MyCatholicSource.com - 'Quick Help' Page: Visitor Reports Unorthodox, Troubling Vision/Dream Near Death Of Parent

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Thank you for your feedback. Regarding your question, I wouldn't worry about it. The 'mysterious message' could perhaps be a trick/deceit of devil. It could also be one's imagination or a fantasy/dream. No matter how real it may have seemed, note that true apparitions of Christ are VERY rare and MOST alleged apparitions are false (for more info, please visit here). IMHO, a 'sure sign' that a message is not genuine is that it is not orthodox (small 'o'). Furthermore, what is the reason for the supposed vision? If you believe it was from God, why would the Lord give you an unorthodox message? On the other hand, Satan may play such tricks [e.g. to distract persons from calling a priest when someone is ill, to distract persons from praying for deceased loved ones (for example: ask yourself how much time you've spent trying to find meaning in this 'message' vs. how much time you've spent praying for your parent's soul), etc.]. If this experience/message still troubles you, perhaps it may help to speak with a good, orthodox (small 'o') Catholic priest who can help with discernment of spirits.

For whatever it's worth, my advice is to ignore the alleged message and pray for your parent's soul. I was once troubled by a 'message' in a dream and a good priest I know told me to simply ignore it. We humans can be easily disturbed, deceived and distracted. Christ left everything we need for salvation with His Church. There is nothing we need for salvation that we must get from dreams or 'visions'.

Finally, as stated in the Baltimore Catechism...

"Dreams are the thoughts we have in sleep, when our will is unable to guide them. It is forbidden to believe in them, because they are often ridiculous, unreasonable, or wicked, and are not governed by either reason or faith."

"God did frequently in the Old Law make use of dreams as a means of making known His Will; but on such occasions He always gave proof that what He made known was not a mere dream, but rather a revelation or inspiration. He no longer makes use of such means, for He now makes known His will through the inspiration of His Church."

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