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the_phoenix
Guest
You’re in my prayers.
Today is the Feast Day of St. John of the Cross.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us.
Today is the Feast Day of St. John of the Cross.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us.
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spiritualunity
Guest
If I was you, I would go talk to the Bishop of your area.
Let just say. the evil one will often try to attack and scares people.
He is very ‘loud’ in the mind but can not get into you unless you have
opened a door somehow. These days many open door to evil one by
watch impure immages,etc.
I would go to weekly confession and as many Masses you can get to.
Use your holy water always. Have a preist come over and bless your home.
Everytime you sense evil give it to Jesus. We humans are not capable of fighting
evil alone. We have to have God and His graces.
Start focussing on Jesus ALL the TIME. Use your fears and other thoughts that are
about the evil one to be a vehicle to focussing on Jesus.
spiritualunity
Let just say. the evil one will often try to attack and scares people.
He is very ‘loud’ in the mind but can not get into you unless you have
opened a door somehow. These days many open door to evil one by
watch impure immages,etc.
I would go to weekly confession and as many Masses you can get to.
Use your holy water always. Have a preist come over and bless your home.
Everytime you sense evil give it to Jesus. We humans are not capable of fighting
evil alone. We have to have God and His graces.
Start focussing on Jesus ALL the TIME. Use your fears and other thoughts that are
about the evil one to be a vehicle to focussing on Jesus.
spiritualunity
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wild_thing
Guest
I do not know the entirety of your situation, but you sound more scrupulous than harassed by the devil. I repeat what many others have already said in this thread- find a spiritual director. You can ask your parish priest to recommend one for you; ask the archdiocese about spiritual services in your area; research religious orders and see if there are any locally who give retreats and could recommend someone for you; read Thomas Dubay’s book Seeking Spiritual Direction; and lastly, pray for God to guide you to someone who can help mentor you. Then, based on their advice, you can see if you need something as drastic as an exorcist- most do not. Or, if you are very anxious and cannot wait for a spiritual director, contact your diocese and ask them who the official exorcist is in your area (if they have one, or else who the nearest one is). Then tell this exorcist simply and concisely what your ‘symptoms’ are and why you think the devil might be involved. They should be able to either put your mind at ease or help you further if necessary.
I have always wanted a “Padre Pio” type of confessor who would be able to look at my soul and tell me exactly what in me displeases God. But right now, we do not have a St. John Vianney or Padre Pio. But God knows what is best for us, and will not leave us in the dark. We have to trust that He will guide us and not let us fall. Trust is scary. Trust is hard. But where would faith be without trust? Take a breath and step out. You cannot reach Jesus until you start walking towards Him. Do so with confidence, and He will step forward to meet you.
I have always wanted a “Padre Pio” type of confessor who would be able to look at my soul and tell me exactly what in me displeases God. But right now, we do not have a St. John Vianney or Padre Pio. But God knows what is best for us, and will not leave us in the dark. We have to trust that He will guide us and not let us fall. Trust is scary. Trust is hard. But where would faith be without trust? Take a breath and step out. You cannot reach Jesus until you start walking towards Him. Do so with confidence, and He will step forward to meet you.
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sarahq
Guest
Dear Lord Jesus,
Please help and protect this person against spiritual attack. May they be at peace in Your embrace.
Thank You Jesus,
Amen.
Please help and protect this person against spiritual attack. May they be at peace in Your embrace.
Thank You Jesus,
Amen.
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Elisabetta21
Guest
I do not know for sure about the scapular, but if I were you, I would wear it until you find a priest who can enroll you.
I have something I wear that I could never find anyone to enroll me in, and I just keep wearing it. I am enrolled in the scapular though.
I hope you will find a good priest to talk to. Try to get a feel for them before you talk to them about it - find a priest you feel comfortable with is what I mean. In the intervening time, try to stay calm and do not let the thoughts get you anxious and scared. I am not one to talk - I have no mastery over that myself. But I do know that when I stay calm and fight back calmly I am ok - when I start to get scared and anxious, that is when other things start to creep in as time passes. It wears you down so that you are not as strong. So try to resist calmly and without fear.
God bless!
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ConservativeOne
Guest
Yes, I will ask a priest about enrollment. I just put a Scapular on the other day blessed or not / enrolled or not. Tonight, another seriously bad thought similarly connected to Sunday’s. I can’t tell if I’m allowing them or temptations …If I’ve initiated them or not. That’s the fear. It’s not what I want - then why would I think it? It’s frightening. How does one resist without fear and stay calm at a time like this? This is my soul. Are there some thoughts that are a “no way back” kind of issue? I know I need a priest. How does one find a priest - at Christmas time when they’re busy with planning services? I don’t mean to belabor this topic. Meanwhile, this is the only place I can discuss this with those who won’t ridicule but understand and perhaps advise. I am SO grateful for the prayers, support and suggestions of fellow posters. May God reward you beautifully for your kindness and help.I do not know for sure about the scapular, but if I were you, I would wear it until you find a priest who can enroll you.
I have something I wear that I could never find anyone to enroll me in, and I just keep wearing it. I am enrolled in the scapular though.
I hope you will find a good priest to talk to. Try to get a feel for them before you talk to them about it - find a priest you feel comfortable with is what I mean. In the intervening time, try to stay calm and do not let the thoughts get you anxious and scared. I am not one to talk - I have no mastery over that myself. But I do know that when I stay calm and fight back calmly I am ok - when I start to get scared and anxious, that is when other things start to creep in as time passes. It wears you down so that you are not as strong. So try to resist calmly and without fear.
God bless!
C
Castello
Guest
Call the parish office tomorrow morning, ask for an appointment to speak with your pastor or another priest. Take the first available appointment.
If confession is offered in your town, go to confession as soon as possible.
Frequent reception of the sacraments, communion and confession, as well as prayer are powerful.
If confession is offered in your town, go to confession as soon as possible.
Frequent reception of the sacraments, communion and confession, as well as prayer are powerful.
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TheRealJuliane
Guest
And if no one can see you very quickly at that parish, call another one. If you can spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, do that too.
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Elisabetta21
Guest
It is good you are wearing the scapular, blessed or not / enrolloed or not at this point. Just keep doing it until you can get it blessed and then enrolled.
You can tell you do not want them when your natural instinct is to feel the way you do
If you wanted them, you would not have any concerns or fears about them. I am not refering to peacefully resisting them, which is something that I think needs to be developed in that situation, I am referring to enjoying them and taking pleasure in them without any repulsion, etc.
Since your natural reaction is what it is, then you know you do not want them. But that does not mean you want to stay in your natural reaction. That is why you need a good spiritual director to teach you how to handle them calmly.
There is a chapter in Abandonment to Divine Providence that talks about this - if you can get that book it is good.
I remember once reading of a saint who had such attacks, and felt so awful, and I think Christ told her that it was precisely because she felt the way she did that she could be assured the thoughts were only assailing her from without. They had not gained entrance to her heart, however terrible and strong they may have been.
So your natural reaction is good in that sense - you just need to gain mastery over it.
I do not know about finding a good priest - that is my problem too
Maybe go to a few different masses this weekend, and say “hi” to the priest after mass and see who you feel most comfortable with.
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Samson01
Guest
There are no “no way back” things that can happen besides death and even in that final breath there is faith, like a mustard seed that blossoms. Have no fear and be at peace. As to whether this is scruples or attacks, as my parish Priest once said, the Catholic answer is it’s both. The enemy is an opportunist and magnifies fear, sometimes so subtly it can’t be reported and sound sane. This is a tactic he uses to discredit someone and isolate them. Use prudence, but be confident that the Lord will use these things for a better outcome somehow. Have no fear of this enemy that can’t do anything in God’s providence. Perhaps this is a test in trust and resignation of self. Intrusive thoughts can be over come, but may take some time and prayer to replace them with hope and trust. Beware of any resentment and dislodge it. Be hopeful. This too shall pass. Samson
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ConservativeOne
Guest
Thank you for this reply. While I’m still in same fear, I can’t tell you how accurate was your reply. Scruples, I suffer, knowlingly. Fear, is in me now - not just for my soul but as you say - fear of being discredited or not taken seriously even by a priest. But also, fear of whether these were / were not intrusive thoughts. I give my soul only to God in Heaven. Our Lady intercede for me. God save me. Amen.
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emisher
Guest
Hi friend,
Yes, you are probably under attack. I’ve dealt with this often as well. You haven’t given us the details but it seems that what you are referring to is mental involvment and not external involvment. I know you are bothered by the fact that you had this happen right after praying your Rosary and you are all out of sorts. For a long time this would happen to me after Mass. I would recevie Communion, feel really good and then come home and have a lousy day with my thoughts all out of whack, thinking all kinds of crazy things.
So I began to read up on all of this and I found out that this is how the devil works. It’s all part of the scheme. If he can’t get you to sin externally, he will attack the mind and make you think that the good things you do are what’s causing your problems, that you are in sin and being punished, or whatever.
Things that have helped me–
As any psychologist or priest will tell you, we simply cannot control everything that pops into our minds. Intrusive thougths are just that, intrustive, they happen. They can be very vivid, very weird, horrible, sinful, etc. and they can very distrurbing, but there are just that, thoughts, little images that pop into our minds. I don’t know what your life is like, but they can get worse with fatigue, stress, etc… But they are not sins…Sin is in deriving pleasure from thoughts that you cultivate, cherish, and churn around in your mind. did you find pleasure or horror in the thoughts you are expereicing? IT seems to me it’s horror. This is a good indication that it’s just harrassment, that all. Many saints have had distrurbing thoughts of all kinds, including blasphemy.
I know that that more tired I get the harder time I have in discerning whether or not I conjured up the thought or went too far with it, etc. So then if I’m not sure, I just confess it with some other things I bring to confession. So I don’t know if you’ve brought this issue to confession. If you haven’t done so, I would, just so that you can stop this cycle of fear and obsession. But then I would get a copy of a book that helped me—Understanding Scrupulosity by Fr. Santa. If you know that you are scrupulous then you can really begin to work on this spiritual issue so that you can become stronger in your faith. Because in my experience these things always keep coming back depeding upon what else is going on. So you don’t want to keep falling into these traps of fear.If you are not in mortal sin, you have nothing to worry about. My priest once told me that --it takes a lot work to commit mortal sin. You can’t commit without knowing it. But sometimes we have to learn how to discern better.
I agree with another post that said, know that even if it is a spiritual attack, God is allowing it to streengthen you. So, we should not fear. I know for me, once I really understood that there was a spirtiual angle to this whole thing, I started to get mad and really wanted to fight back. But of course, for us, the fighting is done with more trust, more humility, more faith, more endurance for the uncomfortable uncertainty that comes with these types of attacks.
If you are not experiencing external attacks like Padre Pio, or speaking in other languages, I really would not blow this up any more. You are doing everything you can to protect yourself spiritually. (it’s also a fact of our faith according to many saints anyway, that the devil hates the Rosary and will try anything to deter us from praying it…just a thought)
If this were me, I would confess that you had a very disturbing thought, not sure what to make of it. etc That way, it’s gone, it’s forgiven, you get it covered and then you begin again, with the intent to seek more help about being scrupulous, so you don’t keep confessing the same fearful thought every week. But i would not wait until you can find that one perfect holy priest that you feel comfortable talking with. Any priest will do. Yes there are many who downplay the reality of the devil, but in my exprience most do not. You cannot stay isoloated and suffering on this. This is what the devil wants.
The devil and his co-horts are always trying to shoot little arrows of disturbing mental energy at us in the hopes that we will take the bait and become very afraid and weakened and isolated. Don’t take the bait. Remember, Jesus is stronger than him.
God Bless
Yes, you are probably under attack. I’ve dealt with this often as well. You haven’t given us the details but it seems that what you are referring to is mental involvment and not external involvment. I know you are bothered by the fact that you had this happen right after praying your Rosary and you are all out of sorts. For a long time this would happen to me after Mass. I would recevie Communion, feel really good and then come home and have a lousy day with my thoughts all out of whack, thinking all kinds of crazy things.
So I began to read up on all of this and I found out that this is how the devil works. It’s all part of the scheme. If he can’t get you to sin externally, he will attack the mind and make you think that the good things you do are what’s causing your problems, that you are in sin and being punished, or whatever.
Things that have helped me–
As any psychologist or priest will tell you, we simply cannot control everything that pops into our minds. Intrusive thougths are just that, intrustive, they happen. They can be very vivid, very weird, horrible, sinful, etc. and they can very distrurbing, but there are just that, thoughts, little images that pop into our minds. I don’t know what your life is like, but they can get worse with fatigue, stress, etc… But they are not sins…Sin is in deriving pleasure from thoughts that you cultivate, cherish, and churn around in your mind. did you find pleasure or horror in the thoughts you are expereicing? IT seems to me it’s horror. This is a good indication that it’s just harrassment, that all. Many saints have had distrurbing thoughts of all kinds, including blasphemy.
I know that that more tired I get the harder time I have in discerning whether or not I conjured up the thought or went too far with it, etc. So then if I’m not sure, I just confess it with some other things I bring to confession. So I don’t know if you’ve brought this issue to confession. If you haven’t done so, I would, just so that you can stop this cycle of fear and obsession. But then I would get a copy of a book that helped me—Understanding Scrupulosity by Fr. Santa. If you know that you are scrupulous then you can really begin to work on this spiritual issue so that you can become stronger in your faith. Because in my experience these things always keep coming back depeding upon what else is going on. So you don’t want to keep falling into these traps of fear.If you are not in mortal sin, you have nothing to worry about. My priest once told me that --it takes a lot work to commit mortal sin. You can’t commit without knowing it. But sometimes we have to learn how to discern better.
I agree with another post that said, know that even if it is a spiritual attack, God is allowing it to streengthen you. So, we should not fear. I know for me, once I really understood that there was a spirtiual angle to this whole thing, I started to get mad and really wanted to fight back. But of course, for us, the fighting is done with more trust, more humility, more faith, more endurance for the uncomfortable uncertainty that comes with these types of attacks.
If you are not experiencing external attacks like Padre Pio, or speaking in other languages, I really would not blow this up any more. You are doing everything you can to protect yourself spiritually. (it’s also a fact of our faith according to many saints anyway, that the devil hates the Rosary and will try anything to deter us from praying it…just a thought)
If this were me, I would confess that you had a very disturbing thought, not sure what to make of it. etc That way, it’s gone, it’s forgiven, you get it covered and then you begin again, with the intent to seek more help about being scrupulous, so you don’t keep confessing the same fearful thought every week. But i would not wait until you can find that one perfect holy priest that you feel comfortable talking with. Any priest will do. Yes there are many who downplay the reality of the devil, but in my exprience most do not. You cannot stay isoloated and suffering on this. This is what the devil wants.
The devil and his co-horts are always trying to shoot little arrows of disturbing mental energy at us in the hopes that we will take the bait and become very afraid and weakened and isolated. Don’t take the bait. Remember, Jesus is stronger than him.
God Bless
C
ConservativeOne
Guest
Thanks for all your support. I can’t thank you for your advice. I have stayed away for awhile but am still “under attack”, as so well put by Emisher. No, it’s not like Padre Pio’s experiences (May he pray for me). Not physical but strictly internal - and reoccurring as late as last night - Serious blasphemy - and I can’t see where this is coming from except from evil - as of the first thought last month. This is just not the person I am.
Yes, I’m well-acquainted with scrupulosity books. And I am under a great deal of stress and fatigue - but nothing to cause these thoughts. I was afraid to say Rosary again after noticing it would happen on a day when I’d done so - but took a chance this week. No negative results noticeable that day (to my recollection). Of special note, I also use Holy Water often and find that I’m not afraid of it - perhaps, a significantly good sign(?) But last night the worst blasphemy - while watching something about the history of the Vatican and subsequently looking to a Crucifix in my room.
I know I’m not doing enough quickly enough - I’m living in a state of fear. Seriously fearing the loss of my soul. God bless you all for your prayers, concern and support.
Yes, I’m well-acquainted with scrupulosity books. And I am under a great deal of stress and fatigue - but nothing to cause these thoughts. I was afraid to say Rosary again after noticing it would happen on a day when I’d done so - but took a chance this week. No negative results noticeable that day (to my recollection). Of special note, I also use Holy Water often and find that I’m not afraid of it - perhaps, a significantly good sign(?) But last night the worst blasphemy - while watching something about the history of the Vatican and subsequently looking to a Crucifix in my room.
I know I’m not doing enough quickly enough - I’m living in a state of fear. Seriously fearing the loss of my soul. God bless you all for your prayers, concern and support.
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