Is this considered bragging?

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Tyler_Larew

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Okay so I know that in the Bible Jesus tells us not to brag about our religious life and things along those lines if I am correct. But what exactly is considered “boasting”?
I just went to confession today and posted on Facebook that it was a beautiful experience, and that anyone who hasn’t done it in awhile really should. Can this be considered bragging or boasting as Christ puts it? Or is boasting something more along the lines of saying how holy of a person you are, and putting yourself to a higher rank then what you really are? How can I separate what is and what is not bragging. I by no intentions mean to brag, I just wanted to share an experience. Can someone please help me out?
 
Well, you could be walking a fine line here. It’s one I walk, as well. I talk about going frequently to Confession because I find it opens up the conversation and has encouraged friends and acquaintances to return to the Sacrament. That’s precisely why I talk about it, not to brag but to encourage others.

What was your motive in sharing on Facebook? Was it pride? Was it to re-live the good feelings? Was it to glorify God in his mercy, his grace, his sacrament and his church? Was it to encourage others to do as you had done?

From your statement it seems you were not bragging but truly trying to share your experience in the hopes that it might encourage others. Be ready to engage others in conversation about the sacrament. Someone (we can hope) may have questions.
 
Mary_Ellen said:
Well, you could be walking a fine line here. It’s one I walk, as well. I talk about going frequently to Confession because I find it opens up the conversation and has encouraged friends and acquaintances to return to the Sacrament. That’s precisely why I talk about it, not to brag but to encourage others.

What was your motive in sharing on Facebook? Was it pride? Was it to re-live the good feelings? Was it to glorify God in his mercy, his grace, his sacrament and his church? Was it to encourage others to do as you had done?

From your statement it seems you were not bragging but truly trying to share your experience in the hopes that it might encourage others. Be ready to engage others in conversation about the sacrament. Someone (we can hope) may have questions.
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Well one of the reasons why I did call it beautiful was not only because I went and I did find it to be an uplifting experience, but also because of all the people I saw there praying, and how uplifting the environment in the church was. I have never seen my church in such a way before, it really was different.
 
Errr what? For all you know you motivated someone else to go to confession and have their sins forgiven. My Facebook is mostly just religious stuff bc I hate people judging my personal life, and I feel embarrassed a lot as if people think I am bragging or being holier than thou, but I think the whole point is to be willing to make that sacrifice to remind people. I mean evangelize any way you can. If you were bragging God will use that to save souls and you can take it up with a confessor.

Given how many people’s entire Facebook profiles are dedicated to bragging about how awesome their lives are, I really wouldn’t worry.
 
Tyler_Larew said:
Well one of the reasons why I did call it beautiful was not only because I went and I did find it to be an uplifting experience, but also because of all the people I saw there praying, and how uplifting the environment in the church was. I have never seen my church in such a way before, it really was different.
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That’s wonderful, Tyler. Let’s hope your sharing touched the hearts and souls of some of your FB friends.
 
erine said:
Errr what? For all you know you motivated someone else to go to confession and have their sins forgiven. My Facebook is mostly just religious stuff bc I hate people judging my personal life, and I feel embarrassed a lot as if people think I am bragging or being holier than thou, but I think the whole point is to be willing to make that sacrifice to remind people. I mean evangelize any way you can. If you were bragging God will use that to save souls and you can take it up with a confessor.

Given how many people’s entire Facebook profiles are dedicated to bragging about how awesome their lives are, I really wouldn’t worry.
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Well it was such a great experience that I felt the need to share it with others. I mean if I went and it was a horrible experience I probably would of never said anything. So I was just sharing my experience. With that being said I do not think I was bragging about me going to confession, but rather I was sharing the great experience that was offered there. The more I think about what influenced that post, I realize it was less about me, and more about the beauty of the environment. At the same time though I felt really good inside.
 
Are you doing it to receive accolades? Or to share the experience?

I have shared on Facebook, and it actually encouraged (her words) a now-friend/then-acquaintance to start RCIA after all these years of thinking about it.

So, if your motivations are pure and clear, then it’s fine. <3
 
You may be conflating boasting with various things that the Lord Jesus said about hypocrisy.

For example:
Matthew 6:2:
“Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.
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Or in another place:
Matthew 6:5:
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.
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He also made similar comments in other places, as well, since, throughout His ministry, Jesus strongly opposed hypocrisy. What Our Lord had in mind by this can be seen in the following:
Mark 7:5-7:
And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
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Fr. John Hardon, S.J., in his wonderful Modern Catholic Dictionary, wrote the following (emphases mine):
Entry on Hypocrisy:
A form of lying in which a person pretends to have virtues or moral qualities that are not possessed. Its motive is pride and its malice depends on the gravity of the pride and on the evil consequences that follow when people take one to be morally good and, perhaps, entrust one with confidences or responsibilities that are not deserved. It is not hypocrisy, however, to be on one’s best behavior with those whom one justly wishes to impress favorably. Nor is it hypocrisy when a person, because of human weakness, fails to live up to his or her own principles or profession of faith. (Etym. Latin hypocrita, hypocrite; from Greek hypokrit_s, actor, hypocrite.)
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I am sure the way you did it came over as Evangelizing not bragging. Or you could see it another way as people on Facebook do so often you were sharing a nice experience , and who knows the Lord might be using you as an instrument to bring back lapsed Catholics to come to Him in Confession and start afresh.

I personally find coming out of Confession what it must be like to come out of a washing machine - clean.

I find the priests always so nice in Confession and as a Convert Confession in the beginning never came easy, but it does now, as the Priest’s are so nice. A few weeks ago as I was about to kneel down, Fr said “God bless your Courage in coming to Confession” which made me smile.
 
Well see now I am confusing myself because I am not quite sure what my intentions were when I posted it. Sure I posted it to get people to go back to confession, but at the same time did I do it for recognition that I went? I am unsure. It is kind of eating me alive now. I know I may be OCDing, but I just went to confession, and to have already committed a sin is very good.
 
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