Dreaming With My Eyes Open

8/10/2015

Last night, in a dream, I was in Rome where I met Pope Francis.
He is a loving, quite endearing, very hopeful man . He spoke to me in the dream and asked if I would do something for him. I thought as I returned his gaze: How could I refuse you?

Dreams, in the Christian tradition, are considered a "ever-present call to holiness and wholeness, as an invitation to relate to God and to our deepest inner self, and as a gift to the individual and the community." (Louis M. Savary, "Dreams And Spiritual Growth," Paulist Press. 1984.)
With that in mind, I am certain that last night's dream was not a coincidence.
I have been working on my own conversion: a daily exercise of prayer, study and receiving the sacraments often and I believe that this Pontificate visitation is apart of my journey.

A very close friend of mine offers this rebuttal whenever I try to discuss my dream or his: "Its just a dream dear...." He gives no credence to an unexpected nocturnal visage. Another good friend reminds me often that: "I am every part of the the dream." I have always disagreed with both of them, believing that dreams are prophetic. After all, hadn't St. Joseph, for example, been instructed by God through a dream? And hadn't Elijah, in today's scriptural reading fallen asleep under a broom tree at which time an angel visited him twice to offer him heavenly intervention? We are told in the handbook, "Dreams and Spiritual Growth" that: In the early Church, many Christians followed their dreams to find God's will and to understand how God was working in their lives. " Why, I wonder then, am I any different?

Abraham Lincoln said: "How much there is in the Bible about dreams! There are, I think, some sixteen chapters in the Old Testament and four or five in the New in which dreams are mentioned: and there are many other passages scattered throughout the book which refer to visions. If we believe the Bible, we must accept the fact that, in the old days, God and his angles came to humans in their sleep and made themselves known in dreams."
(Reported in Lloyd Lewis, Myths after Lincoln (New York: Grossett & Dunlap, 1957)

Clearly, dream work can be a means through which we might share the Joy of the Gospel and is a stunning method of Evangelizing. I am offering this place for you to record, observe and share your dreams. With the help of some of the thirty-five dreamwork tools and techniques found in the Dreams and Spiritual Growth perhaps we can help each other discern God's will.

12 Comments

jackie white

8/9/2015 11:39:42 pm

Evelyn,

What a beautiful dream that was. Please invite me the next time. I would like to meet Pope Francis, too.

I need help interpreting mine. I don't usually remember mine and when I do they are in black and white.

I was in a new car I just purchased. In the back seat was one of my granddaughters and a person that I was driving home from prison. At one point in traffic I hit something in the road. I got out of the car to see that it was a piece of wood. I went into the house there to make a call and when I came out my car was gone. I had my keys in there and they took off. I was not far from my house so I decided to walk home cutting through yards as a short cut. At one point there was an alley and as I was walking a pick up truck came through. I pushed over because there was only place for one vehicle there. His pick up truck was loaded down with all big filled plastic bags. The man got out of the car and asked me if I would get him some hot water in his gallon jug. He looked poor and in need of help. I told him I would knock on a door and ask someone for water for him. I finally came to a door and someone answered and said sure I will give you water. I went in and she was preparing a meal and said after all was done she would get me water. I waited and waited and at that point her husband came home and sat down. When I turned around and said hello, He stood up and had to be over 7 feet tall. He hugged his wife and she said he will go to court with you about your stolen car. I don't remember anything after that.

Dennis

8/11/2015 09:49:20 pm

Jackie, Do you work with prisoners? You don't seem afraid, possibly a little worried a prisoner may take advantage of your good will? You are not thinking about your granddaughter so violence isn't worrying you, just theft. You seem to have confidence that the car will be recovered with the help of the seven foot man. You seem quite calm during the events, and your patience wins the day when at last the man (Christ maybe) comes to your rescue!

Dennis

8/11/2015 11:56:57 pm

Jackie, it seems you truly love others as your self. You don't worry about the prisoner and your granddaughter or what had happened for them to take off! Right off your dream had me worrying about your granddaughter, I do sometimes stuggle with unconditional love. The truck squeezes you to a wall, you show no anger but instead go out of your way to help him. It also appears to me you have complete trust in God.

jackie white

8/12/2015 04:38:15 am

Dennis,

Thank you so much for taking the time to interpret the dream. You are right my granddaughter seems a bit in the background. I did work with prisoners about 2 years ago but when was diagnosed with leukemia I stopped all ministries for about 1 year. I never went back to the jail ministry for other reasons. I loved the ministry. I saw Christ there and spent 2 hours with the women on Friday each week. I had lunch with them and let them share whatever they wanted ot share with me.Always ended with a communion service for the Catholics and for those who were baptized and truly believed that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist. I was never afraid even when alone with as many as 12-14 of them. There was always a CO someplace in the pod with me. I don't know why that resurfaced in the dream. I would like to think as you did that Christ was the tall man that came to my rescue because yes, I totally trust in God for everything in my life. I was hot water back to the poor man. I try to live a life of giving to others. I am still confused about the little interest I had in protecting my granddaughter who I love dearly. She is a 40 year old adult and mother of 3 children. She is one of 12 grandchildren and I also have 8 great grandchildren. Thanks again. I love reading you on blog. You are one of the first responders and I follow closely. I love what Evelyn is doing for all of us.

David Keys link

8/12/2015 02:29:16 am

I met you at the Catholic Writers Conference. Of interest, my blog this week also referenced Pope Francis, as my friend in high places. I hope everything is going well for you. Keep up the good writing.

Evelyn Augusto link

8/18/2015 11:11:31 pm

Of course David. Yes...I remember your kindness. I still need tutoring in Social Media as a tool to aid in Pope Francis' Call to The New Evangelization. Watch my blog for the debut of Sr. Marie Pierre's artwork from Maryknoll. Please share my link with all you know so more people can experience The Divine through her perception of Life in The Spirit

Evelyn Augusto link

8/12/2015 03:22:26 am

Dennis: Great work here! And I wish you would share your experience of The Miracle of Buenos Aires with my readers

Dennis

8/15/2015 04:55:52 am

I'm not totally sure about sharing this dream because I think I understand it already but maybe someone can see what I cannot.......The dream starts in the cemetery I worked at in highschool. I kept it pretty but also buried the dead. I am standing with two of Hitler 's henchmen. Hitler is pointing to an open grave and I realize he wants me to go to it, I don't want to but the guards push me to it. It is a well dug grave, deep and square. I am directed by Hitler , not verbally but by his deliberate pointing, to move to the grave. I refuse and he has his henchman cock their weapons and ready themselves to execute me. Hitler then points into the grave and orders me to fill it it with the shovel stuck in the dirt pile. I look in the grave and there sitting in his wheelchair is Jimmy Wiess. I meet Jimmy in Mass. General Hospital soon after I broke my neck and was still paralysed . Jimmy was in the same predicament. Over the next three months I was slowly getting movements back....Jimmy not so well. When I left the hospital I never looked back., that includes Jimmy. I couldn't because I had improved and he had not. I felt he would not want to see me because no doubt if the situation was reversed I could not deal with seeing him. So I see Jimmy in the grave and his back is towards me. He is straining to turn his head and see what is going on but cannot ...he is paralysed, he looks paralysed...skinny, strapped in, arms in braces, the whole deal. I take the shovel and fill in the grave. I throw the dirt right on him with no emotion. The dream ends.

Dennis

8/16/2015 11:16:26 pm

This is a heavy dream I shouldn't have shared it. I will say, if my memory is correct , I had this dream twice. It was during a transition time in life early on in my recovery. Life was scary for me because my future was very uncertain. I carried guilt a around my improvement and Jimmy wasn't happy about it either. I had to move on, I had no choice.....the dream is me moving on with only death as an alternative . I still come to tears over it......I am sorry Jimmy that you had to stay in that living hell!. I apologize to the group this was not a burden I should not have dumped on you all.

Evelyn Augusto link

8/18/2015 10:21:31 pm

Dennis I am on my way to Maryknoll Convent in Ossining NY to spend the night among the Holy! My plan for this evening is to work with your dream with a copy of Dreams and Spiritual Growth beside me. I am about to embark on a new project involving the art of Sr Marie Pierre and my Call To The New Evangelization. Keep watch...

jackie white

8/17/2015 12:54:48 am

Dennis,
I don't know how to interpret dreams and you said you were quite sure you knew what it meant. This latest one shows that you did. I can't offer anything but to tell you how sorry I am that you were in a type of hell and hopefully all that is in the past for you. May you now experience His joy and peace.

Dennis

8/17/2015 02:18:04 am

I want to believe such a powerful dream was inserted by Christ's love for me, to show me the way. Jackie, God has blessed me. I have often thought that God has had me experience so much so as to affectively understand others. To know and go to where they are at, empathically. Thank you for caring but rejoice in my life....I have!

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