A Sin Journal?

[SeekerDude]

A sin journal sounds like an interesting take on Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues. In his autobiography he mentions coming up with 13 virtues, and that he works on one each week and then repeats the list when the season changes. The purpose of this is not to catalogue his errors, but to reduce the number of times he makes the error. Kinda like putting a coin in a swear jar.

So, while I don’t think it would be particularly beneficial for the purpose of gaining absolution, it would be good to encourage self-improvement. Perhaps you would want to make it a catalogue of failing to be virtuous to keep it positive.

 

[Pitcharan]

I would say have a "sin journal’ on ONE condition: You dedicate twice as much time to a journal that recounts all the ways in which God has blessed you each and every day.

Too much time spent in self-reflection can turn into the sin of VANITY. Much like the beauty queen who looks in the mirror all day getting flustered over the tiniest blemish. I say less attention on you and more attention on God’s love and goodness.

 

[scameter18]

I apologize for my statement about the nuns. The use of the word “figures” and the general tone of the posts about the nuns here seemed sarcastic or negative in a very personal way, not just objective criticism, but I addressed it too personally myself. I just meant to say that not only those nuns but no one should be spoken of in a negative, personal way, but it would have been better if I had held my tongue rather than speak inaccurately. I would request that this particular topic which to me seems completely detached from my thread topic anyways (that’s my view of it, no need to refute me), let’s just get back to the main topic…

… which seems to be settled anyways. So, thank you everyone for discussing this issue, I appreciate it. God bless.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I apologize for my statement about the nuns. The use of the word “figures” and the general tone of the posts about the nuns here seemed sarcastic or negative in a very personal way, not just objective criticism, but I addressed it too personally myself. I just meant to say that not only those nuns but no one should be spoken of in a negative, personal way, but it would have been better if I had held my tongue rather than speak inaccurately. I would request that this particular topic which to me seems completely detached from my thread topic anyways (that’s my view of it, no need to refute me), let’s just get back to the main topic…

… which seems to be settled anyways. So, thank you everyone for discussing this issue, I appreciate it. God bless.

Thank you, and I’m sorry I got defensive.

If you’d like to see a humorous treatment of what it was like in those days growing up in a Catholic grade school, you can check out the 1973 book by John Powers, “The Last Catholic in America.” There is a 2005 printing at Amazon.

I never went to Catholic high school, but Powers also wrote about high school in a hilarious sequel to the Last Catholic, called Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

For those like me, who are fashion-challenged, patent leather shoes are very reflective, and the nuns told the girls not to wear them because the boys will try to see the girls’ reflections from that angle. (his wording was much funnier). He said the nuns were always giving the boys ideas for mischief they would not have thought of on their own.

Alan

 

[Blue_Horizon]

To clarify, by “small, habitual sins” I did not mean sins I do intentionally (at least not with full intent), and I certainly do not accept them as routine in any way. I very much dislike those sins. I mean that there are some venial sins which I do frequently out of mental habit which, from what I’ve heard, habitual sin can become mortal and thus should be confessed if they are done over time. My purpose with this sin journal idea is so that I don’t do something sinful before going to Reconciliation and then forget about it when I go. Thanks for the help and God bless.

Scameter excessive emotional concern with minor wrong-dping, the need to enumerate all thereof and the continuing need to detail things so people, who offer contrary advice, can understand … these are all tell-tale signs of a scrupulous attitude.

Many saints went through scrupulous phases, others were scrupulous by disposition.

May I suggest that your faults are so petty (they must be if you yourself cannot remember them) that it is better to wage spiritual warfare against your dispositions - scrupulosity being one of them at this point in time.

Try reading Francis De Sales (Intro to the Devout Life - free pdf at Ethereal Library) in this area you are raising - he is very practical and balanced. BTW you do not seem to be aware of the further category of fault weaker than venial sin known as “imperfections” which is what you are really dealing with here. And no a journal re these is way over the top.

But back to scrupulous disposition. You should be trying to understand the root cause of this attitude. Why do YOU feel the need to present each and every imperfection consciously before your confessor? You offer pious reasons from spiritual writers/Catechism. But that is not the right approach. Like Jesus said “who do YOU say I am” - in other words what is YOUR reason for doing so. We all like to assign wonderful motives for why we do things when often the real reason is not so pleasant. You will only discover why YOU need to do this… through prayer/reflection.

From my own experience when I was a young fellah the cause is as it usually is - self-obsession, fear and a limited love of God where we try to “control” God’s love of us by keeping the spiritual rules and pulling all the right mechanical levers. Then he has to love us and we are OK. Nothing could be further from the truth of course. If we had strong faith in God we would not be into counting/obsessing all these little picadillos/imperfections. We would admit sorrow within, pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and move on in a mutual loving forgetfulness of these things.

Its a homely, personal relationship not a lonely, law-court appearance.
You already know this. Why can you not accept it? That is what you really need to work on - not the above petty nonsense.

 

[scameter18]

Scameter excessive emotional concern with minor wrong-dping, the need to enumerate all thereof and the continuing need to detail things so people, who offer contrary advice, can understand … these are all tell-tale signs of a scrupulous attitude.

Many saints went through scrupulous phases, others were scrupulous by disposition.

May I suggest that your faults are so petty (they must be if you yourself cannot remember them) that it is better to wage spiritual warfare against your dispositions - scrupulosity being one of them at this point in time.

Try reading Francis De Sales (Intro to the Devout Life - free pdf at Ethereal Library) in this area you are raising - he is very practical and balanced. BTW you do not seem to be aware of the further category of fault weaker than venial sin known as “imperfections” which is what you are really dealing with here. And no a journal re these is way over the top.

But back to scrupulous disposition. You should be trying to understand the root cause of this attitude. Why do YOU feel the need to present each and every imperfection consciously before your confessor? You offer pious reasons from spiritual writers/Catechism. But that is not the right approach. Like Jesus said “who do YOU say I am” - in other words what is YOUR reason for doing so. We all like to assign wonderful motives for why we do things when often the real reason is not so pleasant. You will only discover why YOU need to do this… through prayer/reflection.

From my own experience when I was a young fellah the cause is as it usually is - self-obsession, fear and a limited love of God where we try to “control” God’s love of us by keeping the spiritual rules and pulling all the right mechanical levers. Then he has to love us and we are OK. Nothing could be further from the truth of course. If we had strong faith in God we would not be into counting/obsessing all these little picadillos/imperfections. We would admit sorrow within, pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and move on in a mutual loving forgetfulness of these things.

Its a homely, personal relationship not a lonely, law-court appearance.
You already know this. Why can you not accept it? That is what you really need to work on - not the above petty nonsense.

My issue has never been a scrupulous distrust of God’s love. I fully adore and accept His love. My issue has been a distrust of myself. My reason for wanting to keep a record of my sins is because I have heard that if you forget to confess a sin in Confession, and then remember it afterwards, you should try to go back to Confession as soon as possible and confess the remembered sin. Also, I love God. I want to try to be as good as I can according to His will. I just want to make sure that I am not taking His mercy for granted by taking a minimalist attitude towards sin and confession. As far as I can tell at this time, those are my reasons.

 

[Blue_Horizon]

My issue has never been a scrupulous distrust of God’s love. I fully adore and accept His love. My issue has been a distrust of myself. My reason for wanting to keep a record of my sins is because I have heard that if you forget to confess a sin in Confession, and then remember it afterwards, you should try to go back to Confession as soon as possible and confess the remembered sin. Also, I love God. I want to try to be as good as I can according to His will. I just want to make sure that I am not taking His mercy for granted by taking a minimalist attitude towards sin and confession. As far as I can tell at this time, those are my reasons.

Scameter you keep doing the very things that the scrupulous do:
(1) Get obsessed with petty things that are more imperfections than sins.
(2) Keep explaining and justifying your own clear inclination despite classic advice to the contrary (stubborn adherence to one’s own view is one sign of the scrupulous).
(3) Appear to follow a mechanistic approach to spirituality in this area.
(4) Attribute pious motives to oneself when other darker motives are just as likely.

That you would ask this diary question here rather than of your confessor (whom you must know should be obeyed and changed rarely) is unusual - and perhaps another indication of minor scrupulosity.

Have you already asked your confessor and he said no?
Do you change confessors or prefer to remain anonymous?
These also are telltale signs of a scrupulous attitude.

If your confessor said no then you must obey your confessor rather than debating here.
He knows you better than us.

 

[styrgwillidar]

Different strokes for different folks, if it puts your mind at ease or you feel improves your relationship with God, well fine.

However, in Christ’s account of the final judgement He indicates we will be judged by the things we didn’t do, the good works we had the opportunity to do for our fellow man that we failed to perform.

Matthew 25, 41-46

" Then he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink, I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me."

Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.’ "

Does your journal account for that? the sins of omission? IMHO, I would think dedicating oneself to performing one act of charity each day may be more productive than a journal of one’s sins… We channel God’s love and honor Him through our willingness to show that love to others. It strengthens us, and helps us to avoid the sins of commission. Perhaps a journal of both?

 

[scameter18]

I haven’t asked my confessor. This isn’t something I have done yet; it’s more of an idea at this point, one I’ve come to dislike and will most likely not practice in any form. I don’t want to be scrupulous, and though in all honesty I don’t think I am, I would rather avoid its signs than not. So, thank you all for your help, I truly appreciate it. God bless.

 

[Blue_Horizon]

. I don’t want to be scrupulous, and though in all honesty I don’t think I am…

Given your open and mellow response here you are probably right .