Can you lose the Holy Spirit?

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tomspitzley3

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Hello all,
Recently I have been feeling honestly unloved by God. I feel like my heart has been hardened, I don’t feel as much love toward others along with charity, and I feel like my life with God is at a stalemate- my prayer seems to be very repetitive. I have fallen into a state of mortal sin, and don’t think I can be forgiven. After I went to confession a few weeks ago, I didn’t feel different, almost like I wasn’t being honest with the priest, like I was judging going there to be forgiven, sin feels so easy to commit and unlike before, currently I feel no remorse, not even a tinge of guilt. I feel like I have fallen out of unity with the Holy Spirit, because before I used to be much more loving and on fire for The Lord. I don’t know what I can do, and is it possible I have committed the unpardonable sin, due to the feeling that my heart was hardened? I feel like like my whole life, physical and spiritual has been attacked, as I said before prayer seems useless and reptitive, and I feel like a failure to God. What can I do to soften my heart?
 
As long as you are sorry and confess, you are in a state of grace. That means the Spirit can dwell in you. Do what you can and let His grace to the rest. Ask Him to come in!

Peace,
Jonathan
 
Doesn’t sound like your heart has been hardened if you are concerned. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. He had absolutely no intention of turning to God. To completely turn away the Holy Spirit would be closer to the unforgivable sin. As long as you have room for repentance, as you do, you can get out of this funk. Keep your focus on the Lord above, read your Bible. A lot of people like the Psalms. Don’t give up. Jesus died for you! God bless you.
 
The fact that you are concerned enough to take the time to post your worries about this shows that you aren’t as hardened as you think you are. Seek out a good priest for spiritual direction.
 
I experienced something very similar few months ago. It was horrible. I felt that I lost the Holy Spirit and that God has left me and stopped loving me. I kept praying daily asking him to come back. To give me the grace to fix what was wrong with me, to know my sins and go to confession. At moments when I couldn’t feel his presence at all I felt desperate and thought I can’t fight this fight. It was very hard and he was not responding to my prayers. I wanted to run away from him further cuz I couldn’t fight anymore. I realized though that there is no where to go. Ever since my return to the faith I live my life daily thinking of him, feeling his presence and love, my soul is on fire and eager to know him love him and serve him after all these years of being away. So when I started losing the Holy Spirit (or thats what I believed then) things turned bad. I never gave up praying though, cuz there is simply no other way. Only through Jesus. Finally one day (after almost a month of torture) after a lot of prayer and thinking of everything I’ve learned so far, I realized that he did not leave me, he will not and can not leave me. He is my Father, and a father would never forsake his child, and I remembered how much He loves me and how he proved it so many times. Both when Jesus died on the cross and in every grace he has given me in my life. Suddenly I started feeling his peace and love again, and went to confession and felt brand new. See we should never ever stop trusting him and that was my mistake.

Later I found out that what I went through could be called Spiritual Dryness, I learned some saints went through it and one saint gave up and almost lost hope, but she recommends us that it was a huge mistake on her part. Cuz God withdraws from us some times, (does not mean that the Holy Spirit leaves you), but he hides his presence to test us, to se see how loyal would we stay, plus we learn so much through spiritual dryness even though when we experience it it’s like Hell. I am happy again feeling his presence, I’ve learned that his love for me is more than what I can comprehend and learned to never lose trust in him or think he would ever forsake me even if I go through another thing like that, and I will, it’ll always happen to us till we are made stronger and stronger.

Now I do not know for sure if you are going through a spiritual dryness but just never lose hope in his love and mercy. He is there with you closer than you think. If your heart is hardened ask him every single day to open it. The saint I read about had it for over a year. So don’t ever give up. I can’t remember her name for sure. Maybe St… Teresa of Ávila!

Do not forget to as our Holy Mother to keep you in her heart and prayer. And other saints you admire.

Peace
 
Mother Theresa had these deep intense spiritual battles herself when she felt abandoned by the Holy Spirit. Read her biography.

Mother Teresa was not alone in her spiritual darkness. In the history of Christian mysticism there have been many accounts of divine darkness. It is an ancient doctrine that God dwells in inaccessible light, a light so blinding that it veils the divine glory in a dark cloud of unknowing. Some of the greatest saints have endured what St. John of the Cross called the dark night of the soul. The dark night of St. Paul of the Cross, an 18th century monk, lasted 45 years. St. John of the Cross saw his dark night of the soul, not as Divine abandonment but as a purgative expression of God’s love. Like Mother Teresa, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila realized that the agony of doubt and desolation is a way of sharing in Christ’s Passion.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa’s patron saint, serves as an interesting parallel. She entered a Carmelite cloister at 15 and died only nine years later of tuberculosis. Her spiritual reputation, according to Newsweek, was based on her spiritually cheerful biography, published posthumously, The Life of a Soul. Later the truth came out that her own sister Pauline, the head of the convent, had expunged all the sickbed entries where Therese had described her spiritual dryness and how she feared the loss of her faith.

Like another saint in the making, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, Mother Teresa fought a lifelong battle with pride. It was more a fear than a temptation because she said, I am happy to be nothing to God. Her letters revealed that she desired none of the acclaim her work with the poor brought her. In April of 1959, she instructed Archbishop Picachy to destroy any letters or anything I have written. She was rightfully afraid that her troubled musings would be misunderstood by a secular society or even by her fellow Catholics who had some idealized version of its saints.’ (catholicculture.com)
 
I have nothing to base this is on but gut feelings, but I think life would be impossible without the Holy Spirit. I am 100% positive that it can be diminished by sin and wrong thinking or beliefs, but like mud covering a transmitter, a small part still gets through.

I think we get a stronger measure of the Holy Spirit when we confess, repent, change our ways and partake of the Lord’s feast, and when when we receive the graces of Christ and his Holy Mother, the Queen of Heaven.
 
tomspitzley3 said:
Hello all,
Recently I have been feeling honestly unloved by God. I feel like my heart has been hardened, I don’t feel as much love toward others along with charity, and I feel like my life with God is at a stalemate- my prayer seems to be very repetitive. I have fallen into a state of mortal sin, and don’t think I can be forgiven. After I went to confession a few weeks ago, I didn’t feel different, almost like I wasn’t being honest with the priest, like I was judging going there to be forgiven, sin feels so easy to commit and unlike before, currently I feel no remorse, not even a tinge of guilt. I feel like I have fallen out of unity with the Holy Spirit, because before I used to be much more loving and on fire for The Lord. I don’t know what I can do, and is it possible I have committed the unpardonable sin, due to the feeling that my heart was hardened? I feel like like my whole life, physical and spiritual has been attacked, as I said before prayer seems useless and reptitive, and I feel like a failure to God. What can I do to soften my heart?
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The catholic life isn’t based on ‘emotions’ and ‘feelings’ completely.

Often God wants to see, will we do the right thing even if it is a little difficult (inwardly or exteriorly). Forget about feelings and do all the right things. When you are absolved you are forgiven. God wants us to live by faith. Go to confession if you end up in mortal sin. Then Have faith that without all these high emotions you ARE IN A STATE OF GRACE and FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Pray the rosary or divine mercy. Or just a decade or either (or both) each day. Read a good catholic book instead of other books, (or just the bible for 10mins a day) it will slowly change you. After you’ve done this for quite a while you will be able to look back and say, ‘Wow, I was a different person when I started my new prayer routine, and now I feel much changed. I feel closer to God.’
 
tomspitzley3 said:
Hello all,
Recently I have been feeling honestly unloved by God. I feel like my heart has been hardened, I don’t feel as much love toward others along with charity, and I feel like my life with God is at a stalemate- my prayer seems to be very repetitive. I have fallen into a state of mortal sin, and don’t think I can be forgiven. After I went to confession a few weeks ago, I didn’t feel different, almost like I wasn’t being honest with the priest, like I was judging going there to be forgiven, sin feels so easy to commit and unlike before, currently I feel no remorse, not even a tinge of guilt. I feel like I have fallen out of unity with the Holy Spirit, because before I used to be much more loving and on fire for The Lord. I don’t know what I can do, and is it possible I have committed the unpardonable sin, due to the feeling that my heart was hardened? I feel like like my whole life, physical and spiritual has been attacked, as I said before prayer seems useless and reptitive, and I feel like a failure to God. What can I do to soften my heart?
Click to expand...
The catholic life isn’t based on ‘emotions’ and ‘feelings’ completely.

Often God wants to see, will we do the right thing even if it is a little difficult (inwardly or exteriorly). Forget about feelings and do all the right things. When you are absolved you are forgiven. God wants us to live by faith. Go to confession if you end up in mortal sin. Then Have faith that without all these high emotions you ARE IN A STATE OF GRACE and FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Pray the rosary or divine mercy. Or just a decade or either (or both) each day. Read a good catholic book instead of other books, (or just the bible for 10mins a day) it will slowly change you. After you’ve done this for quite a while you will be able to look back and say, ‘Wow, I was a different person when I started my new prayer routine, and now I feel much changed. I feel closer to God.’

Also I have found: I need to look at what sins I slip into. And make a life changing decision and new habit. Eg: to protect purity Catholics cannot do any of the following and should avoid them: Do not look at impure television programmes, books, or go to night clubs, watch impure films in cinema, -check a parental review of a film online before you see it and do not go if it is explicit. As Jesus says in the bible, ‘If you’re right hand causes you to sin, cut it off.’ Cut out of your life the things that tempt you and you will sin less. St Thomas Aquinas or st Dominic said at the end of their life, ‘Where did my gift of purity come from? From avoiding all things impure.’ You are blocking the temptations if you block the things that tempt you.

Wear a blessed brown scapular/ miraculous medal, carry a blessed rosary on you, use holy water often, bless your room each day with holy water, have a blessed little statue of Our Lady and crucifix of Jesus or Divine Mercy image in your room. Blessed objects keep satan far from you.

Change your mindset. Sin makes us unhappy. Virtue makes us happy.
Peter fell lots of times but kept going back to Jesus mercy and is head of the church. Judas despaired and missed heaven. Keep confessing and praying and avoiding sin and it will fix itself.
 
Precious soul, it is The Holy Spirit that leads you through this desert. This is as important for your sanctification as those times of joy and fire of love. Do not look back, set your face like flint into the darkness of faith. Praise God who sends this trial for your sanctification. Your situation is not uncommon. Maybe He is preparing you to help your neighbor through their desert.

When this begins it is an agony. Praise Him in your adversity as you did in your perceived prosperity. In the end we will see which is the greater value. You need to begin slowly. Try praying The Jesus Prayer or simply repeat in earnest “My Jesus Mercy”.

Keep in mind that it is the one who overcomes that receives a crown. Frequent confession and communion will give actual graces whether or not they are perceived. God has a plan for you. Read Psalms 51 and 57 from your heart.Take heart and struggle manfully. Wait on Him who will come to your assistance and make haste to help you. This is only for a time.

Peace
 
tomspitzley3 said:
What can I do to soften my heart?
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Have a strong devotion to Mary and pray your rosary to her daily for your spiritual and temporal needs. I strongly suggest that you read *The Glories of Mary *by St. Alphonsus de Liguori. This book will help you tremendously. Please believe me! God bless you.
 
ready said:
Have a strong devotion to Mary and pray your rosary to her daily for your spiritual and temporal needs. I strongly suggest that you read *The Glories of Mary *by St. Alphonsus de Liguori. This book will help you tremendously. Please believe me! God bless you.
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I second this! This is great advice.
 
Trust me: read this chapter: archive.org/stream/theprodigalsonor00mulluoft#page/n313/mode/2up (especially the anecdote on p. 312)

Our Lord to St. Bridget of Sweden: “A person must recall at all times that God is always present. He should also be afraid of losing the grace given to him, for no one can accomplish anything without God’s help, yet one can do all things with God’s love. Just as a drill prepares the holes in which something is to be placed, so too fear of God solidifies all one’s actions and both prepares the way for divine love and attracts God’s help… Accordingly, a person who wants to overcome the hardness of the animal should be unbending in acts of prudence and constant in godly fear and in the hope of divine aid, making as great an effort as possible. God will then offer his assistance and break through that hardened heart.”

The desire to love is love. Any good-will is from God, so we ought to thank Him for it, and excite our confidence in Him when we experience the influence of His grace.

God bless.
 
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