How is this even fair!?

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null said:
There’s one thing I haven’t tried. A man I know in ##catholic on freenode (his nick is Luke-Jr) has said that the reason I’m not receiving the graces I need is because I’m not going to a real Catholic Church, but rather to the modernists who are run by the Vatican. He says I need to go find a real Catholic Church nearby and find a real priest (ordained via the old rite, and thus a valid ordination). I have not looked into this because it sounded like some simple heresy, but it could explain why I’m not receiving the graces I need even though I’ve been trying my hardest every day for 3 years now.
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First, that whole approach is treating God like a water faucet, and if you just do the right things it will finally turn on, and second you’re right that it is a simple heresy.
 
Iron_Donkey said:
First, that whole approach is treating God like a water faucet, and if you just do the right things it will finally turn on, and second you’re right that it is a simple heresy.
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Who says that’s not how God works. Looks an awful lot like it to me, throughout the whole Bible. You have to think the right things and do the right things, or God won’t help you in your time of need. That’s how Catholicism works. That’s how God works.
 
null said:
Who says that’s not how God works. Looks an awful lot like it to me, throughout the whole Bible. You have to think the right things and do the right things, or God won’t help you in your time of need. That’s how Catholicism works. That’s how God works.
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Interesting.

So could we sum all that thinking and doing up into ‘building a relationship with God’?

So those that seem to be trying to be close to him, seem to have his ear.

If we fight God’s laws (disobedience), doesn’t it make sense that we are further from Him? It’s not because of Him, God doesn’t respond to us, he is our cause.

We must respond to Him, in a relationship type of way. Not robotic.
 
null said:
Who says that’s not how God works. Looks an awful lot like it to me, throughout the whole Bible. You have to think the right things and do the right things, or God won’t help you in your time of need. That’s how Catholicism works. That’s how God works.
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This, I think is the root of the issue. You’re so focused on getting what you want that (despite what you want being a good thing) you’ve distorted your ideas about God. Doing the right thing often leads to a horrible death, in case you haven’t noticed, and doing the wrong thing can lead to vast amounts of wealth. For the more spiritual concerns, doing the right thing IS the result of God’s help - we are unable to do so without Him offering us the ability. What you are doing right now is complaining that God isn’t immediately forcing upon you the good that you want, while He is offering you the good of knowing that some things are good.

Stop demanding what you want from God, and act on the good He has given you. Do what you can to do what is it right, go to confession when you fail, and even if the habits stay with you for another 20 years or 200 it doesn’t matter. You will be following God’s will, and that is enough, and if your actions are a result of a habit you cannot beat, then God understands that - just keep trying to beat it. Perhaps God will help you in the way you desire once you stop demanding it of Him, once you stop treating Him not like God but like a way to accomplish a certain goal (no matter how good that goal is), but then again perhaps not. That is the least important part, given where you are now - the most important part is to do what you can with what God gives you, and to trust that God will give you what you need, whether its what you think you need or not. Because God knows better than you do.
 
Iron_Donkey said:
This, I think is the root of the issue. You’re so focused on getting what you want that (despite what you want being a good thing) you’ve distorted your ideas about God. Doing the right thing often leads to a horrible death, in case you haven’t noticed, and doing the wrong thing can lead to vast amounts of wealth. For the more spiritual concerns, doing the right thing IS the result of God’s help - we are unable to do so without Him offering us the ability. What you are doing right now is complaining that God isn’t immediately forcing upon you the good that you want, while He is offering you the good of knowing that some things are good.

Stop demanding what you want from God, and act on the good He has given you. Do what you can to do what is it right, go to confession when you fail, and even if the habits stay with you for another 20 years or 200 it doesn’t matter. You will be following God’s will, and that is enough, and if your actions are a result of a habit you cannot beat, then God understands that - just keep trying to beat it. Perhaps God will help you in the way you desire once you stop demanding it of Him, once you stop treating Him not like God but like a way to accomplish a certain goal (no matter how good that goal is), but then again perhaps not. That is the least important part, given where you are now - the most important part is to do what you can with what God gives you, and to trust that God will give you what you need, whether its what you think you need or not. Because God knows better than you do.
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Do you hear yourself?

First you say it’s not about doing the right thing. And then you say I’m not doing the right thing!!! Clearly there is something to be “done” in the first place. So yes, it is about doing the right thing, whatever that is.

That’s all I ever hear. From priests, in confession, from people here, anything. This is all the Catholic Church has to offer to help. They say:

“You’re not doing enough to change, do more!”

and then they turn around and say:

“It’s not about doing things, it’s about a relationship!”

but how do you build a relationship? By doing stuff!
 
I’ve tried time and time to do the right thing, whatever it is, with lots of prayer. And every time, my life just gets worse, I become more sinful. So I try hard to figure out what I’m doing wrong and stop, with lots of prayer, and I’m always back at square one.

I went to jail for this. The judge said next time it’ll be a lot longer.

So no, I reject your “just be patient with yourself it may take 20 years” attitude. Because I don’t have 20 years. My wife and children depend on me to be here to take care of them.

Clearly I’m doing something wrong, and I’m open to suggestions, but none of these are realistic. And most of them don’t make any sense.
 
Fine. I’ll do it the Catholic Church’s way. I’ll just work on “building a relationship with Jesus” even though it makes absolutely no sense to me. I’ll try to pray after receiving Holy Communion, even though every time I do, Jesus refuses to say anything to me. I’ll just sit here and keep going through life as though nothing’s going wrong. I’ll pretend to have this “Christian joy” that I haven’t felt in years and don’t know how to get back, even though Pope Francis says its a choice and not an emotion, which should make it easy to do and therefore I’m doing something wrong. I’ll very likely commit this same crime again (exposing myself to someone in public), even though I try and try to avoid the near occasion of sin, because the devil has complete control of me when I’m in severe temptation, but I won’t be able to tell this to the judge and I’ll just go to prison, and my wife and children will be abandoned, and I’ll be beaten in prison and mutilated and left permanently disabled (I’ve heard many stories from real people who have been there). All because I can’t ever understand how to stop sinning.
 
null said:
Do you hear yourself?

First you say it’s not about doing the right thing. And then you say I’m not doing the right thing!!! Clearly there is something to be “done” in the first place. So yes, it is about doing the right thing, whatever that is.

That’s all I ever hear. From priests, in confession, from people here, anything. This is all the Catholic Church has to offer to help. They say:

“You’re not doing enough to change, do more!”

and then they turn around and say:

“It’s not about doing things, it’s about a relationship!”

but how do you build a relationship? By doing stuff!
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No, you’re misunderstanding. Do the right thing because it is the right thing and not as a method of coercing God to do what you want. Then trust that God will do what is right, that’s kind of His thing. What I’m telling you is that there’s no magic formula, you just have to persevere because you should persevere, and God will do what God will do.
 
I’m sorry for complaining and whining instead of listening. Thank you for praying for me. I think I smell roses. That possibly means our mother Mary heard your prayers and is praying for me?
 
Do not underestimate the negative effect of self-pity. It is the gateway to sin. If we feel sorry enough for ourself, we can rationalize committing any act.

Know your worth. You are made in the image and likeness of God. He loves you so much that He became Incarnate, suffered, and died for you. Yes, you are sinner. We all are. But Christ came and died for us all the same.

Praying for you. :gopray:
 
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