I've done somethig very wrong and don't see any way to fix it

[Abira]

Feeling burdened “may” indicate you haven’t changed your surroundings (or routines) that makes temptations really hard to avoid? What some people call, the near occasion of sin.

I think you’re probably right. I seem to have almost obligated myself to enter into some kind of relationship… and I feel like the society around me doesn’t understand ‘what my problem is’, like it’s expected of me.

I think this is going to be hard to do because it will involve changing everything from the places I socialize to some of my friends… and kinda letting someone down… as it’ll look like I changed my mind…when actually I just let myself down one time (well more than once I guess), like a really bad blip.

thanks a lot for your thoughts.

 

[Karianne]

think this is going to be hard to do because it will involve changing everything from the places I socialize to some of my friends… and kinda letting someone down… as it’ll look like I changed my mind…when actually I just let myself down one time (well more than once I guess), like a really bad blip.

thanks a lot for your thoughts.

You are very wise to consider getting new friends. I have a brother who is vulnerable to substance abuse, no matter how often he went to detox he would always, til the last time fall back into his old patterns and get hooked again.
We all need friends and I think that he was lonely, although the family tried we couldn’t make up for that need.
He joined a synagogue, and he has, thank God, been drug-free for many years, but I don’t think that he could have kept clean had he continued to hand with his druggie friends.
Maybe going back to Church would help you, too. Especially if you get involved with others at the Church, btw, they sin too!

 

[Traditional_Ang]

lol Della, please don’t burden me with the idea of transubtiation lol lol, I’m still finding it hard to take on board the ideas on marian devotion and intercession lol… one thing at a time

Abira:

Transubstantiation is a technical name for a Great Mystery that happens when the priest says the words that Christ said. Here’s how the Apostle St. Paul put it:

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
i Cor 10:15-17 NIV

*For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
1 Cor 11:23-32 NIV*

And what Jesus had to say himself:

*Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me–not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

John 6:35-51 NIV*

To be con. in the next post, Michael

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Abira:

Continued from the previous post…

*The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus[c] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:52-69 ESV*

Early Christians believed so strongly that the Bread and the Wine Become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jeusus Christ that they braved Roman soldiers and the arena, calling it the spiritual food they would die if they didn’t get when they were intrrogated by Roman interrogators trying to figure out why Christians would go to Mass when they knew Roman soldiers would be waiting for them when they came out.

And then there are the Eucharistic Miracles, where priests who had lost their faith and come to believe as you said the words of consecration and then saw the hosts turn to flesh and the wine turn to blood - all of these are type AB Negative and have been preserved at room temperature for hundreds of years. These are the same bood type as the Mandelion and as the Shroud of Turin.

The Lord have given us plenty of envidence that He is present in the Eucharist. It’s up to us to accept what he has to say and to prepare ourselves to receive the Lord who is present in the Eucharist…

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Abira]

thanks, I get the ‘just’ of the idea…

S x

 

[CRW]

Hi,
I’m not too fussed about this being a personal issue discussed… but I don’t really know how to put it. I don’t mind discussing the vague issues in case I start rambling and don’t make any sense

Firstly I’m not Catholic… so I don’t go to confession etc.

But basically I’ve done something very wrong, and even though I am sorry I don’t feel as if I’ve been forgiven…does that make sense?

I’ve been struggling with a few issues for a time and a few weeks ago I gave into them and really feel as though I let myself down.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how I can ‘square’ things up and clear my concience.

It is my understanding that many non-Catholic pastors will hear private confessions. It may not be considered a sacrament as the Catholic Church teaches, but it may give you comfort and provide the means for counseling. God Bless and always believe in God’s endless mercy.

 

[Abira]

thankyou… i mean that sincerely.

lol my dad’s a protestant pastor… , but i shan’t tell him the gory details of my private life lol, i think someone new is in order

take care everyone,

S x

 

[johnnyjoe]

Hi,
I’m not too fussed about this being a personal issue discussed… but I don’t really know how to put it. I don’t mind discussing the vague issues in case I start rambling and don’t make any sense

Firstly I’m not Catholic… so I don’t go to confession etc.

But basically I’ve done something very wrong, and even though I am sorry I don’t feel as if I’ve been forgiven…does that make sense?

I’ve been struggling with a few issues for a time and a few weeks ago I gave into them and really feel as though I let myself down.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how I can ‘square’ things up and clear my concience.

Let me offer a couple of scripture passages for you to consider.

First is Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians

Chapter 4 starts with:
[1] Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. [2] We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

followed by Chapter 5 that has:
[1]For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
[2] Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling, [3] so that by putting it on we may not be found naked. [4] For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. [5] He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. [6]So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Then let us look back at the words of Christ in Matthew 18: 15-20

[15]“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
[16] But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
[17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
[18] Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
[19] Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
[20] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Then one more step to James5: 13-16

*[13]Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. [14] Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; [15] and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. *

My point?

You may confess your sins to a fellow Christian - an act of catharsis non-the-less - and while they can’t offer absolution, you can be confident that the process will open your heart to the forgiving power and Mercy of Christ.

IF you are bothered in conscience by the sins you have committed against another, you need to take that confession to the one you have wronged, and ask for their forgiveness. You may need to be prepared to not be forgiven by them in human terms, but the process will be heard by the heart and mind of Christ.

As the True Source of all Mercy, take comfort in His power to forgive.

I will add that you can go to confession to a priest, but be sure to inform him that you are not Catholic. He cannot give you absolution, for you have not been given the sacrament, but rest assured he has heard all the sins before, and can offer some spiritual advice grounded in the real and practical struggles of us weak sinners.

My favorite confession story is about a friend of mine, a long-time member of the Society of our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. He was having his confession heard by the founder Fr. James Flanagan. During his confession, he heard Fr. Flanagan snoring. When he sharply questioned Fr. Flanagan if he was sleeping, he replied, “…I’m sorry John… sin is so Boring…”. It is a great reminder that sin is common and boring, and virtue is RARE and EXCITING!

 

[Abira]

You may confess your sins to a fellow Christian - an act of catharsis non-the-less - and while they can’t offer absolution, you can be confident that the process will open your heart to the forgiving power and Mercy of Christ.

Thanks, I did this last night, I didn’t mean to, it just kind of came out of me and It did make me feel slightly ‘lighter’

Thanks,

S

 

[Damascus]

Thanks, I did this last night, I didn’t mean to, it just kind of came out of me and It did make me feel slightly ‘lighter’

Thanks,

S

Abria,

I am really glad you are feeling better. But, can I ask if you have made up your mind to avoid any and all occasion for this to happen again?

Can you do that?

 

[Abira]

yeah, I can only speak for now but I hope never to make a mistake like that again…I think things like that can kinda ‘stain’ you.

I do find it really hard but it’s something I have to make my mind up about seriously in the long term. I know that makes no sense as I gave you no details of what happened lol. I think I’ve spoken about it somewhere on here before vaguely…

i’m rambling again basically: I hope not; but I may slip again, and I need to find a more long term solution…

Take care of yourself,

S x

 

[Abira]

actually I just thought: I was going to make a promise, but I don’t like to break promises… so I never made one. I think that may say a lot but it’s the way things are right now.

tc, S x

 

[Damascus]

actually I just thought: I was going to make a promise, but I don’t like to break promises… so I never made one. I think that may say a lot but it’s the way things are right now.

tc, S x

Okay, that is honest. Its just my 2 cents after all. I am nobody.

I was hoping that if you could at least not put yourself in a situation that may lead to a temptation of sin then you have less opportunity to get hung up in it again.

God bless and keep Jesus in your heart and think of Him being inside you - if you think of him as being inside you you wont want to drag him into a sin with you would you?



Know what I mean?

 

[Abira]

yeah I know what you mean, Damascus, thanks

I agree, I think I said earlier that I don’t believe I enter into situations where I might slip up… I think in my nature I am prone to this, and in a way it’s unavoidable as it is in my nature and with me wherever I go. that’s why it’s hard…however I will try not to talk with people…wait that sounds bad, I’ll try not talk with people I think want bad things.

Take care, S x

 

[Damascus]

Abria, you are so right! You cant avoid the world, in fact you shouldnt. You know that Jesus did not try to save us from this world but he rather came through this world so that we have a chance to join him in his kingdom?

IOW, you must live in this world, and its not easy to. But, through his help we will as he did come through this horror of a world. The key is to keep our eyes on his kingdom by not letting the world dim our light that must be bright and will be the lamp for all to see.

You are in my prayers.

No sin is too great for HIM. He knows all things. Your sin is not more powerful than his love and you can with his help, you can get past this as a child of God who is loved deeply by the Father.

 

[Linnyo]

I know that feeling - I have felt that way for most of my adult life yet I’m never quite sure which is the greatest of my wrongs.

 

[Abira]

lol I’m with you linnyo… though I’d rather have lots of little things then one insanely massive and difficult massive massive thing… head and shoulders higher than anything else

S x

 

[Damascus]

lol I’m with you linnyo… though I’d rather have lots of little things then one insanely massive and difficult massive massive thing… head and shoulders higher than anything else

S x

What sin is too great for God? I dont know of more than one. That he wont forgive in this life or the next.

 

[Abira]

do you believe that even though all (but one) sin can be forgiven, that we will still be punished for our sins?

that’s on my mind… that and my attachment to it.

 

[Damascus]

do you believe that even though all (but one) sin can be forgiven, that we will still be punished for our sins?

that’s on my mind… that and my attachment to it.

Do you mean Purgatory? Or Hell?

Um, I believe in both and I can talk about them, but I think many people misunderstand the two, and even misunderstand punishment, but you can ask me anything, or PM me.

I dont expect this is something that can be explained easily.

I need to know what kind of punishment you think you will have if you are repentant and doing what you can to change your inclination to sin…

Did I confuse you more??/ I dont want to do that., I want to help.