during the rosary

[spirocatania]

I was doing my rosary and during it a bad thought came to mind. looking at the lord i felt doubt as if i was doing it for nothing and said in my mind “LOST CAUSE” just not out loud. As i relized what the thought was or what i may have thought i briefly stoped and then decided to ignore what happen and continue the rosary.

My problem is that what if i thought it myself then brushed it away as nothing. I have a hard time figuring out if it was a sin after something like this happens.

I thought that since i didn’t continue the thought and continued the rosary then i didn’t commit mortal sin and went and took holy communnion.

 

[kamaan]

I do not think you committed a mortal sin. You cannot control spontaneous thoughts like that and you did the right thing by not dwelling on it (in my opinion!)

 

[Sonic]

I was doing my rosary and during it a bad thought came to mind. looking at the lord i felt doubt as if i was doing it for nothing and said in my mind “LOST CAUSE” just not out loud. As i relized what the thought was or what i may have thought i briefly stoped and then decided to ignore what happen and continue the rosary.

My problem is that what if i thought it myself then brushed it away as nothing. I have a hard time figuring out if it was a sin after something like this happens.

I thought that since i didn’t continue the thought and continued the rosary then i didn’t commit mortal sin and went and took holy communnion.

What you experienced was an involuntary thought. Everyone has them, and most people dismiss them with the knowledge that the thought was involuntary. Involuntary thoughts are not sinful because they are involuntary.

Unfortunately, people who have OCD often do not recognize that their involuntary thoughts are involuntary. This can cause a lot of anguish and doubt concerning whether they have sinned or not (particularly people with Scrupulous OCD).

Do you have OCD?

Here are some helpful links for those who suffer from scrupulosity:

mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupulosity.htm
mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupulosity2.htm

I also recommend Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder for Dummies by Charles H. Elliott, Ph.D. and Laura L. Smith, Ph.D.