Breaking a promise?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kathrin
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kathrin

Guest
I looked in the catechism whether or not breaking a personal promise made to God was grave matter, but I couldn’t find it. I know it is a sin, but I wonder what circumstances would make it a grave sin.

(For a mortal sin I know the other two preconditions, full knowledge and free will. I doubt that it was mortal for that reason, because I did not INTEND to break it… still I don’t like the situation).

What happened is this: Many years ago, that is maybe around 18 years ago, I had a toothache and was a fraid I had a cavity (had never had one). I hadn’t been all that diligent with brushing my teeth before bedtime, so I prayed to God that the toothache would go away again/wasn’t a cavity.
I promised him that I would from now on always brush my teeth before bed (not do things anymore like I used to, after brushing my teeth still eat something swet and then not brush again before I went to sleep, etc).
I did tell him that there might be exceptional situations, like being sick etc, but in general, I promised.

I have been quite good about it :).

What happened this night is: I just closed my eyes on my bed for a while being tired (that is not the first time I did that), intending to go up and brush my teeth later. But I fell asleep and woke up again at around 2 am. Then somehow I didn’t get up right away, and fell asleep again and woke up again at around 4 am. Now I got up and brushed my teeth.

I did not intend to not brush them, but it frustrates me a bit that but two times I fell asleep again before doing it. At least the second time I should have gotten up in time??? I have no idea how I fell asleep so fast again, except that I am really tired and have a headache.

I doubt that taking that risk (lying for a while) would be a mortal sin??? Because usually I could do that and would maybe just doze a bit and then still be awake again.

I remember rading somehwere that near occasion of mortal sin was itself mortal, if one knew for (almost?) sure, that a certain occasion would lead one to that sin. That is not the case here, I did think I would be awake to brush my teeth even though I just closed my eyes for a while.

Maybe somebody could help me find out if there is any grave matter involved here. To hekp me discenr whether I can wait until my regular confession.

(the promise did NOT include brushing my teeth before going to bed period. I had then and do still have now the dear habit of eating something in bed while still reading, which is a way of relaxation for me before sleeping. The promise was about not eating anything anymore after brushing my teeth and then not brush again, like I had fallen into the not-good habit of doing).

Thank you 🙂

Kathrin
 
You cannot be serious.

Yes, forgetting or not brushing your teeth is a serious grave matter and an absolute
travesty. :rolleyes:
 
Dear The Crow,
this is not about forgetting to brush my teeth, of course that is not grave matter, but because I had made a PROMISE about it to God.
😉
I do doubt that it is mortal, since I didn’t do it on purpose, so I think I will go to communion today without going to confession first.
I am also not sure if it is grave matter at all, but breaking a promise to God… isn’t that grave matter? That is the main question that I meant to ask.

Let’s say for example if somebody promises to God that they will pray a novena or something… maybe out of gratefulness for something, or whatever.
Or promises that they will go to mass every day for a certain time,w henever they can.
And they promisie it to God in prayer.

I would consider breaking such a promise o purpose is a sin… but not sure whether it would be grave matter.
See catechism 2101.

Sicne I need to leave to go work soon now and probably won’t be able to go online again before mass, I… ok, I may just go to communion because I know I tend to have a hypersensible conscience 😉

K.
 
I worry for you. Your life must be full of rules that you have built around yourself. Do not worry. God is like a loving Father, who would just shake His head and tuck you in. God bless your sincerity in your promise. Kept promises signify an honourable person.
 
Petaro, don’t worry, but thank you :).
Actually, that is the only real such bigger personal, conscious promise to God that I remember making, except for one when I was 17 but which is not ongoing, plus one I made as a child that I would never kill myself (or did I only “swear” that to myself?) (which I do not intend to break anyway) :).

I know that I tend to worry too much about such things so for the time being I am very very careful about making any kind of promises… just intentions :).
Intentions I do have and pray about them, talk about them with God. And it saddens me whrn i break a big one…

I pray to God a lot and I do see Him as a loving Father. I talk to Jesus and I know He is forgiving and understands. I don’t think I have an overly rule-based realtionship with God, I know with my type of conscience that would not make sense/be good.

But that one promise about brushing my teeth, since i made that already (as I said,a botu 18 years ago), I have been very careful of not breaking…

🙂
 
Kathrin,

This is your scrupulosity and OCD/compulsive behavior talking. Go to your regular spiritual director and talk to him/her about these promises you are making. You should not make these types of “promises” to God.

And NO you did not commit a sin.
 
I think I was misunderstood here.

This is a promise I made about 18 years ago, when I was really young, and I have long learned now that it is not good for me to make such promises. I thought I made that clear in the post.
This is not an ongoing problem. It’s not like I am regularly making promises like that. I actually know that it is not good for me to make them at all.
This was just a question about whether breaking a promise, if one has made one (even though in this case, long long ago), would be considered grave matter.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top