I posted earlier this week some parts of my correspondence with an old friend who recently became Catholic. A couple of days ago she emailed me about a retreat for women mystics she was interested in going on and how a “prophet” was going to come speak at her parish. I share my reply with you:
Sal: If you talk with someone about the retreat ask them what the program is, what kind of spirituality it’s based on, who is giving the talks, and if there will be a priest to hear confessions. They might balk at the questions – I’m not sure. I think, though, it’s important to know these things beforehand because the environment of a retreat can make people very vulnerable, and when people are vulnerable they are easily manipulated. You are responisible for your emotional and spiritual well-being.
I probably sound like I’m pontificating again. I’m sorry. I just think as a someone new to the faith you might get more out of a traditional retreat. I’m very much a fundamentals kind of guy. The Church has two thousand years of saints and spiritual masters who we can learn from and emulate. I think it’s best to start with a method that is proven, rather than someone talking about how the Virgin Mary appears in her oatmeal every morning and tells her to plant rubharb in a cruciform fashion. The challenge is finding on what sort of spirituality appeals to you. I think you’d like Franciscan spirituality, really. They are all about the flora and fauna.
Some people clearly have other gifts like visions, inner locutions, premonitions, or speaking in tongues, but it’s very hard to discern what the source of those things are without the mind of the Church behind you. I might be over-reacting a bit, but my experience has been that it’s easy to get hooked on tangible things, like when you see someone speaking in tongues or talking about their prophecy or visions. There is a kind of instant gratification in that that you don’t get in the same way from mental prayer and contemplation. It also can be sensational. And it doesn’t build an interior life in the same way as traditional spirituality, because people look for those tangible things instead of earnestly seeking after Jesus and accepting His presence even if they can’t feel it. Ah, Maria, just take all I’m saying with a grain of salt and trust that Jesus will lead you where He wants you to go. But stay away from the oatmeal and rhubarb visionary until the Vatican makes a statement!
You are in my prayers,
Sal Ravilla