Negative,uncharitable and plainly bad thoughts

[want_to_know]

I need help and prayers for I am having a really hard time controlling my thoughts. I know that this is very common to everyone and can get out of control, making one almost incapcitated with guilt and remorse. I have promised Christ that I will love, trust, and submit my all to Him and perhaps I haven’t given it all to Him, holding back out of pride or control- I can overcome this myself- my old way of thinking. I have read other threads and tried to put advice and prayers into practice. I go to daily Mass and realize that Christ always forgives me when I ask, before receiving Him ( I have no mortal sins and went to confession1 1/2 weeks ago). My Confessor once told me that since I returned to the sacraments, that things were going to be tough and boy did he mean it. I would appreciate any advice and I realize there is not a quick fix, but this is a daily cross that I must carry. Thanks

 

[contemplative]

Thoughts pop into our heads…no one can help that! What you do with those thoughts is what counts. If your thoughts are bad then dismiss them immediately. Pray to God for assistance. If you full knowingly ponder and relish your bad thoughts then perhaps that is sin or will lead to sin…then maybe it is time to go to confession.

 

[stbruno]

Temptations are not sins. Even God was tempted by the devil in the desert when He went out to fast and pray. However, here’s the real thing…do not succumb to temptations for if you do, then that’s when the sin is committed.

Bishop Dolan of Milwaukee has an amazing audio homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent all about tempation. He is very clear on this topic when you listen to it. Here’s the link…and then click on the 1st Sunday of Lent. archmil.org/bishops/Audio_Dolan.asp

You won’t be disappointed to listen to him either. He is very engaging. We are blessed to have him as a bishop.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Remember that Satan likes to strike where we are weak. Continue working on it. Try to think of positive and charitable thoughts to counter the bad ones. The more you are able to, the less the bad ones will come. This is partially a matter of replacing a bad habit with a good one.

 

[JMJ_Theresa]

I’ve got a good prayer idea for you–attributed to the Cure of Ars. I wish I still had the exact words.

When you are tempted to sin (by dwelling on uncharitable thoughts), offer them (the temptations) for the conversion of sinners. Then you turn the devils tricks against him! Ha!

Also, immediately pray that whomever you are mentally critiquing will become holier than you. So holy that you will want to sit at their feet learning from them. Pray it as soon as you realize that your thoughts have gone that way.

Can you tell I’ve struggled with this myself?

 

[LilyM]

JMJ Theresa:

I’ve got a good prayer idea for you–attributed to the Cure of Ars. I wish I still had the exact words.

When you are tempted to sin (by dwelling on uncharitable thoughts), offer them (the temptations) for the conversion of sinners. Then you turn the devils tricks against him! Ha!

Also, immediately pray that whomever you are mentally critiquing will become holier than you. So holy that you will want to sit at their feet learning from them. Pray it as soon as you realize that your thoughts have gone that way.

Can you tell I’ve struggled with this myself?

Sounds like a wonderful technique! In fact I should pray right now for a few (very few mind you) people on this forum to whom I’ve not been so charitable …

 

[blessedstar]

This is a very common problem people suffer especially during holy Mass or at other times of prayer and it can be very distressing. It can help whenever temptations come to a soul by way of terrible thoughts that have two points of origin, one arising from the broken self and the other being the devil, to immediately dismiss these thoughts out of your mind and think of the Lord Crucified and be wilfull to bear this suffering for love of Jesus Crucified.

As I have said this is very distressing for souls to suffer and it must be remembered that if it did not distress you then you would not be close to God, the very fact it distresses people is because they love God and do not want to offend Him, so try this simple technique and don’t worry about it and keep thinking about it. This is a terrible internal suffering and this must be offered and united to the sufferings of Christ upon the Altar at Mass for your own soul and those of others and any other intention you wish to offer it for.

Once you embrace this cross and start to dismiss these thoughts and offer them to God at the foot of His Cross without dwelling upon them and their nature and source you will find that they will lessen and their disturbance to your spirit will be much less marked and may even cease. Whilst it is good to ask for this trial to be lifted from us we must also recognise that first we must suffer the very worst of thoughts in order for the internal to be purified and therefore must see this as blessing. The Lord does not put a cross upon us that is too heavy for us to carry with His assistance, the moment it is too heavy or His pity is moved by our willingness and acceptance to endure the cross with Him as He endures with us when we carry the cross, the cross is eased or lifted. Be unafraid, courageous and persevering, the Lord loves such souls who embrace the cross for love of Him.

As the great St Padre Pio said ‘Pray, hope and don’t worry’

In my prayers.

 

[ReformedCatholic]

I would also recommend consulting with a mental health professional to rule out problems like attention deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive consists of intrusive, persistent thoughts, compulsive refers to behaviors), or even a bipolar disorder (which can include “racing thoughts”) anything else that might contribute to not being able to “control” your thoughts. For instance, some folks with ADD, the harder they concentrate, the less they actually can. The mind is complicated. Don’t beat yourself up, because it sounds like you’re trying to do the right thing. Keep it up and good luck.

 

[LilyM]

I don’t know if it’s just ADD - I had a terrible time in church a while ago. I wanted to pray quietly by myself after mass and there was a prayer group doing a novena. Well they were singing hymns and saying prayers and then more hymns and more prayers and it really seemed as if they would go on all day.

I found myself practically grinding my teeth with frustration, and then I got upset at myself for being angry, especially because it somehow seems worse to be angry in Church of all places. Then I offered it up to God and immediately started to feel better.

Since then I’ve practiced my patience every time someone does something in church that annoys me and I’m getting a heck of a lot calmer about things in general as well, as a result. Highly recommend it!

 

[want_to_know]

Thanks to all of you, especially blessedstar( your response brought on the tears) for letting me know that God alone and trusting Him will help ease this distraction to my prayer life and that I’m certainly in the boat with many others. I’m giving it to Him.
Blessedstar, you hit it squarely on, in that I must be doing what’s right and pleasing to God for why else would these thoughts come when I’m at Mass or praying. I 'm not bored or I wouldn’t be there each 8:15 am or waste my efforts trying to have a relationship with the One who has always loved and care for me if I didn’t love Him. I hope that I’m getting closer to Him. God Bless

 

[want_to_know]

want to know:

Thanks to all of you, especially blessedstar( your response brought on the tears, thinking about what you wrote,while viewing the favorite Catholic pictures on another thread) for letting me know that God alone and trusting Him will help ease this distraction to my prayer life and that I’m certainly in the boat with many others. I’m giving it to Him.
Blessedstar, you hit it squarely on, in that I must be doing what’s right and pleasing to God for why else would these thoughts come when I’m at Mass or praying. I 'm not bored or I wouldn’t be there each 8:15 am or waste my efforts trying to have a relationship with the One who has always loved and care for me if I didn’t love Him. I hope that I’m getting closer to Him. God Bless

 

[blessedstar]

You are doing what is pleasing to God, but pleasing God is a dangerous path and the narrow road, it is strewn with spiritual traps and dangers as all sins begin in the internal (thoughts) and manifest in the external (actions). This narrow road has been made safe if we stay close to Christ Jesus, firstly in prayer and in the Bosom of the Church and the Sacraments, as He trod this path before us and so leads us safely walking by our right side along this path. It is only when we lose trust in Him and doubt and disobey Him that the path becomes dangerous. Remember the first sin of Adam and Eve was disobedience.

Many people report terrible temptations and deceptions as well as doubts and trials once their faith becomes mature and deepened, that is once they begin to see their sinful selves as they really are and begin to love God for His sake and not for their own sake.

You will do just fine if you stay on the course you are on with Christ Jesus’ . Satan will surely do everything he can to knock you off that safe narrow road and the inner broken self will rebel against what is Truth and Life; we must pray for the death of the self and be reborn in Christ so as it is only Christ Who lives in us. It is beneficial to combat this with many spiritual ejaculations throughout the day such as ‘Jesus I love and trust you’ and ‘Jesus come now into my poor heart spiritually as though I had received you in Holy Communion and make this weakness be your strength’ and ‘Mary help and pray for me’ to reaffirm your faith to God and to yourself as well as keeping a repentant heart frequently visiting confession and frequent receiving of the Eucharist, also remember the extreme power of Holy Water which is an exorcism in itself. It helps whenever these thoughts come to pray to your Guardian Angel and bless yourself with Holy Water and also bless the room around you with Holy Water making the Sign of the Cross.

I am glad to hear that you have peace of mind as to the reasons behind all of this and you will find all will improve because you love and trust in Jesus and have given Him all things within your self joy and suffering. Because of your beautiful and deepening spirituality I would recommend you find a regular confessor and stick to that confessor alone and also a spiritual director, then follow strictly in obedience their every advice and command to you as it is Christ Himself Who speaks in them.

I am sure Jesus loves you very much.

In my prayers.