Do I Have to Say This Every Time?

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Christbearer03

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I am so sorry, but another scrupulosity question. Please forgive me if I am a big annoyance to all of you here. 😦

Whenever I text family members or some friends I feel like that at the end, I should say God bless you or “May our Blessed Mother always be with you and protect you.” If I do not I feel like I am denying Christ or my faith. Am I? Is it really necessary to do this every time. I did tell my cousin 'May our Blessed Mother protect and be with you" while she was on vacation, but I was just texting with my aunt but I did not. Is that okay?
 
Christbearer03 said:
I am so sorry, but another scrupulosity question. Please forgive me if I am a big annoyance to all of you here. 😦

Whenever I text family members or some friends I feel like that at the end, I should say God bless you or “May our Blessed Mother always be with you and protect you.” If I do not I feel like I am denying Christ or my faith. Am I? Is it really necessary to do this every time. I did tell my cousin 'May our Blessed Mother protect and be with you" while she was on vacation, but I was just texting with my aunt but I did not. Is that okay?
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You do not need to type it every time. It is a very nice thing to say, but you should not do it while texting. Texting is supposed to be for brief communication and so you don’t sign each text “Sincerely, x,” right? So there is no need to do this.
 
No, there is absolutely no need for this with text messages. Only if you really want to should you be doing it.

May God bless you and grant you serenity! 🙂
 
I would find that really strange if I received texts like that. Texts are supposed to be short.
 
Christbearer03 said:
I am so sorry, but another scrupulosity question. Please forgive me if I am a big annoyance to all of you here. 😦

Whenever I text family members or some friends I feel like that at the end, I should say God bless you or “May our Blessed Mother always be with you and protect you.” If I do not I feel like I am denying Christ or my faith. Am I? Is it really necessary to do this every time. I did tell my cousin 'May our Blessed Mother protect and be with you" while she was on vacation, but I was just texting with my aunt but I did not. Is that okay?
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Here’s a general rule of thumb:

If you **omit **to do something which affirms the faith, that ommision is not a sin unless there were circumstances which directly called for you to speak.

Here are a few examples to illustrate the point:

If a person under your authority or influence says something against the Church, the Faith, or Christ, you are probably called to speak up.

If a person NOT under your authority or influence says something against the Church, the Faith, or Christ, you are not required to speak up unless you think your words can do something to fix the problem, change the person’s opinion, or change the opinion of any of the listeners.

And lastly, (and most importantly, I think, for you) if you are doing or saying anything with anyone else, and there is nothing being done or said against the Church, the Faith, or Christ, you are not compelled at all to speak up in affirmation of them. You may do so if you wish (and it is certainly beautiful to do so), but THERE IS NO OBLIGATION.
 
This really open the question up to other ideas -

Is it really necessary to go to church? To confess all sins? To fast?

Sometimes we tend to look at these things as rules, things we are compelled to do against our will. Maybe these are things that we should look forward to, want to do and tell about it.

People never say “God bless you”, ever. But, I recall the very few instances in my own life when someone said that to me, and I wish there were more such instances.

When I text my son, I conclude with GBWY. He was puzzled by this and asked me what it meant. I told him and he seemed pleased. So WHY NOT.

God Be With You. (GBWY)

Oh, in case you didn’t know, today’s “goodbye” is a garbled form of…GBWY
 
Scruples.
Working a feeling of responsibility for their safety and salvation into your text messages is a result of scruples.
Stop.
As others have said, a text is brief. Add a heart emoticon if you must.
Work with your priest on your scruples though.
Praying for you. You’re not a bother. But I have found that scrupulous people need to be constantly reminded of the difference between genuine actions, and scrupulous actions frequently.
 
Christbearer03 said:
Whenever I text family members or some friends I feel like that at the end, I should say God bless you or “May our Blessed Mother always be with you and protect you.” If I do not I feel like I am denying Christ or my faith.
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Don’t try to **feel **whether things are right or wrong: keep them on the objective level of reason, not on the subjective level of feelings. I’ve been on a bit of kick of pointing this out, but we cannot follow our emotions in the spiritual life.

Here’s how Fr. John Hardon, S.J. defined Denial of Faith:
Any word, sign, or action by which a person who is a professed Catholic denies what the Church teaches must be believed by her faithful. The denial is direct when what is said or done by its nature contains a rejection of the true faith. It is indirect when the rejection is implied under the circumstances. Every deliberate denial of one’s faith is a grave sin.
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I do not in any way **think **that what you are referencing could be described as a denial of Christ or of Faith.
 
Christbearer03 said:
I am so sorry, but another scrupulosity question. Please forgive me if I am a big annoyance to all of you here. 😦

Whenever I text family members or some friends I feel like that at the end, I should say God bless you or “May our Blessed Mother always be with you and protect you.” If I do not I feel like I am denying Christ or my faith. Am I? Is it really necessary to do this every time. I did tell my cousin 'May our Blessed Mother protect and be with you" while she was on vacation, but I was just texting with my aunt but I did not. Is that okay?
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This sounds like a OCD/compulsion issue. I do not know what would make you think you have to close text messages with any particular phrase, let alone a religious one.

Please get professional help from your pastor regarding your scruples.
 
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