Completely failing

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Redbaron998

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I have to admit I am very discouraged right now. I went into Lent very optimistic about investing more time in my spiritual life and striving to faithfully answer the call to live a more holy life.

However, I have almost completely failed to keep to my Lenten intentions (such as pray the rosary every day) and again fallen deep into other sins. I keep falling to the same sins over and over.

I have only been I would say actively living my faith again for this last year, and I have grown a lot intellectually concerning the faith, yet am seeming to completely fail in actually being what Christ calls us to be. And trust me this is not me being scrupulous, as anyone would rightly say I have fallen deep into mortal sin.

I am going to Confession tomorrow (its our big Lenten reconcillation day) and I know God will forgive me but I cant help to think that He is eventually gonna wash His hands of me.

The only virture I can seem to find in me at all is that I will never consider giving up the faith God has ignited in me. I wont give into dispair, but I cant help but feel it heavily on me heart.
 
God won’t give up on you so long as you don’t give up on yourself.

Theres an old song with a line in it that goes…

…Pick yourself up…Dust yourself off…Start all over again…👍

Peace
James
 
i once read a quote somewhere that goes something like…what makes the saints different from us is that they knew they had fallen in to sin but they picked them selves back up and never stopped trying
 
ReBaron,

Other Catholics have told the same story, and like you said, I think it is about knowing something intellectually, compared with knowing something experientially. :love:

It’s good to have knowledge, I believe, but as it says in the Bible, knowledge without love is nothing. So clearly, intellectual is not sufficient, as you are saying. 🤓

Your Lenten rituals are there to help you, not for you to be a slave to them. Taking them seriously is good, because any sacrifice needs to be taken seriously to do any good I think – but don’t panic if you fail, because as others have said, you can pick up right from where you are and keep going. Maybe soon you will try and not fail. :dancing:

Maybe consider going deeper into your prayer life, beyond the literal sense of the scriptures and open your mind and heart to the deeper senses. Ref CCC 2700-2724

I will pray for your comfort and healing from God, in accordance to His will. :gopray:

Alan
 
Update:

I went to confession today and told it all, some of it I am confident that I can overcome, some I am worried I will fall in again, but regardless I told it all.

The priest did not give me any advice or direction after I confessed, he just absolved me and gave me my penance. Yet in a way this seems appropiate and there wasnt much to say, I know what I need to be doing and now I just need to do it.

Thank you for your prayers, I am up and dusted off it appears so here we go again

Ave Maria
 
I have an idea for you. I bet you it would help a lot if you tried to say a prayer each morning, when you wake up. One Hail Mary, for protection from sin and growth in Christ, and then a quick request to your Guardian Angel to be with you throughout the day.

You could set yourself an alert or leave a message written on a paper, taped to the inside of your door, to remind you each morning when you get up.

One quick word to your Guardian Angel and one Hail Mary would take no time. But it could do you a lot of good. And if you see it on your door each morning, you’ll always remember and always do it.

I think it would help you, especially over time, in overcoming your sinful habits.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
 
Lief_Erikson said:
I have an idea for you. I bet you it would help a lot if you tried to say a prayer each morning, when you wake up. One Hail Mary, for protection from sin and growth in Christ, and then a quick request to your Guardian Angel to be with you throughout the day.

You could set yourself an alert or leave a message written on a paper, taped to the inside of your door, to remind you each morning when you get up.

One quick word to your Guardian Angel and one Hail Mary would take no time. But it could do you a lot of good. And if you see it on your door each morning, you’ll always remember and always do it.

I think it would help you, especially over time, in overcoming your sinful habits.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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I actually do an Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Fatima prayer when I wake up 🙂 (throw in some holy water and you basically have my morning routine.
 
Redbaron998 said:
The priest did not give me any advice or direction after I confessed, he just absolved me and gave me my penance. Yet in a way this seems appropiate and there wasnt much to say, I know what I need to be doing and now I just need to do it.
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I’m glad you went. 🙂 Some priests don’t like to do ad lib, I don’t think. 🤷

I think where you go can be where you wish, unless God has something even better for you. :cool:

Alan
 
Redbaron998 said:
I have to admit I am very discouraged right now. I went into Lent very optimistic about investing more time in my spiritual life and striving to faithfully answer the call to live a more holy life.

However, I have almost completely failed to keep to my Lenten intentions (such as pray the rosary every day) and again fallen deep into other sins. I keep falling to the same sins over and over.
Click to expand...
I’ve been feeling the same way. I’ve been praying the Rosary almost daily for more than a year, yet when Lent started, so did the attacks on my spiritual life (through sin, busyness, etc.).
“It is impossible for a person who prays regularly to remain in serious sin; because the two are incompatible, one or the other will have to be given up.”
~St. Teresa of Avila
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This is so true. Once into serious sin, my prayer life was almost non-existent. 😦

I’m confident the reverse will also be true! 🙂
Redbaron998 said:
Update:

I went to confession today and told it all, some of it I am confident that I can overcome, some I am worried I will fall in again, but regardless I told it all.
Click to expand...
I did the same this past weekend. The priest did offer some kind words but it was different in that I didn’t *feel * the relief and newness I usually do after the sacrament. Despite this, I am reminding myself that my feelings aren’t what make the sacrament valid or not, so I’m started back on the right path (again).

Prayers for you. :hug1: Might I suggest the chaplet of Divine Mercy as a daily devotion? It only takes 7 minutes to pray and it’s so beautiful. I’m not trying to take away from the beauty of the Rosary (I pray it as well), I’m just thinking that if you’re struggling with daily prayer, something shorter might be easier at first, know what I mean? :o
 
RedBaron:

If you’re already doing the consecration to the Sacred Heart, and the other morning prayers ‘sprinkled with some holy water’ – there you have it – Satan knows your particular weakness and its Lent and he’s really coming after you with this. He’s doing his best to keep you in mortal sin because you are a worthy opponent in this battle and he likes the challenge.

We can expect that as we get closer to Jesus, we are going to be bombarded with temptation. Do all you can physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually to stay away from the source of temptation. (Childhood song lyrics: be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little hands what you do, be careful little mouth what you say, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where go – For the Father up above is looking down with Love)… and, one more thing you might try which has worked for me is a spiritual exchange. Ask God to exchange your human desires for heavenly ones… it works.

God bless.
 
Nonsense. You’re doing fine…in fact your first posting would be a good thing to read to God.

What a great prayer that is. Say it to Him, not us! :>

Begin again, with a happy heart knowing that you’re a child of God.

I once had such a bad week I told a priest “that at the end of the week I had nothing to offer Him but failure, backsliding, and a bad attitude”.

Without a second of hesitation he said, grinning: “Good, fine…offer Him those.” : >
 
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