I Need Direction

[novaneedir]

Hello from Northern Virginia! I am a practicing yet frustrated Catholic (hence the “needir” part of my user name). I am often confused (and angered ) by some of the changes in my life, such as losing a nice full-time office job 5 years ago : .

Lately, my anger has lead me to consider giving up on my faith in order to find a better job than the one I currently have. Yes, I even saw a psychic/spiritualist-type lady about “my past, present, and future”, which I am beginning to regret as I sit here pounding out this message! There were discussions about getting into a new job/business AND finding a future wife.

Just one question for the priests on this forum: How can I break this whole thing such that I can lead a happier and more devout Catholic life once again?

 

[Christy_Beth]

Ok, I’m not priest, but I’d like to try and help. The anger you feel is, to some extent, understandable. I’ve been divorced for 21 years now, and sometimes still feel the bitterness and self loathing. But I know that I did everything I could to make the relationship last. I have to learn to accept that.

You are currently working? Be grateful to God for that. There are many people out of work these days.

sigh Who am I to talk? About 4 years ago I had to be rehospitalized because of my mental illness. I had been under pressure for months. I was in for only a month, but I stayed mad at God for ages past that. I’m still struggling with that. “God!! If you really love me, why did you let that happen?” I’m currently in a better situation now, but still struggle with the results of that temper tantrum.

Acknowledge your anger. Don’t be afraid to admit to it. The bible even says that God gets angry. Just be careful on how you express it, ok?

 

[mikejacobus]

Lately, my anger has lead me to consider giving up on my faith in order to find a better job than the one I currently have.

What makes you think giving up your faith will get you a better job? My thought would be that a DEEPER faith would be in order to get the job God wills for you to have!

Forget the occult/seer/spiritualist nonsense. It is from the dark side and will do you no benefit.

My prayers are with you.

 

[Hudsonite]

Unfortunately, you have opened a door to the “dark side” by visiting that seer, physic person. You need to go to confession to a priest that actually believes satin exists.

The temptations are coming from the evil one. He will continue to lure you anyway that he can, but know that Grace will keep him at arms length.

Think of someone like Job, who was tested but not beyond what God knew he could endure and he was rewarded for he kept his faith in God.

You need to be strong, pray for fortitude and wisdom, seek out the confessional and attain some spiritual direction while you’re in there, and above all, pray, pray from your heart not your head. the head gives us words, the heart gives us truth. May God bless you and protect you.

p.s. sorry, i’m not a Priest either,just wanted to help a friend in need.

 

[Catholic_Kenpo]

First off, welcome to the forums!

Second, I agree with the previous posters. You’ve made mistakes, but all of us have. The blessing here is that you realize your mistakes and want to set things right with God. The first thing that you should do (IMHO) is head to confession. Tell the priest about the psychic and your anger. Ask him what you can do to overcome these feelings and move closer to God. I’m a recent (2005) convert and it always amazes me how much progress I can make simply by humbling myself in the confessional. After you’ve done that (and before, for that matter), pray. Ask God to give you the grace you need to combat these emotions. Once you’ve been to confession, regular participation in the Eucharist will help maintain your stength in the face of adversity. If it works for you, consider praying the rosary. Make it a daily habit if you can.

I believe the key to all this is humility. If you can manage the humility part, God will give you the grace and determination to resist your temptations. God bless.

-CK

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

The key is prayer! Look at the First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden: "On reaching that place, he said to them, ****“Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ****And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. ****“Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”(Luke 21:40-46)

If you want a more faith-filled and more devout life, the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the key! I will post excerpts from True Devotion to Mary that show the ability of her intercession to give us, among other benefits: a share in Mary’s faith, Great Confidence in God and Mary, and perseverance.

1. A Share in Mary’s Faith
   **214. ** Mary will share her faith with you. **Her faith on earth was stronger than that of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints. ** Now that she is reigning in heaven she no longer has this faith since she sees everything clearly in God by the light of glory. However, with the consent of Almighty God she did not lose it when entering heaven. She has perserved it for her faithful servants in the Church Militant. Therefore, the more you gain the friendship of this noble Queen and Virgin, the more will you be inspired by faith in your daily life. It will cause you to depend less upon sensible and extraordinary feelings. For it is a lively faith animated by charity enabling you to do everything from no other motive than that of pure love. It is a firm faith, unshakeable as a rock, prompting you to remain firm and steadfast in the midst of storms and tempests. It is an active and probing faith which like some myseterious pass-key admits you into the mysteries of Jesus Christ and of man’s final destiny and into the very heart of God himself. It is a courageous faith which inspires you to undertake and carry out without hesitation great things for God and the salvation of souls. Lastly, this faith will be you flaming torch, your very life with God your secret fund of divine Wisdom, and an all-powerful weapon for you to enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. It inflames those who are lukewarm and need the gold of fervent love. It restores to life those who are dead through sin. It moves and transforms hearts of marble and cedars of Lebanon by gentle and convincing argument. Finally, this faith will strengthen you to resist the devil and the other enemies of salvation.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

1. Great Confidence in God and in Mary
   **216. ** "Our Blessed Lady will fill you with unbounded confidence in God and in herself:

1. Because you will no longer approach Jesus by yourself but always through Mary your loving Mother.
2. Since you have given her all your merits, graces and satisfactions to dispose of as she pleases, ** she imparts to you her own virtues and clothes you in her own merits **. So you will be able to say confidently to God, “Behold Mary, your handmaid, be it done to me according to your word.”
3. Since you have now given yourself completely to Mary, body and soul, she, who is generous to the generous and more generous than even the kindest benefactor, will in return give herself to you in a marvelous but real manner. Indeed you may without hesitation say to her, “I am yours, O Blessed Virgin, obtain salvation for me,” or with the beloved disciple, St. John, “I have taken you, Blessed Mother, for my all.” Or again you may say with St. Bonaventure, “Dear Mother of saving grace, I will do everything with confidence and without fear because you are my strength and my boast in the Lord,” or in another place, “I am yours and all that I have is yours, O glorious Virgin, blessed above all created things. Let me place you as a seal upon my heart, for your love is as strong as death.” Or adopting, the sentiments of the prophet, “Lord, my heart has no reason to be exalted nor should my looks be proud; I have not sought things of great moment nor wonders beyond my reach, nevertheless, I still am not humble. But I have roused my soul and taken courage. I am as a child, weaned from earthly pleasures and resting on its mother’s breast. It is upon this breast that all good things come to me.” (Psalm 130: 1-2)
4. What will still further increase your confidence in her is that, after having given her in trust all that you possess to use or keep as she pleases, you will place less trust in yourself and much more in her whom you have made your treasury. How comforting and how consoling when a person can say that the treasury of God, where he has placed all that he holds most precious, is also his treasury. “She is,” says a saintly man, “the treasury of the Lord.”

1. It is a wonderful means of perseverance
   **173. ** Finally, what draws us in a sense more compellingly to take up this devotion to the most Blessed Virgin is the fact that **it is a wonderful means of persevering in the practice of virtue and of remaining steadfast. **

*Why is that most conversions of sinners are not lasting? Why do they relapse so easily into sin? Why is it that most of the faithful, instead of making progress in one virtue after another and so acquiring new graces, often lose the little grace and virtue they have? * This misfortune arises, as I have shown, from the fact that man, so prone to evil, so weak and changeable, trusts himself too much, relies on his own strength, and wrongly presumes he is able to safeguard his precious graces, virtues, and merits.

By this devotion, we entrust all we possess to Mary, the faithful Virgin. We choose her as the guardian of all our possessions in the natural and supernatural sphere. We trust her because she is faithful, we rely on her strength, we count on her mercy and charity to perserve and increase our virtues and merits in the spite of the efforts of the devil, the world, and the flesh to rob us of them. We say to her as a good child would say to its mother or a faithful servant to the mistress of the house. “My dear Mother and Mistress, I realise that up to now I have received from God through your intercession more graces than I deserve. But bitter experience has taught me that I carry these riches in a very fragile vessel and that I am too weak and sinful to guard them by myself.” Please accept in trust everything I possess, and in your faithfulness and power keep it for me. If you watch over me, I shall lose nothing. If you support me, I shall not fall. If you protect me, I shall be safe from my enemies.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*174. ** This is exactly what St. Bernard clearly pointed out to encourage us to take up this devotion, * “When Mary supports you, you will not fall. WIth her as your protector, you will have nothing to fear. WIth her as your guide, you will not grow weary. When you win her favour, you will reach the port of heaven.” St. Bonaventure seems to say the same thing in even more explicit terms, “The Blessed Virgin,” he says, “not only preserves the fulness enjoyed by the saints, but she maintains the saints in their fulness so that it does not diminish. She prevents their virtues from fading away, their merits from being wasted and their graces from being lost. She prevents the devils from doing them harm and she so influences that her divine Son has no need to punish them when they sin.”

**175. ** May is the Virgin most faithful who by her fidelity to God makes good the losses caused by Eve’s unfaithfulness. **She obtains fidelity to God and final perseverance for those who commit themselves to her. ** For this reason St. John Damascene compared her to a firm anchor which holds them fast and saves them from shipwreck in the raging seas of the world where so many people perish through lack of such a firm anchor. “We fasten souls,” he said, “to Mary, our hope, as to a firm anchor.” It was to Mary that the saints who attained salvation most firmly anchored themselves as did others who wanted to ensure their perseverance in their holiness.

Blessed, indeed are those Christians who bind themselves faithfully and completely to her as to a secure anchor! The violent storms of the world will not make them founder or carry away their heavenly riches. Blessed are those who enter into her as into another Noah’s ark! The flood waters of sin which engluf so many will not harm them because, as the Church makes Mary say in the words of divine Wisdom, *“Those who work with my help - for their salvation - shall not sin.” * Blessed are the unfaithful children of unhappy Eve who commit themselves to Mary, the ever-faithful Virgin and Mother who never wavers in her fidelity and never goes back on her trust. She always loves those who love her, not only with deep affection, but with a love that is active and generous. By an abundant outpouring of grace she keeps them from relaxing their effort in the practice of virtue or falling by the wayside through loss of divine grace.

**176. ** Moved by pure love, this good Mother always accepts whatever is given her in trust, and, once she accepts something, she binds herself in justice by a contract of trusteeship to keep it safe. Is not someone to whom I entrust the sum of a thousand francs obliged to keep it safe for me so that if it were lost through his negligence he would be responsible for it in strict justice? **But nothing we entrust to the faithful Virgin will ever be lost through her negligence. Heave and earth would pass away sooner than Mary would neglect or betray those who trusted in her. **

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

**177. ** Poor children of Mary, you are extremely weak and changeable. Your human nature is deeply impaired. It is sadly true that you have been fashioned from the same corrupted nature as the other children of Adam and Eve. But do not let that discourage you. Rejoice and be glad! **Here is a secret which I am revealing to you, a secret unknown to most Christians, even the most devout! **

Do not leave your gold and silver in your own safes which have already been broken into and rifled many times by the evil one. They are too small, too flimsy and too old to contain such great and priceless possessions. Do not put pure and clear water from the spring into vessels fouled and infected by sin. Even if the sin is no longer there, its odour persists and the water would be contaminated. You do not put choice wine into old casks that have contaminated sour wine. You would spoil the good wine and run the risk of losing it.

**178. ** Chosen souls, although you may already understand me, I shall express myself still more clearly. Do not commit the gold of your charity, the silver of your purity to a threadbare sack or a battered old chest, or the waters of heavenly grace or the wines of your merits and virtues to a tainted and fetid cask, such as you are. Otherwise, you will be robbed by theiving devils who are on the look-out day and night waiting for a favourable opportunity to plunder. If you do so, all those pure gifts from God will be spoiled by the unwholesome presence of self-love, inordinate self-reliance and self-will.

Pour into the bosom and heart of Mary all your precious possessions, all your graces and virtues. She is a spiritual vessel, a vessel of honour, a singluar vessel of devotion. Ever since God personally hid himself with all his perfections in this vessel, it has become completely spiritual, and the spiritual abode of all spiritual souls. It has become honourable and has been the throne of honour for the greatest saints in heaven. It has become outstanding in devotion and the home of those renowned for gentleness, grace and virtue. Moreover, it has become as rich as a house of old, as strong as a tower of David and as pure as a tower of ivory.

**179. ** Blessed is the man who has given everything to Mary, who at all times and in all things trusts in her, and loses himself in her. He belongs to Mary and Mary belongs to him. With David he can boldly say, “She was created for me,” or with the beloved disciple, “I have taken her for my own,” or with our Lord himself, “All that is mine is yours and all that is yours is mine.”

**180. ** If any critic reading this should imagine that I am exaggerating or speaking from an excess of devotion, he has not, alas, understood what I have said. EIther he is a carnal man who has no taste for the spiritual; or he is a worldly man who has cut himself off from the Holy Spirit; or he is a proud and critical man who ridicules and condemns anything he does not understand **But those who are born not of blood, nor of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God and of Mary, understand and appreciate what I have to say. It is for them that I am writing. **

**181. ** Nevertheless after this digression, I say to both the critics and the devout that the Blessed Virgin, the most reliable and generous of all God’s creatures, never lets herself be surpassed by anyone in love and generosity. For the little that is given to her, she gives generously of what she has received from God. Consequently, if a person gives himself to her without reserve, she gives herself also without reserve to that person provided his confidence in her is not presumptuous and he does his best to practice virtue and curb his passions.

**182. ** So the faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin may confidently say with St. John Damascene, “If I confide in you, Mother of God, I shall be saved. Under your protection I shall fear nothing. With your help I shall rout all my enemies. For devotion to you is a weapon of salvation which God gives to those he wishes to save.” (Joan. Damas. ser. de Annuntiat)

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

St. Louis Mary de Montfort, who wrote the book True Devotion to Mary was a french priest ordained in 1700. His devotion has been followed by such as Pope John Paul II (is Pope John Paul II the one who introduced the luminous mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary?) and St. Therese of Liseux and St. Maximilian Maria. St Therese of Liseux, or St. Therese of the Little Flower is said by some to be “the greatest saint of modern times”, she was reported to say as she died of tuberculosis at 24. “I can suffer no more. For me all suffering is joy.”

Polish Saint Maximilian Maria studied philosophy, theology, mathematics, and physics as a college student, before earning a doctorate in philosophy and a doctorate in theology in Rome, while suffering from tuberculosis. He became a priest, changed his name to Maria from Kolbe to venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary, sheltered 2,000 Jews in his friary during the Holocaust, and when taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp offered to die in place of another man since that man had family and he did not as an abstinent fiar. During his time in the cell, he led the men in songs and prayer. Finally, after three weeks of dehydration and starvation, he was injected with carbolic acid and died. He is reported on the Jewish Virtual Library as Righteous Among the Nations. It shows that no matter how dire the situation God can continue to strengthen us. jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Kolbe.html.He founded Slaves of the Immaculata, www.consecration.com. To the best of my horribly imperfect knowledge, St. Maximilian Maria also used to post excerpts from True Devotion to Mary on billboards.

St. Louis De Montfort also wrote, “The Secret of the Rosary,” which I recommend as well since it explains the origin and name, prayers, mysteries, marvelous effects, proper dispositions, ways to combat distractions, and Confraternities (so you can have the benefit of other people’s Rosaries as well) of the Most Holy Rosary.
Someone once wrote of this book, *“Possibly the finest book ever written about the Rosary; appeals to all ages. Shows the great spiritual power of the Rosary, which is appreciated by few.” *St. Padre Pio, who said, “The Rosary is The WEAPON”, said as many as 90 rosaries a day in a special form for which he received ecclesiastical permission. Father Thomas Euteneur, President of Human Life International, cites this in The Rosary Batters the Gates of Hell hli.org/sl_2008-10-03.htm

Here are free online book links to the above works as well as a few others that come highly recommended:

Devoting oneself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin link: montfort.org.uk/Writings/TrueDev.html
**Secret of the Rosary link: ** montfort.org.uk/Writings/Rosary.html
Preparation for 33 day consecration to the Blessed Virgin link:saintlouisdemontfort.com/consecration.cfm
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus link:en.wikisource.org/wiki/Devotion_to_the_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus#FIRST_POINT._.E2.80.94_The_ardent_desire_Jesus_Christ_feels_to_be_with_us.
Divine Mercy Chaplet of St. Faustinaewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[JReducation]

I’m not a priest, but have a lot of experience in the areas of loss and anger. Let’s see if we can help you out here.

Hello from Northern Virginia! I am a practicing yet frustrated Catholic (hence the “needir” part of my user name). I am often confused (and angered ) by some of the changes in my life, such as losing a nice full-time office job 5 years ago

Life’s changes often cause confusion, anger and even crisis in people’s lives. What you’re experiencing is not unusual. You may need a good counselor or spiritual director with whom you can discuss how these frustrations affect your spiritual life.

Lately, my anger has lead me to consider giving up on my faith in order to find a better job than the one I currently have.

I think that many of us know the impact that a job has on our lives. If it is one that we love the impact is positive. If we are not in love with what we do, it can depress us and even lead to illness. If you think that you need a better job, by all means start looking. Don’t leave your current job until you have another. Given the economic reality, the last thing you need in your life is more stress.

Changing your faith has nothing to do with your job satisfaction. Faith is not magic. The fact that you went to see a “seer” tells me that you’re looking for a magical solution to your problem with frustration and your current job situation. You are not looking for faith. You are looking for a miracle to fix things.

Miracles do happen, but not on demand. They only happen when God feels they are good for us.

Just one question for the priests on this forum: How can I break this whole thing such that I can lead a happier and more devout Catholic life once again?

As I said above, you need a spiritual director or a pastoral counselor. Since you live in NOVA, you probably live in the Diocese of Arlington. I worked for that diocese many years ago. If you call Catholic Charities, over on Glebe Rd in Arlington, you can ask for access to their counseling services. They have a very good pastoral counseling program. They have a sliding scale.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the seer that you went to visit. Most of this stuff is pure nonsense. You should bring it up in confession to get it out of your mind and move on.

You may also want to look up the Franciscans Sisters of the Atonement on Harewood Rd in Washington. They operate the Washington Retreat House across the street from Catholic University, next to the John Paul II Centre. They are excellent spiritual directors.

I hope this is helpful.

Fraternally,

JR

 

[Angels_Unaware]

Hello from Northern Virginia! I am a practicing yet frustrated Catholic (hence the “needir” part of my user name). I am often confused (and angered ) by some of the changes in my life, such as losing a nice full-time office job 5 years ago : .

Lately, my anger has lead me to consider giving up on my faith in order to find a better job than the one I currently have. Yes, I even saw a psychic/spiritualist-type lady about “my past, present, and future”, which I am beginning to regret as I sit here pounding out this message! There were discussions about getting into a new job/business AND finding a future wife.

Just one question for the priests on this forum: How can I break this whole thing such that I can lead a happier and more devout Catholic life once again?

Wow, what is it with all the occult stuff springing up on this forum like mushrooms lately?

First, if you have considered leaving your faith then at some level you have already left it and need to come closer to God, not move further away.

Second, in what universe would “leaving your faith” result in the rewards of a better job, better life?

This is a lie. Most psychics are con artists, and if the one you spoke to is in this mold then she will have given you vague but positive information about “things on the horizon in six months”. She may have gotten some information correct, and if so, that will be enough to hook you into coming back. Perhaps 5% of psychics are authentic. They rely on spiritual gifts that were meant to honor God to communicate with demons and give you information that has no spiritual benefit to you, but destroys your reliance on God and your faith. What is worse, there are dangers in actually giving up direction of your life to the false prophecies.

Why desperately seek the future (which is the will of God) rather than create your future? Your future is determined by your cooperation with the will of God. The fervernt prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

[JReducation]

Wow, what is it with all the occult stuff springing up on this forum like mushrooms lately?

First, if you have considered leaving your faith then at some level you have already left it and need to come closer to God, not move further away.

Second, in what universe would “leaving your faith” result in the rewards of a better job, better life?

This is a lie. Most psychics are con artists, and if the one you spoke to is in this mold then she will have given you vague but positive information about “things on the horizon in six months”. She may have gotten some information correct, and if so, that will be enough to hook you into coming back. Perhaps 5% of psychics are authentic. They rely on spiritual gifts that were meant to honor God to communicate with demons and give you information that has no spiritual benefit to you, but destroys your reliance on God and your faith. What is worse, there are dangers in actually giving up direction of your life to the false prophecies.

Why desperately seek the future (which is the will of God) rather than create your future? Your future is determined by your cooperation with the will of God. The fervernt prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

In addition to what you have said, we must also establish that there is a real difference between a true psychic and a fortune teller or some such thing. A true psychic does not use his or her power of the mind for business.

The few legitimate psychics that I have read about do a great deal of good work, such as working with the police, in healthcare and other areas of good to humanity. They don’t peddle their gift.

Fraternally,

JR

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

Another testimony to the power of the Most Holy Rosary for **success in one’s vocation in life **
“I think that I did not miss a single day in reciting it, including the most terrible times of battle when I had no rest night or day. How often did I see her manifest intercession in the decisions which I made in choosing a precise tactic. Take, then, the advice of an old soldier seasoned by experience: Do not neglect the recitation of the Rosary for any reason.” – *Marshal Foch *, great military leader of WWI.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *