.
I’m curious about two things:
1) why she tried contacting orthodox Catholic women for her book. I’m surprised that a non-Catholic would realize that there are orthodox v. heterodox Catholics, and, even if she did, the media usually goes for the heterodox ones.
2) what made her pick up St. John of the Cross. Kind of an unusual saint’s writings to start with.
Most fortunate woman to have had this experience.
May your days be long upon the Earth and the comfort He gives be your guiding light through all that will assail you.
In Jesus name.
May this dear soul truly have entrusted herself to Christ alone for eternal life - and not just joined a church.
BTTT
Amen!
Stopping at the magnificent churches in Italy could do that, for sure.
Welcome home, Sally Read!
I watched that movie many times as a young girl. My confirmation name is Bernadette, after St Bernadette.
I remember about 4 years ago, going through some really stressful times, everything going wrong, so much worry, so burdened, heavy heart. I went out into the garage and spoke to the mountain out loud, I was crying out asking the Lord to help me, remove the worry. Immediately I heard “My Name said, then, everything will be alright”. I felt immense peace and love flow through me at that time. I stopped crying and walked in the house and then everything did work out.
I will never forget the male voice saying my name; it was Jesus, I am sure of it.
The Church is the bride of Christ, the rest is just a universe of mish-mash Christianity with irreconcilable contradictions.
Funny, you never hear anyone say something this snide about someone's choice of a church when someone becomes a Protestant Christian.
I do not criticize this dear soul’s choice of denomination in the least.
I do wish eternal life for her and not just church membership. Any Christian would wish exactly that. Do you?
Eternal life comes from saving faith in Christ alone. That is what I wish every person.
Salvation comes from entrusting ourselves to Christ alone for forgiveness and eternal life. No church provides this.
Welcome Back to FR Steelfish.
Salvation comes from entrusting ourselves to Christ alone for forgiveness and eternal life. No church provides this.
Welcome Back to FR Steelfish.
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