Help with impure thoughts

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themananth

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From time to time I am barraged with impure thoughts, and normally I reject them right away. Today I thought up something impure, but not entertaining it. After a few seconds of dwelling on it I realized what I was doing could be sinful, and I rejected these thoughts.

First, was this mortal sin?
Second, do you guys know of any good ways on how to reject these thoughts as soon as they come into thought?
Please help I am scrupulous and want to know if I can receive Eucharist tomorrow! 🙂
 
My opinion (which isn’t worth much) is no. As soon as you realized what you were doing, you rejected it. Just in confession today, I told my Priest pretty much the same thing. That I had impure thoughts, but tried to “squash them” as soon as they came up. He suggested that instead of trying to squash them that I distract myself by thinking of something else and going for a walk. In any case, since you didn’t have the thought on purpose AND you rejected it when you realized what you were thinking about, I think you’re ok. But I’d confess it anyway next time, to be on the safe side and plus your confessor may have some good advice for you.
 
If you don’t know 100% that what you did was a mortal sin, then it is not so, because there’s a lack of knowledge. Just pray to be strengthened and if you’re that worried, mention it at your next confession. But I see no sin. Second my friend, never EVER fight sin, especially impure sins, head on. You will never win and that isn’t how to fight them. You figth impure sins by running away. For example if an impure thought enters your mind, instantly change your thoughts to something else entirely. Don’t say to yourself " I can’t think about naked women" because then the very thing you’ll think about is naked women!! Think abou Christ or a favorite memory of yours and move on. Don’t fight head on
 
No sin buddy.

I would say a our father or a hail Mary would be best. Doing the sign of the cross or my favourite would be to say this:

HOLY MARY PLEASE COME TO MY ASSTANCE, HELP ME NOT TO COMMIT MORTAL SIN, HELP ME NOT TO LOOSE MY GOD.

When I say this temptation just goes from me. Sometime I need to say it a few time because the temptation can return but it really works. The virgin Mary does help.
 
themananth said:
From time to time I am barraged with impure thoughts, and normally I reject them right away. Today I thought up something impure, but not entertaining it. After a few seconds of dwelling on it I realized what I was doing could be sinful, and I rejected these thoughts.

First, was this mortal sin?
Second, do you guys know of any good ways on how to reject these thoughts as soon as they come into thought?
Please help I am scrupulous and want to know if I can receive Eucharist tomorrow! 🙂
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No it was not a mortal sin because when you realized it you stopped. Mortal sin requires 1-grave matter, 2-full knowledge, and 3-full consent of the will. You did not give 3, probably not 2 and possibly not 1.
What helps me is to enlist the help of Jesus - “Jesus Christ son of the Living God, have mercy on me” - and ask him to strengthen me.
 
(to re post an older post of mine)

All sorts of thoughts can happen to us out of the blue…

The fact that a though happened to one- does not mean per se there was any sin.

And for mortal sin one needs grave matter, full knowledge and deliberate (complete) consent…

(and there are some persons with such as OCD - who would want to seek out professional assistance with their thoughts - I saved this from Catholic Answers staff on the radio program for those who where seeking such: catholictherapists.com/)
Now…

For the next few moments --try real hard NOT to think of an Apple.

then scroll down.

What did you think of?

An apple.

Even though your will was against it -you did not want to think of an apple.

Now back to unwanted thoughts…

The best thing to do with such thoughts is not to fight them directly --not fear that they will come—simply do not consent and simply and calmly turn to something else…(or it may be best to keep doing the good thing one is doing…like they come out of the blue when your at work …keep working…keep praying …etc)

(one can gently - conversi ad Dominum - turn towards the Lord -perhaps with a look of love or a short prayer which is a very ancient practice - pm me if you if you need more).

Ignore such unwanted thoughts like one would ignore a hissing goose or a barking dog. One does not stop to argue with a hissing goose or a barking dog does one? No one keeps on walking…

(as noted above the image there comes from a Carthusian Monk from centuries ago…)
 
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