• Welcome!
    • My Testimony
    • Seamus’ Story
    • Toni’s Story
  • All Posts
    • Holy Spirit & Prayer
      • Healing
      • God’s Angels
      • Purgatory
      • Heaven Speaks
    • Evangelisation
      • Sexuality
      • New age & Demons
      • Mini testimonies
      • Jokes
  • Donate / Contact me
  • Shop!

On Eagle's Wings

On Eagle's Wings

Monthly Archives: Oct 2015

Actuary actually!

25 Sun Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in All Posts, Mini testimonies

≈ Leave a comment

Ten years ago I qualified as an actuary. It’s one of those careers that even those who are doing it find it hard to explain what it is! A lot of people have never heard of it, some think it’s to do with bows and arrows and artuary….and others know that you need a whole heap of points in your leaving cert and that these mysterious people are very well paid!

Actuaries are the mathematicians behind the world of insurance. Statistics and probability play a big part…. trying to forecast when people will die or how long they will live for the purposes of putting a price on life assurance or pensions.

This morning I was thinking why did I ever study that. ….not to mention the years and years of study that now seem a waste! But every cloud has a silver lining and trying to look on the funny side this is what I’ve come up with

– At least I was in the life assurance industry….now I’m in the eternal life assurance industry!

– The computer software we used were called ‘Moses’ and ‘Prophet’. So God was having a good laugh giving me His version of prophet!

–  At 26 I was worried that I wasn’t putting away enough money for my retirement at 65. Now I have barely enough money to last a week and I never give retirement a second thought!

– As an actuary I was perplexed at how badly people wanted to live and yet all they did was groan about life being so miserable..

– As a ‘life assurance actuary’ I couldn’t help but feel I missed out on half the training. …sure i got the insurance bit, but what the hell was life about?

– As a business planning actuary I spent my time planning 30 years ahead….guess what my biggest challenge is as a Christian….living in the present!

– Life assurance is bloody expensive, Eternal life assurance is FREE!!

– God doesn’t pay well but His retirement plan is out of this world!

I’m out of wind. At times I do miss the big salary I had, the cool sports car, the automatic acceptance and status in society, the posh suits….but do I regret leaving? No, for how would I have a heart for the poor had I not experienced it myself, for the homeless, for the wanderers, for the sick, for the crazy folk, for the unemployed, for the dreamers  for the no-hopers…

And the Lord reminds me, my treasure is in my heart, my comfortable retirement is in the next life!

Tunnel of life

24 Sat Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in English, Healing

≈ Leave a comment

This morning in prayer I was taken in spirit to what happens as we depart from this world and into the next…..or death as it’s more commonly known!

image

Our spirits were never meant to be seperated from our bodies, and so this moment of seperation is actually completely unnatural and so very painful. A great spiritual battle occurs at this moment as our spirits try to cling to this life as we know it….but to no avail…getting weaker and weaker until the final surrender happens. During these monents both the Lord and the powers of darkness fight over the soul….where the soul will spend eternity is at stake. Ultimately the soul must make the final decision itself.

image

This morning I was only showed what happens to those that choose God. Seperated from the body, the person is now ‘in spirit’ and so is able to intuitively understand that which may otherwise take 100 years of learning as we know it here. As the soul travels through a tunnel of light, it is made aware of thousands and thousands of things. In our human time, all this happens in those few minutes after the person’s passing. Some of the things the spiritual soul learns include….

– Greetings from family members already passed on
– An awareness of all the good and bad things completed in their lifetime
– Infused knowledge of the spiritual realm, of its workings, angels, demons, heaven, hell
– Infused knowledge of who has helped them, who has prayed for them and also of who may need prayer on the side of the living

image

The soul then travels to God himself, pure light, where it is infused with a knowledge of His power, His majesty, His glory. This is simultaneously awesome and terrifying. The soul is then shown  God’s mercy….unfathomable mercy, it then erupts like a volcano in love and praise for God who then welcomes the soul and purifies it before showing it where it is to spend eternity!

image

Just like here on earth, over the veil we will all be given a home, activities…but unlike down here, everything that we will do we will do it with pure love and joy and we’ll all get on!!

Souls that do not choose God will travel on a different path and that’s all I’ll say about that today!

This is by no means a full account of what happens after death and at times it’s very hard to put words on spiritual experiences which though may only take 60 seconds feel like an entire lifetime!

Enjoy your day

Bless

Michael

War of the Spirit

22 Thu Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in Holy Spirit & Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

” I did not come to bring peace but division…..father against son, mother against daughter…..”

How seldom we hear anything preached on this crucial teaching where Jesus speaks of the division that following him can cause in a family!

As I heard this passage this morning in the poor Claire monastery my eyes wandered to a statue of St Francis and then to one of St Claire.

image

We celebrate Francis but do we really? Let’s remember that Francis heard God’s call and without any spiritual director besides the Holy Spirit acted on it immediately. The result was chaos, his Dad went crazy, he was the laughing stock of the entire place. If Francis was here today we’s surely say he was a psychiatric case!

Then Claire….

image

She too ran away from home to the horror of her parents and then to make it worse, her sister followed her. I’m not sure they ever reconciled. Surely God would never do such a thing?!

And for a more recent saint and a very important one for this year of mercy, Saint Faustina who left home in the middle of the night telling nobody but her sister after having an apparition of Jesus. If she ever saw her folks again…I don’t know.

All to say that the Holy Spirit is radical. He makes a mess, people get hurt in the crossfire,people don’t understand Him, they will call you crazy, too extreme, arrogant, prideful, mentally unwell, not in touch with reality, unholy, demonic…..but learn to laugh…the angels and saints are with us!

Let young people be not afraid to follow the inner promptings of the Spirit and have the most crazy exciting life of adventure…

So folks, if you don’t want to get burnt!

image

Have a hot day, I know I will!

Altternative Therapies

20 Tue Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in New age & Demons

≈ Leave a comment

image

Recently I’ve had the great privilege of getting to know some ‘energy healers’ or ‘ complementary therapists’ or whatever other name we may know them as….psychics, mediums, Clairvoyants….weirdos, nut jobs, psychos ….children of God, human beings, people. God led me to one in particular and it’s been a great learning experience of respect and humility….thank you Aileen.

Coming from a very rigid Christian training, here are some of the things that I have observed…

I was very reluctant to have anything to do with people who practiced other forms of healing. I was very quick to condemn and judge them without getting to know them.

But as I pushed through this barrier I have learnt so much

1. These are beautiful people, many of whom have been through hell their own lives much like myself.

2. These people have a spiritual sensitivity that is not understood in the world….or the church

3. There is no place that I know of in the Catholic or wider Christian Church where these people would not be judged…..except one very small Church in Sydney Australia.

4. God would like us Christian’s to be equally open to His Holy Spirit and charisms…..indeed if we were, perhaps these people would find some of what they are looking for in Church….spirituality, training, mentoring and support in growing both spiritually and also in the use of spiritual gifts

5. Christians such as myself with similar giftings are no more welcome or understood in the institutional Church than other healers. The Holy Spirit and His charisms have been kicked out up at the top! Spiritually minded Christians are more tolerated than supported by the powers that be in the institutional Church.

So my prayer is

Dear Lord, help us open more and more to your Holy Spirit, forgive us for being so closed and fearful and narrowminded. Forgive us for not allowing your Holy Spirit to work through us and for not providing a safe place for spiritual seekers.

Holy Spirit, we have smothered and blocked you from working, by our control and pride we have shut the doors of the kingdom to the most sensitive ones. Forgive us for our arrogance. Bring us to our knees, open the doors. Teach us humility.

Getting back up!

18 Sun Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in All Posts, Mini testimonies

≈ Leave a comment

Following on from my previous post of recovery from illness, here is something else that God has allowed me to live through on the way…utter poverty.

image

Upon returning to Ireland after 7 years I had no source of income, and I was to find out that because I’d been away for so long I was entitled to nothing from the Irish state…..except maybe a certain benefit??!!

This is the last thing one needs to hear when unwell and not having money to do the smallest of things only adds to the sense of worthlessness. So anyway, long story short was that after 2 months I was able to face the forest of paperwork for the application process….Where was I habitually resident? Heaven!! Previous employer? God! Work contract? Matthew 10…..Not what they look for in these questions!

2 weeks later after filling in the forms and telling the 100th person about my situation I got a minimal amount of money as they waited to make the decision. I was caught  in a trap…I needed to move out of home for my ongoing recovery for which I needed money. ..but I didn’t qualify. Unless I lived in a squat or that my parents were druggies or that I was already homeless…I didn’t qualify for housing assistance either! I was to live at home…no consideration for any other issues.

I went to every officer possible here over the last few months, citizens information officers, welfare officera, doctors, social workers, political parties, housing authority, charities such as the samaritans and of course the Church.

On each one I fell right through the cracks, not fitting any of the schemes or boxes. It was agony, degrading going through my life story with so many people only to find that there was no real help unless I was to outright lie!

My faith kept me going.  I had been through the same thing years before in France and though not as extreme, also in Australia where I struggled so much financially. But my mind wandered to the poor soul that didn’t have faith,  how could the world be so cruel and unhelpful, is it any wonder that so many lose the battle to suicide I thought? I made the pain my offering, my intercession.

Though things continue to be tight financially, I now have enough to get by. I’m living on the very lowest source of income here in Ireland. I consider this a grace from God allowing me to better understand what it’s like to be on the edge in my home country. Ironically I still dress well, smile and I look young for my age. I reckon that nobody in a million years would guess what I have been through in life ! I’m undercover for the Lord!

My prayer today is for the poor, the unwell, those trying to get back on the horse after illness or whatever.

I thank God for the gift of faith that He has given me, for the grace of perseverence and the gift of hope. I thank Him also for those people who have helped me survive over the years, often like the poor widow who gave all she had though she couldn’t afford it!

Lord God, convert our hearts, convert our governments!

Memoirs of Australia

16 Fri Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in Mini testimonies

≈ Leave a comment

Today Facebook popped up a photo of me in Australia 2 years ago. Of course I spent 3.5 years there! Anyway, now over 6 months back in Europe, I have decided to write a very short reflection on my experiences!

At the top of Croagh Patrick

At the top of Croagh Patrick

So how on earth did I end up in the land down under? That’s a big story in itself, the shortened version being that a priest in India who I met in Kerela offered to put me in contact with a mysterious Fr Ken Barker in Canberra Australia. I thought to be honest that he was barking mad! I had grown up watching ‘home and away and ‘neighbours’ and Australia was an unlikely place to say the least to grow spiritually except maybe the wrong kind! But once again I put my own ideas to a side, said  ‘Jesus, I’m going to kill you ‘ and then  smiling said ‘Yes Father, that would be lovely’!!

wpid-2014-10-03-12.19.53.jpg.jpeg

As providence would have it a few of the Indian missionary brothers were there in India from Australia….a certain one in disguise…..you know who you are!!

A month later I boarded the plane and was sitting beside an Aussie Lady. It may have been Ailsa from Home and Away. After speaking French for so many years, I wasn’t used to using to hearing or speaking my native English. And if I’m honest I didn’t want to!  Reluctantly and between tears I asked her ‘ if you had to sum up Australia in one sentence, what would you say? ‘ She took a moment,  smiled and said ‘ We’re a friendly lot really, yea we’re a friendly lot’. I could perhaps finish this post now because yes, you Aussies are a friendly lot!

wpid-images-23.jpeg

And so I arrived in Sydney and for the first time in my life had somebody waiting at the airport with my name on a board. How important I felt!  The next day I arrived in Canberra and was greeted by smiling brothers. I joked that I hoped we didn’t have rice for dinner (I love you India but after 6 months I needed a steak and potatoes). What was for dinner… rice…..so much for a good first impression!! Now getting used to wearing shoes and eating with cutlery and not shaking my head like in India… I was adapting to Australia! Everybody was so friendly and being Irish only added to it with everybody telling me of their Irish roots. I felt immediately at home and at times home sick as people tended to forget that I had not been to Ireland for 4 years!

One week later I had my first BBQ. I murdered that steak! I was overwhelmed by the love, generosity and fellowship of the community and missionary brothers. Over the next few months in Canberra I was to have many adventures, Bush walking or bashing, mission trips, visiting the poor, retreats, conferences, talks, teaching, study, prayer….and was to make many very good friends. I was sad to leave Canberra but an opportunity too good to refuse opened up in Sydney.

wpid-2014-01-18-10.25.23.jpg.jpeg

Now if I thought that the people of Canberra were generous, the people of Sydney  just totally blew me away. I was offered housing, internships, cars, money, counselling,  prayer, holidays  friendships, birthday parties, trips to the opera …

wpid-2014-10-13-09.59.39.jpg.jpeg
It was crazy. I gave them my heart and they gave me theirs. Even as I think of it now, it blows me away, especially the crazy generosity of the people at Restore Church and the healing ministry, the pastor and his wife and of course the DOJ Sydney South Community and their amazing leaders who welcomed home an Irish rover. I can’t mention everybody but the SCWC Church were also amazing, and their pastor inspirational. All around, utterly astounding people with an enormous variety of gifts!

wpid-img_278640936712.jpeg

I had so many adventures in Sydney and had a lot of laughs…contrary to my ‘home and way’ prejudices, it was in Sydney  that I met the most spiritually in tune people that I could have ever imagined or even dreamt of meeting. One of you guys really needs to audition for ”home and away ‘ and get a bit of spirituality in there!!

Anyway I’m now back in the west of Ireland, I think of my Australian mates and I say yes to that old lady  ‘yea, you are a friendly lot’. I also thank God for sending me there…He sure knows how to have a laugh does God and He seems to like having me at the butt of His jokes! I wouldn’t change it for the world, for He knows what is good for  me more than I do!

wpid-images-9.jpeg

All Glory to God, thank you Australia!

I beat mental illness & suicide, you can too!

15 Thu Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in All Posts, Mini testimonies

≈ Leave a comment

Today was a big day for me…

image

As some of you know, I returned to Ireland very unwell some 6 months ago. The spiritual side of my life got out of control and suicide became more and more tempting.

Good Friday I had to make an emergency trip home. 2 days before some dear friends packed me a suitcase….the rest of my things were given away to charity. Only if you have gone through this can you begin to understand the pain, the humiliation, the agony.

Some very close friends drove me to the airport…i was numb. I cried on that flight, those 38 hours of utter hell. I could have finished it all …i had the pills…why live? Had I not been through enough. The pain seemed too big, too great….i’d never be healed, God had left me, my friends gone, Church support gone.

I staggered off that plane in agony and was bed ridden for the next 3 weeks. My mother, though not perfect, kept me alive. I couldnt pray, demons visited me to taunt me, out of body experiences were daily at times taking hours to get back in. Suicide, suicide, suicide.. There is no other way.

Perhaps only my uncle knows the extent of it. My humuliation continued as I had to visit the psychistrist and pour out all the details of my life to him, spiritual and emotional. I felt utterly humiliated in front of family, friends and neighbours. It was 3 months before I left the house besides doctor visits.

As I visited the psychiatrist I thought thst surely he’d say I was nuts, I was schitziphrenic or psychotic and take me to hospital. Fear consumed me. But no, he believed in me, he didnt think any of those things. A glimmer of hope in the darkness.

3 months later Our Lady miraculously intervened and my strength and faith came back came back….Now over 2 months after that the doctor no longer wants to see me and has blessed me on my spiritual journey and my future.

And so I have once again started praying with people and doing God’s work. Bit by bit job opportunities are coming, I’m making friends slowly… It is not easy settling back to Ireland after 7 years, meeting old friends with their ‘perfect lives’, having almost no money…but yet grace keeps me from crumbling. …..i trust in Him and smile……it’s going to be ok!

All to say that the same Jesus is in you and if I can do it, being weakness itself, then so can you! Believe not in your own strength but in His. Mental illness can be healed, all is possible to God.

Please do pray as I continue to rebuild, it’s still hard, it’s very lonely at times, some people take longer to forget….but also join me in celebrating….I’m not sick, i’m spiritual, I’m well!

Expresso Mass!

15 Thu Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in Evangelisation

≈ Leave a comment

Why do so few young people go to mass?

As I ponder this my mind is brought immediately to a parish I attended some years back. I call it expresso Mass and unfortunately this is an extreme example of what is commonplace nowadays.

But before I continue, I do want to thank and acknowledge the many wonderful priests out there. I pray for you, keep it up.

Now back to the coffee….no, I mean mass! Before the Mass began there was no sign of anything odd until suddenly tbe priest, a tall man, could be seen marching around the Church like a headless turkey! His voice was loud enough to be heard in the neighbouring parish and any interiour peace that a fervent soul may have cultivated before Mass was immediately vanquished.

image

Mass began with the usual chaos, I turned my stopwatch on! Like a well practised military exercise the priest flew through the opening prayers, I’m sure if they were said in ancient greek that they would have been just as sincere!

I was doing the reading, Oh how I dreaded reading in this Church. I had been taught to read slowly and meaningfully. I couldn’t but feel that I was a slow car blocking the road and that there was a crazy guy in a merc behind me honking like mad. Phew, it was over. How on earth could I invite anybody here I thought!

The offetory proceeded like at a coffee shop, the ingredients (water and wine in this case) were fired into the chalice with some prayers mumbled in what now sounded like gibberish.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, come on….Finally communion time. On this day I received on the tongue, the priest’s finger must have touched my mouth and he made no bones of looking at me in disgust as he wiped his hand off his garment to cleanse it of any filth he may have got from me. I must have leprocy I thought!

Finally calvery was over, he shot out of there like a bullet and so did I !!  18 minutes.

I had a very good protestant friend who used to console me afterwards….how I asked him could I invite anybody to that, especially young people, unless I wanted them to lose their faith?!

Another day I will write about a good experience but if any priests read this, I am not criticising you but merely pointing out that actions speak far louder than words. Celebrate Mass with love and young people will get interested.

Is gay ok?

15 Thu Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in All Posts, Sexuality

≈ Leave a comment

Sometimes you write something and as you do, you know it’s controversial!  This  is probably one of these times!!

Recently I met a gay man suffering from issues related to both spiritual and emotional hurts. I sensed to pray with him and so i organised a 2 hour prayer slot.

As we prayed together the Holy Spirit brought up many very painful memories for healing. How some people live is nothing short of miraculous. Praise God he was healed of at least these few wounds.

The point I wanted to make Iis that as we prayed, the issue of his sexuality never came up. So what am I saying,  that gay is ok?

No! What i am saying is that God sees the person and not sins. God knows all the hurts, all the reasons, He also knows the general lack of love and support for such people in the Church making it all the more difficult. He also knows the right timing.

As I pondered over it afterwards I felt God say to me

‘If people were only so quick to love as to hate, to build up rather than knock down, to listen rather than to gossip, to welcome rather than to turn away…..the Church would be a different place….Pray for your pastors, on them will come my judgement for they have been given the hugh responsibility to guide souls and they leave so many outside in the dark ‘

If we condemn people because of a lifestyle and don’t lift a finger to help them, we are in more need of conversion and God’s mercy than they are!

Soccer in Melbourne

14 Wed Oct 2015

Posted by michael4jesus in Mini testimonies

≈ Leave a comment

Soccer in Melbourne

I thought to share this short life event which happened to me in 2012! I guess it points out God’s sense of humour and also how he tests us on our journey of faith!!

I was in Canberra with the MGL brothers when a soccer tournament in Melbourne was announced! I hadn’t done any training and there was one place left….and another brother also wanted to go. In prayer I felt Jesus telling me to put my name down. I never liked soccer so this was definitelty not my will!!

The morning of the draw came and before the Blessed Sacrament Jesus told me very clearly that i’d be going to Melbourne! An hour later my name and the other brother’s were placed in a hat and of course mine came out right? WRONG!! Out came the other name. This sent me into a state of confusion, was I not hearing Jesus? If not, then what voice was it? What else did I get wrong? Was I mad?

Very stressed I went back to the chapel and poured my heart out to God. After maybe 30 minutes the storm in my heart silenced and Jesus spoke again!

‘don’t worry, you will go to Melbourne’ !

All of this I kept in my heart, how was I going to go?! As I wandered around the house all the brothers sympathised with me that I wasn’t going! I felt like telling them that I was but I didnt think they’d understand!

Monday afternoon we had recreation and it was decided that we’d play soccer (yuk!!). The team against the rest. So Jesus decides to throw the cat among the pigeons by giving me a special grace to score at least 7 goals and giving me ball control and skills that I never had before!! I was embarassed when some people started shouting ‘he has to go to Melbourne’. If only they knew!!

Later that arvo I got word that there might be a chance of me going…the following morning it was confirmed!!

But (at least for me), this is the funniest bit, I went to Melbourne and when I played I was back to myself…ie: useless!! Three months later Jesus was to send me to Melbourne in even more dramatic fashion and He used this first trip to prepare me!

Still, a few valuable lessons…God makes a way when it seems impossible and he tests us like crazy so we learn to trust His voice above all human reasoning and appearances. Few dare to follow this road of confusion and mortification.

Glory to you Jesus. You have made me a fool to the wise and learned…and even to myself…..but at least I played one good soccer game in the midst of it!!

← Older posts

Recent Posts

  • God or the world?!
  • Jesus’ love
  • Made to love
  • No cross no crown!
  • Jesus’ ways!

Archives

  • Oct 2022
  • Sep 2022
  • Aug 2022
  • Jul 2022
  • Jun 2022
  • May 2022
  • Apr 2022
  • Mar 2022
  • Feb 2022
  • Jan 2022
  • Dec 2021
  • Nov 2021
  • Oct 2021
  • Sep 2021
  • Aug 2021
  • Jul 2021
  • Jun 2021
  • May 2021
  • Apr 2021
  • Mar 2021
  • Feb 2021
  • Jan 2021
  • May 2020
  • Apr 2020
  • Mar 2020
  • Feb 2020
  • Jan 2020
  • Dec 2019
  • Nov 2019
  • Oct 2019
  • Sep 2019
  • Aug 2019
  • Jul 2019
  • Jun 2019
  • May 2019
  • Apr 2019
  • Mar 2019
  • Feb 2019
  • Jan 2019
  • Dec 2018
  • Nov 2018
  • Oct 2018
  • Sep 2018
  • Aug 2018
  • Jul 2018
  • Jun 2018
  • May 2018
  • Apr 2018
  • Mar 2018
  • Feb 2018
  • Jan 2018
  • Dec 2017
  • Apr 2017
  • Mar 2017
  • Feb 2017
  • Jan 2017
  • Nov 2016
  • Oct 2016
  • Sep 2016
  • Aug 2016
  • Jun 2016
  • May 2016
  • Apr 2016
  • Mar 2016
  • Jan 2016
  • Dec 2015
  • Nov 2015
  • Oct 2015
  • Sep 2015
  • Jul 2013
  • Jun 2013
  • May 2013
  • Apr 2013
  • Mar 2013
  • Feb 2013
  • Dec 2012

Categories

  • All Posts
  • English
  • English
  • Evangelisation
  • Francais
  • Francais
  • Gaeilge!
  • God's Angels
  • Healing
  • Heaven Speaks
  • Holy Spirit & Prayer
  • Jokes
  • Mini testimonies
  • New age & Demons
  • Purgatory
  • Sexuality

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com
Oct 2015
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Sep   Nov »

Categories

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • On Eagle's Wings
    • Join 102 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • On Eagle's Wings
    • Customise
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...