I know this is a long shot but...

Years ago I remember reading a quotation from a saint whose name I cannot remember regarding the spirits that surround us.  It was something to the effect that if we could see the number of spirits that are around us every minute of the day we would die of fright.

Does this ring a bell for anyone?  I can't for the life of me remember who said it or in what book I might have read it.

Marsha

St Catherine Emerich also said something along those lines aslo.

I never heard of that, sorry.

I do think it would be a good idea if Matthew put up a section where we could ask questions all in one area.  I for one love it when questions are asked.  This was my favorite part of the Fatima Conference last week at Mt. St. Michael.

I have a question, that sounds like any 3rd grader should know the answer, but I wonder about it.  Just yesterday while composing a prayer of my own, to the Eternal Father of which I was addressing.  This came to my mind, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I always read how the Son is the beloved Son of God, and is The Father His Beloved Father?

I only can think of, when Jesus taught the world, the prayer known as "The Our Father", it was His Will that the prayer was for us, not Him, is that correct?

I hope someone doesn't come along with a snide reply, just because I am a women and indicate it is a stupid question because I would really like a serious answer if there is one.
I have a couple of other serious questions but hesitate to ask on this forum at this time.

I apologize to the author of the OP here for hijacking her thread.

Her question also peaked my interest, I thought it was a great question and will follow this thread hoping someone might remember who might have said that about the spirits surrounding us.  

My question, disregard it, I have the answer.

**********

Marsha, your question, I did try and search the Internet by asking the question and what came up were more questions than answers, got me thinking.  

Do you recall if the spirits that surround us were evil, angelic, or souls who are asking for prayers as if in Purgatory.

The reason I asked was because of my google search, sadly no names came up as in Saints quotes.

I also found this:

LIFE
OF
ANNE CATHERINE EMMERICH,
RELIGIOUS OF THE ORDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE, AT THE CONVENT OF AGNETENBERG, DULMEN, WESTPHALIA.
p. 25
When I was sacristan, I used all on a sudden to feel myself ravished in spirit, and ascend to the highest parts of the church, on to cornices, projecting parts of the building, and mouldings, where it seemed impossible for any being to get by human means. Then I cleaned and arranged everything, and it appeared to me that I was surrounded by blessed spirits, who transported me about and held me up in their hands. Their presence did not cause me the least uneasiness, for I had been accustomed to it from my childhood, and I used to have the most sweet and familiar intercourse with them. It was only when I was in the company of certain men that I was really alone; and so great was then my feeling of loneliness that I could not help crying like a child that has strayed from home.'

Ah well it's certain they surround us, I seem to recall one quote where like flies blotted they out the sky.

Or we can think of the good angels in choirs upon choirs shining in circles ever closer to the throne of God in Heaven.

If it's similar quotes of that kind I know those at least.

The Martyrdom of the Two Young Strangers

“Abba Bitimius related that Abba Macarius said this: ‘When I was living at Scetis, two young strangers came down there. One had a beard, the other was beginning to grow one. They came towards me saying: “Where is Abba Macarius’ cell?” I said to them: “What do you want with him?” They replied, “We have heard tell of him and of Scetis and we have come to see him.” I said to them, “I am he.” Then they bowed low to me and said, “We want to live here.”

Seeing that they were delicate and had been brought up in comfort, I said to them, “You cannot live here.” The elder said, “If we cannot live here, we will go somewhere else.” Then I said to myself, “Why chase them away and be a stumbling block to them? Suffering will make them go away of their own accord.” So I said to them, “Come and make yourselves a cell, if you can.” They said, “Show us a place, and we will make one.” The old man gave them an axe, a basket full of bread and salt, and showed them a lump of rock, saying, “Cut out some stones here, and bring wood from the marsh, make a roof, and live here.”

He added, “I thought they would choose to go away, because of the hardship. But they asked me what work they should do here.” I replied, “Rope-making.” And I took some leaves from the marsh and showed them the rudiments of weaving and how to handle the reeds. I said to them, “Make some baskets, give them to the keepers, and they will bring you bread.” Then I went away.

But they, with patience, did all that I had told them and for three years they did not come to see me. Now I wrestled with my thoughts, thinking, “What is their way of life? Why do they not come to ask me about their thoughts? Those who live far off come to see me, but those who live quite close do not come. They do not go to anyone else either; they only go to church, in silence, to receive the oblation.” I prayed to God, fasting the whole week, that He would show me their way of life. At the end of the week, I got up and went to visit them, to see how they were.

When I knocked, they opened the door and greeted me in silence. Having prayed, I sat down. The elder made a sign to the younger to go out and he sat plaiting the rope, without saying anything. At the ninth hour, he knocked, and the younger one returned and made a little soup and set the table at a sign of his elder brother. He put three small loaves on it and stood in silence. As for me, I said, “Rise, and let us eat.” We got up to eat and he brought a small water-bottle and we drank.

When the evening came, they said to me, “Are you going away?” I replied, “No, I will sleep here.” They spread a mat for me on one side, another for themselves in the opposite corner. They took off their girdles and cowls, and lay down together on the mat. When they were settled, I prayed God that He would show me their way of life. Then the roof opened and it became as light as day, but they did not see the light. When they thought I was asleep, the elder tapped the younger on the side and they got up, put on their girdles again and stretched their hands towards heaven. I could see them, but they could not see me. I saw the demons coming like flies upon the younger one, some sitting on his mouth and others on his eyes. I saw the angel of the Lord circling round about him with a fiery sword, chasing the demons far from him. But they could not come near to older one.

When early dawn came, they lay down and I made as though I had just woken up and they did the same. The elder simply said to me, “Shall we recite the twelve psalms?” and I said to him, “Yes.” The younger one chanted five psalms in groups of six verses and an alleluia and at each verse a tongue of flame came out of his mouth and ascended to heaven. Likewise with the elder, when he opened his mouth to chant it was like a column of fire which came forth and ascended up to heaven; in my turn, I recited a little by heart. As I went out, I said, “Pray for me.” But they bowed without saying a word. So I learned that the first was a perfect man, but the enemy was still fighting against the younger.

A few days later the elder brother fell asleep and three days afterwards, his younger brother died too.’ When the fathers came to see Saint Macarius, he used to take them to their cell, and say, ‘Come and see the place of martyrdom of the young strangers.’”

- The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

'Forgive me, but I think there is no labour greater than that of prayer to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, want to prevent him, for they know that it is only by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey. Whatever good work a man undertakes, if he perseveres in it, he will attain rest. But prayer is warfare to the last breath.'

St. Agathon

'When the demons see that someone has the zeal and diligence to pray as he ought, then they suggest to him thoughts about something, supposedly important, and then draw away; but a little later they again call up the memory of this thing, urging his mind to examine it, if it is a problem - to solve it; if it is a thing - to acquire it; and he, not finding what he seeks, feels vexed and grieved. Then, when he stands up to pray, the demons remind him of what he had thought of and sought for, so that his mind should once more be moved to inquiry and his prayer become barren.'

St. Nilus of Sinai

'Our teacher Jesus Christ, out of pity for mankind and knowing the utter mercilessness of the demons, severely commands us:'Be ready at every hour, for you do not know when the thief will come; do not let him come and find you asleep' (cf. Matt. 24:42-43). He also says: 'Take heed, lest your hearts be overwhelmed with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and the hour come upon you unawares' (cf. Luke 21:34). Stand guard, then, over your heart and keep a watch on your senses; and if the remembrance of God dwells peaceably within you, you will catch the thieves when they try to deprive you of it. When a man has an exact knowledge about the nature of thoughts, he recognizes those which are about to enter and defile him, troubling the intellect with distractions and making it lazy. Those who recognize these evil thoughts for what they are remain undisturbed and continue in prayer to God.'

St. Isaiah the Solitary

'He hath a demon within him who persists in any grave sin.

And because of this the Apostle admonishes us, where he says: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body (Rom. 8:12). For as long as sin remains in a man, for so long is he bound and captive and possessed by the devil. Such a man, blind and dumb, if he be offered to the Lord, if he be converted to penance, the Lord shall straightaway heal him; so that the evil spirit being driven out of him he may speak and see.'

St. Bruno

'My daughter, I am much distressed about Sister Isabel of St. Jerome's illness and am sending you the holy friar John of the Cross, to whom God has given power to drive devils out of the possessed. A short time ago, he delivered a person here from three legions of demons, each of whom, on his commanding it by the divine power to reveal its name, immediately obeyed.'

St. Teresa of Jesus, Letter to Mother Ines of Jesus

'One day, while I was hearing confessions, a man came to the confessional where I was. He was tall, handsome, dressed with some refinement and he was kind and polite. He started to confess his sins, which were of every kind: against God, against man and against the morals. All the sins were obnoxious! I was disoriented, in fact for all the sins that he told me, but I responded to him with God's Word, the example of the Church, and the morals of the Saints. But the enigmatic penitent answered me word for word, justifying his sins, always with extreme ability and politeness. He excused all the sinful actions, making them sound quite normal and natural, even comprehensible on the human level.. He continued this way with the sins that were gruesome against God, Our Lady, the Saints, always using disrespectful round-about argumentation. He kept this up even with with the foulest of sins that could be conjured in the mind of a most sinful man. The answers that he gave me with such skilled subtlety and malice surprised me. I wondered: who is he? What world does he come from? And I tried to look at him in order to read something on his face. At the same time I concentrated on every word he spoke, trying to discover any clue to his identity.. But suddenly; through a vivid, radiant and internal light I clearly recognized who he was. With a sound and imperial tone I told him: "Say long live Jesus, long live Mary!" As soon as I pronounced these sweet and powerful names, Satan instantly disappeared in a trickle of fire, leaving behind him an unbearable stench.'

St. Padre Pio

''Dwell not in the temple of idols . . . Do you not hear the great St. Paul, who says in other words, "Do not read either the pagan philosphers, or the orators, or the poets; do not repose in the study of their works." Let us not be too confident that we shall not believe the things we read. It is a crime to drink at the same time of the chalice of Jesus Christ and that of the demons.'

St. Jerome, to Pope Damasus