Do I need to confess a sin for the 3rd time?

[byhismercy]

I just found out I missed out an important indicator of the gravity of the sin when I confessed it. I’m going to confess it again in the next confession.

However, I don’t quite remember what sin it was exactly, but only that it was impurity. In case I still can’t remember it, the best I can do is tell that it is about impurity in either thought or/and deed (pretty sure it isn’t in word).

Shall one day I remember more detailedly about the sin (what type of lust it was), should I confess it for the 3rd time?

 

[Theosis]

It’s important to remember that three things need to be simultaneously present before a sin is considered mortal:

1: It must be of grave or serious matter

2: You must know it’s of grave or serious matter before you willfully commit it.

3: You must freely choose to commit to it…

 

[byhismercy]

It’s important to remember that three things need to be simultaneously present before a sin is considered mortal:

1: It must be of grave or serious matter

2: You must know it’s of grave or serious matter before you willfully commit it.

3: You must freely choose to commit to it…

I find myself to be suffering from scrupulosity, so judging whether it was a mortal sin was not easy. My condition is that whenever my mind argues that I probably didn’t have sufficient knowledge at the moment of committing the sin, another thought pops up, telling me I’m just deceiving myself and watering down my sin. It’s more prudent to confess it, so that the priest will decide it, and I will get absolved in case I really did sin mortally.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If you are scrupulous, please speak to a priest and follow his advice about how to confess.

You seem to be falling into some trap of confessing one sin multiple times. That’s not necessary and probably not good. The priest can help you with this.

 

[Theosis]

I grieve with you and share in your sufferings. I will pray for you as I know the inner turmoil of scrupulosity is a taste of hell. It’s a robbery of peace and joy within… which is always something to recall as those pesky random thoughts that disturb you pop up and frustrate you, but then as a habit of compulsion you happen to “look at them” and curiously wonder while noticing them if you’re sinning because a desire arises etc.

No one is tempted by what they don’t already desire. Temptation is not sin.

The demons want to steal, kill and destroy. Any soul who genuinely desires God and hungers and thirsts for righteousness enters into a new realm of spirituality. The demons play new tricks than before. They will lie and throw all sorts of things to your mind’s eye so that it bothers you, causes you to temporarily forget God and then it steals your inner peace.

Ask for wisdom, discernment, and a greater trust in God’s mercy. God is more powerful than demons and he is also more powerful than we are. He does not desire any to perish.

 

[Theosis]

This may be a bit of a consolation for you as it was written by Saint John Climacus (the author of the Ladder of Divine Ascent)

"As we have already heard, from a troublesome root and mother comes a most troublesome offspring. What I mean is that unspeakable blasphemy is the child of dreadful pride. Hence the need to talk about it, since it is no ordinary foe but is far and away the deadliest enemy of all. Worse still, it is extremely hard to articulate and to confess it and therefore to discuss it with a spiritual healer, and the result has been to cause frustration and despair in many people, for like a worm in a tree this unholy enemy gnaws away all hope.

This atrocious foe has the habit of appearing during the holy services and even at the awesome hour of the Mysteries, and blaspheming the Lord and the consecrated elements, thereby showing that these unspeakable, unacceptable, and unthinkable words are not ours but rather those of the God-hating demon who fled from heaven because, it seems, of the blasphemies he uttered there too against the Lord. It must be so, for if these dreadful and unholy words are my own, how could I offer humble worship after having partaken of the sacred gift? How could I revile and praise at the same time?

This deceiver, this destroyer of souls, has often caused men to go mad. And no other thought is as difficult to admit in confession, which is why so many are dogged by it all their days. In fact nothing gives demons and evil thoughts such power over us as to nourish them and hide them in our hearts unconfessed.

If you have blasphemous thoughts, do not think that you are to blame. God knows what is in our hearts and He knows that ideas of this kind come not from us but from our enemies." Continued…

 

[Theosis]

"Drunkenness leads to stumbling. Pride leads to unholy thoughts. The drunkard will be punished not for his stumbling but for his drunkenness.

Those unclean and unspeakable thoughts come at us when we are praying, but, if we continue to pray to the end, they will retreat, for they do not struggle against those who resist them.

This unholy demon not only blasphemes God and everything that is divine. It stirs up the dirtiest and most obscene thoughts within us, thereby trying to force us to give up praying or to fall into despair. It stops the prayer of many and turns many away from the holy Mysteries. It has evilly and tyrannously wearied the bodies of some with grief. It has exhausted others with fasting and has given them no rest. It has struck at people living in the world, and also at those leading the monastic life, whispering that there is no salvation in store for them, murmuring that they are more to be pitied than any unbeliever or pagan.

Anyone disturbed by the spirit of blasphemy and wishing to be rid of it should bear in mind that thoughts of this type do not originate in his own soul but are caused by that unclean devil who once said to the Lord, “I will give you all this if only You fall down and adore me” (Matt. 4:9). So let us make light of him and pay no regard whatever to his promptings. Let us say, ‘Get behind me, Satan! I will worship the Lord my God and I will serve only Him’ (Matt. 4:10). May your word and your effort rebound on you, and your blasphemies come down on your own head now and in the world to come." To fight against the demon of blasphemy in any way other than this is to be like a man trying to hold lightning in his hands. For how can you take a grip on, seize, or grapple with someone who flits into the heart quicker than the wind, talks more rapidly than a flash, and then immediately vanishes? Every other kind of foe stops, struggles a while, lingers and gives one time to struggle with him. But not this one. He hardly appears and is gone again immediately. He barely speaks and then vanishes.

This particular demon likes to take up residence in the minds of simpler and more innocent souls, and these are more upset and disturbed by it than others. To such people we could quite rightly say that what is happening to them is due not to their own undue self-esteem but to the jealousy of the demons.

Let us refrain from passing judgment or condemnation on our neighbor. If we do, then we will not be terrorized by blasphemous thoughts, since the one produces the other.

The situation here is like that of someone shut up in his own house who overhears but does not join in the conversation of passersby. The soul that keeps to itself overhears and is disturbed by the blasphemies of devils who are merely transients.

Hold this foe in contempt and you will be liberated from its torments. Try cleverly to fight it and you will end up by surrendering, for the man who tries to conquer spirits by talk is like someone hoping to lock up the winds."

Saint John Climacus

 

[Horton]

I find myself to be suffering from scrupulosity

Then seek help from your priest. Coming to CAF to ask questions about sins & confession will only enable the disorder. There is a small group who believe they are being helpful by offering advice to help you get over your scrupules when in fact they are only enabling your illness. The only person who can help you is your priest or a trained spiritual director approved by your priest.

Please seek help so may fully feel the love and mercy of God.

 

[MeganCecilia]

What do you mean what type of lust?

I’ve been scrupulous about confessing sexual sins so I’ve asked many priests his question: how in detail do they need to be? They all told me to not go into detail.

So I say impure sexual thoughts. Or impure sexual thoughts and actions :woman_shrugging:t3:

 

[byhismercy]

What do you mean what type of lust?

Types, as in on what occassion I committed the sin. On social media? On the Internet? In real life with real people? Or spontaneous thoughts?

Maybe you’re right, that those types aren’t really needed to be told. I’ll ask the priest at my next confession if I should come back if I remembered more.

 

[MeganCecilia]

Types, as in on what occassion I committed the sin. On social media? On the Internet? In real life with real people? Or spontaneous thoughts?

Maybe you’re right, that those types aren’t really needed to be told. I’ll ask the priest at my next confession if I should come back if I remembered more.

You don’t need to give that much info. You can always say sexual thoughts and actions w myself and others (whatever pertains)

Don’t worry about the specifics. If the priest needs to know more, he will ask you