How do you handle scruples?

[DarkLight]

I tend to have a lot of problems with guilt, and feeling guilty even for things that I know are not sins. I remember one notable example where I had just gotten out of confession, and could not shake the feeling that I had made a bad confession because I had omitted that I missed a holy day of obligation. Now, on that day, there was no public transit at a suitable time, I had requested and not received a ride, and walking was absolutely out of the question. I didn’t confess it because I hadn’t sinned, but I still spent hours feeling guilty over it.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

I struggled with this a lot throughout college and high school. In the end, I pretty much just grew out of it. Not the same for everyone, of course, but a lot of the time it’s just a phase. If this is a prolonged issue, I’d start talking to a priest.

 

[Catholic1954]

You should work with a confessor who is a wise and holy priest and understands you are struggling with this. He will be able to advise you and help you through this painful condition.

 

[fred_conty]

This may help if you haven’t seen them before. #9 answers your question.

mission.liguori.org/newsletters/pdf_archive/Ten_Commandments_for_the_Scrupulous_2013.pdf

Without exception, you shall not confess sins you have already confessed.

You shall confess only sins that are clear and certain.

You shall not repeat your penance or any of the words of your penance after confession—for any reason.

You shall not worry about breaking your pre-Communion fast unless you put food and drink in your mouth and swallow as a meal.

You shall not worry about powerful and vivid thoughts, desires, and imaginings involving sex and religion unless you deliberately generate them for the purpose of offending God.

You shall not worry about powerful and intense feelings, including sexual feelings or emotional outbursts, unless you deliberately generate them to offend God.

You shall obey your confessor when he tells you never to repeat a general confession of sins already confessed to him or another confessor.

When you doubt your obligation to do or not do something, you will see your doubt as proof that there is no obligation.

When you are doubtful, you shall assume that the act of commission or omission you’re in doubt about is not sinful, and you shall proceed without dread of sin.

You shall put your total trust in Jesus Christ, knowing he loves you as only God can and that he will never allow you to lose your soul.

 

[Bookcat]

I will re-post another older post of mine (general information regarding scrupulosity)

A person struggles with scruples - what ought they do?

A person with scrupulosity --ought to have a “regular confessor” who can judge if they do have scruples and direct them --and even give them some general principles to follow -to apply (principles for them due to their particular scruples -they are usually not for those with a normal conscience).

Thus with their direction they can “dismiss scruples” (in the older language despise them) - “act against them” (agere contra).

For example he might direct a particular penitent with scruples: “unless your certain of having committed mortal sin - make an act of contrition and go to Holy Communion.”

The Confessor will know his particular penitent and his scruples and can direct him.

Scruples are to be dismissed ~ not argued with.

To borrow and image from a Carthusian from centuries ago: Scruples are like a barking dog or a hissing goose -one does not stop to argue with a barking dog or a hissing goose does one? No one keeps walking.

Such ‘obedience’ to a regular confessor who knows of ones scruples (except in what is manifest sin - such as if he told them it was ok to murder someone or something certain like that) is key. Such is the age old practice.

Here was a post from Jimmy Akin of CA that I saw in the Register and saved for those who struggle with such.

ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/6-tools-for-the-scrupulous

 

[porthos11]

You should work with a confessor who is a wise and holy priest and understands you are struggling with this. He will be able to advise you and help you through this painful condition.

Yes. ^ This.

And with this comes the commitment to absolute, unquestioning obedience to that confessor.

And another thing that helps is that the scrupulous generally has no issue actually recognizing real sin. Their conscience would be inflamed but they would have the peace of knowing that they are actually in sin and must confess. It’s those times where there is the feeling of guilt even though one’s reason is telling them otherwise. For those who are scrupulous, when one is struggling with “is this a sin or not?” one must act on the presumption that there is no sin.

That’s why, generally speaking, when a known scrupulous poster starts a thread titled “Did I sin?”, the answer is almost always no, even without reading the opening post.