scrupulousrvrt
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My first name is Peter.
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Can't go on like this
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RosyAnne
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scrupulousrvrt I understand what you are saying and why you are concerned with that quote, I had the same anxiety when I first read it. When you are a big sinner who not only has a vast pile of venial sins but also a mountain of mortal sins in her past life, this anxiety is understandable.
Two things you need to know:
–your Faith is a gift from God, He alone is calling you to Him. It’s not you lurking around His feet hoping for a relationship, it’s ALL HIM and all your curiosity or longing or devotion is simply in response to His tug on your heart, His call. So, if you have a little Faith, if you desire to Love Him and know Him and serve Him (notice I didn’t say IF YOU DO LOVE, OR HAVE TRUE DEVOTION…but If you DESIRE to)…then be assured that He hasn’t given up on you (just talking in language that is in the same vein as that quote). He absolutely will not call you to Him only to reject you.
–You need to stay close to Jesus and Mary to feel more secure, to let go of the fears that this quote triggered. They will help you with this. Please try saying the rosary each day (five decades) and if you can, go to daily Mass. Liturgy of the Hours is especially helpful as well (morning and evening prayers if you can).
Another thing to try is to talk to a priest that knows you well, someone who can guide you in daily acts of penance. This can be a nightmare to do on your own if you have a problem with scruples, so please don’t do more than one act a day without a priest’s permission. One thing I like to do is something enriched with an indulgence (from the Manual of Indulgence), such as a litany or say prayers for the Dead. Reading Scriptures for 1/2 hour a day gains you a partial indulgence but also draws you closer to Jesus (the Word of God). These are just some ideas, but please be careful if you have scruples because Satan can really drag one around by the nose if you’re not careful–just do one act of spiritual penance on your own (bodily mortifications such as fasting and more lengthy or extreme acts of spiritual penance need to be guided by a suitable Confessor to keep yourself safe from the mind games Satan loves to play).
As for the quote itself, it’s simply saying that we cannot count on our repetitive sins being forgiven day in and day out. I can’t say:
–I know I am a glutton, but God knows I’m weak so I won’t try practising self-denial during meals or fasting because God will forgive me anyway.
–I know I shouldn’t drink until I’m drunk but hey, it’s a fun party and God will forgive me when I go to Confession next.
–I know I should keep my home tidy and do those dishes before bedtime, but meh, there are more serious sins than sloth or laziness for God to worry about.
The problem is this:
–if you “know” or “come to realize” you have a problem in some area (gluttony/sloth/overspending/gossip/etc.), that’s God enlightening you on what you need to work on…and He enlightens you in His time…and then…
–if you “ignore” that knowledge or enlightenment, or at least don’t take it seriously, these sins are left unchecked to slash and wound our souls to the extent that our eyes will dim and our hearts will harden to the ugliness and at some point we will no longer think they are indeed sins…and then…
–when we no longer acknowledge our sins, we think we are good, and we will call “evil good and good evil”, and when we think we are good people, we don’t think we necessarily need Our Lord to save us…and then…
–we don’t repent and ask for God’s forgiveness…and then…
We are in mighty dangerous waters. Indeed.
So…
God, in His love for us, will unfold our sins before our eyes and will give us the Grace to ask for His forgiveness and to repent. He simply asks that we TRY and are WILLING to try. Right when we think we have all the bases covered, He will show us something else. For example, when I first came back to Church and made a couple big general confessions, I thought I was finally “cleaned” up. I changed some bad behaviors, etc. Then I learned:
–Hmmm, telling the truth about someone can be a sin. Look up the sin of Detraction.
–Hmmm, I shouldn’t munch and nibble and eat all day long. Gluttony is serious.
–Huh, so one shouldn’t binge watch Netflix all weekend. Sloth is a problem.
God is asking us to try and stop offending Him with our sinful behaviours. When we love God, when we are grateful to Him, we genuinely want to show Him our love for Him and do better. It’s when we throw our hands up in the air and say “ah, God knows I’m human and He loves me anyway so why not keep feeding all the little comforts my flesh and ego desire all day long, I can serve both them and God and at the end of the day, God will forgive me”…that’s where troubles bubble.
Two things you need to know:
–your Faith is a gift from God, He alone is calling you to Him. It’s not you lurking around His feet hoping for a relationship, it’s ALL HIM and all your curiosity or longing or devotion is simply in response to His tug on your heart, His call. So, if you have a little Faith, if you desire to Love Him and know Him and serve Him (notice I didn’t say IF YOU DO LOVE, OR HAVE TRUE DEVOTION…but If you DESIRE to)…then be assured that He hasn’t given up on you (just talking in language that is in the same vein as that quote). He absolutely will not call you to Him only to reject you.
–You need to stay close to Jesus and Mary to feel more secure, to let go of the fears that this quote triggered. They will help you with this. Please try saying the rosary each day (five decades) and if you can, go to daily Mass. Liturgy of the Hours is especially helpful as well (morning and evening prayers if you can).
Another thing to try is to talk to a priest that knows you well, someone who can guide you in daily acts of penance. This can be a nightmare to do on your own if you have a problem with scruples, so please don’t do more than one act a day without a priest’s permission. One thing I like to do is something enriched with an indulgence (from the Manual of Indulgence), such as a litany or say prayers for the Dead. Reading Scriptures for 1/2 hour a day gains you a partial indulgence but also draws you closer to Jesus (the Word of God). These are just some ideas, but please be careful if you have scruples because Satan can really drag one around by the nose if you’re not careful–just do one act of spiritual penance on your own (bodily mortifications such as fasting and more lengthy or extreme acts of spiritual penance need to be guided by a suitable Confessor to keep yourself safe from the mind games Satan loves to play).
As for the quote itself, it’s simply saying that we cannot count on our repetitive sins being forgiven day in and day out. I can’t say:
–I know I am a glutton, but God knows I’m weak so I won’t try practising self-denial during meals or fasting because God will forgive me anyway.
–I know I shouldn’t drink until I’m drunk but hey, it’s a fun party and God will forgive me when I go to Confession next.
–I know I should keep my home tidy and do those dishes before bedtime, but meh, there are more serious sins than sloth or laziness for God to worry about.
The problem is this:
–if you “know” or “come to realize” you have a problem in some area (gluttony/sloth/overspending/gossip/etc.), that’s God enlightening you on what you need to work on…and He enlightens you in His time…and then…
–if you “ignore” that knowledge or enlightenment, or at least don’t take it seriously, these sins are left unchecked to slash and wound our souls to the extent that our eyes will dim and our hearts will harden to the ugliness and at some point we will no longer think they are indeed sins…and then…
–when we no longer acknowledge our sins, we think we are good, and we will call “evil good and good evil”, and when we think we are good people, we don’t think we necessarily need Our Lord to save us…and then…
–we don’t repent and ask for God’s forgiveness…and then…
We are in mighty dangerous waters. Indeed.
So…
God, in His love for us, will unfold our sins before our eyes and will give us the Grace to ask for His forgiveness and to repent. He simply asks that we TRY and are WILLING to try. Right when we think we have all the bases covered, He will show us something else. For example, when I first came back to Church and made a couple big general confessions, I thought I was finally “cleaned” up. I changed some bad behaviors, etc. Then I learned:
–Hmmm, telling the truth about someone can be a sin. Look up the sin of Detraction.
–Hmmm, I shouldn’t munch and nibble and eat all day long. Gluttony is serious.
–Huh, so one shouldn’t binge watch Netflix all weekend. Sloth is a problem.
God is asking us to try and stop offending Him with our sinful behaviours. When we love God, when we are grateful to Him, we genuinely want to show Him our love for Him and do better. It’s when we throw our hands up in the air and say “ah, God knows I’m human and He loves me anyway so why not keep feeding all the little comforts my flesh and ego desire all day long, I can serve both them and God and at the end of the day, God will forgive me”…that’s where troubles bubble.
C
chuck001
Guest
OP, I dealt with the same problem ever since I was confirmed this past Easter. It’s possible that something happened in your life that is still haunting you and you may not have confessed even though you want to. This can lead to the scruples because it makes you feel unworthy to receive communion thus you go to confession every day or too often confessing things that are really not dire.
I would say explain this to a priest, arrange a confession time, and pour it out. Trust me, when the priest grants you absolution, you will thoroughly understand and it will help you grow in your faith.
Praying for you now…
I would say explain this to a priest, arrange a confession time, and pour it out. Trust me, when the priest grants you absolution, you will thoroughly understand and it will help you grow in your faith.
Praying for you now…
P
pwlj_christ87
Guest
Some saints that I have read up on emphasize the fact that the only route tondamnafion is when a sinner does not believe in or come to Jesus , that there is absolutely no end to his mercy that your brain cannot even adopt to realize how merciful he really is, everyone is a sinner and their all wiped away when you repent , ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and pray in the sacrament of reconciliation, you are surely forgiven in that sacrament my friend , open your nastiness to God it’s the only way he can fix you, sounds like your embarrassed of the cross, don’t put it to shame, he died for you so you could be forgiven and when you shake his blood that’s the worst thing you can do, just sounds like
Your having a tough time opening up
Your having a tough time opening up
L
Liturgy_Geek_1
Guest
scrupulousrvrt (Peter)
Be assured of my prayers to St. Dymphna for you each night.
Be assured of my prayers to St. Dymphna for you each night.
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