Is there anyone alive today like Padre Pio?

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Indyann said:
grandfather;3168147:
Scrupulosity is not a sin.

mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupulosity2.htm
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Ineresting that the author would cite Saint Alphonsus di Liquouri. St. Al said he suffered the worst case of scruples of anyone in history, that it was sinful and the only way he was able to be set free of it was by obeying a confessor who forced him to accept that God forgave him. It is many years since I read his life story, but I think I recall this correctly.

This does not mean that scrupulosity is not a psychological condition also. Sin can make one crazy. The article does not say scrupulosity is not a sin, if I read it correctly, but that desperation is not a sin. Also interesting. Despair is one of the six sins against the Holy Spirit. The article does not carry any canonical influence. It expresses the opinion of the author. Scrupulosity is a sin, because the person refuses to accept mercy. It tells the person that he is unforgivable, that his sin is great than God’s mercy. It is a refusal to accept God’s love and mercy, a sin against faith, because it refuses to believe the truth that God loves and forgives us. The person makes himself his own judge, taking judgement from God.

I know a man who became suicidal as a result of suffering religious scrupulosity. He eventually abanddoned all the faith and placed himself under the care of a psychiatrist and a neurologist. I like Saint Alphonsis cure better. Confess the sin and accept the authoirty of your confessor to absolve you of scruples.

Many saints addressed scruples.

Here is a quote from Saint Joseph Cafasso to a penitient confessing this sin.

“Uneasy about your prayers? I forbid you to repeat even small parts of them. Troubled over the examination of conscience? Omit the daily examen. You want to go to confession everyday? No, once a week is enough. It is useless to make long confessions; just answer my questions, nothing more. You are afraid you did not have contrition for your sins? That regret indicates you were sorry. You went to confession to someone else last week after making your confession to me? I refuse you absolution today. Come again in a week. You did not go to Communion as often as I told you to do so? I refuse to authorize you to receive at all this week; you are not worthy; when you learn to be more obedient, I’ll tell you when you may go again. You are troubled about your preparation for Communion? Don’t make any. You should always be ready to cmmunicate. Just see if you have any venal sins, make an act of contrition, kiss a crucifx and receive without fear”.

From Bl. Julian of Norwich

“When they begin to hate sin and amend themselves to the laws of Holy Church, still there persists a fear that moves them to look at themselvesand their sins committed in the past. And they take this fear for umility, but it is a reprehensible blindness and weakness”.

Scruples have always been matter for confession. Why would that be if it were not sinful?
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grandfather said:
oops.

The answer to the question is, no, there is no one alive today like Padre Pio. He was unique. There are probably confessors who can read souls, but none that additionally have the stigmata, work thousands of miracles, bi-locate, are visited by Mary and the saints. Confessors who can read souls would not advertise this ability to attract penitients. They also may not have the gift for every person, but only occassionally. I** would be wary of a priest who would invite you out to join him at a bar**.
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This matter of ability to read souls is intriguing. Although they would not advertise, I would be grateful, perhaps eternally grateful, if someone advised me of such confessor. I doubt I will receive any response…but it’s reassuring to know that people have reported this.

Btw, I was at the bar (jazz bar). The priest was texting me asking me where I was, and then if I was alone. He doesn’t like it there and discourages me from attending…
 
CSN said:
I have never met anyone like this, although I would like to believe that all priests are given the gift to say just the right thing, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Having said that, I have had the funny feeling that our local priest has powers of ESP. One time I was alone in a jazz bar (one which he has visited, but dislikes and will not re-visit), and he sent me a text message asking “Where are you?” I told him where, and he asked “Are you alone?”. I was.

I thought this was quite odd, because he never asked me anything like that before – and besides, who goes to a jazz bar alone? Anyway, he invited me out to meet him… I also remember having that slight feeling before…
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This whole episode sounds worrisome to me - especially if you are female.
 
CSN said:
I have never met anyone like this, although I would like to believe that all priests are given the gift to say just the right thing, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Having said that, I have had the funny feeling that our local priest has powers of ESP. One time I was alone in a jazz bar (one which he has visited, but dislikes and will not re-visit), and he sent me a text message asking “Where are you?” I told him where, and he asked “Are you alone?”. I was.

I thought this was quite odd, because he never asked me anything like that before – and besides, who goes to a jazz bar alone? Anyway, he invited me out to meet him… I also remember having that slight feeling before…
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If you are a female, your Priest should not be inviting you to go out. I think you are trying to make this Priest out to be something that he is not and maybe that you wish he was. I don’t know.

Please be careful. And that’s all I am going to say.
 
CSN said:
T

Btw, I was at the bar (jazz bar). The priest was texting me asking me where I was, and then if I was alone. He doesn’t like it there and discourages me from attending…
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Oh! I hope you listen to him. He is being a good father.

Is there anything holy that goes on there?
 
grandfather said:
Indyann;3171944:
Ineresting that the author would cite Saint Alphonsus di Liquouri. St. Al said he suffered the worst case of scruples of anyone in history, that it was sinful and the only way he was able to be set free of it was by obeying a confessor who forced him to accept that God forgave him. It is many years since I read his life story, but I think I recall this correctly.

This does not mean that scrupulosity is not a psychological condition also. Sin can make one crazy. The article does not say scrupulosity is not a sin, if I read it correctly, but that desperation is not a sin. Also interesting. Despair is one of the six sins against the Holy Spirit. The article does not carry any canonical influence. It expresses the opinion of the author. Scrupulosity is a sin, because the person refuses to accept mercy. It tells the person that he is unforgivable, that his sin is great than God’s mercy. It is a refusal to accept God’s love and mercy, a sin against faith, because it refuses to believe the truth that God loves and forgives us. The person makes himself his own judge, taking judgement from God.

I know a man who became suicidal as a result of suffering religious scrupulosity. He eventually abanddoned all the faith and placed himself under the care of a psychiatrist and a neurologist. I like Saint Alphonsis cure better. Confess the sin and accept the authoirty of your confessor to absolve you of scruples.

Many saints addressed scruples.

Here is a quote from Saint Joseph Cafasso to a penitient confessing this sin.

“Uneasy about your prayers? I forbid you to repeat even small parts of them. Troubled over the examination of conscience? Omit the daily examen. You want to go to confession everyday? No, once a week is enough. It is useless to make long confessions; just answer my questions, nothing more. You are afraid you did not have contrition for your sins? That regret indicates you were sorry. You went to confession to someone else last week after making your confession to me? I refuse you absolution today. Come again in a week. You did not go to Communion as often as I told you to do so? I refuse to authorize you to receive at all this week; you are not worthy; when you learn to be more obedient, I’ll tell you when you may go again. You are troubled about your preparation for Communion? Don’t make any. You should always be ready to cmmunicate. Just see if you have any venal sins, make an act of contrition, kiss a crucifx and receive without fear”.

From Bl. Julian of Norwich

“When they begin to hate sin and amend themselves to the laws of Holy Church, still there persists a fear that moves them to look at themselvesand their sins committed in the past. And they take this fear for umility, but it is a reprehensible blindness and weakness”.

Scruples have always been matter for confession. Why would that be if it were not sinful?
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Scrupulosity is a condition. It is not willfully desired or sought. To persist in that condition without seeking advice or counsel might be sinful.It is a form of OCD.
Therefore, any mental or physical condition is sinful?

The author of the article is the founder of Scrupulous Anonymous.

Please do some research before putting out such a statement as “scrupulosity is a sin”.

That could be very damaging to someone who is already afflicted with this condition.
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Indyann said:
grandfather;3172244:
Scrupulosity is a condition. It is not willfully desired or sought. To persist in that condition without seeking advice or counsel might be sinful.It is a form of OCD.
Therefore, any mental or physical condition is sinful?

The author of the article is the founder of Scrupulous Anonymous.

Please do some research before putting out such a statement as “scrupulosity is a sin”.

That could be very damaging to someone who is already afflicted with this condition.
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Homosexuality is a condition. Homosexual acts are sinful. Intemperance is sinful. Alcoholism is a condition and disease. Not any or every mental or physical condition is sinful. Some are.

“He who sins is a slave to sin”. Call it a condition or disease. Slavery is slavery. Jesus came to free us of sin. If we say we have no sin then He did not come for us. Maybe all sins that enslave us are OCD.

The scruplous suffer, because they are deluded by themselves or the evil one into believing they are in sin, when they are not. They refuse to believe that they are not sinful. The pope can shout at them, you are not guilty and they will not believe it.

The scrupulous would do anything to not sin. The way for a scrupulous person to escape the slavery of scruples and be free is to know that he is committing sin and needs to repent of it.

If he refuses to believe his confessor when he is told he is absolved of all sins then he lacks faith in God, in God’s mercy, in the sacrament, in the Church. He refuses to give up his burden and be freed. It may be a mental condition.

The scrupulous insists he is sinful in a thousand ways, when he is not, but denies that where he is sinful, being scrupulous is a sin.

We all try to justify our sins whatever they may be. One way is telling ourselves that our sin is not a sin. My parish priest has a parishoner come to confession every week. The confession takes almost an hour. The man is a friend of mine and he is a very holy man. He spends hours on his knees. The priest does not know what to do to help him get past the nit picking at himself. If he thinks he might not have said his rosary devoutly enough he thinks he is damned. He imagines that he might have skipped a bead or said eleven Hail Marys instead of ten. He refuses to stop flogging himself over imaginary sins. Who could not pity this man? In faith he has to believe God loves him and forgives him. If he can not accept this he can not know mercy.
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CSN said:
I have often wondered if there is anyone who is living today who is known to have the ability to read souls. I would make a trip straight out to see such person to gauge the state of my soul.
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I was recently told by a close friend from church that a monk who had done two retreats for us has the ability to read souls. It is not something that he goes around advertising, but he did tell them before the time set aside for confessions. The general concensus is that he is a great confessor for many reasons, but this was the first time anyone mentioned his ability to read souls to me. It is too late for the OP to travel him because he has finished his degree and returned to his monastery. Additionally, he would be the first to say that this ability is not necessary to have a good confession. I am not going to post his name and location because he is a very humble man who would not like to gain undue attention for himself even for something good.

It was not about refusing absolution to someone because none of them were deliberately withholding sins. However, he asked them to sit for a minute or so silently upon entering the confessional before beginning and that was apparently when he “read” their souls. Therefore, he told them what was going on up front instead of vice versa. He knew things about their lives that were not all sin-related but which affected their spiritual
 
beckycmarie said:
This whole episode sounds worrisome to me - especially if you are female.
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DJgang said:
If you are a female, your Priest should not be inviting you to go out. I think you are trying to make this Priest out to be something that he is not and maybe that you wish he was. I don’t know.

Please be careful. And that’s all I am going to say.
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Thank you for your concern, both. I just checked, and I am still a man. 🙂

He is a very conservative and good priest, and asked if I was alone because he wanted to speak with me - possibly sensing I was drinking by myself…?

I could be looking for something that is not there, but it’s not the first time I have felt that with him, either…
 
jc-servant said:
I was recently told by a close friend from church that a monk who had done two retreats for us has the ability to read souls. It is not something that he goes around advertising, but he did tell them before the time set aside for confessions. The general concensus is that he is a great confessor for many reasons, but this was the first time anyone mentioned his ability to read souls to me. It is too late for the OP to travel him because he has finished his degree and returned to his monastery. Additionally, he would be the first to say that this ability is not necessary to have a good confession. I am not going to post his name and location because he is a very humble man who would not like to gain undue attention for himself even for something good.

It was not about refusing absolution to someone because none of them were deliberately withholding sins. However, he asked them to sit for a minute or so silently upon entering the confessional before beginning and that was apparently when he “read” their souls. Therefore, he told them what was going on up front instead of vice versa. He knew things about their lives that were not all sin-related but which affected their spiritual
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I just want to know if I am doing all right so far. Just like those purple plaque pills. I knew people would be reluctant to divulge information, but what is the harm? It’s not like I would disclose it to everyone around me. It’s not a circus sideshow…
 
CSN said:
Thank you for your concern, both. I just checked, and I am still a man. 🙂

He is a very conservative and good priest, and asked if I was alone because he wanted to speak with me - possibly sensing I was drinking by myself…?

I could be looking for something that is not there, but it’s not the first time I have felt that with him, either…
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Ohhhhhh okay. Out of that context it sounded strange. Thanks for clarifying. What a good priest!
 
CSN said:
Thank you for your concern, both. I just checked, and I am still a man. 🙂
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😊 opps…just a female looking out for other females, know what I mean… however…you are not…so…carry on my friend! 😃 👍
 
DJgang said:
😊 opps…just a female looking out for other females, know what I mean… however…you are not…so…carry on my friend! 😃 👍
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It’s strange that everyone thought I am female. I thought it would be clear from the name CSN that I am a man…

:whacky:
 
I said in post #15 that I would say a novena to St. Francis de Sales for everyone on this thread (that was quite some time ago…).

At that time, I did start, but messed up on day 5, 6, or 7, something like that.

I never forgot about it, however, and today, January 15, is a good time to start again.

This time, I will persevere.

Cheers,

CSN
 
Ok, well, this time, it’s done.

I actually did both of these novenas, including the litanies, each time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and in conjunction saying a rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament as well, plus receiving the Eucharist every day for 9 days:

oblates.org/spirituality/devotional_brochures/devbro_5_desales.pdf

resurrectionparish.us/Novenas/SAINT%20FRANCIS%20DE%20SALES.doc

I didn’t say the names (rather, your user names) on this thread (although I did have many other specific names to run through – perhaps 50 aunts, uncles and cousins alone), but I just mentioned you all as “the people on that thread”… I am certain Saint Francis knows very well who you are, and what spiritual and temporal graces you need in your lives right now, today, and that he will be there for you to see you have the grace of a happy death. I hope that last one doesn’t sound too morbid, but anyway, this is what I requested…

I think it was a special novena, because God made the timing perfect in so many ways. For example, each day at work I was able to leave early enough to do it (I said I would wake up in time for 6:30 mass so I could be sure to do it each day, but man, that’s just impossible :D). In addition to being able to leave the office each day at a reasonable time, there were also 4 other examples of really good timing – perfect timing, really – for example, two of them were when the caretaker at the church came in to say “Ok, everyone, we’re closing” right when I finished my prayers for the day. I mean right at that moment, within 3 or 5 seconds or so. I thought that was something notable…

Anyway, I am posting this not out of pride or to create some kind of feeling of obligation or to fish for praise or thanks (so please don’t do so) – I am only posting it because I said I would do it, and perhaps some may like to know that a concrete prayer was said on their behalf.

Ok, God bless you all…
 
CSN said:
I
Remember those purple tablets that showed you how well you brushed your teeth, and sometimes it was a complete shock… I would really like to have some idea if I was deficient in a major way in a certain area…

Anyone?
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excellent analogy
in the meantime a “product” that can help do for your soul what the disclosing tablets do for your dental health is the daily examen. Any guide to Jesuit spirituality will have the basics for you but in brief

Be in stillness before God
ask the Holy Spirit for light
Call to mind and review the events of the day
give thanks for all, good, bad, challenging, easy, all is gift
express contrition for your failings
forgive in your heart anyone who needs your forgiveness
acknowledge the feelings that arise from this review
pray from one of these feelings or from what “rises to the surface”
make a resolution for tomorrow
Say the Our Father, and put your day in God’s hands.

sorry just realized I jumped back into an old thread again
 
I would suggest you look into the lives of Zlatko Sudac and Brother Elia:)
 
CSN, I don’t think you are going to get the answer you want from people. I do understand what you would hope to get from such an encounter. I also understand that simply examining your conscience does not pull it all together necessarily because people have blind spots where they just don’t see things clearly no matter how much they meditate or examine their conscience. Maybe a spiritual director could help you.
 
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