Howdy All,
I’ve been a long time lurker on both the forums and reader of the CA articles, but I just joined today. I certainly believe God is active in our lives, but have always cast a skeptical eye at someone who says they’ve been “called to do something”. I’m not sure why yet, but for some reason today, I felt called to join this website.
Why this website? I don’t know. I’ve got a great group of Catholic friends from my local parish, my father’s a Catholic Deacon, it would seem I have a great network of people to lean on, but here I am.
I’m in a major spiritual trough. I’ve struggled with addictions in my late teens and early 20’s only to finally beat them back with my prayer life, attending reconciliation regularly, and praying the rosary, going on the ACTS retreat 5 years ago really lit the fire in my prayer life and brought me back to full active participation in the Catholic Church, where I’d been a wall flower during college. Unfortunately, I’m back in my old habits. I feel so bad, so unworthy, so evil, the best word I can think of is so BASE.
I can’t stand myself right now, I’ve betrayed my wife and daughter, and that’s something I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life. I hate the sins I commit, yet I feel compelled to do them, and I fantasize about them. I love our Lord and His Blessed Mother so much, yet I can’t imagine the pain and the shame they feel when they look at me, yet I’m taught that it can’t be so, I don’t believe it anymore. I haven’t gone to Reconciliation for two years (when the first small leaks started appearing before the dam burst) as I don’t trust that I’m fully sorry what I’m doing. How can I when I keep fantasizing about doing them?
I’m really lost right now, today is my 31st birthday and I’ve never felt so alone or out of control. My entire life I’ve excelled at everything I’ve done and I’m now the poster child for the man who has everything who has nothing.
Please pray for me.