Author Topic: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything! (Read 960 times)

unknown · « **on:** August 02, 2018, 07:50:05 AM »

From personal experience, the best way to love God is to see them in every day items, such as food and normal house hold items, or in nature, birds and animals.

For example, when you look at your car, think that it represents God the Father or the Holy Spirit (really, visualise that it is God and that He is there!), or even the Mother of God. Touch it with affection and kiss it, greeting God, and think of God/Mary/Jesus. Open the door, think of God/Mary and love them. Enter the car and touch the things in it, thinking that you enter God and sit in God, and that you use God while driving, and that you are taking this trip together, and that He is being used by you!

If a bicycle, if it is a woman cycle, think it is Mary and that you sit on Mary. If a man cycle, think of Jesus and that you sit on Jesus and that you are taking this ride together! It is important to really believe Jesus or Mary is there, in the bicycle (they can be present everywhere even is flowers, trees and insects and animals) and that you talk to it, touch it, embrace it and kiss it with faith!

To see God in everything, is a great way to love God.

Whatever item it is, see God/Jesus/Mary in it, or some saint, and embrace it affectionately and kiss it, thinking or meditating as if you really touch, kiss and huggs God/Jesus/Mary, like a child holding it in your arms close to your heart and chest, just like you would embrace a child! :baby: Flowers are great to see God/Jesus/Mary in. Food items also, as every bottle can be seen as God/Jesus/Mary or some saint!

I Promise you, if you start to see God in everyday items (such as cellphones, cups, paper, books, cd-roms, soap bottles, food items, apples, pears, meat, bottles etc. etc.), you will notice that the items starts to "want" things from you - if you desire or eat them with love, - i.e., that is, you will notice that there is a presence there, or as if the items (whom you see God in) wants something from you - as if it is alive and desires your attention/affection like a child or lover, and that there is some kind of force of love there, or presence that can be physically sensed.

Stubborn · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2018, 07:57:49 AM »

Quote from: unknown on August 02, 2018, 07:50:05 AM

I Promise you, if you start to see God in everyday items (such as cellphones, cups, paper, books, cd-roms, soap bottles, food items, apples, pears, meat, bottles etc. etc.), you will notice that the items starts to "want" things from you - if you desire or eat them with love, - i.e., that is, you will notice that there is a presence there, or as if the items (whom you see God in) wants something from you - as if it is alive and desires your attention/affection like a child or lover, and that there is some kind of force of love there, or presence that can be physically sensed.

This sounds a bit scary. I mean, "if you start to see God in everyday items (such as cellphones, cups, paper, books, cd-roms, soap bottles, food items, apples, pears, meat, bottles etc. etc.)", it sounds as if you should start worshiping them.

I think I know what you're getting at, but what you're actually saying is actually wrong.

It's one thing to look at a bird and admire it's intricacies, uniqueness, instincts etc., all testifying to God's greatness in having created it from nothing, it's a whole other thing to see God in the bird, then as the bird flies away, God flies away?

unknown · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2018, 08:04:16 AM »

Stubborn, it is not wrong, since God is present everywhere. Just like an image of Mary will be a representation of Her, so too, can an everyday ordinary item, since such is based on the persons personal faith. Do you believe the item represents God or Mary? If so, then you could embrace it with love, as if they are really there.

Why do you think God says faith is so important? With faith one can believe and do everything! Just like as if you honor an image of the Lord the Lord will see it as if done to Himself, so too, if He is honored in a flower, will He see this as if done to Himself!

This is Faith, my friend. The item is not God, but through Faith, you believe God is physically present in a more intimate way. If you have faith, then God will manifest Himself to you sensibly. Make a try and see!

And no, if the bird fly away, then you should not think God flees from you. You must be reasonable in your faith (however, if animals flee from you in unusual ways, make an examination of conscience, and see if you are perhaps offending God in some way). Rather, if you have faith, you will notice that birds actually approaches you instead in unusual ways! It is the same with nature. The thing with faith is this: if you believe in these things, then God will work with you with this faith and play games with you! Why do you think God wants us to be like children and have simple faith? and why do children play with items as if they represents real persons, their parents or friends (if they can do this, so can we!)? and why do you think God wants us to see Him in everything, and to think of Him constantly?

And it is not scary to live in this way. What is scary with having faith that you actually can honor and embrace those you love in everyday items? If you believe this, this is counted as a deed. Similarly, if a person dishonors an image of Jesus, this deed as counted as an offense to the Lord, for what is done to the things representing Him or that you considers represents Him, is done as to Himself.

Seraphina · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2018, 09:14:45 AM »

Envision a bicycle as Mary, then sit on her and ride away? NG! This is a forum for Catholics, not animists. Why conjure up Our Lord in the imagination when His actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity can be had? Let your bike be a bike. Ride it to Mass!

Stubborn · « **Reply #4 on:** August 02, 2018, 09:51:36 AM »

Quote from: unknown on August 02, 2018, 08:04:16 AM

And it is not scary to live in this way. What is scary with having faith that you actually can honor and embrace those you love in everyday items? If you believe this, this is counted as a deed. Similarly, if a person dishonors an image of Jesus, this deed as counted as an offense to the Lord, for what is done to the things representing Him or that you considers represents Him, is done as to Himself.

I do not believe a bicycle etc. represents the faith, God, or His image, therefore I do not see God in a bicycle. Never have and hopefully never will. The Catholic puts their faith in God through His Church, and through His Church strives to grow in that same faith, but Catholics do not see God in bikes and other inanimate objects made by man.

AlbertP · « **Reply #5 on:** August 02, 2018, 10:19:56 AM »

Quote from: unknown on August 02, 2018, 08:04:16 AM

Why do you think God says faith is so important? With faith one can believe and do everything! Just like as if you honor an image of the Lord the Lord will see it as if done to Himself, so too, if He is honored in a flower, will He see this as if done to Himself!

This is Faith, my friend. The item is not God, but through Faith, you believe God is physically present in a more intimate way. If you have faith, then God will manifest Himself to you sensibly. Make a try and see!

Faith isn't believing something that isn't true. It is believing the truth God has revealed, because he has revealed it.
What you have proposed is indeed a great means of union with God and advancement in the spiritual life, but you need to make an important adjustment.
Rather that considering God as being physically present in the created things you come in contact with during the day, use these created things to think about God - to raise your mind to God. When you open the door of the car, for example, you can think of Christ who is the door into heaven; when you enter the car, you think of entering heaven through Christ (and thereby increase your hope); if you sit on a bicycle, you think of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father, etc. If you see a wreck, think of the justice of God; if you have a close call, or see someone else have a close call, you think of God's mercy, etc.
You see, instead of thinking of God physically present in created things (which could end in a form of idolatry), you use created things and events during the day to think about God - to lift your mind to God - and, in so doing, end by uniting yourself with Him habitually throughout the day. I've done this myself, and it is the way to quickly advance to the unitive state.

unknown · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2018, 01:03:08 PM »

Quote from: AlbertP on August 02, 2018, 10:19:56 AM

Faith isn't believing something that isn't true. It is believing the truth God has revealed, because he has revealed it.
What you have proposed is indeed a great means of union with God and advancement in the spiritual life, but you need to make an important adjustment.
Rather that considering God as being physically present in the created things you come in contact with during the day, use these created things to think about God - to raise your mind to God. When you open the door of the car, for example, you can think of Christ who is the door into heaven; when you enter the car, you think of entering heaven through Christ (and thereby increase your hope); if you sit on a bicycle, you think of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father, etc. If you see a wreck, think of the justice of God; if you have a close call, or see someone else have a close call, you think of God's mercy, etc.
You see, instead of thinking of God physically present in created things (which could end in a form of idolatry), you use created things and events during the day to think about God - to lift your mind to God - and, in so doing, end by uniting yourself with Him habitually throughout the day. I've done this myself, and it is the way to quickly advance to the unitive state.

Quote from: Stubborn on August 02, 2018, 07:57:49 AM

This sounds a bit scary. I mean, "if you start to see God in everyday items (such as cellphones, cups, paper, books, cd-roms, soap bottles, food items, apples, pears, meat, bottles etc. etc.)", it sounds as if you should start worshiping them.

I think I know what you're getting at, but what you're actually saying is actually wrong.

It's one thing to look at a bird and admire it's intricacies, uniqueness, instincts etc., all testifying to God's greatness in having created it from nothing, it's a whole other thing to see God in the bird, then as the bird flies away, God flies away?

Yes that is also a way to do it, and I also do it like that. And when I said "physically" present, that was not entirely correct. Spiritually present is more proper.

It is not wrong to actually think that Jesus somehow represents the bicycle or car that you are driving. I don't understand why people find problem with this. If we love Jesus, we want to see Him in everything, don't we? Why not then think of "Jesus car" and that we are driving Him? If we do so, we will start to love Jesus in the car and gain a relationship with Jesus every time we see the car and think of Him much more, and even feel love for Him while driving and using the drivers wheel.

All people are different, and if others have a problem with faith in seeing God in everyday items, I don't suffer from this problem.

It is not for no reason that Saints and spiritual writers teach us to see God in everything. With faith, one can see God in everything, even in your car that you are using. While one can think while opening the door of the car that Jesus is the door to Heaven, one can also think that one is actually opening Jesus for love of Him as representative of the door. With faith, one can believe this, and Jesus wants us to have faith. Also, for the same reason, Saints and spiritual writers usually advice us to do all our deeds for the love of God or Jesus, even opening a door. Why is this? I believe this is so because if we actually have faith and believe that we are honoring Jesus, or doing this deed with or for Him, that this deed gets done as if to Himself. Can Jesus be present at the door when opening it spiritually with His power? Certainly. Is this problematic in some way to believe in or have Faith in? Obviously not. Is it hard to think of Jesus and love him while eating food, thinking that you are tasting God? Certainly not. In fact, this is a great way to refer all you eat to God/Jesus/Mary, and to think of them while eating, and actually thinking that you are eating them as representative of the food, for love of them, in the sense that you desire to receive them into yourself, like in the Eucharist.

If people don't want to see God in everything, they are missing out a lot. What then becomes of their life? If we don't honor God or think of God in all we do, we loose all this merit. So while people could think of God in everything and even say "Hello Jesus" to a flower or bicycle or car, and see him in it, some people find this scary or problematic. What then, will you live your life without faith and without any merit for Heaven? Stop being afraid to live with faith. Have faith, and see God in everything, and your live will become entirely different.

Fr. Paul O'Sullivan wrote concerning this:

“On the other hand, all that we do which is not done for the love of God [or with the thought of God or His presence] is worthless and will get no reward. We may toil for long years and receive great praise and honor for our labors, but if our work is not done for love of God, it is worthless.” (An Easy Way to Become a Saint, by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P. (E.D.M.))

Father Paul of Moll, Benedictine priest and miracle worker, recommended the following practise:

Say quite often during the day, when you commence to do something, were it only moving a chair, opening or shutting a door, or any other action, “All that I shall do today I do for love of Thee, Jesus [and Mary].” When you have to suffer anything say, “I want to suffer it for the love of Jesus [and Mary], just as Jesus [and Mary] has suffered all for love of me.”

If you actually start to live your life like this, then you will notice that things start to change in your life, and that everyday items start to get your attention, as if they want something from you or desires your attention and love. Sounds strange? Immaterial items wanting your attention and love? For a person with faith it should not be strange, "since the love of God worketh all things."

In fact, when you start to open doors with love and for the love of God or Jesus - and you start to like doing it and even become accustomed to see Jesus in the door and even thinking actively on Jesus while opening it, feeling love to Him - you will actually start to have faith in Jesus being there, and that you are opening Him or doing this to Him in some way. That is why I said one can see Jesus and Mary in everything and that one should embrace them or hug them in everyday items; I mean, is it hard to hug a pillow or book (or anything really) and think of Jesus or Mary? That it what I am teaching here, and with faith, you will actually notice that the pillow etc. will give you love back (yes, you will even feel it) - provided you have faith in that you are really hugging Jesus/Mary/God/some saint etc and see them as if there! Sounds strange? With faith, it should not sound strange at all, since it is God we are dealing with here!

I believe that this is how life is lived in the cloister for most monks and nuns - they probably see Jesus and Mary, or at least, they do it for love of them, in everything and in everything they do.

unknown · « **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2018, 01:32:36 PM »

Correction. The correct words from the Father Paul of Moll quote used above is the following:

Quote

Say quite often during the day, when you commence to do something, were it only moving a chair, opening or shutting a door, or any other action, "For love of Thee, Jesus."

When you have to suffer anything say, "I want to suffer it for the love of Jesus, just as Jesus has suffered all for love of me."

https://archive.org/stream/TheVeryRevFatherPaulOfMoll/TheVeryRevFatherPaulOfMoll_djvu.txt

What he is teaching, of course, is that we should do all our actions for the Love of Jesus, and even saying while commencing to do anything, such as opening a door and while doing it: "For the Love of Thee, Jesus, I am opening this door" etc. I would add that I would also try to see Jesus in the door while opening it; in this way, there will even become an intimate relationship with the door and you will actually think of Jesus when seeing the same door or even all doors. (For this reason, I see the Holy Spirit with everything paper. I don't know why, I just see the Holy Spirit in paper, and so, I often think of Him when seeing paper, even if only a envelope or paper bag, and I have no problem to take up a paper bag and hug it as if I was hugging the Holy Spirit, seeing Him in it!)

If this sound strange to you, you will understand when you start to live your life like this yourself. If you start to pick up things for love of Jesus, you will actually start to see Jesus in those items. That is why you should start to see Jesus in everything you do, and do all for love of Jesus.

-To a servant girl in Antwerp Father Paul of Moll said,
“Before eating, sleeping, opening or closing a door or any other action, always have the intention of doing all for the love of Jesus. In this way you will continually reap a rich harvest for heaven.”

Stubborn · « **Reply #8 on:** August 02, 2018, 02:06:07 PM »

Quote from: unknown on August 02, 2018, 01:32:36 PM

Correction. The correct words from the Father Paul of Moll quote used above is the following:

https://archive.org/stream/TheVeryRevFatherPaulOfMoll/TheVeryRevFatherPaulOfMoll_djvu.txt

What he is teaching, of course, is that we should do all our actions for the Love of Jesus, and even saying while commencing to do anything, such as opening a door and while doing it: "For the Love of Thee, Jesus, I am opening this door" etc. I would add that I would also try to see Jesus in the door while opening it; in this way, there will even become an intimate relationship with the door and you will actually think of Jesus when seeing the same door or even all doors. (For this reason, I see the Holy Spirit with everything paper. I don't know why, I just see the Holy Spirit in paper, and so, I often think of Him when seeing paper, even if only a envelope or paper bag, and I have no problem to take up a paper bag and hug it as if I was hugging the Holy Spirit, seeing Him in it!)

If this sound strange to you, you will understand when you start to live your life like this yourself. If you start to pick up things for love of Jesus, you will actually start to see Jesus in those items. That is why you should start to see Jesus in everything you do, and do all for love of Jesus.

-To a servant girl in Antwerp Father Paul of Moll said,
“Before eating, sleeping, opening or closing a door or any other action, always have the intention of doing all for the love of Jesus. In this way you will continually reap a rich harvest for heaven.”

Yes, by doing the little extra of opening a door, or giving a cup of cold water, or some other act of charity for the love of God will certainly not go unrewarded, but the door is not Jesus, nor is the one we open it for, nor is the cup, nor is the water in the cup, nor is the hand holding the cup, nor is the faucet we got the water out of.

Our reward of course lies in "doing all for the love of Jesus", but then you add on your own the rather odd idea of "we should try to see Jesus in the door while opening it". Is that right in the door itself or on the front of the door itself or the door opening? You also fail to describe if we should try to see Jesus as He is after being scourged at the pillar, or Jesus Crucified, or Jesus as an infant in His blessed Mother's arms, or Jesus the Judge, or do you imagine Him sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven?

It does sound strange - because it is strange. We don't go around hugging paper bags for heaven's sake nor do we worship statues - although it is not strange to piously kiss the cross on our rosaries or our Lord's feet on the crucifix etc., but we do not hug paper bags for any reason - do you see the difference?

unknown · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2018, 02:25:26 PM »

Stubborn, with faith it is neither strange nor different to kiss or hug a paper bag than an image or a Rosary. That is why we have faith. If a person sees the Holy Spirit in a paper bag (or as if it represents his presence), and hugs it with this intention, that would be no different from a person hugging an image of Jesus, Mary or the Holy Spirit in a dove shape.

They are both the same, the only difference is that the former has more faith. If one can see Jesus in a Holy Image or a Rosary or Crucifix, one can also see Him in a door, in a tree, plant or flower, and even while opening a door and as if you are opening Jesus. It is all done by faith.

You are also complicating things a little too much, even going so far as to ask how we are to see Jesus when doing things - if like a judge, scourged, crucified etc. All that is needed is to have faith that Jesus is spiritually present - that is enough. You don't have to think more than this. Think of Jesus as you think of other people you love - with love and faith! Only if you are actually considering his crucifixion, scourging etc. should such things concern you. Otherwise, the thought of Jesus as Jesus lover or spouse is enough.

If you hug a pillow and think of Child Jesus, then you will honor and love the child Jesus. If you think of Jesus crucified, then you will honor and love Jesus crucified. If you think of Jesus as a lover or spouse, then you will think of Jesus as a lover or spouse. It becomes what you think. If one don't think anything special, then one is probably acting through love, and hence, the thought would be about Jesus as a lover or spouse.

Stubborn · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2018, 03:32:22 PM »

Quote from: unknown on August 02, 2018, 02:25:26 PM

Stubborn, with faith it is neither strange nor different to kiss or hug a paper bag than an image or a Rosary. That is why we have faith. If a person sees the Holy Spirit in a paper bag (or as if it represents his presence), and hugs it with this intention, that would be no different from a person hugging an image of Jesus, Mary or the Holy Spirit in a dove shape.

They are both the same, the only difference is that the former has more faith. If one can see Jesus in a Holy Image or a Rosary or Crucifix, one can also see Him in a door, in a tree, plant or flower, and even while opening a door and as if you are opening Jesus. It is all done by faith.

Yes, it is strange to hug a paper bag for any reason, or a piece of toast for that matter because no, they are not the same as holy images. Anyone with eyes and the use of reason will attest to that fact. A crucifix is a crucifix , a rosary is a rosary and a paper bag is a paper bag. If you can see Jesus in doors, paper bags and the like, that is not faith, that is your own mind seeing things that are not there.

If you said you see Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, that is something entirely different again, but God is not a door and you cannot open Him - that line of thinking is pretty screwed up.

Quote

If you hug a pillow and think of Child Jesus, then you will honor and love the child Jesus. If you think of Jesus crucified, then you will honor and love Jesus crucified. If you think of Jesus as a lover or spouse, then you will think of Jesus as a lover or spouse. It becomes what you think. If one don't think anything special, then one is probably acting through love, and hence, the thought would be about Jesus as a lover or spouse.

But Jesus is not the pillow.

Nadir · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2018, 04:41:37 PM »

Oh boy, this is preposterous!

Some very muddled thinking here.

Apart from the OP's seeming pantheism, we have this:

Quote

Rather that considering God as being physically present in the created things you come in contact with during the day, use these created things to think about God - to raise your mind to God. When you open the door of the car, for example....

There is not even the distinction between created and fabricated. A car door is not part of creation. Creation is what God made out of NOTHING! What car is made out of nothing?

Mega-fin · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2018, 07:53:46 PM »

A clear confusion of a the Creator and the created. A pagan world view

A picture of my mother shows my mother - it makes me think of my mother. A paper bag is a paper bag. It may remind me that my mother used to make me lunch in a paper bag, but to hug that paper bag and say it’s hugging my mother is preposterous. A paper bag is not my mother.

Likewise, should something remind you of God, for instance being in nature, admiring the creation, you can then turn your thoughts and meditate on the Creator but there needs to be a distinction between the two.

Author Topic: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything! (Read 960 times)

unknown

Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Stubborn

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

unknown

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Seraphina

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Stubborn

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

AlbertP

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

unknown

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

unknown

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Stubborn

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

unknown

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Stubborn

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Nadir

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!

Mega-fin

Re: Some unusual but great ways to love God and see Him in everything!